Mexican Food!

Mexican Food!!! Well, at least Chinese Mexican food. We found a Mexican Restaurant in Qingdao a few weekends ago. I ordered a burrito, rice and fruit salad. As you can see, the burrito was about the closest thing to Mexican they had. It was definitely Chinese Mexican. I sure miss Su Casa food! As I ate, I tried to pretend it was real Mexican....or at least American Mexican. It lasted for about a second...then I heard the Chinese in the background and was brought back to reality. haha. I'm soo having Mexican food when I get back to the USA! Don't get me wrong, I love Chinese food. But it is so nice to live in the USA where you can choose what type of food you want to eat. You can have Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, American, etc. Here, you have to go to the bigger cities to have something other than Chinese. I found, I'm very much a variety girl. I like to have lots of choices...especially when it comes to food!

Hospital vs Pharmacy

Can I just say, it sucks being sick? In a foreign country none-the-less. I already mentioned that you can't buy medicine at the supermarket (which is a little wierd for me), you have to go to the hospital, or (as I just found out yesterday) you have to go to a pharmacy store. So here's my adventures this past week. On Monday (after being sick all weekend), Herry, one of my students and my translater, went with me to get some medicine (I was hoping it would be to a drug store or something). Nope. It was to the hospital. There is a small hospital (or clinic I would call it) just off campus. We walk over there (in the rain) and go inside. All I see is a long empty corridor. Herry starts opening the doors to rooms as we pass looking for the doctor (there is no receptionist or anything). We find someone who shows us which room the doctor is in. We go in and there are 3 people in white coats (I'm not sure which one is the doctor and which ones are nurses) and 2 other students. I sit in a chair and they give me a thermometer to take my temperature (it goes under the armpit in case you were wondering and don't ask how I found that out). I sat there for 15 mins and the nurses/doctor talked to Herry about me and where I am from (I've learned how to say America in Chinese)...it was all in Chinese so I got nothing out of the conversation. Anyways, the doctor says my temperature is normal. And asks what's wrong ('cause I apparently don't look sick). I tell her my throat is sore, my ears are plugged, and I have a cough (I'm just looking for some cold medicine here!). She then writes down a prescription on a piece of paper and hands it to me. (By the way, she has been sitting at her desk the whole time). That's it...no 'stick-out-your-tongue and say aahhh', no earcheck, no sinus check....just 'tell-me-what's-wrong-and-I'll-give-you-some-medicine'. I take the paper around the corner and they give me the medicine. It cost me a total of 7.5 RMB (~$1). I've got three different kinds of medicine enough to last me 5 days.

Well, I wasn't getting any better, I was losing my voice and now had an eye infection. So I decided to go to the hospital again. On Thursday, I called 2 of my students to see if they would go with me to get some medicine 'cause I wasn't doing any better. Blanche & Grace went with me. They knew of a place in town that was better than the hospital. I figured why not? Anything has to be better then the hospital. We went to a drug store (yep, they do have them in Weifang). We talked...or they talked actually....to the pharmacist or drug person and told them what was wrong. The pharmacist recommended eyedrops and cold medicine...and....it is finally working! At least I'm feeling better today. Hopefully tomorrow will be even better. Moral of the story: When in China, visit the drug store rather than the hospital.

Alcohol, Tobacco, & Drugs

It has been cold, rainy, and gloomy all weekend....and I'm sick. Yuck! I know this shouldn't surprise me (being in China and all), but still... You go to the campus market and they sell alcohol, they sell tobacco, but do they sell drugs? NO! I'm feeling lousy and all I want is some cold medicine, but can I find it anywhere? Nope! Aaauuuggghhh! I just want some drugs to knock me out! ha. Welcome to China. You could be a kid and buy alcohol and tobacco (there's no age limit), but can an adult buy medicine at the store?! Nope! (sigh) I finally talked to James (he's my boss) this morning and he said he'll go with me this afternoon to a place where I can find some medicine. Until then, I've got a runny nose, clogged ears, sore throat, and infected eyes....ugghh! and I have to teach my classes this morning! I hate being sick! Oh and to top it all off, this weekend is the International Kite Festival, but we won't be going anymore because it is all muddy and it is too rainy for the kites to fly. Go figure! haha...that's life for ya.

