So, Chinese drivers are absolutely insane. We took a taxi from Qingdao railway station to our hotel, and neither Michelle nor myself thought we would actually make it to our hotel. Worried that our driver tempted fate too often by driving into head on traffic, Michelle found the phrase in our phrase book that said, "Mr. Driver, Please Drive More Slowly." At first he did not quite understand us, but then he understood our meaning. He corrected us on our pronounciation, and he laughed heartily. He, however, did not change his driving techniques. We think that he was showing off for us, but we were not entirely impressed. We do not intend to take another Taxi unless we have to.
After our harrowing taxi experience, we found Qingdao to be very pleasant. We strolled on the sidewalk and visited the pagoda at the end of the pier. Street salesmen lined the boardwalk, and they had some interesting stuff. Lots of them had various items made out of sea shells. Michelle was a little interested in all the jewelry, but she really wanted one of the little turtles. Unfortunately, I don't see how we could bring one back to the states.
Hey-it's Michelle. Finally get a chance to add my 2cents now that the conference is over. Last night was great--we walked along the beachfront with a thick fog rolling in from the ocean, all the time being serranaded by the likes of Ricky Martin and Brittney Spears from a nearby hotel. We had a delicious dinner of crab & vegetable balls and spicy tofu. The waitress misunderstood our order at first, and brought out about 3 liters of Tsingtao beer for the two of us. We sent two back, and really enjoyed the third. Not much different than a bud light. Overall, I'm pleased with our communication skills, and we havn't missed a meal because of them. I also got a chance to practice my bargaining skills, and paid Y3 for a map that said Y5 right on it! well, it's off to the beach for us...
