Playing Catch-Up

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I know, I know, this blog entry is way overdue, and I apologize for my negligence toward my blog. There's so much I want to talk about but I really don't know where to begin. Furthermore, I don't want to bore you with another longwinded entry, so for the sake of brevity, I will try to be as clear and concise as possible. Let's start with the Golden Week National Holiday (September 30th-October 7th) where my fellow foreign teacher Jake and I planned a trip to explore the mid to northeast region of the Shandong Province. We were able to hit four major cities: Huangdao, Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai over the course of 4 days. Looking at the forecast for the following week of our expedition, the weather was less than generous; most of the days were cloudy and overcast. Initially, I couldn't help feel that the poor weather forecast was foreshadowing certain events that would unfold during the trip. But luckily, this initial premonition didn't manifest itself during our travels, and instead, the trip was a success. The trip was quite an eye-opening experience for me because it was the first time traveling around China, and the importance of knowing the language, or knowing enough of the language to get by, is one of the most important tools to have when traveling here. Jake, who has been studying Chinese on and off for 6 years, exuded that he is competent and confident in the language. Thus, I thought that my first experience traveling in China would be best suited if traveled with someone who is familiar with the language. That's the thing, seeing someone with such competency with the Chinese language, really pushes me to study harder and practice the language more and more so that I will be able to travel solo over the winter break.

To lay out some of the groundwork of the trip, I thought it would be necessary to list the general iternary that we followed:

Sunday
-Took a bus from the CUP at Dongying to the CUP at Huangdao
-Stayed in a double room on campus.
-Briefly explored Huangdao.

Monday
-Took a ferry from Huangdao to Qingdao
-Went to Zhongshan Park tower and had a buffet lunch at the top (too bad
it was too cloudy to absorb any of the grandeosie views the tower has to offer)
-Walked around Qingdao and visited the coast.
-Returned back to Huangdao by way of ferry.

Tuesday
-Took a bus from Huangdao to Yantai
-Found accomodations at a Super 8 Hotel
-Walked around and explored Yantai

Wednesday
-Took a bus to Weihai
-Bought a roundtrip ferry ticket to Liugong Island
-Explored the Island (our first day of nice weather. See pictures below)
-Took a bus back to Yantai

Thursday
-Took a bus from Yantai back to Dongying


As promised, I didn't want to clutter this blog with my thoughts, rather I thought the pictures were be just as telling, if not more, than a narrative of the trip. So with out further adieu...

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Photos

China Unveristy of Petroleum at Huangdao
This is a picture of the CUP campus, otherwise known as shi you da xue, at Huangdao. This campus is a lot more modern; it was built within the last 5 to 7 years.

China Unveristy of Petroleum at Huangdao cont.
A picture of an academic building at the CUP campus at Huangdao.

China Unveristy of Petroleum at Huangdao cont.
Around campus

China Unveristy of Petroleum at Huangdao cont.
Again, another picture that demonstrates the modernity of the campus.

Hole in the Wall
Although the CUP campus at Huangdao is quite modern, it is still being developed.

Huangdao Ferry
This is the ferry we took to cross the peninsula to Qingdao. There was an option to take the slow ferry, or the fast ferry, and this is a picture of the fast ferry.

First Impressions of Qingdao
Qingdao is the second largest city in the Shandong Province. As expected, Qingdao is very industrialized and heavily populated.

Zhongshan Park Tower
The tower would have had fantastic views of Qingdao if the weather wasn't so clouded with overcast.

A Continuous Process of Development
China's economic growth is strong, which in turn, allows for continuous development of buildings and infrastructure.

Dreams of the Pacific
What the Pacific Ocean looks like from the Far East.

Dreams of the Pacific Cont.
The Pacific Ocean and the coast line of Qingdao.

Qingdao
As you can see, we weren't the only ones traveling in Qingdao.

International Superstar
It's a common occurance that Chinese citizens want to take pictures with foreigners.

Youth
A cute little Chinese girl poses for a picture for her mom.

Art is Hard
Me posing in front of a sculpture located on Qingdao's coastline.

On the Ferry
Looks like the either the salt, or oxidation, or a combination of the both, have eroded part of the ship.

Comments

[Mom]

Good Trip
Looks like you had a fun and a great learning experience. Thanks for sending me a picture of you:) It does seem to me that there is quite a bit of fog and cloudiness for this time of the year. You really did a lot in 4 days. Have fun and be well.

[Auntie Janet]

On the road, again...................
Seeing you on this journey gives me the realization of the many things I have yet to experience, that is, living in a culture where my parents and your grandparents began their lives. Seeing your pictures of China so modern surprises me. I still have the vision of China from PoPo and history shows of largely rice patties and farming and people living hard and laborious lives. I am sure there is still much of that in the rural parts of the country. As you continue to point out, China is highly industrialized and because of that, the country is a very large consumer of oil and gas, much like the US; driving up the cost of energy due to demand. The smog in your pictures are the result of that. I am presuming that your 4-day tour and the people in your photos are "touring visitors" versus "residents." I cannot tell. I would be interested in seeing and knowing how the "residents" live in terms of conditions. I see that you are healthy and must be eating and living okay. I am delighted you are taking advantage of your opportunites and see a motivation to pick up more of the language to get as much out of your stay. You are a brave sole and I am proud of you. Take care, Auntie Janet

[Sophie Lee]

Great Blog
I finally got up to date on your blog. Great pics and commentaries! I am really impressed. I always think of you as little Erich, but I see that you have grown up to be a really insightful, caring adult who would be a great teacher someday. Keep us up to date on your experiences. Take more photos so we can experience China through you. Take care, Erich.

[Sage]

Balls
How much for one of the balls? That looks like a blast man I NEED to have one. Pictures were all fantastic, and I'm sending you a couple books in a week or two once I finally move in.

[Aunt Donna]

Very concise travel log
Hey Erich, have just caught up on your entries. Great photos. Is it easy for you to get enough time in to practice your Chinese? Are you doing it on your own, or have a tutor, or go to classes? How long will you have for semester break? It's great that you are taking every advantage of your time there to explore other cities, and making it a goal to be able to travel solo at some point. Great job!

[Auntie Janet]

Happy New Year.....
I want to wish you a very happy Chinese New Year. I bet you there will be "big firecrackers" going off in front of your apartment window. In fact, I am wondering if the schools and shops are shut down on this Day. I've always wanted to know how exactly this event is celebrated in China. Please add some pictures to your blog site. It was good to connect with you on Christmas Eve. We missed you very much. It is just not the same without you; however, we did have more leftovers than usual. I really enjoy your blog and wonderful personal insights. Please continue to share your experiences with us, and you are right that we are living China through your eyes. That's a real treat to me and I thank you for that opportunity. Love, Auntie Janet