Well, in Harbin - Hooray!

This place is so cool (well, freezing, but I am British so i'm allowed to complain about the weather when i am wearing over 20 items of clothing and its -20 or so outside!).

Today we managed to knock off a few more items on the "things to do when its cold outside list". Having been skiing in Changchun, today we "skated" across the HJ river (no iceskates needed!), went for a ride in a slegh (pulled by a horse - they had dog drawn ones, but didnt fancy them - the poor dogs looked healthy enough, but they seemed content sitting on their blankets and not being eaten -  in the supermarkets in Changchun -and probably here- they had prepackaged dogs heads for sale - yummy!) and went bobsleighing. It wasnt really bobsleighing exactly, but it involved sitting on something while careering down a big icy slope.

We went around the ice festival park and tried the same trick without anything to sit on but the seat of my pants. It didnt work quite as well and left me feeling a bit numb and cold!

The ice festival thingy here is really cool. We got to the park at 3-25, paid our Y10 and entered just before the prices trebled. It was really amazing -  all these really cool sculptures made out of pure ice - and loads of them. We walked around the mini Collosseum/ Ampithetre thing from Rome, the Parthenon from Greece (my spelling isnt so great today!) and a miniture version (still large) of the forbidden city. After an hour or so, we still hadnt managed to get round half the park (its not big - just so many things to look at) and it was getting dark. It made the stuff really hard to see, so they had all these lights in the ice, or under the ice to illuminate them. They had either drilled holes (most likely) or built the sculptures around them. It was so magical. There was this really big ferris wheel which went so high I was petrified before we were even 4 foot of the ground. I must confess i dont really have much faith in Chinese engineering, and less so when i can see into peoples apartmnents on the 27th floor! But, once I had calmed down a little I managed to enjoy the view, and the guy running the thing was really nice - he asked if we wanted to stay on for another go for free, bless him, but we were a little scared by the first go so we decided not to push our luck!

There was also this HUGE ice sculpture of the Shenzhou 5 rocket (the one the chinese sent up to space). It was done in such a way that you could climb this really huge ice staircase and slide down it, except it looked really dangerous from far away and they had blocked the entrance to it to prevent foolhardy idiots (like myself!) having a go. There was a maze and just everything was really cool.

The weird thing about being up here in Harbin is that it is really close to the border with Russia. Vladivostock (sp?) is only about 150 miles or so from here and everyone keeps talking to me in Russian. It they are not talking to me in russian or calling me a "lao moazhi" (sp?) - a "hairy one" as the Russians are known here! - they are laughing at my trousers. Now, i know my jeans have two large rips in them belkow the knee, but if Im leaving for warmer climes soon and wont be taking much with me, whats the point of gettiong new, badly fitting (chinese!) jeans? Especially if Im wearing 2 or more pairs of thermals underneath them? Yes, i have been using this argument for the last 6 months, but still . . .!

After looking at a decent map of China I realised that on the train it will take a long time to get down to Vietnam from Harbin. I am about as far north as anybody would want to go in China and then I'm off tp the southern most part. i am NOT going by hard seat for four days on a train, so I'm off to Guangzhou for some SARS on a plate. Bring on the warmer weather!

 Keep sane!

Still not in Harbin yet - will go tomorrow. Have been skiing though - nothing like having the life scared out of you when going down the "baby slopes" shouting rude words to the wind. Thankfully, i have all limbs still attached and in working order - I only fell over once and that was on the ski lift! Oh dear. Maybe I wont take it up as a professional hobby!

Its still cold here - it snowed yesterday evening, but Harbin will be even colder. I dont think ill be venturing too much outside! -30 is a little scary! At least eveywhere you go inside is warm, and it isnt really as bad as you might imagine!

Anyway, take care! And Happy New Year (again! - the year of the monkey!)

Well, its cold, um, colder and then a little colder than I ever thought possible. Currently in Changchun in Jilin province I would not consider leaving a bilding without wearing at least 7 layers of clothes, two hats and a decent pair of mittens. At least up here although its cold places have heating.

