Harbin Ice & Snow Festival.

Eeekk!! Hello my faithful friends and readers...IF you are still out there! I am so sorry it has been MONTHS (almost 3 to be exact, AHH!) since I last wrote. Thank you for still visiting my page while I was away. Your loyalty does not go unnoticed, and I am forever grateful that you all find an interest in my life and writing. I mostly write this for me, but I know that some of my friends and family back home are curious and interested in my experiences living abroad. So, I'M BACK! This time to tell you a story about my trip to Harbin in January with my friends Amanda and Tony. 

This post is LONG overdue! I wanted to write it a long time ago, BUT life. Work life and personal life. So, here I am putting my work life on hold for a couple of hours so I can write this post. Because I definitely want to remember Harbin - it was for sure one of the most uniquely amazing experiences I've ever had in my travels so far! 

Harbin has been on my list of places to visit in China for a couple of reasons. At my old school, I had a student who was from Harbin. Let's call him John. John was SO proud of where he was from. All my students were proud of where they were from, but John expressed it differently. He was a quiet student, and generally kept to himself. He was different then most of his classmates, and therefore, sadly, he wasn't always accepted nor did he have many friends. So whenever I had the chance to stop in the hallway, courtyard, cafeteria, library, etc. to talk to John I would. And 90% of the time our conversations headed in the direction of talking about Harbin. Hearing his stories about his life and the culture in Harbin intrigued me. This is when my desire to travel to Harbin began. Later, I took the time to research about Harbin and this is when I learned about the famous Ice & Snow Festival. You guys! This festival is EPIC! Towering structures made purely of ice and snow, COUNT ME IN! John never really spoke much about the festival. He'd tell me that I should go. But most of his favourite spots in Harbin surrounded food and shopping. So, over the summer, Amanda, Tony, and I decided that during the month of the Ice and Snow Festival, we would find our way there! 

Firstly, I want to remember the temperature. Oh. My. GOD! Living in eastern Canada for the majority of my life definitely DID NOT prepare me for the cold I experienced in Harbin. It was FREEZING. Literally, it was so cold one night that my hair froze and started to form icicles. Look! 

  

I was wearing so many layers. Two pairs of leggings, a pair of stretchy jeans, and then a pair of black pants on top of that. Sweaters, on sweaters, under coats. Two scarves at a time! I've never had to dress like that in Canada. During the day, the temperature would be about -25°C give or take a few. And this was with the sun shining brightly in the sky. At night time, it got below -30°C. And it was a dry cold. Just cold right to the bone! 

Secondly, I want to remember the Ice Festival, of course! There are really no words for what I saw while I was there. So, let me tell you about it through pictures:

Thirdly, I want to remember the city itself. Like a lot of the cities in China, they are packed full of history. In addition, Harbin is in the VERY northern part of China which borders Russia. So, a lot of the cities influence comes from Russian culture. On the Saturday morning/early afternoon of our weekend there, we toured around the city. We saw Sophia Square and Church, Central Street where we ate ice cream (YES, I said ice cream. Surprisingly, eating ice cream in a place that is that cold does the opposite of what you'd think. The ice cream was warmer than the temperature outside! So, if anything, it warmed us up!) and we enjoyed hot Coca Cola (probably won't have it again. Wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't great). Then, we went down to the water front and watched all the activities they had going on on the water. Skating, sliding, inner tubes tied to tractors and 4-wheelers. PS - Skating in China consists of sitting on a very small toboggan and using miniature ski poles to pull yourself around on the ice. Also, for the first time EVER, I saw bicycles with blades attached to them for skating. So interesting and different from what my western eyes are used to! 

We had to call the touring quits mid-afternoon because we weren't fully prepared for THAT much time outside in the cold, and my legs were so cold they were starting to sting and hurt. I was actually fearful that I might get frostbite. However, we saw everything we wanted to see in the city, and that's what counts in the end (even if my legs took hours to fully thaw out). 

