For anyone who has stumbled across this post I hereby warn you, you read at your own risk. For sake of journaling I want a complete blog, and let’s be honest this experience was most definitely journal worthy. It was most certainly a life changing event that will impact my future shopping experiences in China.    

Thursday evening we had a girls dinner. It was a last min deal and only Katie, Kelly and I were able to get together but a girls night is a girls night. After a delightful meal of McDonald’s we decided to go window shopping in the underground shopping street. We looked at glasses, stopped for smoothies and generally browsed. As we passed a bra shop Katie mentioned she had seen some large bras in Tailor Alley. She had noticed them the day before and had remembered I was on the lookout for my size.    

As a reminder you read at your own risk.    

I have most assuredly inherited my mother’s full figure. Something I’ve learned to hide with Bali minimizers and restrictive bras. Coming to China I’ve never been more consciences about my bust size. Most girls here can barely fill an A cup WITH padding. Bra shopping has always been discouraging in the States and China only exacerbates those issues.    

So when I look for a bra I need wire, plenty of support and most definitely NO padding. As we passed yet another bra store, Katie suggested we look, you never know maybe they do carry your size. We stepped in and I began to browse. I got the largest bra I could find and bust out laughing when I held it up to myself, this was not going to work. The clerk rushed over assessed the situation and headed for a storage drawer. After rummaging around for a few mins she triumphantly pulled out the largest bra she could find. She looked it over then looked me over and nodded. She then grabbed a second bra before sending me into the dressing room.    

I stepped into the dressing room and closed the curtain. I begin the usual process, when in the middle of putting my arm through the bra the curtain is ripped open. I don’t think I’ve ever put a bra on so quick in my life! Before I knew it there was a FULL hand inside my bra and BOTH of mine where braced at my hips! The look of surprise or horror was all over my face as I relaized the clerk was doing all the adjusting.    

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Not exactly my usual white or beige.

To be fair I think my bustyness was just as embarrassing to the poor clerk as I was with having her hands in my bra. I doubt she’s ever had a customer my size. As she would rearrange one side the other would fall out. She was getting frustrated as the largest bra she had was just not holding all the bust I had. She finally left only to return with an extender. When she finally seemed satisfied with the results she threw open the curtain once again and beckoned for the girls to come over. Suspecting me to be dressed again Katie and Kelly sauntered over. Nope that was not the case. All Katie could manage was “Wow, you are busty!” Thanks Katie, I didn’t know that. Most people don’t realize my talent for hiding that fact. Now you know why I’ve been discouraged about finding bras in China.    

After all opinions were weighed in I decided to purchase both bras. I don’t claim to be a bra connoisseur so maybe the following features are standard but not on the bras I usually purchase.  

Netting on the side I just can't figure out what to do with.

Netting at the top, it helps me from falling out the top.

Wired structure on the side.

This pushes everything front and center not exactly the most effective minimizing technique.    

All in all I learned Western Comfort Zones and Boundaries are not shared in the East. 

For the record I love my wig! All growing up my mother would get on my case about my hair, it was messy, tangled and her favorite its greasy. In my defense I can’t go 20 hours before my hair goes horribly greasy. I wash it in the morning and my the time I want to go out that evening its like I’ve not washed it in two days. I’ve found the solution, a wig!

A cute style in under 2 min. Come on you can't beat that.

Bad hairday? No problem. Pull up the hair and pull on a wig. and in the winter its a double bonus as a wig is much warmer than a beani. Unfortunatly that means no wig during the summer.

Beth and I out for the evening.

I love short hair and miss it terribly.

By now I’ve figured most people have seen me with my wig but still confuse a few. The initial response is always shocked approval with the drastic style change and color. The reaction to it being a wig is always good though.

I have been truly fortunate to receive first  hand introductions to Chinese culture. Last semester when James announced his engagement I was thrilled at his invitation to attend. As much as I hoped to attend the entire ceremony I was unsure if the invitation extended to the ceremony as that is usually attended only by family and very close friends. When I returned this semester he confirmed his invitation and asked if I was interested in attending the ceremony. Was I ever!  From start to finish – Grooms side.

Wendy arrived at my apartment at 7am to pick me up. We walked to another teachers home on campus where a car was waiting to drive us to James parents home.  (They lived in an apartment across town.)

