The Facts of Life in Qingdao

Living

The Yin Hai...

We lived in the Yin Hai for the first two weeks of our stay, and Hung Tao and Hayley are planning on having you live here also.  The atmosphere of the hotel is very similar to that of a college dorm, especially when the German business students are around, and the staff, who lives on the first floor of the hotel, is very friendly.  Make sure you get to know the Germans, whose program ended two weeks after we arrived.  They are an excellent resource for the city and we even got invited to a German keg party!  The Yin Hai has air conditioning and television and the bathrooms are cleaned, and the sheets and towels are changed on a semi regular basis. 

The Jin Hai...

After about two weeks we moved into the Jin Hai.  While the living conditions of this hotel are on par with those of a three or four star hotel in the states, we felt isolated from Chinese culture while staying here.

Working

The office conditions vary greatly depending on the building and the individual office.  Some offices were air conditioned while others were sweltering.  Some were set up office Space style, with upwards of 15 graduate students playing video games and surfing the net in tiny cubicles, some getting about 15 minutes of real work a day (makes you wonder where their advisors are?).  Whatever your office situation, adaptability and openness are crucial to a successful research experience.

Shopping

Carrefour, Jusco and Wal-mart are fairly compatible department stores where almost anything one would need can be found.  Jusco, which is a Japanese department store, is similar to a small mall in the States and is the most expensive of the department stores.  We rarely went here.  Carrefour was our favorite of these stores, and we bought cheap clothes, groceries and toiletries here. 

While the other websites have packing lists, we want to update what  you need and need not bring.  You do not need to bring a full summer's supply of razors (we even found Mach Three Turbo), shampoo/conditioner, shaving cream, soap, and toothpaste.  You won't be able to find deodorant/antipersperint, sunscreen, or tampons (you can, however, find sanitary napkins).  We never used insect repellent, although we can't say whether we would have used it if we had stayed in the Yin Hai.

For random things and souvenirs, try Jimo Lu.  We wish we had found this market earlier in the summer.  However, we think it's advisable to leave your souvenir shopping to Beijing.  The selection is better and you won't have to worry about the domestic flight luggage weight limits.

For more upscale clothing shopping, try Zhongshan Lu.  Giordono was our favorite clothing store, especially among the boys.  You can find the Bank of China, which changes travelers checks, and McDonald's, for homesick emergencies, here as well.

Getting Around

Taxis...

Taxis are a reasonably affordable way to get around the city.  For us, the starting price was RMB 7 and the price went up by RMB 1.20.  However, this is likely to change in the next year.  Make sure you can pronounce the address of where you are trying to get, or have the address written out in Mandarin characters.  By the way, no one knows where a;klsdjfl/asdjkfjazzclubloklasdkfja;sdljkf is, so get the address of this and other bars from the RedStar magazine or website (www.myredstar.com.cn) 

Busses...

Busses are a cheap and effective way to get around Qingdao.  They are also a great cultural experience.  Go to the pier near beach number six where you will find people selling English maps.  Pick one of these up, they are a vital resource during the summer.  Among other things, it contains the bus routes all around the city.