Mall Matryoshka

Most people here don't seem to like Russians, but that doesn't stop them from using Harbin's Russian origins to make a few bucks. This was the first time I'd spotted a giant matryoshka being used for such purposes though! (Or any giant matryoshka at all for that matter!)

Songhua in Early Spring

Given how warm (for here!) it's been lately I was more than a little surprised to see so much ice left on the Songhua! You definitely can't walk across it anymore, but it's still impressive how much of the river is still covered!

The trees are very wisely holding out till they're sure the warmer weather's here to stay...

People are already out flying kites again! (God knows there's always the wind for it!)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...Spring?

I'm a little afraid that we'll get a snowstorm after I post this, but we've had daytime highs well over zero for a few days now, so hopefully we won't! Pictured is the Harbin Concert Hall - the rather hideous present-day home of China's oldest symphony orchestra - on Qunli Way in southwest Harbin.

A closeup of a lovely sculpture outside the Harbin Concert Hall.

A Warmer Winter

It's definitely been an odd winter here in Manchuria! I moved here from the American Midwest, so while the duration of the cold was a change, the cold and snow in and of themselves weren't a big shock. And the last two winters certainly delivered plenty of cold! But while this winter has had its cold moments, on the whole it's been a lot warmer than my previous winters here have been.

Exhibit A: It got so warm in mid-February that every started melting, which was just unreal after my previous winters here!

Exhibit B: Not long after everything melted, we got dumped on! (This just shows the beginning!) There's just no telling what you're going to get...