Intro to Linyi

Linyi compared to Linfen is like a dream. As you might remember, Shanxi is the most polluted Province in China. Linfen which is a city in Shanxi Province is the most polluted city. So, I lived in the most polluted city in the most polluted province in China. I love taking things to the extremes!! This pollution is due to all the coal mines in the area. Linyi City on the other hand which is in Shandong Province is a more developed city and pollution is not taking its toll on this beautiful city as it does on Linfen. Shandong Province is much more developed and advanced as it is right between Beijing and Shanghai. This means that transport etc is of a much better standard due to trade and industry.

I just need to correct something that I wrote previously. You need to understand that sometimes you get lost in translation in this country, so everything that I say you need to take with a bit of salt as there could be a slight possibility that it might change as my revelation of this country progresses. Previously I said that the population of Linfen was 400 000 people. Well, seems like they had nothing to do for the last month as the population increased by a couple of million people. The actual population of Linfen is 4million people, and this is seen as a small city. The population of the city in which I find myself at the moment which is called Linyi City is 11million. This City is seen as a middle size city for China. I sometimes think that TV arrived a couple of centuries too late for China.

Well, this is the city that I find myself in at the moment. Advanced, developed/developing with a good infrastructure and close to the town that sells the best beer in China “Tsingdao”. How can I be any closer to heaven?? Tsingdao which is actually spelled Qingdao is also a city on the coast and a favorite tourist destination due to good weather in the summer. Will make a trip down there soon enough!!

The University I will be teaching at this year is called Linyi Normal University. This is a big University and all and all we are about 50 foreign teachers from all over the world. The University has just opened its new second campus. This new campus has a capacity of 30 000 students and it sits on a piece of property with a radius of 10km. I have been told that it is like a city with even its own mall on campus. When they are finished with all the development, this will be the biggest Uni in Asia.

Making me Linyi savvy at the moment is a young girl called Mary. Don’t know what her Chinese name is, and not even going to try. She has been a great help in pointing me in directions for some nice food, a phone simcard and a buss that goes towards a mall. She even made me dumplings (Jao tsi) for the second night in Linyi The Uni is not as helpful as in Linfen, as Linfen had a much smaller foreign teacher body. That makes Linfen more personal. But I am glad to be here and enjoy the city and the food that I had so far. I discovered a nice little local food shop close to the mall, and it’s about 15mins drive on a free bus. A very nice old lady and man who I presume own the shop has become my great friends. We can’t speak a word to each other, but my facial expressions show them that I love the food and with every visit they give me free tea, and a top-up. They cook this meal with veggies etc. which is called “Ma la thang”. This is my newest favorite food. Can’t wait to speak a bit more Mandarin.

In case you are wondering about the photo? It is the only way for me to know i am getting on the right bus back home!! Take a picture and you can't go wrong.

(Linyi City, Shandong Province, China)