Today is Christmas eve and Christians and even non-Christians around the world are celebrating and partying on this jovial occasion. But, to me, this is the worst day of the trip to date and I suspect and pray that it will be the worst for the whole trip.

The day started warm and boring with a visit to their gigantic Science centre. There’s nothing much that excites me except this small convenience store. I could finally get some snacks and drinks. I even bought and ate ice cream!! Yum yum! and Woohoo! Ice-cream eating when the temperature is eighteen degrees below zero~! I feel so proud of myself. TeeHee…

Then we visited the equivalent of our underwater world and their Tiger enclosure which was made into a tourist attraction on its own, akin in concept to our bird park, I guess. There are east-northern tigers, lion-tiger (cross breed between lion and tiger) as well as my favourite white tigers! There are many other animals like cheetahs, leopards and white lions which I didn’t know they exist! Haha. I have seen lion-tiger before in Korea but I didn’t know, and it is until this trip that I’ve come to know, that the lion-tiger isn’t able to reproduce. It is only capable of growing larger and bigger by day but never to reproduce. I wonder whether it is a sad case for them or a sad case for the scientists or zoologists or whoever that cross breed them successfully.

So everything seemed rosy and nice till this point. Now, this is where everything started to dip. The visit to a snow sculpture exhibition almost ripped me off all the warmth I had. It was freezing cold! We took a small tour bus at the exhibition to the heart of the exhibition where the main and largest snow sculpture is located. Then we had the option of either taking the small tour bus back to the main gate or stroll back slowly. It was gelid and everyone felt the same. None of the 31 of us took the strolling option. All of us rode back in the small tour bus for the warmth of our coach’s heater.

The journey to the next destination was less than 30 minutes. Hence, before we could warm ourselves sufficiently to be called mammals again, we reached the renowned Harbin event. The annual Harbin ice sculpture exhibition cum competition. I am too lazy and embarrassed to exhibit my lousy translation skills again, so I shall type out the Chinese name - 冰雪大世界.

We had no choice but to drag our semi-numb bodies out. Truly, it was really a pretty and exhilarating sight, looking at the magnificent ice sculptures which are lighted with various coloured lights. But sad to say, it was too glacial to say that I enjoyed it. As it was the opening day, the place was really packed but the available public toilets were so few to meet the disproportionately great demand. You see, they had a number of public toilet stations around the whole area but few were open to the public which is in a way, annihilating its purpose of existence. Even in such dire situations, humans can’t fight nature’s call, can we? Thus, a period of waiting, confusion and anxiety started. By the time it ended and we got back to the coach, another hindrance to our much desired warmth came up. The interior part(s) of the coach was frozen due to long duration of inactivity since we were away at the exhibition. Hence, this led to another period of waiting in the bitter cold for the repairmen to fix the problem. It was close to an hour by the time the whole episode was resolved. We had to snack away with our boiled eggs, chocolates and whatever tidbits we got to keep ourselves warm. And let me share with you. It worked! To freeze to death in a frost-bound foreign land or to stuff yourself till you resemble a pig? I will gladly choose the latter. Eating works way better than trying to warm yourself with those dumb heat pads that always turn cold when the exterior temperature gets too low.

After suffering in the cold for such a long hour, we finally reached our dinner place which I will say that many of us bear high expectations for. The local tour guide had pre-informed us that we will be dining at the Harbin branch of Quan Ju De (全聚德). I am sure people who are in love with Peking duck will know this name. It is well-known in that gourmet area. I had the luxury of tasting it twice at it’s headquarters when I was interning in Beijing and it is damn delicious! And I gladly guarantee that it’s service and ambience is comparable to high class Chinese restaurants in Singapore. Secretly, I supposed that they had some height criterion for their hostesses because most if not all of them have the physique of an air stewardess. And I dare say, many of them have better physical assets than the China Eastern air stewardesses whom I encountered on this trip. I supposed you guys should have gotten a very good picture of the kind of expectations I bore as I make my way to this Quan Ju De in Harbin.

