Where it's ice ice baby

It's been a busy month! With Coffee flapping back to the motherland (congratulations on your promotion, you cappuccino!), increased workload at the office, and a general "under-the-weather, thanks-pollution" feel, it's no surprise February is greatly welcome. Not that there weren't fun activities like a Vietnamese Pho party which almost made up for the 400+AQI.

Omnomnom homemade Pho by V&D!

Turns out she got a little fat and doesn't fit the clothes we got from Korea...

The cold weather results in higher AQI in these parts due to coal burning plants and other reasons. I recently read a good article comparing pollution in LA with the changes in China, and how movement towards curbing emissions can make a large difference in "mega cities". Did I mention how the great firewall crack down basically ruined my emailing abilities for days (not to mention inability to enjoy Civilization V and Titanfall?)

#firstworldproblems

Work has been a lot of overtime, mainly due to my own inability to manage the over sized mouthfuls I keep biting off. However, I have been able to participate in a number of activities including proctoring the FSOT written exam (talk about life coming full circle). Not too many years ago, I was once in the candidates' shoes and who knows, one day might have them as a colleague. Wouldn't that be crazy?

Free tea time at the Ritz!

My failure to learn Chinese and get off probation haunts my after hours. Enjoy the language training if you get it...

Care package from home! Guess what my dad sent vs my mom.

In between late nights at the office, I did take a trip up north. A popular winter activity these days is also to visit the famous Harbin Ice Festival in Heilongjiang, northern China. A month long chilly (and boy is it chilly) festival, it brings visitors from all over the world to look at ice sculptures and snow creations. The weather when we were there was -10/14 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit.

No one should live in that kind of temperature. ;__;

Maybe it's my west coast showing, but I was determined to stay warm. I ordered hand warmers from Amazon in anticipation as well as thermals and some nice quality snow gloves. I have an awful time with ordering clothes online though, so I thought I would try to buy clothing locally. The problem with selection here is that you either pay exorbitant prices for imported brands like Columbia or you buy smaller boutiques for clothes that...may or may not actually be what they claim. After seeing one too many knock-off Uggs stands, you just don't know what to trust anymore...

More beer. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in my travels. 

These guys crashed into a snowbank while doing laps in the snow. Last we saw, they were still trying to push their car out. 

Having great colleagues at post means not only having an instant travel companion pool, but also people super kind and willing to lend the clothes off their back (in one case, literally). I acquired snow pants, ski jacket, boots, nd even the ultra warm fleece zip up one of my colleagues had worn to work that day. Thank God because it was ridiculously cold. After all that clothing, I thought I was prepared. I even borrowed yaktrax to put on my boots (but I didn't use them because I kept slipping on regular floors). I probably should have because in my excitement at seeing a dining set made out of ice, I slipped and got the wind knocked out of me for a good 2 minutes. As I plummeted to the ground like a hippo slipping on a banana, all I could think about was how awful it would be to be medevaced out of Harbin.

Good thing that didn't happen, but my bruised tailbone (and pride) has yet to recover.

I will be taking a much-anticipated trip back to the best coast this upcoming Spring Festival. Known as the Chinese "let's-all-go-to-grandma's-house" holiday, the annual lunar new year pretty much shuts down the country as over 260 million migrant workers in China all head back to their respective hometowns. There will be fireworks, festivities, and of course a gazillion "sheep" for the year of the meh. Our post will have a nice CNY party to celebrate as well. However, my cup of tea is headed back to home to celebrate the holidays with my family whom I haven't seen since summer last year. It's amazing how quickly time has passed and yet I still don't feel like I've explored even a fraction of what this land of pandas has had to offer. Clearly, I am failing at being the intrepid explorer.

Handmade corn veggie wraps. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words... 

One of these is not like the other... 

These giant sausages were delicious as were the milky popsicles that were sold downtown. At one point I had a sausage in one hand and a popsicle in the other. It was magical. (Thank you S for buying me the popsicle.)

And let's be honest, the real reason I went to Harbin at all. SNOW FOXES!!!

We joined in the dancing; apparently Gentleman by PSY is still hot up north.

Famous St. Sophia Church in Harbin. A little overrated, but beautiful example of architecture and art.  

Yay for all the delicious food, fabulous great weather, unblocked internet, and most importantly, amazing people I'll be seeing in Murica soon! I miss you!