At James  home preparations were in full swing. His parents greeted us warmly at the door and as the foreigner I always seemed to get a huge welcome. Wendy and I both got a red flower to denote we were part of the Groom’s wedding party. Each person in the wedding party received a flower. Those with specific titles had a ribbon to denote who they were.

Officially part of the groom's side!

This is a groomsman.

Candy and peanuts are traditional party favors at a wedding. Peanut in Chinese sounds similar to the word for fertility, thus it is believed that eating lots of peanuts will bring luck to the couple.

The wedding schedule.

The entire day down to the minute is meticulously planned. Numbers are extremely auspicious in China and as such events are planned to start at specific times. For example the wedding ceremony was to begin at 8:08 and we were to leave the apartment before 8:28. Wendy gave me the basic rundown for the day.

The family announcement.

The ceremony officially starts with James announcing to his parents he is leaving to get his wife. He bows three times out of respect. The host in the middle is the announcer and mediator throughout the day. The bouquet James is holding is the brides bouquet. It is tradition that the groom gives the bride her flowers.

James Family - Nai Nai is in front

The announcement is then made to the grandparents of the groom again with three bows of respect. This is the groom’s family before departing for the bride’s home.

Red squares everywhere!

I don’t know the significance of covering the utility covers but if you ever see red squares on the ground outside an apartment you can bet there’s a wedding going on.

Wedding Procession

The groom’s party all ride in hired cars that have been decorated with flowers. The larger the party the more cars there are, the wealthier the group the more expensive the car! There were 6 cars in James procession all of which were Audi!

Wendy and I in car #5

The grooms party fills each car. Wendy and I rode by ourselves in car #5. In the ride to the Bride’s home Wendy finally gave me my Chinese name!

It's not a party without the Firecrackers!

As the procession was leaving the family set off FIRECRACKERS!! I always wondered what the sound was you hear at least twice a week. I’m not exactly on the West Side of Tulare anymore.

The tradition of setting off firecrackers is to ward off evil spirits. Trust me with the amount and decibel of those babies more than evil spirits were warded off.

The results of the Firecrackers

Upon arriving at the Brides home more firecrackers were set off. These were even louder!

The first car in the procession. It is the most elaborately decorated. The use of fresh flowers as opposed to fake is another symbol of affluence.

The first blockade to the bride.

The entire day was steeped in tradition. Wendy was my guide and translator. When James first knocks at the door he is refused entrance. The door is guarded by family of the bride. He must bribe his way into the house with red envelopes of money and sweets for the children.

Once he has entered he is guided to a table with his groomsmen to wait. He is presented with sweets and peanuts to snack on while he waits for a meal prepared by the bride’s family.

The groom is not allowed to use his hands during the meal. His Groomsmen must feed him.

James was more than generous as he allowed me to join him at this meal. The meal was various traditional plates. The first plate to arrive made my stomach a little queasy but I ate it! It is the plate just in front of James, some sort of beetle. I have to admit it was tasty. Well anything crispy is tasty right? I’m still not a huge fan of squid though.

The meal....umm...do I have to eat that?

 During the meal James and his party toast 8 times with traditional rice wine. This is when the drinking begins for the day and only picks up speed as it goes! I was truly grateful to be able to politely decline the alcohol. Wendy always had me covered with a quick substitute.

The wait is over! Here comes the Wolf.

Once the meal is over the Groom goes to find the Bride. He knocks at the door of the room and is again denied entrance. When asked who and why he is there he responds he is the Wolf who as come to collect his bride. Again he bribes the relatives to let him in with Red envelopes of money and sweets. James had a hard time bribing the youngest relatives as they thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of holding the door shut.

Once inside the room the festivities continue. First James gave the Bride her flowers. The host then informs both the Groom and their Bride of their future responsibilities.

Accepting the responsibilities ahead - Vows

It's official, she's the bride.

 James then pins on a corsage and Bride Ribbon, making her the official bride. Next James must find her red shoes. One is hidden somewhere beneath the dress, which turns into an interesting hunt. The second shoe is hidden and held for ransom by the young relatives. Again as before it took some extra bribing on James’ part to achieve this step.

A little more candy and another red envelope finally got the second shoe.

Last preparations for the rest of the day.

 James then puts on the Bride’s shoes. The Mother and Grandmother of the Bride then feed the couple dumplings. It is customary for the groom to then carry the bride to her parents to pay they respect. James’ Bride wouldn’t hear of it and insisted on walking out herself.

