5 Responses to A Photo 4 the Day

1. mrtallhk says:

   January 19, 2014 at 9:40 pm

   Was this photo by any chance taken in Qingdao in northeastern China?

   LikeLike

   Reply
2. Fenster says:

   January 20, 2014 at 10:47 am

   Yes indeed and good catch. There’s a lot to like about Qingdao. That old German concession area, beaches, a sailing side held over from the World Cup, less atmospheric pollution than inland cities and architecture that, if not stunning, is not all cookie cutter in the normal depressing Chinese fashion.

   When (or maybe if) expats take China more seriously as a destination in the future, and spread out from the business venues like Shanghai to other places, I think Qingdao would have appeal. As it is, while it is a big bustling place (the population of the urban area is around that of Chicago’s), you can spend a full day walking and run into only a handful of non-Chinese.

   Spend much time there?

   LikeLike

   Reply
3. mrtallhk says:

   January 20, 2014 at 7:41 pm

   Hi Fenster;

   My family and I (we live in Hong Kong) have been to Qingdao twice — the first just for exploratory reasons, and the second because we liked it enough to go back (and also, perhaps not coincidentally, because its famous beer festival was on!).

   I think it’s the most pleasant — note not the most spectacular or memorable or impressive — city I’ve been to in China, and I’ve been to quite a few. I agree it’s got that soupçon of western influence that tempers the relentless contemporary Chinese urban architecture of so many mainland cities, and its climate is also pretty good (at least in summer; we were there in April the first time, and it was remarkably cold due to brutal onshore winds).

   The beer festival is quite a bash — massive, of course, but also surprisingly cosmopolitan in its beer offerings, and with lots of wacky entertainment options. I spent a highly satisfactory couple of hours there drinking local and Czech beers. The locally-brewed Qingdao options are also far superior to the Qingdao that gets exported to Hong Kong and other places.

   That beach is mesmerizing, isn’t it? I watched the couples taking photos there for quite a while from the roof of Huashi Villa, and it was an amazing show. The hunger to adorn one’s nuptials in the accoutrements of western fashion is still very powerful indeed.

   When we you there?

   LikeLike

   Reply
   • Fenster says:

     January 20, 2014 at 9:28 pm

     Nice to know UR’s reach gets to HK!

     I was in Qingdao twice over the past year, once to arrange for teaching at a university there, and then to teach. Both were memorable, especially the first, “arranging” visit, which consisted mostly of twice daily (lunch and dinner) banquets in my honor. It was an amazing experience, learned a ton, loved the company, drinking and food–but boy it was over the top too much, But i held my booze and, in classic Don Draper fashion, was deemed a big man.

     The trip from the university, across the harbor, to downtown was a schlep but I did it when
     i could since the city is so interesting, especially compared with the endless light industrial area where the university was situated. The day of the picture I walked for a good six hours from the German concession area down for miles along the water. It was a Saturday morning, I think, so the closer I got to the beach area the more I could see brides and bridal parties staging themselves for the trek down to the water to seize whatever beachfront they could for photos.

     One of the refrains heard often in China: “so many people.” That was true on the beach too. So many brides.

     LikeLike

     Reply
4. Fenster says:

   January 22, 2014 at 10:43 am

   http://www.dermandar.com/p/eGzoCZ/qingdao

   LikeLike

   Reply