I’m slowly visiting the sites in Qingdao and by slowly I mean a napping tortoise has seen more of Qingdao than I. To continue the prolonged tour I scheduled a weekend with Beth. I had it all planned, the spice market, Zhongshan Park, the pagoda, the temple, the beach, Catholic Cathedral and of course Jimo for the newbie Beth. Of the entire list we hit two. Not exactly my idea of a successful trip. So here is how our misadventure started…
We had gotten tickets for the 4:30pm fast train, and pulled out at 6:30pm. We got to Qingdao and found a cab to the hostel. I had looked up rooms the week before and saw plenty of rooms I was having trouble booking online so I figured I’d take my chances, for future reference BAD idea. I had brought information for back up accommodations and knew if all else failed we could crash at Victoria’s.
We called hostel number two and they had two beds in a mixed dorm available. We told them we were on our way and jumped in a cab. The driver, we learned 20 frustrating mins later, dropped us off on the back side of the hill. We got out of the cab and found ourselves in a deserted back alley at the foot of a dark and uninviting hill. We Called the hostel again for directions and were told to our horror there were no beds! I explained I’d called 5 min ago and was told there were two beds. She checked with the other receptionist and apologized for the mix up. She gave us directions and then said she would stand outside and wait for us, we finally made it and realized she had walked down the other side of the hill. When she showed us the room available Beth and I both panicked inside. It was an overflow dorm separated from the complex and full of middle aged Chinese men, not exactly the company I felt comfortable sleeping with so far from the hostel.
We apologized for the inconvenience but declined the room. Sophia, the receptionist said she understood and offered to help us find accommodations elsewhere. We figured she’d give us a car and send us on our way. To our surprise she grabbed her sweater, a flashlight and the other receptionist. She even asked if we had eaten yet and grabbed some muffins for the trip. She walked us to a hotel 15min away and arranged our room and everything.
The room was spectacular and upon their insistents we got a room with a great view of the courtyard and the city. We settled in and then went out for a quick bite.
The next morning we were up and about ready to hit Jimo when it opened at 9am. I was hoping for a quick morning be in and out by 12 for lunch and on our way to see the rest of the town. I had a list of sites to hit. That did not happen! But here a few of my purchases that somehow took 5 hours!
I have to admit I was thrilled when Beth stumbled across a jean shop that sold my size!! I am saved. I’ve just about warn the seat out of a few of my jeans I no longer have to live in fear of being pantless for the next year. We ended up leaving Jimo at closing time around 5pm! Never again!!
We headed to our hotel for a nap then met Kelly for dinner at the Diner. It was delicious of course but then again western food tastes so so good after not having it for a month. Although the repercussions of stuffing your face with diary heavy western food can at times be uncomfortable late. The Diner was full of westerners as usually and a large group of Europeans were occupying the center tables. Their children were all playing together and we almost forgot we were in China.
Sunday morning we got up a little late and headed straight for the Catholic Cathedral. It is only open before 9am on Sundays and I was extremely keen on seeing it. We got to the gates about 8:45 and decided to take a quick look. We soon realized that mass was starting and as they handed us the liturgy in English we decided to stay. It was an amazing experience. The Service was in Korean, so I felt a little at home as half of my church is in Korean due to translation.
As on any good clear day were were half a dozen couples taking wedding photos around the city at different scenic locations. Wedding photos in China are taken when convenient not following the ceremony. Some are taken the week in advance or even months late if it is more convenient.
Exploring the area around the Hotel and Jimo…
During lunch the downpour started. It didn’t let up for about four hours. We hid out for lunch then raced to Book City. At the bus stops I finally gave up trying to stay dry and gave into the fact that I would remain soaked the rest of the day. I was literally pouring water out of my shoes. I should have worn flip-flops!
At Book City I had a rather interesting adventure. I took the ACT test or at least part of it. As I was browsing through the Chinese Textbooks a student approached me asking for some help. Could I please define, scrutinize. Humm, the epitome of teaching English learning to define large words without using large words. I did my best and the conversation proceeded from there. The student had just take the ACT test and would like to review his answers. To my surprise he pulled out the test booklet and started referring to all the questions he had reservations about. He asked my opinion on each and again I did my best but I told him that was no guarantee. There is this belief in China that if you are a native English Speaker all our tests are a walk in the park. What they don’t realize is unlike Chinese education we don’t spend our entire academic career with our nose in test booklet, just the better half of the second semester. Well, after that test boy was I glad I decided on COS and I didn’t have take any college entrance tests, I really don’t know how I would have fared.
We spent the afternoon working on our Chinese and caught the train home around 7pm. Overall, I bearly touched my laundry list of things to see but it was an enjoyable trip none-the-less.
Adding Stamps 