Harbin Revisited

As we had expected, Janie had planned a full schedule for our short 3 days stay in Harbin. Day 2 of our adventure started early, enjoying a meal  in a little hole in the wall that specialized in breakfast  about a block from our hotel. The menu included a pancake like bread stuffed with meat of an unknown variety. Along with the pancakes, there was a variety of porridge like dishes resembling oatmeal. My favourite was the heavily sweetened one. A good hearty start to the day.

Then it was off to meet Joy, for only the second time in 4 years. The first time was at the hospital, a few days after her birth. We returned to Canada shortly after with our only contact being pictures. They did no do her justice, she is a beauty.

She was a bit reticent when we first arrived, hanging on tightly to her grandmother’s (Janie’s mom) leg. She has seen pictures of us and knew who we were. Janie’s mom and dad live in Harbin and have been taking care of Joy since she was borne. A very typical Chinese scenario when both parents work. 

After lunch, we went for a walk in a nearby park. A chance for a little one on one time with Joy. Did not take long for grandma Nonie to break the ice while grandpa Brett took a little longer. We do have some experience as grandparents with a few tricks up our sleeves. With our own grandchildren living far away, it takes a few hours to make a connection with them when we first arrive. One ride in a crazy electric car and Joy was putty in our hands. 

Dinner that night was a big affair with Janie’s parents, uncles, aunt, and a young couple that Janie referred to as her brother and sister along with their young daughter. In China, it is common to refer to cousins as brother or sister.  Lots of conversation but much of it in Chinese so lots of smiling and nodding and charades from Nonie and I.  

We finished the evening at what was billed as an “evening of jazz” in the newly constructed Harbin Music Hall.  A stunning building.

We were awarded with a stunning Harbin sunset.

Day 3 started with a hearty bowl of mien (noodles) at another steamy hole in the wall near our hotel.

Then it was off to visit Polar Land, an aquarium, slash zoo that has been a tourist attraction in Harbin for decades. Never took the time to visit when we lived here. The big-ticket show is the Beluga whales. They have been trained to work very, very closely with their handlers and interact with them in almost erotic connections.

And of course, what polar aquarium would not have a few penguins, some fat, sassy, smelly seals and a polar bear of two.

Lunch was one of our favourite meals, hot pot. To describe it, would leave you wondering what could be so tasty about boiling meat, tofu, mushrooms, and various greens in pots of broth. Think fondue and like a fondue, it can go on for hours. Two broths are usually provided, one plain and one spicy hot. If you don’t walk away with you lips on fire then you haven’t had a good hot pot.

After lunch, we picked up Joy and it was off to Sun Island, for us, a park of many happy memories of past summer picnics.

The day was quite cool and windy and keeping Joy amused was a full-time job. 

Back at home we went into full scale dumpling construction. The sign of a good dumpling is when they don’t break apart when being boiled. Janie’s mom and dad with had that down pat and with Nonie’s help delivered six delicious and differently stuffed dumplings for dinner.

Day 4 started with a visit to the university HIT.  A visit to our favourite coffee place for a real coffee and breakfast but alas it was no longer there but quickly as one place closes another opens up nearby. After coffee, we took a stroll around campus, visiting all our old haunts.

We stopped at the dormitory building we had lived and happily discovered we had not been forgotten by the staff. They seemed pleased to see us and wanted to know if we were coming back. We stopped at the Red building, where we did most of our teaching and again were recognized by the staff. I sometimes pondered, that as we wander through life, whether we left a mark or impression on the world. It was nice to see that we had, even for a short time. Picture is from our first week in Harbin

Time to meet Justin for lunch. We had planned to have lunch at another small hole in the wall near the campus that we had name Janie and Justin’s. It was a policy of our extended Chinese family that we give Western names to our favourite restaurants as the Chinese names were Chinese to us and we need a way to simplify the so that we could all remember it.

The Smiley Girls, Freckles, The Fat Kid, The Dog House, Leah and Will’s, just a few of the names given to our other favourite restaurants. The naming of a new restaurant was not a simple process and much banter and arguing went on before a name was bestowed upon a restaurant. The name often reflecting some aspect of the restaurant. The Smile Girls, received its name because of the giant smiles of the two young fuyuans who were always there when we arrived.