As it turned out, it was my worst meal in Harbin. I had a single Peking duck roll, some rice and less than half of what I usually take for my Harbin meals. It is that lousy. The duck was so oily and they didn’t follow the protocol that is required for Peking duck. Usually the chef will bring the duck to you and either slice it in front of you or somewhere else. Traditionally, the chef will slice a plate of pure duck skin before the normal meat with skin or now, many restaurants also practise inquiring customers on their preference. Then, they will ask whether you want to use the remaining duck to make soup, cook with noodles or a salt-fried duck (which happens to be Michelle’s all time favourite!). Their other normal dishes were equally disappointing.

The service is lousier compared to the other Harbin restaurants that we had meals at so don’t you expect air stewardess lookalike hostesses. Oh well! They don’t even have hostesses to start off with. The toilets are totally DISGUSTING! I don’t mean to be crude here but even the standard of its Chinese patrons are in the cannot make it category! Well, you see, after the long waiting time spent in the cold, most of us are in need of toilet. Our tables are laid on the fourth level and toilets are available on the fourth, second and first level. Since the first seemed a long way to go, none of us visited it. Most of us went to the one on the fourth level which was disgusting enough but since it is a small one, some of us decided to try the second level one. Such a grave mistake. Right at the entrance of the second level, 2 Chinese men were talking loudly, smoking and spitting. You would have thought that he spat into the pitiful pot of plant which was right behind him. But no! That senseless and gross animal had to spit on the floor right beside the plant. YUCKS!

Enter the second level and you will hear and feel that the crowd is all rowdy and the whole level is smoky, much like a club and people walking around are all talking loudly and rowdy. I wondered and considered really hard on whether they were on drugs. I was saved from going to the toilet on that level by my tour group mates who came out of the toilet saying that it was unsafe as the incumbents looked far from decent. This is really no longer a matter of uncouth and cultured but more of decency.

A total disappointment it was to all of us. I will never ever want to set foot in that restaurant again on my own accord unless they change for the better.

To end my horrible Christmas eve, I had a bit of a conflict with my sister and a brief misunderstanding with Isaac.

I should have stayed in Singapore for Christmas! =(

amor,esperanza y fe 11:23 PM.

Today is Christmas eve and Christians and even non-Christians around the world are celebrating and partying on this jovial occasion. But, to me, this is the worst day of the trip to date and I suspect and pray that it will be the worst for the whole trip.

The day started warm and boring with a visit to their gigantic Science centre. There’s nothing much that excites me except this small convenience store. I could finally get some snacks and drinks. I even bought and ate ice cream!! Yum yum! and Woohoo! Ice-cream eating when the temperature is eighteen degrees below zero~! I feel so proud of myself. TeeHee…

Then we visited the equivalent of our underwater world and their Tiger enclosure which was made into a tourist attraction on its own, akin in concept to our bird park, I guess. There are east-northern tigers, lion-tiger (cross breed between lion and tiger) as well as my favourite white tigers! There are many other animals like cheetahs, leopards and white lions which I didn’t know they exist! Haha. I have seen lion-tiger before in Korea but I didn’t know, and it is until this trip that I’ve come to know, that the lion-tiger isn’t able to reproduce. It is only capable of growing larger and bigger by day but never to reproduce. I wonder whether it is a sad case for them or a sad case for the scientists or zoologists or whoever that cross breed them successfully.

So everything seemed rosy and nice till this point. Now, this is where everything started to dip. The visit to a snow sculpture exhibition almost ripped me off all the warmth I had. It was freezing cold! We took a small tour bus at the exhibition to the heart of the exhibition where the main and largest snow sculpture is located. Then we had the option of either taking the small tour bus back to the main gate or stroll back slowly. It was gelid and everyone felt the same. None of the 31 of us took the strolling option. All of us rode back in the small tour bus for the warmth of our coach’s heater.

The journey to the next destination was less than 30 minutes. Hence, before we could warm ourselves sufficiently to be called mammals again, we reached the renowned Harbin event. The annual Harbin ice sculpture exhibition cum competition. I am too lazy and embarrassed to exhibit my lousy translation skills again, so I shall type out the Chinese name - 冰雪大世界.

