Holiday Season (8 months down)

It has been 8 months officially now. I have also missed last month post/update whatever you want to call it, but I’ve been busy with teaching, celebrating Christmas, planning my trip to Thailand, New Years and now Chinese New Years.

Celebrating Christmas here was a little tough for me to be honest. I’ve grown accustom to not working for a week or so around Christmas, and spending it with family and friends, but this year I worked on Christmas day so had a small yet joyful celebration the following with some fellow expats in Harbin. We all exchanged gifts, stories, ate like no tomorrow, we also had our fair share wine and beer.
All in all a very good of people under one roof. New Years wasn’t anything to special just hit up a few bars, seen some friends, went to a club and seen some fireworks! More of quiet night, but with a heavy crowd of people as there should be.

Right after this holiday hours started at work. Meaning longer hours to put in prior to having my vacation time start, and I will tell it was like murder with all the weird hours I had to complete during those last two weeks of teaching before the break, but all in all worth it.







Chinese New Years was a good celebration. I was invited to a party/celebration with a co-worker and her family, they played games, cooked together (I hand made dumplings!), drank together and shot off boxes of fireworks! I was lucky enough to aloud to light a few of them myself. After that we all headed back inside to resume eating and drinking. My coworkers husband was trying to challenge me to see who could drink the most, and I can honestly say that man can drink! I lost count of how many we had fairly quickly. To summarize this occasion, I was shown a great deal of hospitality and love that night, it really made me feel like I was home with my family back in Canada.

All of those events have gone successfully, and next is time for me to relax under sun, in a hammock (God willing), with cold beer and explore Thailand to the best of my abilities! This was just a quick little update of the last two months. Next post will be my experience in Thailand, until next time!

New Post Alert!!! 6 Months Down

It is now officially been 6 long months living in Harbin, China, with 6 more to go. Occasionally still meeting some new interesting or cool people around the city, and also being introduced to some hidden gems or events within the city not many people know about, especially locals.

Since my last post a lot has happened in Harbin so far. I’ve been to a live music show in downtown Harbin, that most locals never knew occasionally takes place. The music was good and soulful, although I didn’t understand the words because it was in Chinese haha, other than that it was very good and relaxed vibe. Along with this we have stumbled upon some new cafes that similar life back home in the West or Europe. This is a nice change in pace from the normal routine of life here amongst the small expat community that resides in Harbin of simply going to bars or clubs each weekend.

Halloween was heavily celebrated in China more than I thought it would to be honest. Me and some close friends dressed up as 70’s Basketball team and I was there coach! It was a night to remember in Harbin. Met some cool people at some bars both locals and expats like myself.

SMOG ALERT!!!
When the weather begins to transition from Autumn into Winter here in China, there is heavy increase of smog throughout the country and masks are mandatory especially if you're a foreigner here temporarily or just simply want to protect your health, either way you should wear a mask!

It has started to snow here and to be honest I am actually looking for to winter here, as they have many ski hills throughout Harbin and outdoor activities such as the Ice and Snow show. This takes place throughout Harbin at various locations according to the information I have been given on this major event. Events that take are swimming in the river during the coldest period in winter, an ice city similar to the one in Montreal, Quebec only as I’ve been told it is much larger here in Harbin and also an assortment of games.

On the topic of winter activities that some locals in Harbin like to partake in is hockey. I was privileged to see a pick-up hockey game that one of my friends here plays in with some locals and police officers. The players here are actually really good at hockey from what I seen. I might also find a sport to play during winter to occupy some time here.

That is life in Harbin currently. Until next time!

Detour to Beijing!

The Great Detour to Beijing

Took a little detour to the capital for my birthday with some friends. Amazing city, great people and atmosphere. The journey to Beijing from Harbin on the speed train, was about 8hrs in a standing section but luckily we bought a few folding chairs to sit on for our long 8hr journey to Beijing. 

During that train ride we met some interesting people along the way a few young Chinese children who spoke a beginner to intermediate level English, which was very interesting to see that these young children could have open conversations, able to tell time and answer some beginner to high level questions either with ease or after a few seconds to process what has been said or asked. 

Finally we arrived in Beijing and was hit with the first Great Wall of China, a sea of people all on vacation in Beijing. The train station was a massive mob of people trying to navigate their way out of the train station to a taxi, bus or subway to get to their next destination, but luckily for us we traveled with a girl named Surine, who is a native Chinese speaker from Harbin so getting around was fairly simple for us.

In Beijing I finally seen the Chinese culture and ancient Chinese architecture I expected to see when I first came to China in Harbin 4 months ago. Not saying Harbin doesn't have its own beauty, but it is more European styled because of its past occupation by Russian's from 1898 to mid 1960's. It does add a sense of home with a mix of European style with the variety of food, bars, restaurants, clothing styles and mix of Chinese and Russian themed events and structures.