Staying at the college where Andy will start teaching next term. Its really weird - they have more than 2 foreign teachers (from many places) and there are lots of really strict rules like no smoking anywhere on cmpus outside the flat, no sitting on desks, no drinking alcohol before the lesson/ coming to teach hungover and being seen as "presentable". Our other college actually seemed to encourage all of the above (except the sitting on desks thing!). They have rules here - very weird!

Getting here was a nightmare in itself. Seeing as although there are 2 direct trains to Beijing from Suzhou every day, it was surprising that only 3 sleeper tickts were available for a population of over a million. These three tickets could only be sold on the day in case someone "important" needed them!!! We forced the college to make a car available to take us two hours up the road to Xuzhou. We had finished our contract, needed to get to Beijing (my passport was there) and didnt want to wait around for goodness knows how long untill tickets could become "available" (we had been trying ourselves for a week!). We managed to get all the luggage (about 14 bags/ over 100kgs! between three people (not all mine - homest!) into the car and onto the train which was a mission in itself, as far as a night in a hotel in Beijing and then back on the train again. I am never helping Andy and Nancy move house again - ever! (They still have twice as much stuff at her mom's house!)

We got to beijing, got stuff sorted like marriage certficates/ embassy stuff for A and N, visas for me, vso stuff, visiting people, changing chinese money into travellers checks (a nightmare but possible at the really huge bank of china, not too far from the friendship store if you can handle ridiculous amounts of beurocracy and walking from one counter to another with no apparant reason you CAN change the money - hooray! It did involve bringing out every peice of paper and receipt and experts card/ resisdence permit, contract from work passport and photocopies of all the above and my dental records. You just have to smile as to how anything does get done, but I suppose it gives people jobs!)

A night involving far too much beer, vodka, baileys, bijou (ths one confused me - why did I voluntairiyl choose to drink the stuff? Why did I suggest getting a bottle?) and far too many tequilas later, a bad hangover was starting to form as I made my way onto the train north.

So here i am for the next few days. Going to try out skiing at some point soon, then Harbin's ice festival and then (hopefully!) some Vietnamese sunshine. Yeah!

Feeling happy

Love and sunshine

Jo

After 12 months here it is finally time to pack up my things and leave. Its really weird to have my bursting rucksack sitting in my room and to know that I will not sleep in "my" bed again, but also really exciting.

Just to wish all of you a happy new year and a cool spring festival. Next stop - Harbin!

Got back from Beijing this morning at 4 am after spending a wicked xmas there – I ate turkey, boogied on tables while (very!) drunk and spent far too much money. But, since that is what xmas is all about, so be it!

I suppose I should elaborate, although it already seems so long ago!
Rocked up in Beijing about 8 am xmas day and had a mild panic attack when we couldn't find Emily (D’s new gf ) ‘s phone working. Decided to go to our prearranged meeting place and try and phone her from there, which (thankfully!) worked. Had a couple of beers and went to Xmas Day mass at the British Embassy. The last time I went to Chuch for Christmas was Midnight Mass about 7 years ago – in fact, that's probably the last time I went to Church. But, being the good little Christian girl that I am, and finding the prospect quite exciting. D, Em and I went to the pub for a hot chocolate (sooooo yummy!) and a couple of beers before heading over to the GB Embassy where, upon showing our passports we were admitted to the little side chapel. Dave had his huge rucksack, I had my fulled to the brium slightly smaller bag and the three of us looked like the great unwashed (after the ovenight trains!). We got such dirty looks from some of the people there (the “regulars”) which quite surprised us, but most surprising in an embassy of the Bristish Government and representative of the Queen abroad was that it was a Catholic Mass given by a Canadian Franciscan clergyman. Do any other brits find that a little weird? The weirdest thing was that most of the people there in the GB Embassy were American/ Canadians! We sang some xmas carols (in the dirgiest way possible – we tried to lighten the mood a little – “Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem” used to be quite an uplifting tune whenI was a child! – but we got stared into submission!). I realised that I had forgotten all the “responses” expected from such a service, but it was quite enjoyable anyway and the priest seemed quite cool.

