Starting a new life

[JudithO]

Guys, a while ago I arrived to the hostel. I hate china! Everything I wanted to do or needed gone wrong. Right now I just want to cry, arrive tomorrow at Harbin and be safe.

 

sorry for the rant. I'm emotionally drained and I just cry.

[EmilyP]

Oh no Judith, I'm really sorry that you've had a bad time with your travelling so far. 

I'm at work tomorrow day time, but if you want a friendly face in the evening, to get some food with, I'll be here. 

I hope you get some good rest and everything seems better tomorrow.

[AnneK]

Oh Judith, I'm sor sorry to hear that.  My boss says that everything in China is possible, but everything will be difficult."  I try to keep that in mind, and remember the big dreams when things don't go as planned.  I'm sure that's not much comfort, but perhaps it'll help in the future.  As Emily said, if you need a friendly face inHarbin don't heistate to get in touch.  I live very near the west train station (Harbin Xi), if you are coming in there and want to be met with a smile.

[roddy]

Hope you feel better in the morning - give it a few days and you won't hate China, you'll just hate that particular taxi driver (or whoever. But given you've just come from the airport, my bet is that it's going to be a taxi driver.)

[Tom.J]

Hey Judith. Dont worry you will fast realize that there are a lot of really nice people in china. I had in the last two years only one situation with an asshole chinese. However so many great ones. I even think that compared to my hometown in Germany chinese especially harbingers are way more friendly. And yeah taxi driver can be really rude. However save there I'd number which every one of them have at there little card hanging and call there company. Made that now twice already and the taxi driver came to my door to apologize to my gf for beeing rude.

[Shelley]

I think things will look better after a few days as roddy says. I think this might be what they call "culture shock" I have never been to China but I have arrived on foreign shores and it can be a bit overwhelming to start with.

 

Sleep well, eat well and drink plenty of fluids, you will probably also have to adjust a new time zone, try and get in tune with time there.

 

At least you can still login to Chinese forums

[abcdefg]

@EmilyP #140 --

 

The crispy wrinkly style ribbons of tofu? I researched them and all the recipes said they needed soaking for at least 6 hrs but recommended overnight - maybe yours is a slightly different one?

 

The most common tofu skin 豆腐皮 here is fresh, not dried. It is soft and can be used straightaway without soaking.

 

Looks like this. Sometimes in narrower strips.

 

[EmilyP]

I think Judith has been in China for a while hasn't she? I thought she was travelling from a different city in China to Beijing then a train to Harbin? I might be wrong though! 

@abcdefg Ah, I haven't come across the fresh version of the tofu skins I bought in the city yet. The ones I soaked over night and cooked today were nice, but I need some sauce recipes - do you know any? I have bought some of the tofu narrow strips (almost like tagliatelli pasta) from the market near my flat today which are fresh which I'll cook as they are tomorrow. They're delicious! 

[abcdefg]

The ones I soaked over night and cooked today were nice, but I need some sauce recipes - do you know any?

 

@Emily, I sometimes make a vegetable stir fry (with whatever is fresh and looks good) then toss in a handful of soft (narrow cut) tofu skin near the end. Can include some minced garlic, started just before the main vegetable. Season with soy sauce or oyster sauce. This is simple and fast. Easy to vary it.

[ChTTay]

EmilyP - I've never even noticed dried tofu skin! The fresh stuff will be way better I'm sure.

 

The kind of tofu skin I like isn't the same as the photo abcdefg has posted. I can't provide any recipes. You might  want to ease yourself into it by just chopping it into bitesized pieces and adding it to any stir friend dish you know. It also is very nice in hot pot.

 

The kind I like is used in the photo attached.

[EmilyP]

I tried something like that for lunch yesterday @ChTTay at one of the underground kitchens near the flood monument, I think it was 5rmb for a huge plate full, with fresh cucumber in it and a sweet and chilli sauce - really delicious! I bought some of the tofu like that (textured in strips) to try making something similar at home.
Do you know the name of that dish for future reference? (I just saw it, said  我吃素 and asked if it was 豆腐 - that's all I've learnt so far!)

