Qingdao Expat Magazine September 2012

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QINGDAO

EXPAT MAGAZINE Your community resource

Young Expat Experts Homeschooling 5 x Shanghai September 2012

A Piece of Thailand in Qingdao


Photo: Marit Rambech

QINGDAO EXPAT MAGAZINE Creative Director Jenny Ek qingdaoexpateditor@yahoo.com Photographer Marit Rambech

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Editorial Team Cathy Ben-David Preeti Chaudhary

Qingdao Expat Magazine is always searching for volunteers to help with our community publication.

Events, Website & E-communications Preeti Chaudhary info@qingdaoexpat.com

Interested? Please contact qingdaoexpateditor@yahoo.com for more information!

Contributors Marit Rambech, Jenny Ek, Cathy Ben-David, Apple, Nada Danic, Jeppe Mortensen, Preeti Chaudhary, Clipper Ventures Plc/OnEdition. Cover Photo Jenny Ek

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Musings of the Creative Director

Someone told me that the autum soon is here. For me, after visiting my cold home country Sweden for about six weeks, it feels like the summer just started. However, I never experienced an autum here in Qingdao, but a few days ago I could actually feel that the wind was colder and the air fresher. And isn’t it something special with that first feeling of autum? It always gives me inspiration and energy to start up new projects and I feel ready to meet new challanges.

It seems though like the summer won the fight over the autum this time because the heat returned and now it is warmer than ever. But probably the autum will soon look for revenge and next time it might win - so I will try to enjoy the last lovely summerdays - and I hope you will do the same! Best, Jenny Ek Creative Director qingdaoexpateditor@yahoo.com

PS. In this issue Nada will share her experience of homeschooling and you will get travel tips for Shanghai. You will also meet some of our expat families and of course get the latest sailing news. As always you will also get recipes, event information and expat birthdays. And don’t miss Marit Rambech’s fantastic photos on page 12-15. Enjoy!

he t t Ge t QD s late ws! ne

IN THIS ISSUE Expat Stages From Montreal to Qingdao

4

Doing Business in QD A Piece of Thailand in QD

6

Young Expats Young Expat Experts 8 My Summer Holiday 10 Homeschooling 10 Qingdao in Pictures Waves over Qingdao 12 Boat Cementary 14 Qingdao by Night 16 Qingdao Sailing Clipper Round the World Sailing in Qingdao

18 20

Photo: Marit Rambech

What’s cooking in QD? Salmon Rolls 22 Gong Bao Ji Ding 23 Expat Travel 5 x Shanghai

24

Out and About Attractions to Visit in QIngdao 26 Weekly Events 28 Events for Little Expats 28 Weekends in Qingdao 29 Get Your Questions Answered 29 Musical Monkeys for Toddlers 30 Expat Birthdays Birthdays in September

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 3

31


Expat Stages

Share your experience!

Send an email to qingdaoexpateditor @yahoo.com

Photo: Private

From Montreal to Qingdao via Berlin Y

ou could without owerblowing at all call the family an international family - the youngest son even has passports from 3 different countries. Since August 2011 Marie-Édith and Loic live with their three kids, Rémi, Audrey and Briac, in Qingdao - an adventure that actually started in Berlin the year before. I met them over a nice lunch to hear more about their experiences as expats.

Share your experience!

Send an email to qingdaoexpateditor @yahoo.com

by Jenny Ek

We are originally from France, but in 1999 we moved to North America and we used to live in Philadelphia, Colorado, NY and of course Montreal. “Bombardier moves us around”, How did you prepare the move? Loic says and smiles. We went to Qingdao for two weeks in April 2011, MarieLoic is test director for a high Èdith tells. We visited schools, speed train project in China. hospitals, dentists, walked Before moving to China, the around in the city and different family stayed one year in neighborhoods. But the hardest Germany. The project started in part was actually the move to Where is home for you? Berlin where a hightech large Berlin. Even though Berlin is “Home” is now Montreal in scale simulator was built in like any other western city and Canada, that is where we are order to de-risk the project in to live there is quite easy, it heading back to - eventually. China. was really hard for the kids to

“Bombardier

moves us around”

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 4


leave their home, friends and activities etcetera. The move to China was easier, since Berlin was just a sub target, which we were all prepared to leave.

The kids are going to school to QISS, Qingdao Nr 1. International School of Shandong.

They visited three different schools before they made their final decision. They chosed QISS because all three kids could go there, despite their different ages. It is also convenient for the children to follow an American curriculum, which is also taught in Canada The school buildings are new and nice and the teaching is good. They also have a pool at the school and a lot of different sports activities, that is great Loic says. They also make field trips, which is nice, he adds. Finding an apartment in Qingdao that was suitable for a family of 5 was not easy. Finally they found an apartment

“We miss cheese,

bread, clean air, snow, real winter and hockey”

every weekend and the family very often join. He wishes that the wind was stronger here though. Audrey likes the shopping and all the nice beaches in Qingdao. She also likes the school a lot and she thinks it is really nice to have both western and Asian friends. Rémi says that the best things in Qingdao are the beach and the sea. It is also nice to be able to walk around in the city. Briac adds that he think it is fun that they have a dog in China.