We had no choice but to drag our semi-numb bodies out. Truly, it was really a pretty and exhilarating sight, looking at the magnificent ice sculptures which are lighted with various coloured lights. But sad to say, it was too glacial to say that I enjoyed it. As it was the opening day, the place was really packed but the available public toilets were so few to meet the disproportionately great demand. You see, they had a number of public toilet stations around the whole area but few were open to the public which is in a way, annihilating its purpose of existence. Even in such dire situations, humans can’t fight nature’s call, can we? Thus, a period of waiting, confusion and anxiety started. By the time it ended and we got back to the coach, another hindrance to our much desired warmth came up. The interior part(s) of the coach was frozen due to long duration of inactivity since we were away at the exhibition. Hence, this led to another period of waiting in the bitter cold for the repairmen to fix the problem. It was close to an hour by the time the whole episode was resolved. We had to snack away with our boiled eggs, chocolates and whatever tidbits we got to keep ourselves warm. And let me share with you. It worked! To freeze to death in a frost-bound foreign land or to stuff yourself till you resemble a pig? I will gladly choose the latter. Eating works way better than trying to warm yourself with those dumb heat pads that always turn cold when the exterior temperature gets too low.

After suffering in the cold for such a long hour, we finally reached our dinner place which I will say that many of us bear high expectations for. The local tour guide had pre-informed us that we will be dining at the Harbin branch of Quan Ju De (全聚德). I am sure people who are in love with Peking duck will know this name. It is well-known in that gourmet area. I had the luxury of tasting it twice at it’s headquarters when I was interning in Beijing and it is damn delicious! And I gladly guarantee that it’s service and ambience is comparable to high class Chinese restaurants in Singapore. Secretly, I supposed that they had some height criterion for their hostesses because most if not all of them have the physique of an air stewardess. And I dare say, many of them have better physical assets than the China Eastern air stewardesses whom I encountered on this trip. I supposed you guys should have gotten a very good picture of the kind of expectations I bore as I make my way to this Quan Ju De in Harbin.

As it turned out, it was my worst meal in Harbin. I had a single Peking duck roll, some rice and less than half of what I usually take for my Harbin meals. It is that lousy. The duck was so oily and they didn’t follow the protocol that is required for Peking duck. Usually the chef will bring the duck to you and either slice it in front of you or somewhere else. Traditionally, the chef will slice a plate of pure duck skin before the normal meat with skin or now, many restaurants also practise inquiring customers on their preference. Then, they will ask whether you want to use the remaining duck to make soup, cook with noodles or a salt-fried duck (which happens to be Michelle’s all time favourite!). Their other normal dishes were equally disappointing.

The service is lousier compared to the other Harbin restaurants that we had meals at so don’t you expect air stewardess lookalike hostesses. Oh well! They don’t even have hostesses to start off with. The toilets are totally DISGUSTING! I don’t mean to be crude here but even the standard of its Chinese patrons are in the cannot make it category! Well, you see, after the long waiting time spent in the cold, most of us are in need of toilet. Our tables are laid on the fourth level and toilets are available on the fourth, second and first level. Since the first seemed a long way to go, none of us visited it. Most of us went to the one on the fourth level which was disgusting enough but since it is a small one, some of us decided to try the second level one. Such a grave mistake. Right at the entrance of the second level, 2 Chinese men were talking loudly, smoking and spitting. You would have thought that he spat into the pitiful pot of plant which was right behind him. But no! That senseless and gross animal had to spit on the floor right beside the plant. YUCKS!

Enter the second level and you will hear and feel that the crowd is all rowdy and the whole level is smoky, much like a club and people walking around are all talking loudly and rowdy. I wondered and considered really hard on whether they were on drugs. I was saved from going to the toilet on that level by my tour group mates who came out of the toilet saying that it was unsafe as the incumbents looked far from decent. This is really no longer a matter of uncouth and cultured but more of decency.

A total disappointment it was to all of us. I will never ever want to set foot in that restaurant again on my own accord unless they change for the better.

To end my horrible Christmas eve, I had a bit of a conflict with my sister and a brief misunderstanding with Isaac.

I should have stayed in Singapore for Christmas! =(