Friday, December 28, 2012

12/28: More Harbining (China)

Time to wrap up this family vacation - it was back to Harbin from Yabuli... on a train with a broken heater. Oh gee was it freezing :(

 
 Choo choo
 
Hello from the penthouse bunk


 Harbin sunset


 Finishing touches for the festival next month (January)

 Russian-inspired architecture

Yes we did

 




 One last night - one last hot pot!



 

 Goodbye China,  and see you later family!! Thanks for an AMAZING trip, I love the time we spend together. Dad and Sook are going on to Ningbo; Sum and her mom to Shenzhen, Leslie and Justin to Tokyo, and Sirena to Taipei. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE FUN!! I will head for Hong Kong - so see you all there in my next post!! Much love and joy from this part of the world! <3


Thursday, December 27, 2012

12/27: Yabulieve it! (China)

Yabuli Ski Resort  is the largest ski resort in China, including the biggest ski jumping facilities, located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang. It is 110 mi (177 km) southeast from Harbin, approximately 2.5hrs by train. Yabuli hosted the 1996 Winter Asian Games, the 2008 National Winter Games and the 2009 Winter Universiade. [Wikipedia]



 FAMILY: different pieces of a puzzle never complete!


MERRY CHRISTMAS! Have some Things in a Box 

 Everybody now!

Yabuli has a relatively small population, and limited activities. Our hotel, near the ski slopes, was a good 20-30 minute drive from the main city, but we had a taste of a little bit of everything. Lunch in the city, town, and a village!


True family-style dining

 Ready and waiting!


 Are you married? Cook for me forever!


 What's in that soup?


 Truly a daddy of 3 girls . tee hee

 Bracing ourselves for the cold and slippery streets of Yabuli

 At a fireworks shop planning our Christmas celebration!

 YAY!!

 Can't wait for some inconspicuous fun!

 In the icebox on wheels back to our hotel

 Back to the basics  :)

 Next day: Time to ski!
 What should we wear today? EVERYTHING.






    
 On the slopes. Too icy to shred:(




 Still smiling though!!
 @ Club Med, the better choice we didn't choose ! HA

Brotherly love

 Somebody try this with me!!

 We had lunch in our driver's village, on a family's DIKANG (heated brick bed covering the entire floor, used as early as 7200 years ago!) where everyone sleeps together at night. In the daytime it is converted to a dining room or used for other activities.




like puppetry !
 
 A great dish. Had my nod of approval

Om nom nom

 Our icebox on wheels for the trip









I got this


  ta-da!

Important family lessons

 WEEEE whirly twirly

 FOOM!

 PEW!

RAHM!!!

 This is what happens when you smoke!

 FEEEWWWW

Yabuli was great fun with the family but not so much for the purpose of skiing. Sometimes some things are not worth the hassle and China just doesn't make it easier. We will to try Utah next winter - its just a bit closer to home :) But what a great experience it was to have had our White Christmas in Yabuli!

Thank you for joining us - you were all in our thoughts and hearts this Christmas :)