“The best in

Qingdao is the sea and the beaches” What is the worst?

Strong smells in the streets, traffic, pollution and that people are smoking everywhere - even in the swimmingpool they say.

What is the best with living in Do you have any advice to Qingdao? newly arrived expats? We have made a lot of new good friends here, which is great, Marie-Édith says. I think the expat community here is growing and it’s easy to meet other expats, which is really nice. Another thing is the many restaurants and the possbility to go out for dinner often. The closeness to a lot of interesting travel destinations is also exciting, since we all like to travel, she says.

Marie-Édith and Loic’s advice to newly arrived expats is to be patient - don’t plan to much ahead, that will only make you dissapointed. It is also important to meet other expats as soon as possible. From them you can get a lot of good advices and useful information. You should join the weekly expat coffee mornings and check the Qingdao Expat Group’s webpage for activities. And last but not least - go out and enjoy life here!

Loic adds that he enjoys living close to the sea and he loves the The family plans to stay one fact that Qingdao is a sailing city more year in Qingdao and since he has a great interest in only the future can tell where sailing. Loic goes sailing almost Bombardier will take them next. Qingdao Expat Magazine - 5

Expat Stages

appartment big enough just by the sea. Loic and MarieÉdith recommend expats to live downtown. When you live there it is easier to get around and you have a wide range Audrey tells that a lot of of supermarkets, activities students have been enrolled etcetera just around the corner. in the same school in Berlin since kindergarden and it was What do you miss most here? difficult to fit in. In China it They all agree that they miss is different. The turnover is cheese, bread, clean air, snow, important, families come from real winter and hockey and of all over the world. The diversity course family and friends. of profile combined with an open-minded attitude makes it Audrey adds that she also miss easier to find friends. But you her ballet school. Briac says that have to jump in pretty quickly he misses his house, his street specifies Rémi, people come and and playing street hockey with go all the time!! It’s hard to see his neighbors. good friends leave but others can arrive anytime.


Sha expe

Send a qingdao @ya

A piece of Thail The lack of an autentic Thai food restaurant inspired Henrik and Nu to bring a piece of Thailand into the city center of Qingdao. Since the opening 1st of July, they have been working day and night to give their customers a real autentic Thai food experience. And the start has been better then they ever expected. A dream came true Henrik is working in the seafood business and that is what brought the couple to Qingdao. Henrik and Nu have lived in Qingdao since the beginning of 2009. Henrik is originally from Denmark and Nu is from Thailand.

Henrik says that his dream has always been to run a café or a restaurant. Nu is a great chef , and there was never any doubt of course they should open their own Thai food restaurant. Nu also saw this as an opportunity to leave the life as a house wife and get a full time occupation as a business woman.

Running your own business, is not an easy task, especially not as a foreigner in China. The paperwork is a tough part, and Nu and Henrik have a Chinese partner to help them with that part of the business. Without a Chinese partner, it would be too difficult, Henrik says. “We also had a lot of help with translations, since neither of us speak good enough Chinese to arrange with renovation and so on”. Difficult to find a good location It was difficult for Henrik and Nu to find a good location for the restaurant, at a reasonable price level. The rent is often ridiculously high in the city center, and the expectations of the landlord are often very high. For example the landlord often wants to be able to increase the rent gradually, Henrik says. In Scandinavia the landlord often supports you with renovation, but this is different in China. Here you

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 6

need to fix everything yourself, and you always have to pay the workers in advance. You never know if the work will be well done or not. And if you are not satisfied with the job, it is really difficult to complain afterwards, Henrik says.

Henrik and Nu had a lot of problems i.e with leaking ceiling, which the workers had to rerenovate and paint three times to get it correct. They are still keeping a good spirit and think that the good things weigh out the bad.

Also finding the right staff was not an easy part. Chinese workers are not very willing to take risks, and it is hard to recruit staff to a new restaurant that has not open yet. Opportunities of advancement is important to Chinese people. But in such a small company, it is impossible if you don’t want to end up with 5 managers and 5 senior bartenders.


an email to oexpateditor ahoo.com

land in Qingdao After some struggling we luckily find some good people that are eager to learn, Nu says.

The right raw material is important Henrik and Nu have found a supplier in south China, that imports products from Thailand. There are a lot of autentic Thai ingredients that you need to cook good Thai food, i.e. they buy 4 different types of curry, coconut milk, different Thai sauces and of course Thai beer.

Nu is the one in charge of the kitchen, and she has been working 12 hours a day since the opening. She hopes that she gradually can take more time off. But it is hard for others to learn how to cook Thai food, they often find it too spicy, and it is important for her that the food keeps the same quality each time. Nu says that it would be great to hire one more chef from Thailand to help her in the kitchen, but it is difficult to arrange a working permit.