Restaurants can come and go quickly in Harbin and sadly Justin and Janie’s was no more. A short walk, only to find the Fat Kid was no more.  Across the street was a chuanar restaurant, happily our second most favourite Chinese cuisine. It is best eaten, late on a hot summer evening, sitting on little stools, placed out on the sidewalk, drinking large bottles of cold Harbin beer and watching the chef cook little bits of fatty meat on skewers over a very dirty charcoal grill, the black oily smoke from the charcoal hovering over our heads like a storm cloud.  MMmmm good!

Back to Janie and Justin’s for a last visit with Joy before leaving for a late dinner on Harbin’s famous walking street.

Magically, dish after dish of all our favourites appeared on the table. Janie and Justin had remembered them all, not missing one.  It was a nice ending to sadly, a short stay. We had an early flight the next day to Shanghai. 

It is our dream to one day host doctor j and her parents in Canada.  Hopefully before she becomes Doctor J.

We have such great plans!

You Can Never Go Back???

There is a saying that says “You can never go back” and when we left Harbin, for what we thought was to be our last time in January of 2014, we believed it to be true. But as we discovered, “You can go back” if you have the stamina.

It took us 20 hours in airports, airplanes and cars to finally arrive in Harbin, minutes before midnight the next day.  The 20 hours included a dash through the Guangzhou airport to catch our connecting flight to Harbin. China Southern Air, delivered us 40 minutes late to Guangzhou, leaving us only 60 minutes to get through customs, security and over to a different terminal. Thankfully, we had only carry-on luggage and China Southern was up to the task.

As we exited the plane, we had large green dots slammed onto our chests and quickly directed to the customs hall where we were placed into a special line which jumped us head of everyone else.  

On to security, where the green dots got us into a special line and again cut in front of others who had clearly been waiting a long time to clear security. Lots of long, mean looks from those poor souls. Been there myself, so I can relate.  We are definitely going to keep the green dots for future use.

Upon exiting security, we were hustled onto one of those electric carts that you see in airports around the world, usually shuttling elderly folk or VIPs between gates.  With lights flashing and horn beeping and feeling very special, we were dropped off at the entrance to the terminal where we were to catch our flight to Harbin.

The Guangzhou airport is very modern with moving walkways that with a brisk walk, can carry you quickly to your gate.

One small problem, the Chinese do not adhere to the “Keep to the Right” rules of escalators and walkways. They, along with their many, many, many suitcases create an immovable roadblock, making speedy passage on these moveable walkways virtually impossible. If we were to make our flight, a power walk/jog was in order because as expected in these situations, our gate was as far away as you could get from the terminal entrance. With minutes to spare, we caught the last shuttle bus out to the airplane.

It had been a long day, but made much sweeter when we were greeted by the smiling faces of Doctor J and Doctor J. We first met Janie and Justin on our arrival to Harbin in 2008.

At the time, they were both completing their doctorates at HIT. They quickly became a part of our extended Chinese family, a bond that continues 9 years later.

They are now well into successful careers and proud parents of Joy who we call doctor j as her proud Jiānádà zǔfùmǔ (加拿大祖父母), Canadian grandparents.

Can You Ever Have Too Much Turkey

Celebrated Thanksgiving twice in 2016, thanks to our grandchildren moving to that other country to the south of us. That other country who is in the throws of becoming Great Again. Great at what, is still being figured out. Certainly not cool hats 







Of course, turkey was going to be on the menu as it was that other country's Thanksgiving celebration. It had only been 6 weeks since we had previously sat down to a delicious, juicy turkey in celebration of  Canada's Thanksgiving and the tryptophan's were still coursing through our veins. 

But, despite the different dates, our celebrations are much the same. The biggest sameness is feasting on turkey. Which we did. A beautiful bird, lovingly prepared by our son and daughter-in-law.

