Happy New Year!! (again) If you are in Asia and you’re using the Lunar calendar then, finally, welcome to the new year. I feel like January was a fantastic trial run…I tried bullet journaling, reading every day, compiling lists, 10-minute morning meditation routines, etc. So, I now know what works for me and what doesn’t. […]
Okay, hear me out! I am not even exaggerating, that question was in my mind when I couldn’t feel my fingers at the Harbin Ice & Snow Festival! Yes, it is worth a go but you NEED to be prepared! There is a short video of the whole experience – from taking the bus and […]
DongBei. The North East! There are stages you go through when you live in Harbin. At first, when you arrive, you are almost certain that you cannot and will not survive here. It’s rough, raw, the language is just nothing like the podcasts you’ve been listening to on your flight, and well…the extremities! The summer […]
The winters are long and brutal up north so you do end up hibernating, involuntarily. However, you can find that there is loads to do besides bar hopping and drinking warm Harbin beer. I stumbled on a leaflet: Swan Lake (Russian Kremlin Theatre) was coming to town! I had never been to a ballet before […]
Winter has come. But, it’s about to get worse. I honestly didn’t know that I could live in sub-zero temperatures; this is an alien concept for a Durbanite. I have, many a times, considered getting a bobsled just because it seems fitting. I now know what it feels like to crave warmth. I want to […]
A friend invited me out to see the grand Opera House. I absolutely love design and architecture that I had heard of the Harbin Opera House before I even had the opportunity to leave South Africa. Well, we both had the day off, it was a beautiful sunny day albeit the 2 degrees celsius! I […]
I have had a fantastic weekend in Beijing to see one of the best humans I know. This is enough to keep you happy, right? We explored the ancient hutons, ate amazing dumplngs, danced the night away and caught up. This should be enough to keep me happy. But something happened. When I was back […]
The first opportunity to get hiking outside the city was granted, I grabbed it with two hands! There was no way I could let that pass, no matter how exhausted I am. Since I have arrived in Harbin, I have made a deal with myself to travel as much as I can. Even if it […]
It’s almost a month since I have moved to Harbin and I seem to be settling in now. I have my own apartment, I take the bus to school and pretty much every mode of transport available to go around, and I have become friendly with some of the people in my community. I might […]
After a year of plotting and pondering, I am finally in China. Harbin, to be exact. Leaving Durban was a bittersweet moment – you know, knowing that you finally did it. But, leaving the people you love behind. It doesn’t make it easier that I am not quite a fan of flying. I often choose […]