Thursday, June 23, 2011

Have a wild Midsummer`s night! :)

In Latvia, Midsummer is called Jāņi or Līgo.

It`s the festival held during the night from June 23 to June 24 to celebrate the summer solstice (Midsummer), the shortest night and longest day of the year.

Celebrations consist of a lot of traditional elements - eating Jāņu cheese, drinking beer, singing Latvian folk songs dedicated to Jāņi, burning bonfire to keep light all through the night and jumping over it, wearing wreaths of flowers and leaves.



P.S. ...for Midsummer`s it looks like it`s gonna rain even here in Rizhao - the Sunshine city ;)

Beach fun!

Beach season is (un)officially open :)



Tents to protect Chinese white skin are set...


Swimming equipment secured...


..so it`s time to get wet! :))


See you on the beach! ;)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

2011 Ocean Midi Music Festival in Rizhao!!!

Since the mid-May Rizhao is a bit more lively on Saturday nights as there are free 2011 Ocean Midi Music Festival concerts in Sun Square park from 19:00 to 22:00 :)



Park itself is also quite nice!



Champagne picnic during the concert!(guess if there was anyone else having such a brilliant idea ;)
At the back note the angry "grass security officer" ;) who wouldn`t let us sit on the grass :)))..


So this seems to be the plan for all the upcoming Saturdays here in Rizhao ;) Wanna join? :)

Saturday, June 4, 2011

To see a doctor in China...

In China to see a doctor you need to go to a hospital. And if in Shanghai there are special hospitals for foreigners or foreign VIP centres in Chinese hospitals available (with foreign staff or staff speaking English and possibly some other languages and Western approach to things)...in Rizhao there`s the "Renmin YiYuan", not much English and things are as Chinese as they can be ;)

Anyway...this post is not about English in hospitals...it`s about what to expect in a typical Chinese hospital...
Let`s skip the deatils about:
1) getting your hospital card made
2) paying card fee...
3) figuring out where to find the doctor you need..
4) finding it...
5) going to pay a doctor fee
6) patiently waiting for 40 minutes in a waiting hall (there is even a computer organised line like in a bank...so you get real excited about how advanced things are)...

Let`s go directly to the point when your turn comes... a kind nurse directs you to a room number 3 and (having waited for your turn for 40 minutes) you are speechless to see what`s in the room...


Now it`s the same for all the doctors` offices... all the doors were opened and most of them had hoards of people in: patients, their friends, family members.... who knows...

So at this point you realise that as a foreigner you have absolutely no idea what & how happens next...

All the Chinese are leaning over the table and over the doctor and patiently being present in diagnostics process of all the patients..



Privacy?
Patient`s confidentiality?
Not in a Chinese hospital!

Luckily the nurse noticed our shocked facial expressions and squeezed through the crowd to advice doctor of foreigners ...and all the attention switched to us!

As the doctor was ready to talk to us (in Chinese, of course!) realizing we were quite shocked she even asked all the other people to leave the room :))) (door, of course, stayed opened!) Chinese were obviously confused and disappointed they would not get to hear about foreign health issues ;)))

All that said... the tests were done, the diagnosis was made, the cure was found and the disease was fought! :)




P.S. I wonder if it`s the same for the gynaecologist visit?! :)))

P.S.1. These doctors here must have nerves of steal to be able to stand that kind of working environment! (or to have continuous nervous breakdowns!)

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

MAY FEST in Qingdao

We decided to spend 1st of May holiday in Qingdao...we were not the only ones ;)




Happy family BBQ by the beach :)


It was a very educational holiday - 2 museum visits in one day!
1) TSINGTAO BEER MUSEUM


Yes, it`s what you think it is...and yes, it`s actually in the middle of Beer Museum exposition!!!


Lots of beer!


2) WINE MUSEUM (with amazing underground tunnels and exhibits!..and wine bar ;)



Qingdao by night


And then we came to church... damn, wedding photography business must be really doing great in China!!!


art


some Chinese forest ;) (if you look carefully, U`ll find it :)


Street art of Qingdao!