Once
more I am failing at consistent blog posting...I guess it's a good sign
cause it means I'm too busy living life to document it...or it means
that I'm a bit lazy. Either way I'm back with another update on my
wanderings in the East. Alex and I survived our Beijing layover and
managed to make a few friends on our way. Of course, standing in line to
scan our ticket, we had a few "omg it's a real foreigner!"stares.
Usually these stares from people result in, A. more staring, or B. a
conversation. Therefore, when a middle-aged Chinese man struck up a
conversation with us, we weren't surprised. Something tells me he really
wanted to practice his English though, and did so a bit creepily due to
the fact that he relentlessly followed us chattering away until we made
it to the safety of our seats. Sitting down quickly, I figured I should
use the plane ride to sleep...no such luck. Immediately after my sigh
of relief from being able to plug into my iPod and relax, the gentleman
next to me struck up a conversation. He was incredibly friendly, and
very excited to speak with a "老外lao wai (foreigner)" who could speak
Chinese.
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| 火锅！ |
We managed to fly in at 10pm, go out to SanLiTun (one of the larger
nightlife areas in Beijing), and after dancing until 4am on a rooftop
patio, we pulled ourselves together and headed back to the airport to
catch our flight to Haerbin (哈尔滨）! If that isn't a whirlwind trip, then I
don't know what is.
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| China's Little Europe |
After arriving to Haerbin, we soon realized we were in for an amazing weekend. Haerbin is known for being a mix of
Chinese-Russian
culture due to its proximity to the Russian boarder. Visiting this far
north city made the group of us feel as though we were in our own little
Chinese version of Europe. Haerbin is probably one of the only cities
in China where the influence of religion seeps into the surrounding
culture. From St. Sofia's Church, to our hostel, which was an old
synagogue transformed into one of the coolest international youth
hostels I've seen. The Haerbin people were also amazing! They were
incredibly friendly, curious, and often would strike up conversations
about our travels, Chinese studies, and America. While visiting Haerbin,
we had the chance to visit many of Haerbin's well-known attractions.
Even though Haerbin is known for their Ice Festival, which occurs in
late-January, we got to visit some of Haerbin's churches, walk around
the old Russian quarter, and visit a Tiger preserve
(老虎公园，Tiger Park)!
Finally,
the Haerbin food was some of the best in China. Our first lunch we had
火锅（hot pot, sort of like a Chinese version of Fondue where boiling broth
is placed in a giant bowl in the middle of a table and a variety of
meats and veggies are placed around it for individuals to cook in the
hot, hot soup!). Then that evening we walked around our hotel's
neighborhood, which happened to be in one of the best locations possible
for a group of traveling college students. With cobblestone roads, ice
cream shops, and pop-up dinner areas, we had a lot of options for
exploration. Our favorite was probably an outdoor dining area that
boasted street food stands with anything from sausages on sticks, to
squid, to egg pancakes, to purple rice, etc so forth. Obviously foodie's
paradise. We we also had some great Russian food that kept us super
warm in Haerbin's chilly night air.
Overall, my break was a great experience. I feel as if my Chinese
ability quickly improved because I had to use it so much in both
Shenzhen and Haerbin. Traveling from the southern most point of China up
to the northern, really put how vast and diverse China is into
perspective. From the people, to the food, to the terrain, there's
always something new to see and experience. And to think, I'll be
shoving off for my program trip this Friday!
Each
program here has their own trip that they participate in as a part of
our cultural practicum. The Advance Chinese Studies group (my group!),
is traveling to XinJiang!! If you know nothing about XinJiang, the
basics are: it's the start of the Silk Road, it's in the middle of the
desert (very far west!), it's home to one of China's minority groups,
the Uyghurs (notorious for their conflicts with the Han majority ethnic
group, but according to the Chinese government those types of problems
don't "exist"), and XinJiang is apparently home to some of the best
honeydew melon (who knew!). There are 11 of us going on this trip, which
makes it especially fun because we'll be able to cover more ground. Our
itinerary has me practically dancing in circles with excitement. We'll
be starting in Urumqi and head along the Silk Road toward Gansu
Province. Along the way we'll have the opportunity to ride camels, see
the
Thousand Buddha Caves (UNESCO World Heritage
Site), visit 天山(Heaven Mountain), have dinner with a Uyghur family, and
shop in a Bazaar. I believe this trip will be another collide of
cultures, much like Haerbin! Can't wait :)
I'll try to get better at this blogging thing. *sigh*
Hello Everybody!
We made our way to Barbarossa, in People's Square, first. Great ambiance and free "bloody shots" all around. The bar had a nice rooftop terrace and enough people in costumes to almost feel like I was in a bar in Georgetown rather than halfway around the world. After Barbarossa, we made our way to the real fun and dance floor at M1NT. M1NT is one of those places that ever expat/Shanghai dweller must visit at least once. With glass tanks filled with sharks lining the walls, two amazing dance floors, and a guest list/table list system that would made any person trying to ascend to M1NT's top floor club location cringe, this club was the place to be for Hallow's Eve Debauchery.
