I’m not sure if it’s just Qingdao, but american expats never congregate during our ‘holidays’ like 4th of july etc etc. I’m not complaining, but its interesting to see various countries come together for their festivals, whether it be independents, muslim holidays,  but when its american holidays…you see more europeans and chinese celebrating and posting ‘happy 4th’ than actual americans. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but it’s bizarre. Do we just not care? Have no pride? Find shame? Find lame? Do other people just enjoy celebrating them because they want to mimic off american tv shows since it looks ‘cool’? Even religious holidays like Christmas, I notice groups come together like the French and their dinners, the Italians, but you will never here of the Americans getting together, not even for a superbowl. While aborad, we tend to just blend in with everyone else and give each other the head nod rather than unite. Maybe we just think it’s kind of corny? who knows.