Sunday, May 22
Qingdao: end of week 1
On Sunday we got to sleep in for the first time in two weeks since there were no scheduled activities. Cody and I decided to go find lunch with the help of Jackie, one of our student mentors at Qingdao University. We told him we’d like to eat seafood, so he took us to (did you guess it?) the very same restaurant that Daniel and I had stumbled upon earlier in the week.
I was rather relieved to see that different staff worked Sunday lunch.
I came prepared this time, though. The main dishes we got were boiled clams, clam soup, and battered shrimp. So delicious!
Thanks, Jackie, for instilling in us the confidence to eat here!
Cody and I are ready for a big brunch!
Beautifully presented clams. (This is what appears at the table when you point to the crate of live clams from the menu display)
Splitting the check three ways, we paid 60 kuai (less that $10 US) each.
The weather was beautiful so after eating we walked down to the Olympic Sailing Center. Although the 2008 Olympic games were held in Beijing, the sailing competition was in Qingdao.
Notice the Olympic torch at the end of the dock.
Cody definitely has the potential for Olympic rowing.
There was a significant number of people there, considering there were no special events happening. Just families enjoying the nice day.
The view of the city from out on the dock was really nice.
Olympic rings and a lighthouse!
We also walked around a large bookstore, and through two malls. On the way back we also got bubble tea!
Exploring the city with Jackie (who is fluent in both Chinese and English) and Cody (who doesn’t know any Chinese) definitely changes the dynamic. It was much easier to get around, but presented many less fitting opportunities for me to practice Chinese. It was nice to mix things up, though.
Glad I got to go back and redeem the fine dinning aspect of the seafood restaurant!