I thought hell was suppose to be hot?

Greetings Spring Festival- what the Chinese call the national holiday we refer to as Chinese New Year.  Although it is called “Spring” Festival Shanghai, Beijing, and definitely Harbin are frozen tundra.  And so  my journey begins, East of Siberia in Harbin.

As I looked out the window of my first class cabin seat (strangely Mike, John and I bought our tickets separately and checked in separately but were all moved to first class) I thought to myself, “I thought hell was supposed to be warm”.  At -40 degrees ground temperature, Harbin looked like a freezer burnt ice box from the sky. On the ground Boston-Kate and I decided Harbin reminds us of home.  Surprisingly the 150 year old architecture and dilapidated buildings of Northeast china remind us of Northeast United States.

If you didn’t already think I was crazy for spending my “Spring” festival in -40 degree weather, this is the part where you might change your mind.  Kathryn and I tried couch surfing for the first time.  Couchsurfing.org is a website where you can post any extra room you have in your home and you can host travelers to stay with you, without expecting any payment.  We’ve had a few surfers stay with us in Shanghai and decided it couldn’t be too bad.  We looked for people who were experienced hosts with good reviews and wound up in the home of Paul, an American teacher, and his Taiwanese girlfriend Violet.  Violet’s translation skills will ultra-handy and Paul entertained us with stories of his travels (he’s been EVERYWHERE) and how he grew up Amish.  We really could not have stayed with nicer people!

Anyways, the reason we were in Harbin (we being me, three of my roommates Mike, Miles and Annie, my future Spring Festival travel partners John and Kate [plus 8 haha- American TV joke], and adorable friend Samantha) was to attend the annual ice festival.  I had some friends go while I was studying in Hong Kong and they loved it.  It really was cold. I had three pairs of pants on, five pairs of socks and six layers on top and I was still sooooo cold.  We got some great pictures, rode a yak, went sledding on snow sculptures, tried out curling, and laughed non-stop about how ridiculous we are for even thinking this would be fun.

I am happy we survived Harbin (it was questionable at times) and I am writing this midair on Asiana flight 304 (to be posted later).   Unfortunately, we did lose one in Harbin.  Travelmate John, who is supposed to be coming to Korea and Japan with Kate and I, missed the flight to Seoul from Harbin International airport.  I’ve posted two or three times already how air travel in Asia is just screwed up.  Mike and I supposedly didn’t have tickets on our way to Hong Kong, Kiristi missed a flight, Miles missed his flight to Harbin and now John is stuck there.  Harbin has the worst international airport I’ve seen, worse than Albany International because there are only two international flights a day and the city has TEN MILLION residents.  So John will have to take the 20 mile ride back into Harbin city center and return to the airport tomorrow to hopefully get on the day’s single flight to Seoul—or Vladivostok, the other international flight.

for some reason the city was decorated with Italian and Chinese flags, no other countries represented

One Vacation, Four Ways to DIE.

As my students are taking the four finals I spent an entire weekend writing I can only think of one thing: vacation. Before I divulge  further let me specify that yes, I the students take finals in January.  The same courses with the same unruly students will continue in the spring semester.  Not only does Jin Cai falsely claim to follow an American curriculum, it must also think it is a college because must American high schools do not require students to take (teachers to write) two midterms and two finals for the same course.

Anyways my favorite word, vacation. Although I am ready an excited, life has turned me into an eternal pessimist and I must prepare myself for the worst, death.

Harbin- Death by frostbite
The first stop is Harbin, a city just east (ok slightly south) of Siberia. It is slightly more than 1000 miles north of Shanghai. (On a geographical side note, check out this interesting blog- its a few years old but still a new idea to me!) I am already freezing in Shanghai and its only in the 20s. In the winter (now) Harbin regularly gets as cold as -40 degrees.  My friend went a few weeks ago and pretty much died. I can't even go to the bathroom at the school I teach at without getting frostbite so this should be interesting.

Is than an igloo? If this little zhonggo de baby can handle it I say bring it on!

Chinese Mt. Rushmore. Gotta have a snow Mao

I'm such a sucker for pretty things.

I will not be that girl.  My butt will not get that close to ice.

South Korea: Death by nukes


Dear Kim Jong _____ whichever one of you is actually in power now, please don't blow up South Korea.  I hear they are very nice people and treat tourist very well.  My co-worker Brian also told me South Korea is much more developed than China, and specified by saying they don't try to run pedestrians over when crossing the street.  Plus if you do blow the south up I may never have the chance to eat dog.

Japan: Death by poverty?

I may have to put my newly acquired over the knee boots (true story, I did buy them.  Over the knee boots are ok, thigh high boots are for hookers) to use.  By the way, this picture was stolen from turbowhitetrash.com

My friend warned me "Japan sucks, one dollar is like 100 yen". I WISH! One dollar is only 83 yen now and guess what... I'm paid in worthless non-convertible RMB. Hostels alone will cost us each $40 a night (yea remember SE Asia and even China where they're close to $5 USD) so we are trying to couch surf.  This is to be determined.  Anyone with a comfy couch in Tokyo want to be my new best friend? There's also the $500 one way plane ticket I bought and the $500 rail pass and my need to go to Disney... I guess I'll just have to eat rice everyday. Oh and I am going to a snow festival with a college sisterfriend of mine! :)

Shanghai: Death by old age

I come back to stupid Shanghai on my stupid 23rd birthday. lkdjgfjdshgjdfhgjadfhgkjghdfjhgdjfgh. It also happens to be my first Valentine's day without a love interest in a very long time which is almost as bad as turning 23.  There is a Chinese teacher who is fixed against getting old so I may have to visit her for some remedies.

If none of the above kill me the students will.  Back to work the next day on February 15. :(

Eggs, kegs and SHARKS! a night at the aquarium!

Mi amiga Samantha is a brilliant person and belongs to this group BEAN Shanghai and invited her dearest friends to join them for a sleepover at the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium.  The groups main purpose is a volunteer organization (the second largest volunteer group in CHINA!) they like to have fun too!  BEAN titled the event Eggs, Kegs and SHARKS!

We met some really cool people, hopefully some who we will see again, maybe even when volunteering!  Most people were American (no one does eggs and kegs better) but there were some other countries represented (I think everyone was an expat- Chinese people would think this is weird).

Herrow 'hometown"

AQUARIUM!

    
 

They weren't kidding about eggs, KEGS, and sharks

    

The before picture

   

I look like a sad kid.

   

  

This is our new friend Claire but we like to call her sulley.  She is starting a business and shanghai and was giving me and Sam advice for our company.  Sam and I will start a company since we hate taking orders.

My future business partner is special

  
   

    

    

WAHAhAHAHA suck and blow

Sherry didnt even try to suck.

  

yes us adults did play spin the bottle

Andddddddd I hate that I fell asleep before twister!