Chinese baby & Squid-on-a-stick!

Here is a picture of a really cute Chinese baby I saw on the bus! The babies here are sooo cute and chubby! I don't think I've seen a skinny one yet (or if they are skinny, they are so bundled up that they look chubby!)! haha! It's funny how many layers of clothes little kids have on! Well, except for the bottom....but that's another story in and of itself.

Anybody interested in squid-on-a-stick?!? Yep! They sell it here just like that. If you want one, they will fry it up for you (the picture is of the unfried kind). I'm going to have to buy one just so I can take a picture to show you! haha! (I'm still debating whether I will actually eat it or not! The more I think about it and the longer I look at the picture, I'm leaning more towards NOT trying it. We'll see.) The first time I saw someone eating one of the streets, I had to do a triple take. I just couldn't believe it! Yuck! But some people really like it. In case you were wondering, they do sell normal food on the street as well. Pineapple is in season and boy is it good!! Let me know if you want me to bring home some squid-on-a-stick for you....:)

Taishan

This last weekend (5 April), I went with a bunch of friends and climbed Taishan (Mt. Tai). Did I mention, that when you climb a mountain here in China, it's not really climbing....more stair-stepping? Don't believe me?....Just look at the pictures. I'm told there are over 6,600 steps from the bottom of Taishan to the top...and I don't doubt it! I had to keep reminding myself that for every step, I had to be losing a pound! I'm sure I lost 30 lbs by the time I got to the top! haha. I don't think it happened, but at least it got me to the top! There were 9 people in the group I went with. All English speaking people! I know, hard to believe but true...they came from 5 different cities and we met up at Taishan. In case you were wondering, I met them all at church. Most of them are teaching English here. It was soooo much fun!!! I loved climbing the Mountain! I miss the mountains in Utah!
One of my students is from Tai'an (the city at the base of Taishan) and I think I will come back with her and climb the mountain when it is greener and warmer!

The first picture is of us on the train to Taishan (it was a 4 hour train ride). Jennifer, Amber and I shared a compartment with 4 other Chinese people (2 of which spoke some English). The second pic is a photograph of a map of the mountain. Just follow the yellow flags from the bottom to the top...you can try to read it, but it's all in Chinese...that's the trail to the top. The next 2 pics are actual pics taken of the mountain...as you can see, all the trees are bare and it was really cloudy so you couldn't see the trail very well. I'm in one picture with Kip (a teacher in Qingdao) and Ajay (a medical student from India). The last is a picture I took from the internet to give you an idea of what the trail to the top actually looks like. Yep! It is straight up the mountain!! Nothing like the trails back home. haha.

Mount Tai is one of the "Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism" and is said to be the most popular of the five. Its history dates back some 3,000 years. It is a very sacred temple and many people hike it for religious purposes. There are some 22 Temples along the way with many ancient writings that date back hundreds of years. As you climb, there are gates (or arches) that signify the walk to Heaven. You start at the First Gate to Heaven and walk about 3 miles to the Middle Gate of Heaven. From there, it is a climb of 2 miles and an elevation rise of about 4,500 ft (yeah, its steep!) to Heaven (or the top). I've decided climbing the stairs isn't really that bad, you've just got to pace yourself and rest... It was soooo much FUN!! (I've got to figure out how to do photoblog or something so you can see all the pics I have...if not, i'll just have to show you when I get back!).

Utah Jazz in China?!

So I was riding the bus in Qingdao last Saturday, 3/29, when I happened to look at the DTV screen and saw an NBA game. As I looked closer, I realized it was the Utah Jazz playing the LA Clippers!! I was sooo excited!! I had to get pictures! Who'd have thought I'd be riding a bus halfway around the world and see the Jazz playing the Clippers?!?! I had to get in the picture to show you I was there, and just as the picture took, the screen changed from a close up of the Jazz team to the Clipper's team. Go figure! Hahaha! So I took another picture and you can see part of the Utah Jazz logo on the floor...in case you didn't believe me! The Chinese really love the NBA here! Especially the Houston Rockets...take a wild guess as to why....yep...you got it....Yao Ming. They love him! I had to take a cell phone away from one of my students today because he was watching the Houston Rockets game during class! (ok, I was kinda jealous he could see the game and I couldn't...so I took his phone and kept looking at the score during the rest of class!) haha. It's great to be the teacher sometimes! :) Go Jazz!

