Life in Jinan 23 June - 4 July, Part 1

I must apologize for my absence but I've been waiting patiently to rid my writer's block as well as review and prepare my schedule summer lessons. During that time, I must say that city life in Jinan greatly differs from country life in Dujiangyan.

After my 2x week holiday in Jinan, I was ready to teach, my established apartment is located 10 minutes from office. Now with the my walking experience (thanks to many military hiking excursions), duration to getting to office takes 5 minutes. Even in early morning, 0500-0630AM, timing is even less. The only vehicles on the road are pulled or foot pedalled by the cleaning crew. Very peaceful.

At exactly 0700-0730AM, traffic has already made its presence and Jinan becomes alive with both people and every means of transport. What was a 5 minute leisure stroll then becomes 10-15 minutes of walking survival. The first 5 minutes is waiting for the pedestrian permissible green signal whilst the other 5 is waiting for the numerous of cars, buses, and cyclists, foot pedal to motorized, refusing to allow those of us on foot 'right of way'.

Nevertheless, there are more driven personal cars here in Jinan then in Dujiangyan, but I'm mostly dodging cyclists than I am being ran over by a car. I say this because all cyclists are using sidewalks and their respective street lanes. Talk about one's stress level! In Dujiangyan, I managed to tolerate the flow of motorcars and public serviced vehicles in a few days, for there are more cyclists than cars and a lot more distance gaps. BUT here in Jinan, one should not never under estimate in believing drivers will obey traffic lights, let alone actually drive the paved path provided for them.

OMIGOSH! Drivers of all sorts are just as impatient with traffic lights as in United States. With great urgency, cars, personal to taxis, and an occasion bus, will make their way onto the side walk just to make that right turn. I dare not wear headphones whilst walking, I value my life knowing that I'm fully aware what surrounds me rather me be surrounded by whatever. Drivers may not honk their horns as much as Dujiangyan, although Jinan taxi drivers do so to inform searching fares of their availability, as a warning to pedestrians to move along. Most cases, blaring horns are used in ALERTING in saying GET OUT OF THE WAY!