Today was our first real Saturday in Qingdao so we got to experience some of the weekend activities our hosts do. Our host sisters Janice and Lin took Peyton and I to a Qingdao amusement park that seemed to be a Chinese version of Disney Land. On our way there I was expecting the amusement park to be something like Darien's Hindley Happening. When we got there however, the park was giant and had so many different kinds rides. Also it surprised me how many people there were, and how nicely dressed everyone was for an amusement park. The people looked like they were all ready to go out to a nice dinner. The intensity of the rides also surprised me. They were similar to some American rides, so I was familiar with them. We went on a total of 5 rides. Each one was different in there own way, and some had longer lines than others. My favorite was definitely a flying simulator that took us on a "flight" around important cities in the world. All of the people screamed with excitement every time the seats shook or titled. Some other rides included a slow ride underground that was themed for the Terracata Warriors we will see next week. Another ride was themed of a mountain in Tibet, and the others were fun and scary roller coasters. When we were ready for lunch it was hard because there wasn't a lot of selection, so we were very pleased that Janice brought many snacks with her from home. At the end Lins father picked us up and everyone fell asleep in the car during the ride home because it was so tiring walking around the park! We had a great time and bonded a lot during the excursion. Tonight, Peyton and my host families are taking us to a traditional Chinese "hot pot" restaurant. According to my host sister Lin, we will put vegetables and meat in hot pots to eat. I am very excited and cannot wait for another great night in Qingdao!
Helena Nicholls