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Shandong Travel Blogs

Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

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By bohemian_astray
August 25th 2005

"Oh Damn"

Asia » China » Shandong

Cinderellas
Me, Duncan, and Melissa at Cinderellas the night before Duncan left for Shenzhen.

And it's time for the weekly news report. Today's been frustrating.. figuring out schedules and hours, etc. I taught my last "After School Activities" class at the JAC to the class I love so much. I was sad to see them go.. I might see some of them again in other classes, but a lot of them I won't and they are such sweet kids, always giving me little gifts and watching my face turn upside down when they give me sour candies. Though today they picked on me a bit, told me I have a bastketball belly (!!), a long [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
August 18th 2005

Umbrella Locks

Asia » China » Shandong

I just got out of my last Elementary class (they finish the Semester tomorrow), where I made pancakes for my students. I've been ranting and raving about pancakes since the day I walked in that class, so I got some pancake mix, and some "real Canadian maple syrup" and I attempted to recreate something similar to home. Not a chance in China! First off, I cooked them in a little oven, I didn't have good oil, it wasn't quite hot enough, and they ended up raw and doughy and white. BUT I smothered them with syrup and the kids ate em [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
August 11th 2005

Luxury Items and Cheap DVDs

Asia » China » Shandong

Bling!
This is Daphne's bling that she received from a student. This is the Chinese equivalent of a dentist ring.

I haven't written in a few days, so here's the 411 (ahaha). Saturday night I went to a Korean restaurant called Tudali with Daphne. We had all kinds of food, including "crushed apple juice" which is a thick pretty much tasteless nectar with apple shrapnel floating that sits on the bottom. Not my favourite drink, let me just say. I had some egg and noodle soup, which was great, and we ordered a spicy bean and peanut dish that wasn't bad until I decided I could eat a huge chili pepper. It wasn't bad at first, but then I just felt [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
August 6th 2005

News and Pictures!

Asia » China » Shandong

Food Class
My "Food" class. The little one on the left with the pigtails is my FAVOURITE of all time.

It's been a long day and I'm eager to get home but I want to update on what's been going on so I don't forget later, and I want to keep you all up to date with the "high life" that is life in Jinan.... Yesterday was a really rough day. I taught at Shanda all day, the elementary class, then for lunch I went to the UBC Cafe again with Duncan. They have a "chocolate coffee" that I've grown quite fond of, but coffee here isn't anything compared to home and I still pay about the same. We had a [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
August 3rd 2005

Underground Malls and Maccers

Asia » China » Shandong

Monday was my day off so I went shopping with Snow in the afternoon. We took the bus to an average looking road, but down about 20 steps there is an entire mall underneath the road, that just goes on forever. We spent a while in there, a few hours at least and I bought a few little things that Snow bargained down for me. That's the nice thing about shopping with a Chinese person! I saw a building with pink glass windows. Apparenty, Mr. Je, the school's handy-man and van-driver is a gangsta. No shitting, either. Kinda freaky. I bought [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
July 31st 2005

Busy days

Asia » China » Shandong

Another update from the school computer, but I think I will be getting a laptop sometime this week. Crossing my fingers at least. Daphne said she will take me. Yesterday I worked for three hours in the morning at the JAC, then I came back to the school and went for lunch with Duncan at Jenny's cafe, which is a Western food cafe that doesn't have the greatest food but is at least familiar. I had fettucini alfredo and a vanilla milkshake, both slightly on the expensive side in chinese standards, but worth it for a taste of home. I am [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
July 30th 2005

Party and Another Day in Jinan

Asia » China » Shandong

Another quick update... Last night we had a student/teacher “party” at a nearby hotel… we all walked over around 6:30 and it was set up pretty much as a big publicity event… all on tape. All of the foreign teachers had to introduce themselves, so I threw in “Hi, my name is Laura and I’m from Canada, eh?” hehe. I had to. There were all kinds of games… karaoke (some in English, some in Chinese), a play that Peter organized… a tug of war (teachers won! I got rope burn on my arm!) and my game of music chairs that I [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
July 29th 2005

Life in China

Asia » China » Shandong

No matter what I do, I can't get used to this life in China. I know I've only been here for 9 days, but I just.. can't. Teaching has been going alright. Some days are better than others, as is the case with most jobs. I like the kids, but find teaching very tiring. When I teach 6 hours in a day, I go home and all I want to do is sleep. The little kids are fun though. Lots of energy. I've found a few interesting places, some places to eat that remind me a bit of home.. and some [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
July 25th 2005

Day Off

Asia » China » Shandong

Yesterday was Sunday. I taught at the JAC from 8:30 to 11:40, 2 kids classes. It was frustrating, because I didn't even have a lot of the materials that I was supposed to have, and thus couldn't follow the teachers book with lesson plans... but I just did what I could and have decided that the book is bunk when it comes down to it. In my first class, the kids all liked me I think.. one little girl took a berret out of her hair and put it in mine, and another girl gave me a sour candy. She was [View Full Entry]

By bohemian_astray
July 23rd 2005

Trying Times

Asia » China » Shandong

So this is proving to be a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. Most of you know already, but I am having a hard time getting settled in here. My apartment is alright, I have a room mate for another week (then I will completely lonely...) and I bought some stuff last night to clean the place top to bottom (it's dirty...) I've been thrown into teaching without much training at all, and am trying the best I can. I know that it will come with time, but it's hard to face right now. My schedule is frustrating. Although I [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Shandong