Henrik has been working fulltime in the restaurant since the opening, but in September he will go back to work full-time in the seafood business again. He will still assist in the restaurant as much as he can.

Mix of customers Chinese as well as expats come to Thai Me Up. But most of the customers are Chinese. Henrik thinks that since the prices are resonable, there is a great interest among Chinese people that want to go out and have an international lunch or dinner. Thai food is not that far from Chinese food, which also makes it easier for Chinese to give it a try, he says. A lot of ideas for the future Henrik and Nu have a lot of plans. e.g. they want to arrange prebooked Thai tasting evenings, and since Henrik is from Denmark he also plans to arrange some Danish evenings at the restaurant.

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 7

Photo: Marit Rambech

They would also like the restaurant to change into a bar at night time, where you can hang out with your friends, chat and meet new people while sipping on a Mai Thai or cooling down with a Singha beer or two. It has been a great experience so far, and we learn something new everyday. Now we have our own little piece of Thailand in Qingdao, they conclude. By Jenny Ek and Marit Rambech

Photo: Marit Rambech

Thai Me Up is located at No. 20-6 Yanrdao Lu and is open from 11.30 am 9.30 pm every day except Mondays.

Doing Business in QD

are your erience!

ew the n et y r t m o ent t it really t we w e tw nd momen ng nigh nt, a i One estaura s. For a all puls r n m i o s i a t ta Th na xpec ere i our e e we wh ok. k ik d felt l in Bang y goo p l l t a e e sou stre ,ar rolls Seafood !) g n i t Yum y Spr swea Crisp picy Tom kes you ai, and h a s and really m e Phad T er served e t (tha well don ingha B o cool S a d s d l r T o ed a an rse c er holde e enjoy ith u o c of l be ebuds w eam w pica r in ty our tast ade icec bulous! a n m F dow t home desert. c e r f per pples fo a pine


Young Expat Experts Jorgen and Susanne are two young, but experienced expats from Norway. They have been living in Qingdao for two and a half year now, but before they came to China they lived in Busan in South Korea for two and half year. After a nice summer holiday in Norway they are back in Qingdao again. We met them and asked about school, sparetime, future plans, how they like the life in China and what they miss most from Norway.

Life in China

Susanne says that she likes Qingda in Qingdao very beautiful and she big fan of rice. “I really like to live of new friends and I experience m says. Susanne misses her friends also misses a lot of Norwegian foo

Like Susanne, Jorgen also misses a can’t buy in China. He would also li on the street says.

Wan share you Send an

By Jenny Ek and Marit Rambech

qingdaoex @yaho

School

Susanne is 10 years old and since the family moved abroad when Susanne was five years old, she never went to school in Norway. But when she compares the school in South Korea with the school in China, she tells that the major differences was that she went to a British School in South Korea and now she is in an American School. The British School had different names for the subjects and the school day had a different structure. Jorgen is 15 years old and he has gone to school in Norway, Korea and China. He thinks that the major differences are, of course that the teaching is in English, but also that in Kina and Korea they learn the English language on a more deep level compare to how students learn English in Norway.

Spare time

In her spare time Susanne goes hors She also likes to play games on Pla her sparetime in China is not much misses a place in Qingdao where sh

Photo: Marit Rambech

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 8

Jorgen spend most of his spare tim go out for a movie, visit shopping m basketball. Jorgen doesn’t think tha different in Norway, but he says tha much in Norway as he does here, in Norway. “And I don’t think that basketball in Norway either”.


a lot of Norwegian food that they ike to understand what everybody

nt to ur story? email to

Photo: Marit Rambech

xpateditor oo.com

Future

In ten years, Jorgen says that he would like to live and work in USA. Even though he is not sure what he wants to work with, US is the place to be. He would like to study at an American university. But before he goes to USA, he thinks that his family will move back to Norway or to another city in China.

Photo: Marit Rambech

In ten years from now, Susanne thinks that she will study at university. Like her brother, she would very much like to study at a university in USA. In the future Susanne wants to work with horses or other animals. She also wants to move around in the world and explore the life in different countries. “I find it very exiting to see new places and to learn about cultures and life of other people”, she says.

se ridning or play with her friends. aystation and XBox. She says that h different then in Norway, but she he can go to play Handball.

me together with friends. e.g. they malls or just hang out. He also plays at his everyday life would be much at he probably wouldn’t go out as since everything is so expensive I would have the chance to play

Photo: Marit Rambech

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 9

Young Expats

ao very much. She finds the nature e loves the Chinese food. She is a e in China because I have got a lot more than the kids in Norway,” she and relatives in Norway, and she od.


How was your Summer Holiday?

Photo: Marit Rambech

Griff - with his new jellyfish friend We visited family in England for 5 weeks and then we visited my Grandpa in France for 6 weeks. But it feels great to be back in China. For me China feels like home and I love the Chinese food. Everything is possible in China.

Photo: Marit Rambech

Jorgen We went to Norway and spent a lot of time in our summer house. Unfortunately the weather was pretty wet, so we had to stay in a lot. But I also met a lot of friends and watched a few movies at the cinema.

