Goodbye Yantai

Trip Start Dec 28, 2005
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Trip End Sep 01, 2006


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Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Well, it's my last day in Yantai - I leave tomorrow (heading to Shanghai to spend a couple of days there before flying to Thailand) at 2 in the afternoon. The last week has been pretty good. Finished all my classes on a high note - all went well and the staff and children seem sad to say goodbye. They keep asking Mhairi and I to stay and want to know if we'll come back. Finished my tutoring yesterday - Eric, Lynn and Mary are the Korean kids I tutor and saying goodbye to them was probably the hardest as we'd seen each other every week day for nearly a month now. At first they'b been shy, then they tried to push their luck with me but then we'd come to get along really well and had a fun routine going. They have improved so much, especially in effort and manners, which has been really good to see. They looked all down when the lesson was over and stayed a bit later to have photos taken and give me a hug and a kiss goodbye. I'll miss them! I'll miss all the children - it's been such a pleasure working here 01 Mhairi and Carlos
01 Mhairi and Carlos
 .

Friday night was spent drinking beer on the terrace with a bunch of friends, before trying out a Chinese nightclub called 'Babyface'. Quite plush although bordering on over glitzy - think sparkle, mirrors and an over-dressed staff force! My camera was 'confiscated' after I took a picture - apparently no photography is allowed inside (sounds as dodgy as the people in there look!) It's free to get in but the drinks were pretty expensive and certain sitting areas cost you even more. The bar staff were decked out in their best skimpy gear looking uber cool, flirting and drinking with the customers, wiggling to the music and playing on their phones. They were possibly the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen! The music was painful, Chinese Techno/Pop intertwined with Chinese DJs singing along (out of tune) to bad English songs that are backed with Chinese keyboard sounds? - so bad (I miss good English music! Oh 'Ocean'. I will never under appreciate you again!) apart from about 15 minutes at about 1.30 when they played a bit of Kosheen and 'More More More' (mine and Mhairi's holiday song!) Needless to say we had an energetic 15 minutes on the dance floor strutting our funky stuff around a handbag! To ease the pain of the music we decided our cheapest bet was a bottle of whisky between us and drinking it at the bar so we didn't have to pay for an area - cheapskates! Was pretty difficult to chat because as most things are in China it was excessively and unnecessarily loud - but all the same, we enjoyed ourselves mostly cos it was just a different clubbing experience to any before - and people watching in China is still one of my favourite pastimes; constantly see 'unusual activity' here 02 Me and Carlos
02 Me and Carlos
 ! After a very drunk Carlos, Cong and Jenny sloped off home, Mhairi and I decided the night was still young and rolled into Havannas at 2 where we met up with a couple of friends and chatted and danced (back to good ole cheese on replay) until the early hours of the morning. Went to a Chinese restaurant at about 5.30 in the morning for our favourite dish - egg and tomato - to find they had actually ran out of rice - we thought they had a never-ending supply here! All in all an excellent last Friday here in Yantai!

Had a lazy weekend becoming obsessed with the first season of 24 (Jack Bower having the longest day of his life!), going downtown (bought some excellent magic tricks - prepare to be wowed!) and various bits n bobs. The Chinese family I have come to know also took Mhairi and I to 'Pizza Hut' - soooo good!

Had dinner and drinks with everyone that could make it last night - wanted to say a final goodbye to everyone we've met here. Went really well and even ended up in a KTV place (where you hire Karaoke rooms), didn't leave until closing time at 4 in the morning and I was even persuaded to sing - first time I've ever done Karaoke and I was as awful as I imagined i would be - luckily everyone else was pretty bad too - heehee, sorry guys, but you know it's true 03 Graham and Jenny
03 Graham and Jenny
 ! True to tradition, it was back to climbing over the front gate - they'd given up on us again and gone to bed! Today, Mhairi and I were taken for lunch with Madame Chen and Carol who have been the women at the school who have been responsible for us, helping us with any problems or queries we've had, as well as with the vice-principal. It was a lovely lunch, again with numerous toasts to us (they love toasting here - literally happens every 5 minutes!) - luckily this time with soft drinks! Tomorrow we will have our photos taken with the staff - all of whom have been very friendly and helpful to us. So that's it now, no more news from Yantai - it's been great!

Well, guess I'd better go pack :(

Goodbye Qingquan School and Goodbye Yantai...
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