Lastly, I want to remember the hospitality we experienced. The company I work for has a sister school in Harbin. When a friend of Amanda and Tony's heard we were coming to Harbin, they invited us to stay on campus. The staff at the school were so accommodating and friendly, and we were blown away at the kindness we were greeted with during our stay. They toured around with us, made sure we were comfortable, and even made us a little weekend schedule to make sure we saw EVERYTHING in our short stay. The words "THANK YOU" don't truly say how much gratitude we have for the lovely staff in Harbin! We truly were spoiled. 

Some of my favourite moments while traveling are the small things that happen that impact me emotionally, and also those little things that happen that make me laugh uncontrollably or feel an overwhelming sense of happiness. For this trip, the one that sticks out in my mind the most happened in the first hour we had arrived. On the drive to the residence building, we spotted our first ice sculpture and the three of us got so excited. We yelped, screamed, ooo'd and ahh'd. Our new friends kept telling us it wasn't even that big. But to us, it was ENORMOUS! We tried to take a picture from in the car, but it was just TOO BIG! So, the driver stopped for us and we got out and took a picture.

It's blurry, you can't see us because it's dark, and part of the structure is cut off. However, I remember how big I was smiling in this picture. I remember we were all laughing. And I remember how excited I was when we got back in the car afterwards. It was one of those moments where I felt so fortunate to be on this journey and to be sharing it with my beautiful friends. It was one of those moments where I truly was in love with my life.

Traveling has become such a huge part of me. Exploring and seeing and doing. I can't imagine my life being anything else right now. Harbin was a quick weekend away, but a weekend I'm glad I had. Because, not only did I get to see another part of China and the world, but I was reminded about how much I love what I'm doing and I can't wait to see what comes next.

PS - It's Bali...and that blog post will be up very soon! 

The Time Has Come!

Bags are packed. Double and triple checks have been made. Farewells and holiday wishes have been said. Now it's time to get on the plane because....

I'M COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! 

To say I'm excited is an understatement. I don't think there is a word to accurately describe my feelings about going home for the holidays. I haven't slept well all week because I'm constantly day dreaming and thinking about what it's going to be like to be home. I love my job, but this week has been LOOONG! But now the time has come! In just about 24 hours, I'll be home in New Brunswick for the holidays. After two Christmas' away, I have a feeling that this one is going to be extra special! 

See you soon, NB! xo

Recipe: Baked Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce

I eat a lot of salmon. I have one go-to recipe and I usually stick with it every time I eat salmon, which is usually once a week. Sometimes I get bored of said recipe and I need to mix it up a bit. My friend Amanda was telling me about this "Lemon-Dill Sauce" she got at Ikea that she put on her salmon one night and really liked it. Just listening to her describe it made me drool! The next time I made salmon, I decided to try and make my own lemon dill sauce to top my basic go-to salmon recipe with. My first attempt at making it was a flop; way too much dill! The next time was better. And then the third time was OUT OF THIS WORLD good! I definitely don't think I'm a chef, but I certainly like to pretend I am one. My plating needs work (see sad attempt at plating in photo above), but I definitely think I got the taste nailed down! 

My "go-to" salmon recipe is simple: Salmon on a baking sheet; lightly coat with olive oil and squeeze of lemon; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a little chopped fresh dill; top with two lemon slices; bake for about 15 minutes. 

Lemon-Dill Sauce for Salmon

INGREDIENTS:

• plain yogurt, 7 tbsp
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 3 tbsp chopped, minced fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic, minced finely 
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spoon about 7 tablespoons of the plain yogurt and 1 to 1 and a half tablespoons of mayonnaise into a bowl. Mix together with a spoon. 

2. Finely chop the fresh dill and garlic and add to the bowl with the yogurt/mayonnaise mixture. 

3. I like my sauce bright with lots of lemon! So, I add the juice of the full lemon, but this might be too much for you. I suggest adding half a lemon first and tasting and if you want more, then add the other half. 