Photo: Marit Rambech

Susanne Besides visiting friends and family in Norway, I went to a summer riding camp for two weeks in Kragero in Norway.

HOMESCHOOLING W

which is often very emotive. As parents we all try to make the best choices we can for our children and nobody needs to have what is essentially a very difficult job made worse by having those choices disrespected. I say it now homeschooling is not for everyone. To be truthful, we have days when I hold up my hands and say it’s not for us. So To be honest I’m used to this why do it? Let me share a few of reaction. It’s one of the basic the reasons that homeschooling responses you get, which range works for us. from; abject horror, a polite “oh really”, interest and curiousity We travel a lot. We’ve lived and total acceptance. It really in four different countries depends on the nationality of since our son was born, with the person you’re talking with; a different educational system homeschooling is completely in each country. The minefield normal in many countries and of crossing over between completely unheard of in many corresponding grades/years, others. Now I’m not about to curriculums, learning goals, go into the pro’s and con’s of expectations and levels has the educational system of any meant that the only way we’ve country, or the merits of one achieved any semblance of system over another - that’s consistancy is by sticking to one a whole different discussion, core structure. e’ve been chatting for a while, and getting on quite well, but the woman I’m talking to has just looked at me with the same amount of horror as if I’d said that I enjoy swimming with sharks wearing a hat made out of meat. The reason? I’ve just told her that my son doesn’t go to school. We homeschool.

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 10


Learning history Secondly, we can focus more on the subjects and activities our son is interested in. That doesn’t mean to say we don’t do the subjects he hates. We just find a balance to incorporate them all in a way which is more constructive and palatable.

For example, our son really dislikes sitting down and doing repetitive grammar writing tasks but has a deep love of science and maths, so we spend more time on those and encompass the grammar in writing up the experiments we do. He loves reading but can’t stand doing comprehension exercises, so we work around it by doing spoken comprehension and then do creative writing to take the story further. We can spend more time on activities which are often seen as electives such as sport, music and drama. It’s possible to treat ourselves to late nights going

Emulsification experiment to the theatre, concerts and performances because we don’t have to run for the bus in the morning (believe me neither my son or husband are morning people).

Also, we aren’t tied to a rigid daily structure so learning opportunities become more fluid and spontanenous. As with any child, questions lead to answers which in turn lead to more questions, if we get really engrossed in a topic we can fully concentrate on it and work it through all its tangents.

So back to the lady sitting in front of me, she’s just picked out the main bones of contention we encounter, the concerns that people always raise. What about socialisation? (Our son makes friends through activities and shared interests, he mixes with children of all ages rather then just the age group of his birth year.) How do you teach Qingdao Expat Magazine - 11

all the subjects? (I can’t and I don’t. My son wants to learn the piano, trumpet , I’m tone deaf, we have tutors. In the future if he continues his passion for science and maths, again I hold up my hands, there’s a level where algebra turns into a brick wall for me, that’s when we’ll hire a tutor to continue.) What about exams? (We’re headed towards IGCSE’s but rather than having to focus on doing all the exams at the age of 16, again it’s more flexible. If he’s stronger at a subject he can take it earlier or later if he needs more time.) Of course we have concerns we’re parents, and parenting comes with it’s own particular mix of guilt and worry but right now our son’s education is not one of them.

Please feel free to contact Nada at qingdaohomeschooling@hotmail.com or 13210103572 if you have any Nada Danic questions.

Young Expats

Photo: Nada Danic

Photo: Nada Danic


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Qingdao QingdaoExpat ExpatMagazine Magazine- 12 - 12


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Qi

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Qingdao in Pictures

Qingdao Qingdao Expat Expat Magazine Magazine - 13- 13

By Marit Rambech


m Bo en a ce Qingdao QingdaoExpat ExpatMagazine Magazine- 14 - 14


nt t ar y

Qingdao in Pictures

Share your photos!

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Qingdao Qingdao Expat Expat Magazine Magazine - 15- 15

By Marit Rambech


gh t Ni by ng da o

Qi

Sha your ph

Send an e

qingdaoexp @yahoo

Qingdao QingdaoExpat ExpatMagazine Magazine- 16 - 16


Qingdao in Pictures

are hotos!

email to

pateditor o.com

Qingdao Qingdao Expat Expat Magazine Magazine - 17- 17

By Jenny Ek


Photo: Clipper Ventures Plc/OnEdition

Qingdao QingdaoExpat ExpatMagazine Magazine- 18 - 18


It was a spectacular scene as thousands of people turned out to watch the end of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race in Southampton, UK. Gold Coast Australia secured overall victory, as the non-professional crew on board all ten ocean racing yachts marked the end of a 40,000-mile challenge of a lifetime. After 51 weeks of ocean racing Visit Finland finished in second, while a battle towards the end saw Singapore, sponsored by Keppel Corporation, pip Dutch entry De Lage Landen to the post for the third and final podium position by finishing 20 seconds earlier. As the fleet crossed the final finish line of Race 15, Founder and Chairman Sir Robin KnoxJohnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world, led a parade of sails in Southampton Water to welcome back the fleet of ten identical 68-foot racing yachts.

