The Adventures of Tai'an

Breakfast
On our first two mornings we had breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast basically was a continental breakfast with Muesli, fruit, toast, tea, coffee and juice. Of course they also had the traditional Chinese breakfast food such as noodles, pickles, lotus root, etc.

On our last morning we ate at 'Western Food pub Hyatt '. We had French toast and a fruit plate. I had coffee and Barbara had a Chocolate milk tea.
The French toast was not like anything I have had before. I think they spread the bread with peanut paste, fried it, dipped it in egg and fried it again. It was OK but as I said before not French toast as we now it. The fruit plate was huge and the presentation was outstanding. The latte I tried to drink but couldn't. It would have been the worst coffee I have ever had.

Lunch
We normally don't have lunch when we are travelling. That takes up precious time that we could be shopping or sight seeing. We normally have fruit or nuts to keep us going.

Dinner
On our first night we stumbled across a restaurant that really looked something like a family chain restaurant. There were heaps of people in the restaurant so we thought we would be fairly safe. Ordering was a challenge as they didn't have an English menu and no one spoke English. We toured the restaurnat with the waiter in hand and pointed out what we wanted. We ordered Chinese Pizza, Shredded Potatoes and Egg plant. The potatoes are fairly standard in Shandong Province excepts these ones had a bit more chilli. The Chinese pizza was great. It was on like a very thin pita base, that then had a egg cracked on top with ham, onions and capsicum. It was really nice. The eggplant we weren't at all excited about it and it looked like we hadn't touched it. The meal was very cheap. Even cheaper than what we pay in Tai'an.

On the second night we found a restaurant that looked I OK. Still had some difficult with communication barriers. Anyway we thought we ordered Egg & Tomato but ended up with Egg and Chilli. I did not like it at all.

On our last night we found this place call - 'Western Food Pub Hyatt'. The had an Western food, English menu and a student who worked there whose major is English. We ordered a Pizza - Supreme. It was just like at home. We decided we would go back for breakfast the following morning.

On the way in I saw a restaurant with a sign - Chinese Western Food and Italian Coffee. I had made up my mind that is where we would have lunch. I have to convince the others. I can be very persuasive when I need to be.

We all decided we would have BLT's. I was also going to have a latte.

Our drinks arrived. The latte was the best I had had since I had left home.

When they delivered the BLT they only delivered one. So we then tried to explain we wanted three. Thinking we got this right I also ordered another coffee. Yep I was going to be bouncing of walls tonight.

The next BLT arrived. We had to explain we wanted another one. How on earth did they ever think that 1 BLT was going to be enough for 3 people?

Sunday afternoon we found Jenny's cafe. Everyone raves about Jenny's cafe. It has western food. I was amazed at the menu. I settled for a wrap. It was delicious with feta cheese, red onion, olives and balsamic vinegar. We decide we would be back in the morning for breakfast.

We went to the shop next door to check out the western food. It was here that I found Camembert cheese and Paul's milk from South Brisbane.

We came back the next morning for breakfast. We order one of everything on the menu and split it between the three of us. I think they thought we were made. I had a latte but it didn't compare with the two from the day before.

We then went next door and stocked up on our Western goodies.

The Chinese sleep in the oddest of places and at the oddest of times.

In the morning on the bus the Chinese teachers will sleep between the two campuses. It is only 20 minutes. They wipe their eyes get off the bus and go and teach!

You will find people sleeping on their motor bikes in the middle of the city on the main road. There will be men pulled up on the side of the road in their trucks in the midday sun catching some ZZZZZZZZZZZ's. I love a good sleep, but I find it strange how the Chinese fall asleep so easily. But it appears that others respect the needs for sleep and avoid those sleeping.

We get 3 hours for lunch. The teachers go home and have a sleep. They cannot understand that we don't do the same. I told them I can't nap for 30 minutes I'm gone for hours.

The Chinese find it strange that on a good day in the western world we would get an hour for lunch but more often than not we would eat on the run. Lunch to them is an important family meal.

Around lunch time and early afternoon you will see many a Chinese Man sleeping. Whether it be on his tricycle, in the tray on the back seat anywhere they can find they will sleep. There are others who own small shops no bigger than a one car garage and sit on a little camping chair, make themselves comfy and snooze.

A Challenge for western teachers is the students sleeping in the classroom. Boys are the worst offenders. In the morning I stand beside them a continually say, "Good Morning," I soon have a class chanting Good Morning. In the afternoon classes I say "Good Afternoon." I'm a shocker though, if they sleep through class in the break I make them stay asleep. One day I had finished class early so I whispered to the students, "let's go and leave the sleepers here." I was amazed that the woke up from silence but sleep through me ranting and raving.

I'm now trying a new tactic - I take photos of them sleeping. They don't like this at all. You can check out the photos on Face book.

So you probably have already read that we hang out at the same restaurant.

Well on Saturday Night we went to A Dong de Shuijiao. This restaurant is near the Dai Temple. It is a clean dumpling restaurant. Between the 3 of us we ordered 1/2 a serve of the meat and mushroom dumpling and the same size for the vegetable dumpling and then braised eggplant. The meat dumplings were good. But I have to admit I didn't try the vegetable ones because they didn't look that appealing. The eggplant was fantastic. It was sweet and laced with garlic. The restaurant also has another site around the corner.

The meal cost very little ie 40Y ie $6 or $2 each this includes drinks

On Sunday after English corner we went to Dong bei fan dian. This restaurant is just passed Silver Plaza. The food was fantastic. There were 6 adults and 1 child. We ordered Fried potatoes, onions and peanuts, Mutton, Green Beans, Duck and eggplant of course

The Fried potatoes, onions and peanuts are the specialty of the house. It is served like a salad and you toss it and place it inside a thin pancake and wrap it and eat it. It was delicious. The mutton and eggplant were also very good. The beans and duck were OK but I could live with out them!

This meal also cost very little at 93Y ie $15 or $2 each

They are always curious when the see a foreigner. There are apparently only 20 of us in this city. I haven't found 20 yet.

I am told that the street vendors are illegal. Perhaps its monthly when you see they are gone for a few days. This is when the police move them along. After a few days they come back to their same haunts. Some stay and hide behind trees.

You can buy just about anything from the street vendors. Predominatly outside the school we have a couple of Chinese Hamburger ladies, fruit and vegetable markets, seafood market and fresh meat.

I had been warned when I arrived about the fresh meat, however I am not in the habit of checking my watch to see if it is safe to walk down the street. I have had the unfortunate experience of seeing animals arrive alive and when I've come back the head and feet are in the gutter whilst the animal has been skinned and is now hung for cutting. At least I know the meat is fresh!

Then of course there is the cage full of chickens. You know how may have been purchased by the number of heads in the gutter.