Qin Huang Dao

I'm going to break from my random thoughts and tell you instead about something I actually did. For the last three days I was in Qin Huang Dao, the home of my roommate. It was pretty swell. Let me tell you why.

First, I was their guest of honor. I was actually told that I was the greatest guest they had ever had. As such, they treated me to the best of everything. For lunch on the first day we ate a Qin Huang Dao delicacy, I don't know what it's called, crab, two types of fish, spring rolls, beef, pork, and so much more. It was so good. Plus we had all the beer I could drink. If my glass was less than half full, someone around the table would fill it again. This happened quite often as I was toasted about five times during the meal and there were a dozen or more other toasts as well.



We then went to our hotel to drop off our things. Worst part of the trip actually. I've never seen a worse hotel room. There was garbage everywhere, the beds were a mess, the bathroom had toothpaste and other objects everywhere. It was really bad. Thankfully, it got cleaned up before we returned that night.

For dinner we ate at Mobai's house where his dad made homemade noodles and his mom made many delicious dishes. Plus we had wine, and while I hate wine, it was the thought that counts. They just kept giving me food and wine. It's hard to say no as well because then they think you hate them and their food even though you're just full and don't want anymore wine.

The next day was amazing and my favorite day of the trip. The Great Wall. So much fun and quite the work out. It started at the section that went into the ocean. There I bought a hat mad out of leaves, made new friends with Chinese people wearing the same hat, and had a very joyous time. Then we hit up another section of the wall where I watched people get carried around in stretcher-like contraptions to music, corn drying on top of a roof, and ate lunch at a place with garbage bags for table cloths(that way they didn't need to clean the tables, just take off a garbage bag and put on another.) The third part was the best. This is the steep part where we had to climb forever up steep slopes, steeper stairs, and ladders to get to the top of the hill. I loved it. It was like a free workout. I don't know how soldiers would have gotten around on the wall though. They must've been in great shape.





That night we went to a movie. Before we went in the lady selling snacks asked where I was from (Wo shi meiguo) and told me I was cute (that was translated by Mobai). Thus I took a picture with her. The movie was called "Painted Skin" and was about a deamon that ate hearts. I thought it would be so bad that it actually seemed good. It was nice that it had captions, but I'm pretty sure I would've understood most of it anyway.



I also had quite the night after that. First I did my homework. Not for my classes but for Mobai's cousin. She's studying English and thought I spoke it very well when we met earlier (thank goodness for I don't know what I'd do if she thought I sounded bad.) Thus she asked if I would record myself reading some of her textbook so she'd have a native speaker to listen to. I did and it was awesome except for the fact that I can't read and changed some of the words. I hope that doesn't confuse her too much. Then I took a shower in the weirdest shower ever. It was pretty much an indent in the bathroom with a curtain and no drain. The drain was in the middle of the bathroom. Worst design ever.

The next day we hit up the beach, got lunch, then got on the train. I slept most of the way back, but that's because of how early I had to get up everyday. I got up earlier while on vacation than I did for any of my classes since high school.




Well, now I'm back in Beijing, I have so much work to do, I don't want to do it, so instead I'm going to go out tonight. I don't have class til Tuesday anyway, so it'll be fine.