Tasmanian skipper Richard Hewson and his crew proudly stood on the bow of Gold Coast Australia as thousands of people applauded the victorious Australian team. “It has been an amazing adventure. From the start we’ve had plans to dominate the race and we’ve definitely done that. It was very competitive and we’ve raced against some fantastic tough competition all the way. We’ve achieved so much more than we set out to achieve and had so many wins and podiums, I’ve had an amazing crew that’s made this happen,” said Gold Coast Australia

skipper Richard Hewson, before accepting the winning trophy on stage in front of thousands of people. All day tens of thousands of people lined the dockside of Ocean Village marina in Southampton to welcome home the crews after a gruelling year- long challenge that has seen them take on the world’s largest and most formidable oceans, endured violent storms and frustrating calms, extreme heat and bone-numbing cold while racing ferociously to win. Chinese entry Qingdao recorded a very special achievement during the Clipper 11-12 Race. The Chinese entry completed the race without incurring a single penalty point for damage to sail or equipment.

Qingdao’s crew was awarded the Henri Lloyd Clipper Race Seamanship Award due to their achievement and skipper Ian Conchie believes the award is a great accolade. “Several times we had the boat in podium positions during the race and a mixture of bad luck and bad decisions meant we didn’t manage

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 19

to get one but the award was a great reward for my team’s effort.”

The Clipper Race brings people from all walks of life together to form a team of ocean racers, who battle against the toughest environments to sail around the world. “There have been changes in every single crew member. Some have been small, some have been big, some have been major. We set out at the start saying that everyone would get involved with any role they wanted to or felt comfortable with,” Ian adds.

Raced by people like you, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the eighth edition having been through more than 51 weeks of ocean racing, visiting 15 ports of call on six continents. It is also the last race on the Clipper 68foot yachts, as a brand new fleet of twelve identical 70-foot racing yachts are launched for the Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race. Since the race started more than 4,000 people from all walks of life have participated in this unique race.

By Clipper Ventures Plc/OnEdition

Qingdao Sailing

Triumphant end to Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race


Sailing in Qingdao There are several ways to get out sailing in Qingdao. Living in Qingdao one could easily be led to think that sailing here is all about high level international sailing events (inaccessible to local residents) and local regattas which require prior sailing experience. While it’s true that participation in any regatta event will require prior experience and training, there are several other ways to get involved in sailing here. Here are some ways people have come out sailing during the past months.

Sail with visiting friends or business contacts A sail along Qingdao’s coastline is a great way to show visiting friends or business contacts some of Qingdao’s most famous attractions, including the May 4th Square, downtown beaches, Badaguan, and other parts of the old city.

Corporate sailing event Initially participants will learn to sail the boat together. When conditions allow, a friendly race can be held among participating teams. Great for team building.

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 20


Late afternoon cruise

Birthday sail Looking for an alternative birthday gift or want to organize a different activity for you or a family member’s birthday? A birthday sail is a great way for both children and adults to enjoy the outdoors together.

Take sailing lessons Should your first try at sailing make you interested to learn more and eventually be able to take a sailing boat out on your own, taking a few sailing lessons will prepare you for doing just that.

Sailing questions? Feel free to call 138 8463 7870 (Jeppe) or email sailweta@gmail.com Previous sailing bulletins available in QEM back issues via this link: http://z.sail17.com/qemback

By Jeppe Mortensen Qingdao Expat Magazine - 21

Qingdao Sailing

A late afternoon / early evening sail out on Fushan Bay is a great way to relax after a busy day at work. Enjoy the slower pace of sailing activities at that time and watch the sunset from the seaside


Expat Home Cooking:

NORWEGIAN SALMON ROLLS

Share a recipe from your country! Send an email to qingdaoexpateditor @yahoo.com

Photo: Marit Rambech

This is an easy and tasty dish to make as a snack for your dinner guests, or as an evening snack. You simply take as much as you want of each ingredient, and put it on the soft tortillas. No rules for how much or how little. It is up to you. Enjoy! METHOD Spread the tortillas with creme cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Place a layer of smoked salmon together with cucumber cut in long sticks, and some roquette over the cheese.

Photo: Marit Rambech

Ingrediens Soft tortillas Smoked salmon Philladelphia creme cheese Cucumber Roquette Lemon juice Salt Pepper

By Marit Rambech

Before you roll it together, sprinkle on a little lemon juice. Roll it, and seal it with toothpicks so the roll stays together. That also makes it easier to cut into small, good looking pieces for your guests.

SHOPPING LIST Soft tortillas Smoked salmon Philadelphia cream cheese Cucumber Cu Roquette to t ou th t a Lemon juice e s nd Salt to re! Pepper Qingdao Expat Magazine - 22

bri

ng


Chinese Cooking:

What’s Cooking in QD?

