Traveling along the countryside on a train that resembled the communist era, the comfortable factor was not going to be the highlight of the four hour journey that started from Zibo.

Making the journey through fields of farmers ploughing and planting, the wind flowing through the carriage was refreshing with the unfortunate gentle sprays of mist from the lavatory of the forward carriage. I viewed the surrounding land and wondered what the ‘exact salary’ was for that farmer and family even though he showed years of experience from the land. The housing style was definitely not what I was use to back at the school, which was old but modern. Here I was seeing the real housing of what looked like mud wall bricks supported by tree stumps as beams and small fences made from anything available, signified that that was the boundary of the farmers land.

Sitting and listening to the language that I was getting so accustomed too, the hours past which when I glanced at my watch was one hour, everyone on the carriage continued to stare at the foreigner who stuck out like a sore thumb. The trolley was making its way through and words were being shouted loud enough that those who were sleeping, awoke quickly alert like it was time to disembark the train.

Being surrounded by a mixture of people from all over China, I just sat peacefully watching all the co-motion of people chatting, playing cards and moving around the carriage, as I found out why by the feeling and of how the term ‘hard seat’ retained its name for more than fifty years.

The padding was wearing quite thin as it was really less than one inch thick and covered in dark green leather, which felt like vinyl as sweat was forming on my pants from sitting in one position too long. I stood up and walked around the carriage letting the unhappy person who had no seat, sit for a short time and allowing the numbness and soreness disappear from my buttocks and legs, as it reminded me of being a child again with the pain of being hit on the buttocks, that lasted for hours when being punished for trouble at home. But this time the numbness and soreness was a pleasure pain. Making my way back through the crowded carriage to the seat I happily named ‘the punisher’, the order of eating was due. I gathered my money of ten yuan and purchased a bottle of coke, a bowl of two minute noodles and proceeded to enjoy, like the taste of oil lingering on my tongue and gums from a Big Mac.

As I ate, I could feel the heat of eyes looking as I was sitting in a small space that had three other people opposite glancing every now and again. I quickly noticed that there was a change in the air of freshness and knew that the sea was calling from not a far distance, even though I had a great view of a nose film fest titled ‘Pick N’ Flick’.

My summer vacation over the next two months was about to take shape as we slowly lowered the speed and idled into the station, with the height of many housing apartments on display.

* * * * *

After some time of searching for a hotel, I settled on an apartment that was over looking the train station, views of the ocean and of a great silver dome resembling a spacecraft that was even too futuristic for this fast developing country.
I headed to the shiny sun bright yellow arch, that was drawing my eyes closer and closer, sending me into a trans lingo, with the words floating around and around my head, saying ‘Super-size, super-size, the American way’, while ready to expand the global economy of McDonalds. Being ready to sample my first experience of McDonalds in China, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be an everlasting appreciative flavor of taste or whether thinking ‘why did I bother?’

Smelling the familiar smell at the entrance and proceeding to the counter like any other in the world, I was met by a friendly but terrified face that continued to point at the picture card that consisted of many items and the price. Standing for a few minutes in the line being ready to answer her questions, I began to notice that I myself was becoming a small part of the picture card for the people standing and waiting.

Handing over my money I came to recall that back home McDonalds, has the same marketing tactics, with the only negative side being that most of the people in the store were eating McChicken burgers, instead of the famous Big Mac. This henced the reason why I had to wait a few minutes before gathering at a window seat with a great view of the main beach that at the time wasn’t looking like a scene from the famous Bondi Beach in Sydney. But in fact having an array of people, walking and relaxing, with the occasional street hawker shouting, like the locals that I saw six months ago in Beijing.

* * * * *

Being still early in the afternoon and not knowing anyone in the city, I grabbed the old famous cliché ‘Bulls by the horn’, and began sightseeing. After being in a town four hours away that was filled with dust as the main lining that covered everything in its path. I strolled along the shore of the city I was in and breathing in the sea air, with my mind being the canvas ready to be painted. I decided to check out the view from the local bus and travel from the old part to the new part. Boarding a bus that I thought was going to continue the standard in all cities, around China I was faced with a tall red two level bus that is mainly recognized in a world famous city of London, England. Paying the small fee and taking position on the top deck by the window. The abundance of people on the beach looked like a playground that had many splashing around in the water, others building sandcastles made from a mixture of sand, red and brown crushed pebbles and broken seashells and people sunbathing under the fine hot humid temperature of the sun.

Traveling along, I couldn’t help to notice that everything seemed to be a lot more advanced than that of the Bin Zhou. The streets and the cleanliness were a major player in promoting the harmony of living, even though my mind was missing the tattered stains on the shop walls and the rubbish piling on the side of the streets waiting for the cleaner to grab and look through.

Even though I had arrived in the early afternoon and the summer heat was giving my mind such calm thoughts, I wasn’t sure of where and what there really was to do in Qingdao and also at the same time contemplating the nights activity of eating. By the time I reached the stretch of one way, it was time to turn and go back.

* * * * *

Resting back in the apartment, the sound of several trains blowing their horn as they entered or departed the station was adding to the increasing traffic noise. By the time began to leave, the air was a little cooler than what I expected. Maybe that was due to not really having been too exposed to the seaside and the weather in such a long time, I ventured out again in search of eating local food and trying to solve my curiosity at the same time.

I found that I was to my surprise beginning to use the very basics of Chinese that I had over the past six months acquired was able to manage a word hello with a comfortable smile. Entering the small hole in the wall restaurant, as I happily named them and use to back in Bin Zhou. I left the comparing of décor to one side and admired the usage of large white containers on the sidewalk filtering air into the water to keep the seafood fresh, as though you were walking on the red carpet with the seafood as your audience, cheering and shouting with excitement, but with the vision of fast thoughts floating the sounds and words of ‘PICK ME! EAT ME!’

Again I was alone and with my constant friends ‘the eyes’ glaring at me, I began to eat the food that I had pointed to while wishing that the restaurant to could add the picture card like McDonalds with prices, instead of the waitress smiling with joy knowing that she may be able to set a higher price, with the foreigner not knowing and claiming that was the standard price.
Sampling one special local dish of what resembled small muscles encased in a hard shell, I soon fell in love with the freshness and taste of this small shell Chinese version of the western pippi. Being in a coastal city really gave me an appetite for fresh seafood everyday, even though there wasn’t any thick fried potato chips that you could get back home, I always ate my seafood with a large-size fries, extra salt from the McDonalds.