After the service we went to an “English Pub” where we had booked our Xmas dinner. A short phonecall to Tom later, E’s co-volenteer/placement partner – also in Beijing – who was working and aboiut to tuck into a tasty bowl of noodles, we tucked into our Turkey Dinner (no sprouts though I’m afraid!). It was yummy! The only weird part was that when we asked for some custard for our apple pie dessert (no xmas pud) they brought along two ittle bowls of gravy! We got the custard in the end and I was in my element!

A bottle or two of decent wine later we decided that, in traditional Christmas style an afternooon nap (it was 4 pm!) was called for and off we retired to continue the festivities later.

The next day we changed hostels (D and E weren’t impressed by the fact that their “double room” consisted of a private room with two bunk beds!) We found (after a lot of searching!) a different hostel with a cheap(ish) bar next to it on San Li Tun (the main bar street). Of course, we had to check it out, snd many hours later made the horrendously long journey from bar to bed, without having to even leave the building. Sweet! 

The next day or two were spent in equal decadence! T was “housesitting” for a friend of T and D’s so we availed him of his hospitality, purchased the final Lord Of The Rings (Return of the King) and slobbed. Um, so that was our Xmas weekend away!

Returned to Suzhou this morning as birthday girl. It does feel very weird tyo be 23 – again! Having spent over 11 of the last 12 months here being 23 due to the Chinese ageing thing, I cant quite grasp still being 23. Where did those two weeks of being 22 go? If I stick to the traditional Chinese ageing thing I think I will be 24 with the New Year at the end of January, by which time I should be well on my way home!
After a short very early morning “catnap” I restarted my exams at 10am and continued them till well gone 5pm, except a couple of tea breaks and a quick lunch with a student. If another person cpomes up with a phrase such as “I don't like winter because it is cold, summer is very hot and the spring is best because it is not too hot nor too cold and there are flowers” I will scream! If some students can tell me how to make chocolate, why problems exist over China joining the WTO; why they are 30 years old, married and have a six year old child, which I am not to tell anyone (A weird one by me as well!); and give justifiable reasons why Bush should not have invaded Iraq why can some students give anything other than the reply “yes” when asked “how are you today”?

Having a birthday in the holiday period I don't think I have ever worked on my birthday before, either being in school and/or swapping shifts to get it off work. Having felt horrendously homesick during the run up to Christmas, now that it is over, I feel once again quite settled here and in much less of a hurry to return home. To me it seemed very natural to have a weirded out birthday. I have even eaten lots of exciting new foods and done things with them that my mother would not be proud of!
After deciding that I probably would eat dog if it were put in front of me, then deciding, after seeing the dead dogs strung out that I wouldn’t, I actually ate dog this evening at a banquet. Now, in justification in my mind, many people eat beef or parts of cows, that most Hindus would find horrendous and against what they know. At the same time, many Jews and Muslims will not eat pork. I see it in a similar, if not religious way. It is a cultural thing which people must make up their own minds about, and apologies if I have offended you. But it did taste REALLY nice!

We did also consume a lot of beer, so by the time the birthday cake came out, candles had been lit, sogs sung and the cake cut, it seemed, well, appropriate being in China to do as the Chinese do. Yep – you guessed it – cake fight! My clothes are covered in random bits of cream and I still have chunks in my hair, but it was sooo much fun. I thoroughly recommend throwing cake on your birthday, as long as you are not wearing your best clothes and your mother isnt about!   And I even had the foresight to remove the beautifully decorated monkey (my sign) from the top of the cake to munch on. Yeah! I’ll be eating cake of my clothes for weeks!

The prize for the weirdest Birthday present I have received has to go to one of my favourite students (who also shares the same birthday!). I gave her a nicely typed out copy of one of my favourite poems in a nice birthday card (yes – I am a cheapskate – but its educational!) and she gave me some, erm, chicken. I don't think I’ve ever been given a chicken for my birthday before, but she does come from Fuli (famous for its chickens locally).

We eventually retired to Andy’s flat (the only flat out of three with a working heater!) and decided to have a tipple or two more. And here I am.

Question – when does your birthday end? Andy says its when you go to bed on your birthday, but I reckon I can be a birthday princess for another 10 hours or so – until midnight in the country of your birth?

Sweet dreams!