4. Stir together. 

5. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

I served my salmon with rice and a side of garlic roasted asparagus. I garlic roast all my vegetables lately: broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts. I SLATHER my plate with this sauce. I went "light" for the photo op, but then sat at the table with the bowl of sauce beside me adding more and more. I mean, it's made from yogurt, so it's healthy right?! 

Try out this recipe and please comment and let me know what you think! Was it to lemony? Too dilly? Just right? What ways do you like to cook salmon? Let's share! 

Weekend Getaway to Shanghai.

At the beginning of November, I got a phone call from my friend Ken. He asked me if I'd be interested in going to Shanghai at the end of the month with a couple of other friends. Of course I was on board! Who doesn't love travelling and taking spontaneous trips just for the heck of it!?

So, on Friday (November 27th) I rushed to the train station after work to catch the bullet train to Shanghai with Ken, Alexis, and Andy. (Sidenote: Andy had to work later than he would have wanted and didn't make it in time to catch the train. So, our group of four turned into a trio for the weekend. Sorry Andy!) 

We got to Shanghai around 11:30pm that night and to our hotel at 12:30ish. A little part of us was hoping that Andy would already be at the hotel after maybe hopping a flight to Shanghai. Sadly though, he was not there. After settling in to our rooms and taking a short wander around the streets outside our hotel, we made a plan for the next day: good food, touristy things, see MIGUEL! more good food and drinks. Sounds like a plan to me!

I had visited Shanghai with Amanda in May of 2014. It was a holiday long weekend and we did a great job of seeing as much of the city as we could in such a short amount of time. This time around, I was going for a normal weekend with two people who had never been before. We agreed that the Pearl Tower and the Bund were a must! So after eating an amazing brunch at Boxing Cat Brewery (which I had eaten at last time I was in Shanghai), we hopped the subway to the Bund.

Oh, another thing! The weather in Shanghai was a treat that weekend! We left smoggy, cold Beijing wearing winter coats and scarves. The layers were shed in Shanghai where the sun was shining and the air was (almost) clean! It made for some awesome pictures of the Bund and city skyline.

After getting our scenic shots, we headed across the water to check out the Pearl Tower. Cliche as it sounds, the pictures really don't capture the view from the top of the Pearl Tower. And they also don't capture the feelings you have while you are up there. You really just need to check it out for yourself! I remember thinking to myself while looking out over the vast and enormous city, how eerie yet mind blowing it is that when I'm down there walking around those streets, there's this whole bustling city around me that stretches for what really is MILES! I'm just one little ol' person in a sea of millions of people! It's crazy! Really.

After going back to the hotel to "freshen up", we met up with my kindred spirit, Miguel! I love this little Peruvian. He makes my heart happy! And I'm so excited that he'll be living in Shanghai for the next couple of years because YAY VISITS! We had dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant called "Coconut Palace" and then we went over to the Shanghai Brewery (which I also ate at last time I was in Shanghai) to have some drinks and continue our hilarious night. Seriously guys, I haven't laughed so hard so frequently in a LONG time. My "abs" hurt from laughing so hard on Saturday! I loved it.

Sunday, we had time in the morning to grab some brunch at KABB with Miguel. Miguel and I share a passion for food. We had discussions about how dining out should be an experience. I think Alexis and Ken might have given us a stare down or two, or maybe just an eyebrow raise, but Miguel and I truly are foodies. Brunch was AMAZING! I'm in love with all combinations of eggs benedict, and KABB's eggs benedict, topped with truffle hollandaise was...there are no words. (Dad, I see you drooling!) 

And then to the train station we went back for home. Of course, the train ride back to Beijing felt like an eternity compared to the train ride to Shanghai. Most weekends, I like to spend time with friends while also finding some time to relax from the craziness that is full-time teaching. While there wasn't much relaxing done in Shanghai, there was friends, laughter, good food, good drink, sunshine, and lots of happiness! Now, that's how weekends should be! 