GONG BAO JI DING

Tradtional dish with chicken from the Sichuan province. Also known as Kung Pao Chicken. An Asian favorite among bith Western and Asians. Ingrediens 2 Chicken filets 1 small Cucumber 1 Carrot 2 tsp Cornmeal

1 dl Peanuts 1 cm Ginger 1 Leek 2-3 Garlic cloves

Chilipepper Vinegar Suger Soy souce

Photo: Jenny Ek

Salt Sichuan pepper Oil

SHOPPING LIST METHOD Cut the chicken, carrots and leek in small pieces. Marinate the chicken in a mix of oil, cornmeal, soy souce and salt for about 20 minutes. Fry the chicken and remove it from the frying pan.

Chop chilipepper, garlic and ginger. Heat oil in the frying pan. Fry garlic and ginger, add chilipepper and sichuan pepper (after taste) and cucumber and carrot. Mix a souce of oil, cornmeal, soy souce, vinergar and sugar in a bowl. Add the chicken and the souce to the carrots and cucumbers. Heat until the souce gets a thicker consistency. Add the peanuts and serve!

By Apple

Chicken filet Cucumber Carrots Cornmeal Peanuts Ginger Leek Garlic Chilipepper Vinegar Suger Soy souce Salt Sichuan pepper Oil

Cut out and bring to the store! Qingdao Expat Magazine - 23


5xghai

n a h S &

k ny E ch n e J e by amb R t i r Ma

Just a short flight from Qingdao you can enjoy the pulse of Shanghai. Shanghai offers both culture, good food, It is easy to get into the city by train and it is easy to get around with the metro. Here you will find some tips fo

5xSleep

Hotel Indigo On the Bund High end design hotel right on the bund. Expensive, but offers a nice view Anting Villa Hotel over Huangpu River and an interior Budget Hotel in cosy French Consession. design over the ordinary. Address: 585 Walking distance to metro station. Shan Dong Er Road, Huangpu District. Chinese breakfast. Address: 46 Anting Road, Xuhui District. Holiday Inn Express Zhaibei Budget hotel close to Shanghai Railway Station and metro. Cheap rooms with a good location. Complimentary breakfast. Address: 1738 Zhongxing Road, Zhabei district. Julu Lu Garden Villa Mid range Victorian style hotel. Cosy and clean. Both Chinese and Western style breakfast. Close to Nanjing Lu, Huaihai Road and Jing’an temple. Walking distance to Metro and French Consession. Address: 889 Julu Road, Jing`an district. Holiday Inn Down town High end hotel close to Shanghai Railway Station and metro. Good choice if you want to spend a little bit more to have a good night’s sleep and a great breakfast buffet. Address: 585 Heng Feng Road, Puxi district.

5xEat

Fairmont Peace Hotel - The Cathay room A great place for brunch with nice view over the Bund, Huangpu River and Pudong. A la carte menu with wine or champagne from 12.00 pm 2.30 pm. During summertime you can sit outside. Book a table in advance and specify if you want to sit outside. Address: 20 Nanjing Road East. Tlf. +86 21 6138 6881.

Simply Thai Popular Thai food restaurant. Book a Paulaner Brauhaus - Xintiandi table in advance. Address: 5C Dongping German food and brewery. There are Road. Hotline: 400 880 7729. also a lot of other good restaurants in this area. Address: House 19-20, North Restaurant Cuivre Block Xintiandi, Lane 181 Taicang Road. Nice French restaurant, stylish but Tlf: +86 21 6320 3935. still relaxing and cosy. Good service and perfect for a romantic dinner with good food and wine. Book in advance. Address: 1502 Middle Road (near Wulumuqi Road ) Tlf: +86 21 64374219. Bella Mia Up for Italian food? You can find a really good Italian restaurant at Baoqing Road. Address: 10 Baoqing Road, 1th Floor, Xuhui District. Tlf: +86 21 34619637.

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 24

Photo: Marit Rambech

The Bund Tourist Tunnel


Tipp!

You can find good hotel deals at booking.com and cheap flight tickets at elong.net or c-trip.com!

Expat Travel

great shopping and stunning architecture. or eating, sleeping, shopping, strolling and other attractions. Photo: Marit Rambech

5xStroll Fu Xing Park During the weekend there is a lot of activity in Fu Xing Park. You can spend the whole day watching people singing, dancing, playing - you name it! Address: 105 Fuxing Zhong Road.

People’s Park A small park with a lot of flowers and trees in the middle of the modern Shanghai. Here people are dancing, singing, exercising or taking their kids to ride one of the small carousels. Lovely magnolia trees in springtime. Address: Nanjing Road (South side), Huangpu district.

YuYuan Garden A classical Chinese garden and if you take a walk in the area behind YuYuan Garden you will find an old neighbourhood with narrow small shops, beauty salons, hairdressers and houses. Here you can get a sneak peak into people’s every day life. A huge contrast to the modern Shanghai. Address: YuYuan Garden.

