Post #111 5 July 2016

Gentlefolk,

This post is about the visit of our son and his family last weekend.

Andrew and Caroline live in Hong Kong, 3 hours flight from Qingdao.  Andrew is a Team Leader in Google's HK Office; Caroline has developed a furniture retail website (www.reddie.co).  Little two-year-old Eddie makes up the family.

Hong Kong had a public holiday on Friday ('Establishment Day', to commemorate the return of HK to China in 1997) and they decided to visit Qingdao for the long weekend, before our departure next Saturday.

We all stayed at the sumptuous Shangri-la Hotel in Qingdao City.  Their treat - thank you!

Actually, the hotel I stayed at when I left Australia for the first time way back in February 1972 was the Shangri-la in Singapore.  It was an incredibly exotic and luxurious hotel, and kicked off my love affair with Asia.  It was a strange, but altogether appropriate, coincidence that the last hotel I would stay in before our departure for Australia was another Shangri-la.

I've spent a lot of time in Asia since 1972; lived in Indonesia (1972-73 and 1988-91), Thailand (1974), Singapore (1994-96), and China (1984-86 and 2009-2016); a total of about 18 years.  What a marvellous experience it has been.

We also lived in Canada (1975-78) and Brazil (1979-82), but Asia takes the cake.

Qingdao has a deserved reputation as one of China's most liveable cities and Vera and I were delighted to have this opportunity to show them around our "adopted home".  It's a pity we didn't have time to go to Huangdao, the suburb where our campus is located (about 30km from Qingdao City itself), but there wasn't enough time and Andrew & Caroline had visited us there four years ago.

Here is a summary of what we did with Andrew, Caroline and Little Eddie.

Friday 1 July 2016

Met them at Qingdao Airport at 2pm; transfer to Shangri-la Hotel; swim in hotel pool; walk through May 4 Square and along the esplanade; dinner.

Saturday 2 July 2016

Swim; breakfast; drive around Ba Da Guan; look at #1 Beach; visit Zhong Shan Park & Zoo; back to hotel for swim and rest; lunch in MIX-C Mall; visit St Michael's Church & Square; coffee & cake at Tous les Jours; look at Prince Hotel; walk along esplanade; Food Alleys at end of Zhong Shan Road; back to hotel for supper.

Sunday 3 July 2016

Swim; breakfast; walk along esplanade; check out of hotel; taxi to Qingdao Airport; flight to Hong Kong departed at 2.30pm, arrived in HK Airport at 5.30pm, they were home in Happy Valley by 7pm.


Herewith some photos (before the battery in my camera stopped)

The university very kindly gave us a car and driver to pick up the visitors - what a nice gesture!  We drove along the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, the longest over-water bridge in the world (40km) - an engineering marvel - always a thrill.

Qingdao Liu Ting Airport.  A big new airport is under construction and will be ready in 3 years. Qingdao's new subway (60 km) will open by the end of this year - so much development here. 

The lobby of the Shangri-la Hotel on Xianggang Zhong Lu in the "New City".

Nice indoor swimming pool, which we used a lot.

Andrew and Eddie having a shower after using the swimming pool. Eddie is two and getting used to water.

The impressive May 4 Monument, commemorating student revolt which started on 4 May 1919 against the Versailles Treaty which gave Qingdao to Japan.

Vera buying some 'bubbles' for Eddie in May 4 Square.

The esplanade which runs around the shoreline up to the 2008 Olympic Sailing Center.

Little Eddie enjoying some yogurt for breakfast.

At #1 Beach, the biggest beach in Qingdao City.  The weather was pleasant, lots of people on the beach, but not many swimming yet. Another month and the water will be comfortable for swimming.

An impromptu "jam" session in Zhong Shan Park.

Chinese love babies and kids; the 'singer' insisted on meeting Little Eddie.

The zoo included a petting area with rabbits.

Unfortunately the battery in my camera expired, so that's all the photos.

It was a lovely visit, albeit too short.

Thanks Andrew & Caroline for making the effort to visit us and for your hospitality!

...

That's it for this post.

Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah

English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao

www.upc.edu.cn

Tuesday 5 July 2016 (4 more sleeps before our departure!)