Dumplings for good luck.

Documenting the Day - Photos

Documenting the Day - Film

 The Bride and Groom pay their respects to the Bride’s family just as the Groom did to his, first parents then Grandparents.

Formal exchanges with Bride's Parents

Let the Foreigner toast in Chinese. Don't James' brightest ideas.

The Wedding Party

Carrying the Bride to the car

 James did insist on carrying her to the car!

More firecrackers for the send off.

The hotel for the reception.

It's not a party without confetti.

The Reception Hall

 The reception was huge. The reception started with James at the front. Speeches were made by family and friends. (Sad side note, the Bride’s family is not invited to the Reception. The Bride leaves behind her family to join her husbands.)

James greeting his bride.

Exchanging of the Rings

Champagne Tower

So obviously a mix of Chinese and Western

Double Balls of Happiness

Toasting the Guests

 Wedding pictures are a huge part of the modern Chinese wedding. Each town has its hot spots for Wedding Photos. Weifang’s is the People’s Park in the center of Town. This step can take hours. I had a wonderful time tagging along chatting with Wendy.

Wedding Pictures

Waiting for the pictures to finish.

Isn't she just gorgeous!

 The Wedding was beautiful and I was greatly honored James invited me to attend.

No photos will accompany this post as only roommates and immediate family are tortuously subjected to described scenes.

At 22 there are certain things one would assume to have mastered yet I am constantly surprising myself. For example, more than a few of the people mentioned above have commented on how messy my face is when I brush my teeth. What! Teeth are an important part of a well kept image.

My new roommate once again brought it to my attention and grabbed a camera hoping to capture before mentioned incriminating spectacle. To be perfectly honest I never understood how anyone could keep all the toothpaste in their mouth and prevent the foam from enveloping ones lips. 

As I protested I soon realized the key to keeping the foam in ones mouth is to keep it open while brushing. It was like a light bulb went on for the first time. I’d always clamped my lips closed while brushing in an attempt to keep the foam  in while in reality I’d only made a bigger mess. Huh well that takes half the fun out of brushing.

And since I’m on an embarrassing lessons learned at an unusual age kick, yes its true I didn’t know eggs weren’t considered dairy until my final year in college. What! they are white and yellow and sold next to the milk and butter.  What products are white and yellow that aren’t dairy?

Katie and Thomas fearlessly went to the box office to asses the situation. Through the help of a student via cellphone they discovered the movie was as predicted dubbed in Chinese but the theater did have a copy of the film in English with Chinese subtitles. The great thing about being a westerner in China is the fact that businesses are always trying to please you! They offered to show the movie in English with Chinese subtitles for the final showing at 10pm as it was hardly booked. Of course we jumped on it.  

Word is now spreading in Weifang that there is a possibility to see a film at the theater! A high point in everyone’s week. We’re going to push for Alice in Wonderland 3D, I’m trying to get a group for Sherlock Holmes. Movie tickets are American prices, ¥60 for a 3D film and ¥40 for a regular but well worth the treat.

Don't we look cool!

China most definitely has its perks, one is its enthusiasm to celebrate just about any holiday deemed International. One such holiday is Women’s Day. I’ve heard about it, but as I’ve never considered myself a feminist, I’ve never really paid much attention to it. To be honest before last week I couldn’t even tell you what month it was in let alone the date. When James informed me Friday March 5th was Women’s Day he was shocked at my ignorance.

The school would be holding activities on the field in celebration and Kelly and I were invited to attend.  Due to bad weather Friday the event was rescheduled to today. Wendy came and got us at 2.

The event included an assortment of games and races for the female faculty. Each department contributed a team, we joined our department Applied Foreign Languages. The Department head Mrs. Liu asked if we would like to participate in any events. Thanks to Kelly’s more than obliging volunteering we both got roped into an event.

The events included the following (American Counter Part)

• Place the Mouth (Pin the Tail on the Donkey)
• Ball Pass (Over Under)
• Jump Rope
• Shuttle Cock (Hacky-sack)
• Relay Race

Yes this is for real!

The first Event was by far the most entertaining. Instead of Pinning the Tail on a Donkey they pin a mouth on a man.

The art students drew the boards. I loved the worker hats on the last easels.

Aren't those foreigners entertaining!

