Bali New Year.

Bali is just one of those places you always read about. I feel like it's one of those places Beyonce goes to get away from her hectic life of being a celebrity and escape to a glamorous life of staying at some 5-star resort, getting a massage on her balcony, wining and dining on lush and lavish food and drink. I'd never actually dreamt of going to Bali, but I can recall moments in my life growing up hearing my friends talk about wanting to go to Bali, or reading in magazines and books about how gorgeous and exotic Bali is. Since moving to Beijing, I have had close friends travel to Bali and other areas of Indonesia and rave about how amazing it was. Time for me to go and see what the fuss was all about! 

My goals for this 2-week vacation included (in no particular order): relax on a beach (and by the pool), eat ALL OF THE YUMMY food, explore, hang out with a monkey, and try not to get a sunburn. I accomplished all my goals...minus the sunburn. And before I go any further, let me tell you about sunburn in Indonesia! I never got burnt at anytime extremely bad. I got burnt once on my forehead and once on my shoulders. After a couple of days, when the burn started to peel, it left my skin really discoloured. It happened to some of my friends as well. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that the equator goes directly through Indonesia or not, so the type of sun we were exposed to, our bodies are not used to. Nevertheless, it was gross and it hurt and I hate getting sunburnt! Despite the amount of sunscreen I put on and the shade I sit under, my poor fair-skin just can't handle it. 

We spent the first 3 days in Sanur, located on the eastern side of Bali. Sanur is a quiet area in Bali. The hotel we stayed at, Hotel Segara Agung, had an amazing pool only 15 steps away from out hotel room. It was also a 2-3 minute walk from the beach. And the side streets in Sanur were filled with cute little shops and restaurants. We ate breakfast every morning pool side, which I loved! What better way to wake up then to breakfast, coffee, a pool, blue skies, and warmth! We spent our days by the pool or at the beach relaxing, swimming, and reading. Evenings were spent at restaurants eating and drinking. It was a very peaceful first 3 days of vacation!

What's better than a cold beer on the beach?

The walkway from the street to our hotel was beautiful! The grounds of the hotel were equally as serene. 

We found a gelato shop down the street from the hotel (which was also recommended to us by Amanda!). 2 scoops on a cone for $2. Can't get any better than that! I was a fan of mixing flavours; this one was Nutella and Toffee Almond, I think.

It rained almost every day we were in Bali. I guess that's what you get for traveling there during rainy season. Most times it never rained for more than 15 minutes. One afternoon in Sanur, we got caught in a right out downpour. So, we found a perch at a covered-patio on the beach, ordered some delicious Indonesian food, and drank sangria. No complaints! 

After Sanur we traveled to Ubud, which is in central Bali. No beaches; instead we were immersed in lots of sight-seeing and touring. During our time in Ubud, I felt like I really learned a lot about the Indonesian and Balinese culture. We saw a traditional Balinese dance performance, drank luwak coffee in the jungle, watched the creation of traditional wood carving and oil painting, the Teglalang rice terraces, watched a bathing ritual at the Tirta Empul Temple, and had lunch at Mount Batur, an active volcano in Bali (even if it was a teeny tiny bit foggy and it blocked some of our view). This was probably my favourite touristy day! It poured rain the whole time we visited these locations, but I was extremely gracious and humbled to witness a few pieces of the Balinese culture and it really made me appreciate the place I was visiting.

We also visited the Monkey Forest in Ubud. The hotel we stayed at, Champlung Sari Hotel, was across the street from the entrance to the Monkey Forest. I could have spent all day here! Despite being bitten by one little monkey, it was so much fun watching the monkeys interact with each other and with other visitors of the forest.

This was NOT the little guy who bit me. I just love the way the gentleman beside me is holding on to my leg all protective and such!

We spent about 3-4 hours at the forest. It all came to an end when Alexis was mauled by a monkey. He took a big chomp at her side and hung on by his teeth. There were screams, points, and maybe a little bit of laughter. She's alright, and luckily the monkey didn't break her skin. At that point, we'd had enough and quickly left the forest. Despite the bites, I'd highly recommend anyone to go to the forest. Don't look the monkey's in the eyes, and don't bring any loose items with you. They WILL take them...like my sunglasses.

He eventually did let them go once he was distracted by something else he could grab. But he had chewed them and dragged them everywhere, and they quickly went in to the garbage can. Luckily, they were cheap things I bought on the side of the road, and easily replaceable.

After Ubud, we spent a week in Gili. Gili is three small islands off the east coast of Bali. We stayed at Gili Trawangan. We originally weren't going to go Gili, but after talking to other friends who visited Bali & Indonesia in the past, we were convinced that it was worth the trek over to the islands.

Alexis and I rented bikes one day and biked around the island. It's small! 3km all the way around I think. We stopped a few times for pictures and were back at our hotel in an hour. It was a fun way to see the whole island! (Even if my butt was in A LOT of pain afterwards...that bike seat was hard!)

I tried two nights to see the sunset. The first night it was too cloudy, and the second night I saw most of it. But eventually the clouds covered the actual setting of the sun. It was gorgeous either way.

Gili T is beautiful! The island runs on solar energy, and there are no gas powered vehicles on the islands. You get around by walking, biking, or by horse and buggy. When I read about the horse and buggy system online, I almost didn't believe it. But it's true, folks! You get used to the horse smell after a few minutes of being on the island.

The water was crystal clear. Alexis and I also went snorkelling one day on a mission to find some sea turtles. We saw two BIG turtles on our adventure. We followed them around for a while, until I had to get out of the water because my poor, fair skin can't stay in the direct sunlight for that long. I managed to be a beach bum for a week in Gili and come out of it sunburn free!

I also took a cooking class in Gili! We made 7 different Indonesian dishes. Mie Goreng (noodles and vegetables), Gado Gado (vegetables and peanut sauce), and Tofu Satay (fried tofu and peanut dipping sauce). The chefs at Sweet and Spicy Cooking School we're the most fun! They played music, sang, danced, and told hilarious jokes. They had as flambeing, singing, drinking, and laughing! Even if you don't like cooking, I recommend doing this.

Our final day in Indonesia we headed back to Bali and drove to Uluwatu. This was a last minute visit decision when deciding what to do with our last day. Do we go back to Sanur and relax? Or go somewhere new and see one last piece of Bali? We decided for the second option.

We watched the sunset over Uluwatu Temple while watching a traditional fire dance ceremony. I had read and heard from friends about the beauty of the sunset in Uluwatu. I mean, I am a SUCKER for a sunset! Sunsets all day, every day please! I can't explain it, but I just feel at ease, peaceful, and thankful all at once when I watch the sunset. That I get to be on this planet, seeing the things I'm seeing. I get all reflective and sentimental thinking to myself during a sunset. There are no words.

And with the final sunset in Uluwatu, my Indonesian adventure came to an end. I boarded a plane the next day headed back to Beijing. This trip was amazing! I love Southeast Asia, and I love Bali!

Maybe you'd also like to check out my past adventures to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand (2014 & 2015), and Philippines.

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!