Yes, It’s Very Cold in Harbin

While I am thinking to make another trip to China, I just realize that I am still procrastinating about organizing the pictures I took in February/March in China. It has been more than two months since I came back. The summer is almost here, even I can never feel that summer heat in San Francisco. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to bring ice and snow back from my visit to my hometown Harbin (哈尔滨). I went back for the Chinese New Year last February, in a record bitter cold. However, that is one of the best Chinese New Years I ever had—with everybody in the family together on Chinese New Year’s Eve, just like the old days. It has not been easy for this gathering to happen. In Harbin, walking on those familiar yet foreign streets in the cold, I am brought back in time. Vast amount of memories flashback into my mind. Some of them are sweet, some of them are poignant, and some of them are blur. However, all of them are precious. I enjoy the visit, even the freezing cold gets me from time to time. I am glad to be able to spend some time with family, and childhood friends who I have not seen for a long time. I feel sad when I see some neighborhoods are still as shabby as the old days. Visiting the Ice and Snow Festival is fun, but it is also a torture. Every time I take a picture, I must immediately put my hands back to my pockets to warm myself up. Otherwise, I feel my fingers are about to fall off my hand. But, it’s spectacular. No place is like Harbin. No experience can substitute a visit to this city that has a unique personality. The ice room at Shangri-La Hotel is a charming gem. The entire place is made from ice, therefore, it’s actually outdoors. Ice wall, ice table, ice bench, ice bar, ice piano, and ice me if I sit on that bench a little longer. http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf No matter where I will go and where I will end up, I will always have a spot in my heart for my hometown—Harbin. Sure it’s cold in the winter, but Harbin warms my heart.