Want to know the perfect cheat free blindfold? A sports head band, lets just hope they were new.

Luckily the universal start signal is a whistle.

Over Under Ball Pass

Let me begin by stating I’ve never claimed to be the sharpest crayon in the box or have the patience of an angel!

Cooking on a hotplate has been a life’s lesson at best, I feel confident I won’t starve to death if now left alone with just that to survive. I missed good baked food, so opted to purchase a toaster oven this semester.

Last night Kelly, Katie, Thomas and I headed to the Tai Hua to purchase one. We’d compared prices in a few stores and settled on the Y270 medium size one at Fresco. Between the three of us we are getting great at charades, mad-gab and correct assumptions when it comes to deciphering Chinese. We purchased the oven then completed the grocery shopping.

Isn't she a beauty? I can just smell the brownies and bread already!

Kelly and I headed home with great anticipation! I was set on toast, my first real slice of toast since arriving in China. We got home and set it up. It looks beautiful in our kitchen by the way but then again I’m bias. I put in two slices and set the time with the temp at 100*. I went to the living room to put in a movie and after 2mins returned to disappointment. The oven wasn’t even warm and the toast was still white!

 Humph I’ll fix that, I crank up the oven to 250*C and turn the timer to 20min. I know, I know, well I know now that was a little extreme. I went to watch the episode and planned on checking it in a few mins. What can I say a great TV show? I soon smelt the toast, thanks to Mom’s excellent cooking lessons I knew if you could smell it it was done. I guess I should rethink that strategy for meals cooked in a closed kitchen and you smelling it in a closed living room.

The washing machine was in use which meant the tap was occupied, luckily there were some water filled bowls in the sink to dowse the smoking toast.

I jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen to find smoke BILLOWING from the oven. No joke. Can I just say how grateful I am there are no smoke detectors in China. That would have been embarrassing and since it was night when I opened the kitchen window the smoke exiting wasn’t that noticeable.

After assessing the situation I unplug the oven, cracked the door and opened the window, a few mins later I turned on the stove vent. Yes I realized there was a more effective order but eventually the smoke decreased enough for me to stick a fork in a get the lumps of coal, that were originally slices of bread, and toss them in the sink. The smoke was so thick my eyes were stinging which did not help the process at all. Kelly was closed up in the office an oblivious to all the proceedings.

This was after about 10min

It took about 20min for all the smoke to finally clear and the smell to somewhat subside. For the few, Katie and Thomas to be exact, who know the funky smell* my apartment usually has, at least burnt toast is a welcome respite. See, there is always a positive side to be found.

 I think I can safely add yet another means to get my self killed in China, Toaster Oven. As if my poor street crossing skills weren’t sure enough.

*The smell is not of my doing, it was here before I moved in, goodness knows how I’ve tried to dispel it.

After we were thawed out and rested up we bundled up once again and headed out for the evening. As directions to the Ice Festival were rather hard to come by and even more difficult to decipher we opted to just take a taxi. Of the entire trip this was our only real hiccup but a large hiccup it was. The festival is an International event that was covered in the London Times, Boston Globe as well as many other national newspapers that we had looked at online, but no where in Harbin could you get a straight answer on how to get there, when it opened or how much it cost! Welcome to China!!

After trying for 45min (no joke) to flag down a cab one finally picked us up as a double fare. Double fares are ALWAYS a rip-off but when you are desperate and freezing who cares. I had a basic idea of the direction we needed to go but I soon realized that was not the direction we were headed. Thanks to Bonnie’s level head we remained calmed and sat back to enjoy the rather lengthy confused tour through Harbin.

When we finally approached the Festival I was overwhelmed with the sheer size of the sculptures or should I correctly say, ice buildings. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

11th AnnualHarbin Snow and Ice World

Buddhist temple

The lights just made everything magical

After a 20 min I couldn’t keep quiet about my freezing condition. I admitted my hands were about to fall off, Bonnie agreed and suggested sticking my hands in my mouth. I asked her to repeat the instructions, she laughed and promised it would work. Sure enough, I was a sight to see with double gloved hands crammed in my mouth but soon they didn’t feel like Popsicles about to snap in two.

Looking into the park was just fantastic.

Hindu God

Hindu Goddess

St. Basil's and the Great Wall

The Sphinx - those are ice slides descending from his shoulders

Chinese Pagoda

I've no idea how she got this icy but it was probably one of my favorite pics!

