Meal times

Meal times

 

A selection of dishes

 

Breakfast

Photos – Day 4

Jane and the President of Shandong Youth Federation

 

Banquet with Shandong Youth Federation

 

West Sussex Youth Service China Exchange group at Shanqing World

Day 2 & 3, Jeremy – Jinan and Home Stay

Yesterday, we arrived in Jinan at 5:30pm went straight to the hotel. Within minutes of entering the lobby we were distributed to the Chinese young people and packed off to spend a night and day with them living their lives. The welcome and hospitality I received was wonderful. I was greeted like a friend being given food and the most fabulous presents, each with a special significance. I was given a teapot, a beautiful set of books on Chinese history, postcards of the Beijing Olympic Games and more.

 

This morning we got up and went to visit the local zoo where we got to see a panda, a hippo, camels and tigers. It was really interesting and a real eye opener into the way other cultures perceive animals. This coupled with witnessing street venders selling rabbits in tiny cages, teropins, turtles from a bucket, crickets and hamsters really did give an insight into the way the Chinese view pets.

 

The Chinese seem to have heard of two Englishman. One of those is fictional. David Beckham and Harry Potter. Unfortunately, and I cannot see it personally but, the Chinese seem to think that I bear a remarkable resemblance to the latter. Our leader Ivon, strangers on buses, waitresses in restaurants and others have all, in someway or another made me aware of the apparent likeness.

 

The thing that has struck me most about China is the way the Chinese, quite unashamedly point, wave and stare at us because we are different. On the first day alone I was asked to pose for two photos on the Great Wall and yesterday when we were going round the Forbidden City we were very often asked to stop and have our photo taken with someone. At one point a person had his mobile phone out and was just standing near by and filming everything we were doing. When some of us noticed and did a silly wave to acknowledge them it only encouraged them and they found the whole thing enormously exciting. It seemed to be a great novelty to people to have a photo taken with what they clearly consider to be freaks. Not that it is a problem…yet.  It is equally funny for us to be treated in such an unusual way like celebrities.