Immediately on our second day in Beijing we took to the city and tried some cultural habits of Chinese people. For example food, clothing, tea and even tested out our Chinese with a few locals who spoke English or some English. It was hilarious experience a lot of laughs just walking around the city. Later that night we took to Tienanmen Square when it wasn't so crowed, and it was a nice experience not to many people so we could explore it with ease before taking to the Beijing night life!

Day 3 we took "The Great Wall" and met some cool expats from the America and Germany, from other cities in China. En route to the Great Wall, we had a tour bus guide who was named Jackie Chan. You know at first I thought maybe I didn't hear correctly, but her repeated his name more than once and I wasn't the only person on the bus who was laughing. Besides that one highlight the bus ride was a long and agonizing journey of constant stops and other issues, but when we finally arrived it was an amazing experience climbing our way up to the Great Wall and getting that cultural experience.

 

Day 4 was a more relaxed and chill day to just wonder around, meet some people and have few drinks. By night fall I went to a Woodstock event at a small venue, with nice calm and lounge vibe which is something I wish Harbin had. This place reminded me of home, just hanging with friends either by a lake or somewhere somewhere relaxed with good music, food and people.

Finally to conclude this post is the train ride home. It was a long train ride until we met some Chinese locals who loved Canadians and Americans. We had a few beers well, some food, competition and a lot of laughs. In that Process we met a cool girl named Rachel who spoke English as was also from Harbin, who helped translate the Chinese that we didn't understand or could speak.
I also shocked some people because of physically fit I am and was called a basketball player. The true highlight of that train ride home was when I told them I'm from Canada and I quote his response not in a racist way was "Canada? but..but...but......(long dramatic pause) Canada is all white people, yes?" at that moment we're all dying of laughter then I explained Canada has the most diversity in the West. That moment he learned something new but still thought I was a basketball player in China.


All Beijing was an amazing experience filled with a lot of laughs, new friends, new experiences and most of all Memories!

Did a little Hiking

Fenghuangshan Geopark 

Did a little hiking in Wuchang, Heilonjiang, China at Fenghuangshan National Geopark. It was an amazing experience a truly great way to break in my 4 months of living in China!

This hike so was a work excursion with the school I work with here in Harbin. Great co-workers and leaders I honestly couldn't asked for a better environment to work in, especially since its my first time not only teaching in China, but living here too. The journey began from district in Harbin to Wuchang, which was a 5hr bus ride filled with games, trivia, laughter, food, a karaoke and of course some amazing country side views along the way.

When we finally arrived to our hotel, which was surprisingly a lot nicer on the inside than I would of expected after seeing some of the nearby hotels and motels along the way. As we entered the hotel we were greeted kindly, cleaned up and served lunch before our first hike which was 2500m that took about 2hrs to complete at a good steady pace. There was one view in particular I wish I could of gotten a better look at was, at one the viewing points on the peak of the mountain when the clouds parted a gave you a strong sense of just how high up you were from the bottom of the mountain.

After this we headed back to hotel cleaned up ourselves ate dinner together like a big family, gave toasts, went outside for some more karaoke, team building exercises and a little bonfire to end off the night. 

The second mountain was a 6000m hike with a lot steep steps, plus rain which made it a little challenging to hike through and navigate through safely, but luckily we all came prepared for the unexpected weather patterns. Throughout most the hike when weather was good believe it or not I practically ran up the mountain to each rest area just in case it decided to rain cats and dogs along the way up. I have since been called "Superman" by my coworkers and they wonder if I can fly haha! The entire 6000m hike took me around 4hrs at a relatively steady pace with my team. 

The views along the way and even at the peak of each mountain were breath taking "literally" lol

All in all it was a very rewarding experience of accomplishment, team building and like I said before a great way to ring in my 4 months living in China. 

 

 

This experience was even better, because it was with not just co-workers and leaders, but individuals who are very family oriented have now become family to me and make me feel more welcomed to this country.

So I attended a Wedding!

So I attended a Wedding!

 

So I was invited to a wedding by a friend I met here Lisa, whom I mentioned in a previous post. The wedding was an amazing experience, I met a lot of people and as you could image being the only western face there I was the center of attention next to the Bride and Groom of course. 

I was then asked to be the best man at wedding, because it would be considered a great honour to the family, so I gladly accepted after only knowing the family for roughly one hour haha.  The Groom was the brother of Lisa who is very nice guy and owns a successful shop in Harbin. After the ceremony I was invited by Lisa's father to have a beer in celebration although I had enough, in Chinese it is a disrespect to decline a kind gesture on special day like a wedding. Long story short I am now really cool with the family and some of their friends once they all could see how much I can eat and drink, all with minimal bathroom breaks after a few hours of drinking.

I also discovered that it is a big honour to have western friends and especially on special occasions like a wedding.

All in all after each progress update I do on my life here, it just keeps getting better and better! After only 3 months here I've done more and experienced more then some locals or other foreigners who have been in Harbin or China longer than I have. Slowly becoming famous here, haha!