Watching and perhaps playing each country's favourite (favorite) sport. Say hello to Team Canada. While the rest of the neighbourhood (neighborhood) were in front of their TVs watching football, we had an exciting game of street hockey happening out in the cul-de-sac. (dead-end street)

Enjoying the beautiful colours (colors) of fall, that is till they fall in your yard, turn brown and have to be raked up.

Some, take the time and do something different, visit somewhere different.  We visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

Similar celebrations to Thanksgiving happen all over the world.  Ertedankfest (Germany), Kinro Kansha ho Ri (Japan), Mid-Autumn Festival (China), Chu-Sok (Korea).  One enduring sameness is "family".  There would be no thank in Thanksgiving without having family around to celebrate.

A Park Revisited

Located in the South West corner of Alberta, right next door to Glacier National Park in Montana, Waterton Lakes National Park is a place, definitely worth a second visit.

Neither of us can remember the exact year of our first visit but we can certainly remember the month as it was  Valentine weekend.

We stayed at the 100 year old Kilmorey Lodge.  It was old, dusty, smoky, creaky and very romantic. Sadly, in 2009, it burned to the ground.  

We arrived on a beautiful sunny afternoon only to see the weather deteriorate into a full-on snow storm that would last for the whole weekend as well as the ride back to Penticton which we fondly remember as the 10-hour ride from hell.

Since we had already visited the park in the dead of winter, it seemed only appropriate to visit when the weather was nicer.  At the same time, we included a roll through Calgary for a visit with one of our nieces and a drive by of Fairmont Hot Springs for a dip and a visit with an old friend.

The Trans Canada highway through the Rocky Mountains has to be one of the most scenic rides in all of Canada.

Overcome by its beauty we stopped in Golden for the night leaving us a short drive into Calgary the next day.  Partied with a rogue elk we met at the hotel.

Calgary has changed quite a bit since we were last there in the late 70’s.  Albertans have grown a lot since then

but they still retain their unique pioneering spirit

and their genteel demeanor with life.   A couple of days in the big city and we were ready for the peace and quiet of Waterton.

Arriving at the park is an event for your senses. There are no foothills to ease your way into the park. In a very short span you go from the flatness of the grasslands into majestic snow capped mountains. The weather was wonderful and it remained that way all weekend.

I had one goal for this trip. It was called the Crypt Trail. Voted best hike in Canada in 1981, I had read about it on our first trip and immediately put it on my bucket list. I may have forgotten to mention it to Nonie as there is a reason it is called the Crypt.

The hike starts with a short 15 minute, water taxi ride from the town to Crypt Landing. From the landing, the hike is a 17 kilometre round trip

with a 2,300 foot elevation gain.

The trail crosses several small creeks before coming to a very high, very steep scree slope where the trail narrows to about 50 centimetres. I don't believe I mentioned this to Nonie

At the end of this section of trail, you must climb a small steel ladder then crawl through a 100 foot natural mountain tunnel. Did I mention, I didn't tell Nonie about this.

On the other side of the tunnel, was a traverse along a sheer cliff with only a slim and rocky trail between you and a 1000 foot drop to your death. I think I may have overlooked telling Nonie about this part.

This trail petered out to a small rock ledge with a cable transverse. I definitely did not tell Nonie about this section. 

At 65 and she can still climb mountains.

We were rewarded with a stunning view of Crypt Lake where I told Nonie that we would have to return along the same route.

It is a trip that we will brag about for years.

Day 2 was a much quieter day. Our leg muscles were complaining loudly, so we kept our hikes short and simple.

At  dusk we headed out of town a few kilometres where we had been told that it was rutting season and the elk would gather to, you know, to do stuff. I discovered the male elks make really girly noises when courting.

Bear warnings were posted everywhere we went. We spotted fresh scat here and there but no visual sightings. Our bear spray remained  holstered except for some practise bears we found along the way.

One more stop before heading home, Fairmount Hot Springs.  Our muscles were looking forward to a soak in the springs. Luckily, our friend Gail had a pass that got us into the resorts private pool. It was great spot to catch up.

With our newly loosened up muscles, we were able to enjoy a few more hikes.

The ride home was a much nicer ride than our first one. All in all, a memorable  road trip.