With are double duties here at school, Tammy and I were looking forward to the National Day holiday here in China where we get a week off. National Day celebrates October 1st, 1949 when Mao Zedong stood at Tiananmen Gate and proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China. It's the U.S. equivalent to the Fourth of July.
We decided just to explore our home territory a bit and get out on some bikes that we have at our disposal. There is a long boardwalk along the beach that goes about a mile or more and we spent one day riding up and down it. There were a lot of activities going on for the holiday so we stopped occasionally and had something to eat or would take a brief swim in the ocean
Yesterday we went into Qingdao for one of the cities most famous events. The 18th Annual Qingdao International Beer Festival. Before we got to the festival we explored one of the city's biggest bookstores hoping to find a few books in English or a newspaper. Inquiries of foreigners living here on where to buy an International newspaper have been met with blank stares reserved for Rod Taylor by the Eloi (bonus point if you got that cultural reference). Well, there were no newspapers or English books but they did have something that stunned me. On a computer screen they had an episode of Deperate Housewives playing. Next to the picture, the text was scrolling in English and next to it, in Chinese. As the actors spoke, the text would be highlighted. It was software to help you learn English while watching American TV shows. Learning English by watching Desperate Housewives???...Oh, someone help me, say it ain't so.
After that we enjoyed an evening at the beer festival. There were rides, cotten candy, carnival games...and scorpians on a stick! Yep, just like at home!
3 comments:
yes, Qingdao is so famous in making beer. by the way, sometimes i watch those TV comedies / programme to learn english :P
Mr. Monk (and the novel book)
Money Magazine
60 minutes+
Fifteen years ago I lived in Qingdao, at a time when the city was only beginning to emerge. I was the only American businessman, sent there to open an electronics factory for AT&T, and lived in the only international hotel. The highlight of our week-end was Sunday morning at 9, when Japanese NHK-TV showed "Melrose Place" as an English language lesson - complete with humorous Japanese instructors offering tips where the commercial should be. Great memory!
english reading material is on it's way friends. let me know if you when you need some more or if you want me to get you some books. :)
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