Hiking in Qingdao 03.28.08

So, I went hiking in Qingdao last weekend (I'm just getting around to writing about it). I LOVED IT!!! I have really missed the mountains in Utah! It was so much fun!! Well...hiking really isn't the word for it...maybe step climbing? I've discovered most of the trails in China are made of steps. Instead of going around a mountain...they build stairs to go straight up! haha. Forget the stair-stepper just climb a mountain in China!! The last picture is of the gate going up the mountain. The beginning of the trail you could say. I think it's pretty cool looking! Man, if I climbed a trail a week in China, I'd be in fantastic shape!! I'm trying to decide if it is a good thing or a bad thing that there are no mountains here in Weifang...hmm...

Taxi rickshaws

Here's some pictures right outside the gates of my school. They are what I call the taxi rickshaws (I forget what the actual name is). They are lined up waiting to take students or teachers into the city (my school is just outside the downtown area). I've not yet ridden in one, but I'm going to before I leave here. Just for the experience of it all. There are also food stands (similar to taco stands) outside where many students go to buy food. The stands are attached to bikes or trailors and the owners bike their stand every weekend to the spot to sell food. They actually cook the food right there on the spot! The students love it! It is so China for you. You see those all over the place in the smaller cities. (I haven't seen them at all in Qingdao, though).

Kite Square

I visited Kite Square in Weifang City. Weifang is the World's Kite Capital. The International Kite Festival will be held April 19-20 this year. People from all over the world will be coming here that weekend. This is a big deal for the local people here (They have a main river that runs through the city that has been dry because of construction in the riverbed. I just learned the other day that they are going to fill the river for the Kite Festival and then empty it again so they can finish their work). Wow! I'll make sure and get pictures. Sometime this month I'm going to see how they make the kites and I can't wait to see all the different kinds of kites in the air. I've seen quite a few already and will be excited to see them all. In the background, you can see Weifang City. Notice the cranes on top of the buildings...it seems like all of China is underconstruction....at least it seems that way in all the cities I've been too.

....Oh my goodness....I can actually access my blog!!!! I can't believe it! This is the first time I've been able to do that since I've been here! Haha! I tell ya, I get surprises all the time here. I wonder how long I'll be able to access it....hmmm....I guess we'll wait and see.

Wedding picture and Chinese ladder

I'm a little slow in updating my blog like I should be doing, so I'm making a few blog entries today.

Two weeks ago, I was walking through People's Park (really gorgeous and famous park in Weifang) with 2 of my students when I saw a bride and groom have thier professional pictures taken. I thought it was cool to see them there and I was watching them...then I began to notice that there were quite a few brides and grooms. Apparently, this is a very popular place to take pictures. As we passed one particular couple, my students started laughing. I asked what they were laughing about and they said that the wedding group wanted to take their picture with me, but were too shy to ask. Haha. Quite a few people said that in Chinese as we passed, but no one was brave enough to ask until we were leaving the park. We happened to be following a bride and groom and their party out of the park. One lady came back and offered us candy (I think to become friendly with us) and then rejoined her group. Shortly after, she turned back and asked (in Chinese) if they (the bride and groom) could take their picture with me! Haha! How funny! Apparently it's good luck to have a picture with a foreigner on your wedding. So, here's the picture with me and the bride and groom - who are complete strangers. (And to set the record straight...they wanted me to be in the picture! Not the other way around!) Because they were getting professional pictures done, I wanted one just because it was funny!!! I can't believe they asked a complete stranger to be in their wedding picture! hahaha!

The second picture is of some women putting a fresh coat of paint on the words in this monument. Check out what the one is using as a ladder.... Yep, that's China for you!