新年快乐 and 哈尔滨 (Happy New Year) and (Harbin)

Happy New Year everyone! And Happy Birthday Nan and Bronwyn! What did I do to welcome in the New Year? Why, I studied, and then watched Pulp Fiction, of course! The exam period is nearly upon us - only 2 days of class left (6 hours, not that I'm counting) and then exams start on Monday.

Now, for the exciting news! I'm going to 哈尔滨 (Hā'ěrbīn in Pinyin, Harbin in English). It is China's most northern major city, located about 10 hours north of Beijing by train. Every winter, starting on January 5th, they hold their annual Ha'erbin Ice Festival for around three months. Here is a lil map to show you where Ha'erbin is (spelt Harbin here):



The reason they can have a three month ice festival is because it's bloody cold! January's average high temperature -14℃, and the average low is -26℃, but it can get down to -38℃. At what point is frostbite a possibility? In fact, the temperature is below 0℃ for six months of the year. That must be depressing.

Anyway, eight or nine of my classmates and I are stupid enough to want to go! We're going on a five day tour, leaving on the 14th of January, returning on the 19th - just in time for me to warm up in what will be a blistering Beijing winter, before flying out on the 20th to Bangkok. I normally wouldn't go to such a cold place, because the cold in Beijing is enough for me, but it is so cheap! For five days, hard sleeper train, meals, accommodation and entry tickets (so basically everything included) - less than AU$200! I couldn't really turn that down - I spend almost double that on a pair of jeans.

I don't have a copy of the itinerary yet - I only decided a few hours ago (read: asked mum if it was ok to go), but tomorrow one of the guys in my class is bringing it along hopefully.

And so you get an idea of what we will be seeing, here are a few pictures:





Also, there is a fabulous website by an author/photographer, with lots of great pictures, but I cannot link to them for copyright reasons. So here is the address - take a squiz - it looks fabulously tacky! (Click on the years below)

2003
2005
2007

I will post our itinerary when I get it! Oh, and for those who are interested who is going - Andri, Candra, Nalisha (Candra's girlfriend - she's from one of the -stan countries, possibly Kyrgyzstan, I can never quite remember - so it'll probably quite pleasant for her), Hokky, Vivi, Heru... and I'm sure who else. It'll be quite the Indo trip though!