Addicted |1|

I am currently obsessed with wearing lipstick.

The love affair with lipstick started at the beginning of the summer. Well, actually, in the spring it was birthed. I had gone to Hong Kong with some friends and we hit up the Lush store. They had some samples of lip tints so I tried one. I remember confiding in my friends about my uncertainty with wearing lipstick. That I thought it would make me look weird or it just wouldn't look nice on me. "Clown-like," ya know? Despite it all, I bought the lip tint. I used it quite a bit and got some compliments on it. So, I then bought another lip colour that was brighter and more vibrant. Before I knew it, I had gathered a whole collection of colours. Reds, pinks, mauves. I am addicted. In fact, last week I went to Sephora and spent almost $20 on a tube of red lipstick. Oopsie. 

I wear it all the time. Right now I'm obsessed with red lips. Bright red lips! I've been pairing it with gold-toned eye shadow for a holiday-type look. I'm no makeup genius, but I think it looks good! It makes me feel good, anyway...and that can't hurt, right? 

Happy Birthday, Amanda!

Today is Amanda's birthday - one of my dearest friends. She is turning 26 and I was so to happy celebrate with her last night because A. she's my friend and I love her and B. she is finally the same age as me again!  

I've written birthday blog posts to Amanda before: the "here's to the time" post, the reflection post, the "23 things" post, and the first birthday post. Take a gander at all those posts and if you can't figure out why this girl is my friend, then you are insane! If you want the definition of a giving, thoughtful, kind, honest, and loyal friend, you'll find Amanda's name. If you want someone who listens, offers sound advice, and puts others before herself, Amanda is your girl. If you want to know what makes a great friend, just think of Amanda. She truly is one of the most kind hearted and thoughtful people I know. 

We celebrated her birthday last night with a trip to Haidilao Hot Pot (a dining love that we share) with a small group of friends and family. We came back to her apartment and had birthday donuts, junk food, and watched Halloween movies. (Yes, I "watched" a scary movie - not scary for Amanda, but frightening enough for me who doesn't like any sort of scary movie!). 

I was in Amanda's bridal party at her wedding this summer. I wrote a speech for the reception that had me in tears because while I wrote this speech and recited it, I was overwhelmed with this feeling of "LOOK AT HOW LUCKY I AM!" One of my goals in life is to be surrounded by love, and I am so lucky to have a select number of close friends who I truly love and feel loved by. Amanda is one of those friends. 

Amanda, I want to wish you a Happy 26th Birthday! I hope that you have felt special all weekend and that you continue to feel special all year. Because you, my friend, are a good egg and I aspire to be the kind of friend you are every day. 

I Voted!

I live in China and I voted. I'm two years away from being #Harpered*, and I voted. It started by printing the application, filling out the application, scanning and printing a copy of my passport, faxing it all to Canada, calling and finding out they didn't get it, finding out from Amanda that I can apply online, applying online, getting a special ballot in the mail 5 days later, casting my vote, giving it to the Vice Principal so she can deliver it to the embassy, and done! 

If I can do that 3 week process, you can take 20 minutes out of your day to vote! Please take the time today to have your voice heard. VOTE! Do the thing that many people around the world don't have the right to do. VOTE! If you don't know who to vote for, check out this website: Strategic Voting. VOTE! I'm a firm believer in "if you don't vote, you don't get an opinion!" VOTE! 

#oustharper

I'm not trying to be all "look at me and what I did to vote, I'm amazing!" Because I'm not. I just want to motivate everyone to get out there to the polls today and vote! 

*Stephen Harper has made it impossible for people who have lived outside of the country for 5 years to vote. Many of my colleagues and friends here in China don't have a choice - they can't vote. You do! VOTE!