The little things

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So, we have 4 months to go as I write this. Recently, I've had many conversations about the little things that are really special about Daqing/China. As we've all been here for a while we've all noted that we're starting to get used to the things around us - that to anyone who may just arrive would be very interesting and exciting. These little things are also things we will likely forget in time.

So, I'm going to start a little compilation of curious and interesting things I don't want to forget.

Food:
Fruit kebabs covered in sugar. There are people walking around with their carts. Sitting on the back of their carts is a round cylinder type thing with fruit kebabs sticking out of it. The fruit kebabs have been rolled in a toffee and are frozen - due to the -12 to -30 temperature. I bought one of these out of curiosity and discovered that this toffee stuff is ideal for freezing temperatures but not so ideal for inside the apartment temperature as it quickly melts and becomes sticky icky goopy messy stuff.

There's also a warm treat that has emerged this winter. On the back of another cart is a little wood oven. Inside the oven there are heaps of sweet potatoes (dìguā). You peel off the skin of the sweet potato and inside is this warm, yummy goodness! It warms you from the inside out and you can smell the sweet smell a mile away.

Fun:
Wayne, especially has been embracing the cold weather for fun; ice skating, tubing and skiing. I tried out tubing, was cool but not nearly as fun as water tubing.
Girls and guys nights:
Not that we need a specific season for either of us to enjoy time with peers of our own sex, winter has created more opportunities to enjoy each other's company inside our apartments.

I remember one evening with my two very special ladies, Alex and Christina. We ordered in, drank some wine then braved the cold weather to go to an adult shop - just to check out the merchandise. Lets just say that didn't exactly work out for us, we went dancing pretty soon after. The adult shop wasn't a little dodgy, it was a lot dodgy. Dirt was on things that shouldn't have been out of the packet and the shop assistant wasn't very friendly. Dancing was great. We went to Coco's - which is a pretty happening club (the only club on this side of the city). There is always some hip and happening disco popping dancer who is intent on sharing the floor with us. On this particular evening we were 'delighted' *cough* with the attention we were receiving from a 50 yr old lady. She was all kinds of interesting. I felt like I was on the set of a comedy where there's that really unpopular girl who's dancing - say at their formal/prom. Just as she forgets she's surrounded by people she lets all of her inhibitions go and lets out her goofy dancing - but as she throws one arm out and then the other she smashes the 'hot' guy she's had a crush on since grade 2 in the head.
So, this lady was strange to say the least. Her son, was even more strange. He spoke a little English. He informed us of his mother's age and that she has a lot of energy. Well, we were definitely feeling that. What was to come next we weren't prepared for. He joined his mother on the dance floor, first what appeared to me was him trying to coerce her off the dance floor, then in a flash of the eye he was sexy grinding with his mother...

eeke, and for the people with dirty minds - she was by far not a sexy mama. It was totally not anticipated nor welcomed and is unlikely we'll actually every really forget this night.

Iced eyelashes, eyebrows and hair:
After taking a little walk somewhere you start to get a build up of ice on your hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, then when you go inside it melts. Looks funny for a while then when it melts you have a wet face! what the! lol

NB: At time of finally publishing this to our blog we have just reached the 2 month mark - so we'll be starting a new adventure very very soon!

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Photos

Harbin Ice Festival
Jan - 2010

Harbin Ice Festival
Jan - 2010

Harbin Ice Festival
Jan - 2010