Another great trip to Harbin

train station in Changchun-about to head to Harbin

Last weekend we had a long weekend (no school on Monday) so I decided to take a trip to visit Harbin friends. I got to help celebrate my great friend, Erika's birthday on Saturday night which was way fun. On Sunday, I met with other internationals in the city for a time of singing and learning and wen to lunch with them. Then I was able to stop and see a great friend from HIT from last year, Zouyan and a few other of the independent teachers from my old school at a new fun coffee shop. They are so fun and I am hoping to make another trip up soon again to hang out with them more!

Zhiwei and me hanging out

Zhiwei

Isobel and her daughter!

After about an hour with them I finally got to see one of my old tutor/friend from Harbin's new baby-who's not so baby anymore! It is so fun to see my friend Isobel as a mother and her cute kid! After playing with her daughter for a while (who pretty much just stared at me the whole time-strange foreigner!) we headed to meet up with my other great Harbin Chinese friends for dinner. So great to be able to get together with them and talk. I always talked with them in primarily English before but this time we talked only in Chinese. So much fun and encouraging to be able to carry on conversations with them and talk about things going on in their lives. It is so exciting to be able to communicate with people on deeper and deeper levels. They were quite suprised I could converse as much with them as well! There were definitely times I didn't know what all they were talking about which is just another challenge to keep learning. It is amazing-the more I learn the more I am constantly reminded I don't know!

Masen (Maria) and Tianyu (Alex)
Tangke (Catherine) scouping out leftovers
Maria and me
David doesn't want his picture taken
Tangke (Catherine) and me-great friends

All of us after dinner (Isobel had to go home to take care of her baby)