A steaming cup of hot chocolate!

We decided to warm up in one of the class boxes they had strategically placed around the park. My Camera fogged over when I pulled in out after freezing in the outside weather! As we were warming up we both admitted how cold we both were although we’d been afraid to admit it to the other. Haha. Some how our bodies did adjust to the cold and we stuck it out to the end.

Another Cathedral facade

Skyscrapers a must in China

No matter how many sculptures we went to the size never ceased to amaze me.

Bonnie got her picture with an arctic fox!

Bonnie’s mom had shared an article withher about the Harbin Ice Festival, in which a prominent picture was of visitors posing with an arctic fox. Bonnie was determined to get her picture and we were thrilled when we found the booth.

 

 

Looking out over the Park

It wouldn't be a Chinese Party without back up dancers!

In the center of the park was a large ice rink.

A Northern European Church

Nothing like walking on ice!

Angkor Wat

The Colosseum

A view from the top.

Can you recognize the bundle?

Our final stop was a larger than life Chess board.

We stuck it out to the end and both felt the fight with the coldwas worth it. We found a taxi driver at the exit who was looking for passengers and bargained our way down to 40 kuai for a return trip. It wasn’t until we got to the taxi that we realized yet again we were a double cab.

Once in town we stopped by a local resturant for a little piece of home.

We'd spotted this restaurant during the day.

Can I just say, I love traveling with Bonnie we were up and out the door by 8am. On the train we had listed, crosschecked and plotted our two days in Harbin.

Our list included:

• Saint Sophia (Eastern Orthodox Church)
• Snow Park
• International Ice Festival
• Pedestrian Shopping Street
• an authentic Russian Meal

The top half consisted of 6 layers!

Before leaving the hotel we had to put on just about everything we had brought. We quickly learned once you start getting dressed the clock starts, you have about 10 min to get dressed then outside to avoid heatstroke in all your layers. There was a drop of about 90* between the 70* hotel and the -20* outside!

I had brought just about every thermal item I owned!

The bottom half was five layers - two pairs of fleece lined stockings, thermals, track pants and last but not least jeans.

Our Hotel was close to downtown so we decided to walk to the Church first. As it was still early the view was breathtaking. The church was constructed in the corner of a large plaza. The snow was fresh and untouched, light flakes still dusting the ground.

Saint Sophia - Eastern Orthodox Cathedral

How could someone do such a horrific thing?

Not too many shots of us together, downside to traveling with only one other person.

After the church we headed for the Pedestrian Street and breakfast. We soon found both and enjoyed a hour of pastries and souvenir browsing.

Yumm...nothing gets you going on a cold morning like Hot Chocolate and an warm pastry.

Yes, I'm aware I'm the Christmas edition of the Michelin Man! Main Pedestrian Street.

Привет из России - Hello from Russia! Can anyone beat that mamuska doll?

Harbin Flood Monument

The steps down to the river become the bleachers for the community ice rink in the winter!

The main river in town turns into another road during the winter. INSANE!

Some times as a tourist you have to be a tourist.

Total tourists we payed Y100 to take a horse carriage across the frozen river. Although we had to have been the 1000th carriage this river I was still not completely comfortable crossing the river in a 1000lb buggy.

After getting completely ripped off at least the driver allowed us to take a picture together on the top of the carriage.

On the other side of the river we entered the Snow Park. The snow park is on an island in the middle of the river. Teams from all over the world come to construct HUGE snow sculptures. The annual winner get’s their sculpture immortalized in white concrete.

I was shocked by the smooth texture of the sculptures.

I love the fact you could climb on the statues.

How would the park be complete without the triple emperial arch?

The sheer size of these sculptures were amazing and the craftsmanship was stunning.

The details were just incredible. The face alone is about 9ft.

Beijing Olympics?

Traditional Dragon

Did you know your eyeballs can get cold? Yep its true, mine did.

This year's contestants.

Work in Progress, yes that's a tractor on a river of ice.

Pirates of the Caribbean

When in China, do as the Chinese!

Sorry Canada that's just weird

The crowning achievment for this year! Look at the size of this one!

We decided to save money and walk back.

After two falls in the park I wasn't about to chance these icy steps. Hey at least I provide the locals with entertainment!

One of the past times is ski chairs!

