Living my very own Amazing Race and Lost in Translation

Monday, June 25, 2012

Rizhao butterflies :)

Butterfly masks made by our artist Jenny :)

Rizhao pearls just wanna have fun (& feel like butterflies ;)

Monday, June 18, 2012

TV SHOW

On Saturday I participated in Shandong TV game-show recording in Rizhao Bamboo park.

I had agreed to come & kick some balls ;)

(had no idea about details...as usual :)

Turned out it`s quite a popular local TV show where people come & kick football trying to knock the numbers down. If they do - prize!!! ;) And of course they also show off their talents & the host tries to make everyone laugh!

And as it happens to be European Football Championship time ...why not to invite a European (?!)...even if this European hasn`t watched a single game this year & can`t even kick properly ;))

We had agreed with the host that initially I`d be speaking Latvian & pretending I can`t speak Chinese...while he`ll assure everyone he speaks fluent Latvian & "translate" whatever I say.

(So while I was counting from 1 to 15 in Latvian....he was basically telling everyone how I`m crazy about this show & can`t live a day without it...etc..). Ha ha ha :)

Then we "discovered" I can speak Chinese & after a couple more questions it was time TO KICK ;)

After a couple of missed kicks the host volunteered to teach me how to kick & invented some "Chinese Football tradition" - if the host scores.. I have to hug the host...:)

Respecting "Chinese Football tradition" :)))

After that I missed a couple more times & he scored again :))

And then I got a mobile phone..`cause the number the host had scored was lucky for getting it!

Let me just add that the previous contestant had ACTUALLY SCORED himself & his prize was 5 (or 10) kg of WASHING POWDER :))))

Damn...it`s not bad to be a foreigner in China :)))

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Breakfast in a prosperous Chinese Hotel

It`s not a story about high-standard international brand hotels or hostels....this is the story about your common Chinese hotel option (affordable yet quite appalling)...

Stars are of low (no) importance...as your breakfast is likely to look like in the pictures (provided bellow) either way!

Breakfast offer will be pretty similar and will most probably consist of:

1) conjee - a challenge even for all ya porridge lovers out there ;) (usually liquid rice porridge)
And at times there is no drink (not even water) provided don`t be surprised to be "kindly" suggested to "Drink some conjee"!

2) some kind of steamed bun/bread - tasteless

3) unidentifiable pickled vegetables

4) hard boiled eggs - your best bet.. if any left ;)

5) some kind of beans...matter of taste I guess ...

6) hot water

That said it`s actually all about timing!
If you`re lucky/early enough you might get at least the items listed above...but come more towards the end of the breakfast service...and this is what you`ll be able to get ;) (tea bag was our own and that was the last egg available!)

Bon Appetit :)

P.S. the more prosperity, luxury, splendour is promised by the name of the hotel...the less of it you will actually get ;) (that refers to breakfast offer, too ;), so watch out of all the "Golden Splendid", "Prosperity stars" and the like ;)

Friday, June 1, 2012

CHILDREN`s DAY :)

(Almost) live from Rizhao ;)

I was invited to participate (sing "Do Re Mi" from "The Sounds of Music" with 8 cute kids) in Children`s day concert in one of the Primary schools of Rizhao.