That's Entertainment

As a bustling city with a population of around six million, it is unsurprising that Jinan is bursting with activities designed to meet the cultural, shopping, and entertainment needs of its people. There is a karaoke bar on every street corner, its neon lights promising an evening of Chinese pop and American oldies. Night markets abound, consisting mainly of merchants who spread their wares on tattered blankets on the sidewalk and shout at passers-by. And restaurants stay open late - almost til 9:00!

Despite this array of exciting leisure activities, I can sometimes find myself at a loss. There are only so many hours you can spend belting out 1990s pop hits before everyone starts to look like this:


And really? Do I actually need another $2 t-shirt?

It may be for these reasons that I was so excited to head down to the Yellow River Park last weekend. I spent the whole day there, and returned home flushed and exhausted from so much fun. I gushed about my experience to the visiting Americans in my dorm, and wholeheartedly recommended that they embark on the same outing. When pressed for details on why it was so fun, however, I found that the words coming out of my mouth did not necessarily match the enthusiasm with which I said them. For example:

"They have a swing!"

Okay... so does every American playground.

"You can pop colored balloons with a pellet gun!"

Sure, that's fun...if you're eight years old.

"They have hammocks!"

Yeah, so does my backyard.

Hmmm...

It suddenly hit me that what I was describing seemed to deserve the label "lame". Was I actually recommending a run-down park resembling a kiddie fair ground to a bunch of mature medical students? What happened to me??

I spent the next two days in a sulk, questioning my own judgment and sanity. There was no question that I had a blast at the Yellow River, but was it because my notion of "fun" had regressed to that of an elementary school student? Or was it objectively a good time? Not even a night of ktv could cheer me up. ("Larger than Life"? Again? Meh.)

But then, on the third day, a miracle! My American friends spent the day at the Yellow River... and loved it! I was redeemed! They showered me with praise for sticking to my guns (ha, ha) and convincing them to check out the park despite their initial doubts.

Granted, they spent more time on the ATVs and less time on the swings than I did, but still.