Nanjing Road One of the most popular shopping streets in Shanghai. A lot of shopping malls and stores from the Bund to People’s Square. Address: Nanjing Road, Huangpu district. Shanghai Outlets Want to shop brand articles at a lower price than in the regular store in the city center? Then Shanghai Outlets might be the place for you. Address: Qingpu, Zhaoxiang district. Shanghai Glasses City A 3 story market with over a hundred shops selling glasses and sunglasses. Address: Railway Station North Plaza 1688 Zhongxing Lu.

Tianzifang An area worth a visit. This is an old factory site, which they changed into cosy bars, cafes, galleries and souveniour shops. A lots of tourists! Addresse: Taikang Road, Luwan district. French Conssesion An area with old European architecture that once was designated for the French. Today is the area consists of Luwan and Xuhui district.

5xShop

Antique Market Chopsticks, porcelain, paintings, new stuff, old stuff, junk etc. Addresse: Dong Tai Road. Photo: Marit Rambech

People singning and playing in Fu Xing Park. Bring your camera!

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 25

Fabric Market Thousands of different fabrics in any colour and you can get your things sewn there by tailors as well. Address: 399 Luijabang Road. Continues on next page


5xghai

Attractio

Shan...

Photo: Marit Rambech

5xVisit Shanghai Circus World ERA - A Spectacular acrobat show. Performances every evening at 19.3021.00 pm. Address: 2266 Gonghexin Road, Zhabei district. Shanghai World Financial Center Also known as “The bottle opener” and the (current) tallest building in Shanghai, 492 m high. Observatories at 94th, 97th and 100th floor. Park Hyatt has a bar and a restaurant almost at the top of the buliding where you can dine or have a drink with a stunning view over the city, Address: 100 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area.

Photo: Jenny Ek

Little Qingdao

A small island with a light house built by the Germans. The island is connected to the land by a narrow bridge. On the island there is a little park and a cosy and quiet café and coffee shop. Open daily - Entrance fee 15 yuan.

Oriental Pearl Tower Shanghai’s TV tower, 468 m high. Observatory, museum and restaurant. Address: Pudong Park, Lujiazui. The Bund The Bund is a magnificent avenue along Huangpu River. The Bund offers a lot of historical buildings and a nice view over Pudong. Adress: Zhongshan Road, Huangpu district. Shanghai Museum Are you a big fan of museums? Shanghai Museum is mainly a museum for ancient art. Most of the exibitons are permanent, but they also have some small short term exibitions. Address: 201 Renmin Avenue.

Photo: Jenny Ek

Photo: Marit Rambech

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 26


ons to visit in Qingdao Out & About Photos: Jenny Ek

Photo: Marit Rambech

Zhongshan Park

Within the park: small zoo, some rides for the young, botanical garden and more garden area to stroll around.

Photo: Jenny Ek

TV Sightseeing Tower

348 metres tall and located in the north of Zhongshan Park. It has many different platforms for viewing.

Photo: Marit Rambech

Qingdao Pier

Located off the 1st bay near bathing beach No. 6. This famous symbol apperars on the Tsingtao Beer label.

You can find info about more attractions on our website: www.qingdaoexpat.com

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 27


Weekly Events PICTURE “Culture Club“

Thursdays at 1 pm - 4 pm

Walk Inn Japanese Restaurant 4F Xinwen Zhongxin Buildning, 50 Hong Kong Middle Road Fun and cultural entertainment whilst learning this Chinese ancient game. Each player donates 20 RMB for the Qingdao Expat Charity. For more info contact eileenlamb@hotmail.com

Photo: Marit Rambech

Photo: Jenny Ek

Photo: Jenny Ek

Qingdao International Business Association (QIBA)

Running Evenings

Tuesdays evenings at 7:15 pm

Wednesday at 7 pm

For everyone who is interested in running but is tired of running alone, come along for an easy run of about 60 minutes!

Coctails 6:30 to 7:30 pm Meeting start at 7 pm

Meeting place alternates between Red Sculpture on May 4th Square and Shi Lao Ren SPR.

For more info contact info@qibaglobal.com

For more info or get to get onto the mail list contact qingdaohhh@gmail.com

QIBA meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month Hotel InterContinental 1F

Events for Little Expats

PLAY! Qingdao Playgroup

Thursdays 10.00 am - 11.30 am. E-mail: qingdaoplaygroup@gmail.com

y ekl we ? a t r t n e Wa mind ur Expa ng re in o aili

jo ing m g ase n Ple Mor mailinat.com e e exp ff y o b C list o gda in

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q fo@

MUSICAL MONKEYS! Musical Monkeys

Fridays 10.30 am - 11.30 am. E-mail: qingdaomusicalmonkeys@gmail.com Note: New music for toddlers programme is availablew - Read more on page 30.

