Holidays

It is National Holidays here in China.  From tomorrow, Tuesday 1st, everyone is off for the week.  This is supposed to be one of the most expensive holidays in China apart from the Chinese New Year Holiday.

Some gifts given by the school for National Holiday

 



Well I have managed to become a member of Taobao where I can buy anything at next to nothing prices.  The Chinese staff at school were shocked that I had found out that I could and that I could buy vouchers to put money on my Alipay (Paypal) account.  They were like 'but you only been here two month, how?'  So I have made my first two purchases and just waiting for them to arrive.

Our school has broken up on holiday, so yes, I am having a well deserved break for a week.

Vivian, the Chinese Language teacher, met Paul and myself to show us where the Chinese post office was to buy our Taobao voucher.  Then she asked us if we wanted to go to the convention centre where the Koreans were displaying their goods for sale.  When we were at a stall, we got there and it was empty, then all of a sudden there were plenty of Chinese also wanting to look at the same merchandise we were looking at.  And we had a photo shoot.  Some Chinese man decided to take not one, or two but many photos of us from different angles.  Needless to say, we have now gotten the hang of being aloof and ignoring the photo sessions and being stared at.  Unless directly asked to pose.  (Ha Ha)

Some rice cakes, fresh as ever, watched them being made and packaged in front of us.

We also bought some shrimp flavoured chips and tammeleitjie (spelling??) suckers.



Then we went to Dio Coffee this evening to have some supper.  Well what can I say about them.  Firstly no waitress understand or speaks any English.  So a patron who heard us battling to order walked up and helped us by interpreting between us and the waitresses.  The patron that assisted us with translation landed up being the Deputy Dean for the Translation and Interpretation School for Teachers University and asked if we knew any teachers wanting to teach English at the University.  The service was not that good as they brought our food in drips and drabs.  I got my salad after we had finished eating our mains and finished drinking our coffee.  Paul didn't get his salad at all and by that time the kind patron had left so we could not even ask the waitresses where it was.  The food was okay, but Yummy's is better.  Paul and I ordered fillet steak, Kerry a Pizza (again), and Sarah ordered skewered chicken (we thought).  When Sarah started eating hers we found out that the cartilage was still in the meat. (who can guess what we had, cause we don't know !! :))  )

Relaxed,Lisa and Kerry (Kerry reading the Cosmopolitan Magazine)

 

Paul and Sarah enjoying

 

   
Sarah's chicken something   Paul and my fillet steak

  

Kerry Pizza                             Potato salad with Tarter sauce (Mayonnaise)

 

Ice Cuppachino                Iced Columbia            Iced Yogurt and Apple blend



Sarah's birthday present arrived and she was so excited.
    
   
Anyway keep reading as it is holidays and we are hoping to do something here in Rizhao to get to know the place better.