I pulled my Thermos out at lunch to find the hot water I'd poured in that morning had turned to ice after a few hours outside!

For lunch we had a hearty Russian meal, borsch and mashed spinach soup.

These are our stern Russian faces.

After 7 straight hours outside we decided to head back to the hotel for a rest before heading out to the Ice Festival in the evening. I’ve never appriciated heating like I did upon our return to the hotel.

Well if anyone asks where the Ice Queen lives, it’s Harbin, China. Somehow I got in my mind  I was up for going to the coldest place in China.

Bonnie was more than happy for a travel buddy so we began planning. Harbin is in the northern most province of China and is known for its Russian influence and its World Renown Ice Festival. Some how I managed to block out the weather warning on all the travel websites, winters annually reach 40* below zero which is were the Fahrenheit and Celsius scale’s meet by the way!

As we are both English teachers with a limit salary we decided to take the cheap route and call it an adventure. We got prices for the Hard Sleeper Trains, ¥620 round trip – what’s 26 hours on a train? Everyone has to do a long distance train trip at least once in China right?

To keep from rambling, purchasing our tickets turned into a fiasco! You can purchase tickets 10 days prior to departure, we waited to long. 6 days before, the hard sleepers to Harbin were sold out and we had to purchase soft sleepers which were about double the cost. Thanks to Wendy we got the whole mess worked out and tickets bought. We would have been in deep trouble if Bonnie and I had tried to figure all that out on our own.

So Sunday night we set out. I had a backpack, Purse, and Bag of food! We met up at the Train station and joined the masses waiting in the hall, we of course were the only foreigners and got all the stares.

And the Adventure Begins.

With found our compartment and to our surprise were the only ones in it at the Weifang Station. We figured we’d be joined at the coming station. Well we could easily tell why the tickets went from ¥300 for a hard sleeper to ¥600 for the Soft Sleeper. The Compartments are amazing.

Home-sweet-home for the next 26 hours!

There are four to a room. The bottom bunk is the communal bench during the day for two. The Compartment is closed to the hall which makes the room warm and private (Later on this was not an upside to the soft sleeper. )

I had the top bunk and Bonnie the bottom. I was surprised at the storage room too. The beds were your average Chinese bunk, and the duvets were to die for.

We stayed up and chatted until about 11pm then hit the sack. I was a little restless wondering at each stop if someone would come in at the next stop. I was quite relieved in the morning to find the other two bunks still empty.

okay so after 20 hours in a cramped cabin what were you expecting, prom night?

We spread out in the morning as it didn’t seem like anyone would be joining us! We settled in for a long day. I decided to go comfy rather than flattering, wrong choice it would turn out.

Around lunch time we had gotten too warm and had opened the hall door. Soon a stranger wandered in wanting to talk to the foreigners. We soon realized our Chinese was better than his English. Most Chinese will give it an honest shot but give up as soon as they realize the pointlessness of trying to converse with Foreigners who don’t speak Chinese. This guy only seemed encouraged by the lack of communication and before we knew it he had invited his friend to come join us for lunch.

Before we could say ‘不要 we had two Chinese Guys drinking Baijiu and eating Chicken Feet in our compartment, not the most appealing situation. There are those situations in life which make you eternally grateful for choosing an Alcohol-free life, this was one of them. As true Chinese, they were not picking up on the hints we were throwing at them by the time 3 hours had passed, that we would prefer lunch to be over. So we fell back on the Chinese love of nap taking and said we would like to sleep.

One of them seemed rather keen on Bonnie which was not reciprocated! We had a good laugh at that thought once they left and decided to take naps to kill time. Half way through my nap I heard Bonnie calling my name, when I turned over in my bunk one of the Chinese guys was back and standing right next to my head. Turns out he was really keen on Bonnie and had come back for a chat. Not what anyone wants to wake up to. After a rather interesting 15mins we got him to leave and decided to look the door rather than just close it.

Front of the Train station, this is kids stuff compared to the Festival.

As we stepped off the train in Harbin it was like hitting an ice wall. Warm lungs don’t like icy air! My lungs ached at first as they adjusted to cold. Instead of jumping straight into a cab we walked around the front of the station where small ice sculptures were arranged. The ground was complete ICE. I had opted for warmth rather than traction but soon began to question my footwear choice.

Lights are frozen inside and the color illuminates the entire block.