Xin Nian Kuai Le

Happy New Year, written in Chinese on a window at Abashi's in Dalian. Where it is doesn't matter, all that matters is there's pretty lights.

Happy New Year!

Last look

My last day in Dalian. My good friend Sigma was over from Taiyuan for New Year's, so I took her to the marvelous Xinghai Square.

Lunch break

Workers on Sun Island, where all the snow sculptures are located. This is open during the day, so you go here for a few hours, and then after you have your fill of snowy Santas, you head to the Ice Festival for the real fun.

Ice slide

A massive, massive ice slide in Harbin. Even had an elevator. Unfortunately it wasn't completed when I went, so I didn't get to experience the slide. I imagine it would have been wonderful.

St. Sophia Church

Russian Orthodox church located in Harbin, which is very north and very very cold. They host an Ice Festival every winter; last year's theme was Disney.

Since I'm headed off to Ireland today, I've set a couple posts in advance, so if you come back tomorrow, you might see the Ice Festival!

Happy holidays everyone!

Sweet snack

Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

This was taken at Erqi Square, close to the fabric market. I think this couple was mute, or deaf, or maybe both, but they sold the most delicious sticky rice snacks.

The guy would pack some special rice into the metal cylinder, and then the woman would put a lid on and let steam rise through it so that it would congeal (?). When it was finished, she would put a stick through a hole in the top, take the cylinder off, and coat it with sugar before handing it off to the customer.

At ten cents a piece, you better believe I bought in bulk.

Still Open

Wulumuqi Lu, Shanghai

This shop is located a block away from where I grew up in Shanghai, so it's a staple image of my childhood. I always see it on my way to the (not so super) market next door, or when I'm out getting my 70 cent, totally legal DVDs.

(This picture specifically was taken the night of my 20th birthday, while walking home from having drinks down the street at Zapata's. I celebrated becoming an adult, then went home via the streets of my childhood.)

Rooftop

Rooftop of a Tibetan Monastery in Inner Mongolia.

Pretty plain and simple.

Complex Yellow

Whoa, sorry for the break there! I thought about excusing my absence by claiming I was kidnapped by blue swamp people, but I couldn't lie to you.

They were green.

Kidding. I actually had finals and was drowning in work. Swamp people of any color would have been a welcome distraction.

That major digression aside....this photo isn't all that great, but I always liked it for the color. It seems like every apartment developer in China purchases the same shade of Complex Yellow to cover their buildings. So it may scream tacky, but much like an ugly Christmas sweater party, it's a comforting tacky.

Tibetan Hallway

A Tibetan monastery in Inner Mongolia. This monastery, to be exact (and self-referential). This was a hallway to the side of the dark chamber where the monks were chanting and reciting their prayers. The sunlight streaming through the wooden bars was beautiful, the air was deliciously crisp due to the high altitude, and the faint chanting could be heard above it all...it was an enlightening way to spend an afternoon.