Join us on our Coffee Mornings! Are you new in town? Or do you want to meet up with old friends? Come and join us for one of our Expat Coffee Mornings to make new friends, mix, mingle and catch-up with old ones or just to enjoy the stunning downtown view in some great company! Every Wednesday at Starbucks (next to H&M) Marina City, Olympic Sailing Marina. Begins at 10.45 AM.

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 28


Weekends in Qingdao Photo: Marit Rambech

Qingdao International Christian Fellowship

Qingdao Hash House Harriers - Runners and Walkers

All foreign passport holders are welcome!

Regular HHH runs for 60 - 90 minutes

Sunday Mornings 10 am - 11.30 am

Saturday afternoons at 2 pm

InterContinental Hotel Auditorium 3 F, 98 Aomen Lu.

Meets in the lobby of the Crown Plaza Cost: 10 RMB to cover beers and bus.

For more info visit www.qicf.org or send an email to info.qicf@gmail.com

For more info visit www.facebook.com/qdhhh or to get onto the mail list contact qingdaohhh@gmail.com

Questions about living in Qingdao? Our Expat Representatives will answer your questions!

?

Gerd Burkard

Preeti Chaudhary

Cathy Ben-David

Pia Vinchon-Tahon

Lao Van Echelpoel

Alex Schroeter & Christlane Lawo-Fu Germany

Germany (Business Related) Phone: 139 6395 6259 E-mail: burkard.g@ger-lin.com France Phone: 139 6398 5712 E-mail: piavinchon@yahoo.fr

!

India England Phone: 150 5322 7805 E-mail: catherinebendavid@ E-mail: preetichaudhary1@gmail.com yahoo.com Belgium Phone: 136 7889 8189 E-mail: leo.vanecheipoel@gmail.com

E-mail: deutscheinqingdao@ hotmail.de

Help our Newbies! Interested in being a contact person? Please send an email to qingdaoexpateditor@yahoo.com

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 29

Out & About

Photo: Photo:Jenny JennyEk Ek


MUSICAL MONKEYS! If you have a child aged 1 to 3.5 and you would like to continue with music for young children – this is for you!

A new music for toddlers programme is available. (Foreign passport holders only) 7th and 28th of September •9:30 am Music Session (free of charge) •10:15 am snack and drink picnic (fruit provided) •10:15 am Outdoor play •11:00 am Home time

A basic bus shuttle will be provided: •Jin Hai 8:50am Surf Plaza 9:15am (Hong Kong Road) (other pick-up places can be considered) •Music Room at YCIS Qingdao Camps Building 7, 36 Laoshan Road Please contact qingdaomusicalmonkeys@ gmail.com for more details.

Qingdao Expat Magazine - 30


Birthdays in

2 7 12 17 22 27

3 8 13 18 23 28

4 9 14 19 24 29

5 10 15 20 25 30

Anna Lee Ivy GOH Katie HARRISON (‘00) David SHIELDS Philip MOSLENER Yih Leong Brandon LIM

Barb FARWELL Eitan OZ (‘02)

Jae Kyoung CHOI Thomas HOEFFT Jan GEERTSEN

Wei Shi Rikako SAKAMOTO (‘95) Daniela DÜNKI

Alberto Gutierrez Christopher SMITH Lan Ying HUANG Krijn OOMS (‘05)

Sean MORONEY

Bill London Agnes LOW

Eleanor COLGAN Johanna SANDIN

Sasha Gokhale Ivo RAGGI Christian SCHEIDLER

Russell CHEN Joichiro OTSUBO (‘95)

Ulrica OLSSON Freydis Xuan Li HANSDOTTIR (‘02) Simon MARTIN

Maggie Hamilton Hans BERNHARDSSON

Janzen Johnson Isaac Wong Janice Ness Robert MacLachlan Joseph ROMANOS (‘93) Sandra SHIER

Maria Urrutia Sagi PELED Ling ANDERSEN

Briac Cordelle Martina MASCHAUER

Christina Zuloaga Angelika KUTTIG

Ted LIM (‘93) Alistair SKINNER Stefan WILLIMANN

Christopher COLOZZA

Jungwook LEE Daniel LEE Natascha ROMANOVA Philippe RAVELLI Rita NIELSEN Kelly DURUPT

Adrian Chua Yum Jung LEE Kay HARRISON

Ai LIN

Steve Mather Andreas WOLF Fred KASSMAN

Yufang FAN Betty POWER Irene WENG

Alexa KUHN Edward KU Shiri PELED

Sorang KIM Olivier BALEIX

John Ramsey Kai-Askan BÜNTE Jean-Francois Feifan GAULT (‘01) Cosme DORADO

Jayne Shirra Vesa LAAKSONEN Ludwig OLSSON (‘02)

Blake HEDRICK Bo Kyn CHOE (‘90)

Alejandra Chavez Dave lee Cameryn LEE Benoît SQUIBAN

Happy Birthday! Sheng Ri Kuai Le! Qingdao Expat Magazine - 31

Expat Birthdays

1 6 11 16 21 26

SEPTEMBER


QINGDAO

EXPAT MAGAZINE


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