Sounds like a good way @abcdefg - I think I'll be experimenting for a few weeks!

[abcdefg]

Agree, many good varieties. I've barely scratched the surface of the tofu mystery. (Never tried it dried.)

 

I was in Jianshui 建水 last week eating grilled stinky tofu at one of the popular stalls. A young local couple sat down beside me and started expounding on which tofu made with the water from which well tasted best. Jianshui has a bunch of old and deep Artesian wells which are locally renowned. I told them there couldn't really be a difference, but what did I really know.

 

They took me in tow and we sampled grilled tofu, cold 凉拌 salad of lotus root or cucumber, and roast duck, all over town. Washed down with tea and beer.

 

Three hours later, I had to agree that the grilled stinky tofu made with water drawn from the wells near West Gate 西门 really was superior to the others. It wasn't a myth. Eye opener.

 

What hospitable and friendly people they were. They wouldn't let me pay my fair share. "This is our town; you are our guest."

[JudithO]

I was in China for 2012/2013 scholar year. And I know it's the first days only this.

 

It wasn't a taxi driver it wa th airport and they machine to get the wifi passport that was broken, and I was sick, in the plane gave us too many food that I couldn't eat the last one, and I was all the way in the train thinking that I was going to puke and I didn't have to XDD

 

And I wanted to cry, so I cried when I arrived to the hostel and put the wifi on and saw my mom asking me if I was okay

Because the plane landed at 4pm but until 7pm I didn't ound any wifi and my mobile didn't let me call. And I was so stressed because my boss wants me to go to Harbin in the train at 7am and what if I oversleep? or something? I can't contact them. 

 

Now off to sleep. tomorrow more ;__;

[abcdefg]

@ EmilyP --

 

I just saw it, said  我吃素

 

Take a look at this recipe I just posted for Broccoli and Yunnan Goat Cheese. Vegetarian and yummy.

 

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/46802-broccoli-and-yunnan-goat-cheese-%E8%A5%BF%E5%85%B0%E8%8A%B1%E7%82%92%E4%B9%B3%E9%A5%BC/

[Ken1]

Hi,

 

I am looking at moving to Harbin next March.  One of my concerns was the plethora of articles about the smog apocalypse last year, so I did a little research.

 

A lot of the media seems to blame coal for smog apocalypse, and it is certainly a contributor.  But the driver for the heavy smog events in Fall is crop burning.  Link to NASA Goddard Earth Science Data:

 

http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gesNews/harbin_smog_event_oct_2013

 

This is a link to some pictures taken from an airplane flying to Harbin this year showing the wide spread crop burning:

 

http://online.thatsmags.com/post/photos-harbin-engulfed-in-smoke-as-farmers-burn-mountains-of-straw

 

From what I have read, there is a baseling moderate pollution level from coal heating in winter, a lot of Gobi dessert dust in spring, and some level of contribution from the petro chemical industry.  The real driver for the severe events, however, seems to be crop burning.

 

The comments in this string about blue sky days seem to corroborate this.  it is also consistent with my own experience.  I used to work in Xiangfan.  I vividly remember a 5 hour bus ride to Wuhan where the smoke from crop burning was so thick that the bus had to creep along.  Everything was a world of grey except for orange smudges scattered about where there was burning going on.  This is an agricultural area; no doubt about the source!

 

This is also a north China/wheat growing area issue.  I wish someone would tell them that burning off the fields not only causes air pollution, but also contributes to soil erosion.

 

My assessment at this point is that the air in Harbin is probably survivable, but I will use a mask for those bad days!

 

Do you need a VPN to view the links in China?

[abcdefg]

Do you need a VPN to view the links in China?

 

I was able to load both pages you linked without a VPN just now.

[gato]

According the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Heilongjiang province has the worst crop burning problem in the country.

In their October 2014 national survey, they found that of the 2168 crop burning sighting seen in satellite photos, 26% were in Heilongjiang province.

http://www.zhb.gov.cn/gkml/hbb/qt/201411/t20141115_291468.htm

环境保护部发布2014年10月份秸秆禁烧情况

　　环境保护部有关负责人近日向媒体发布了2014年10月份全国秸秆禁烧工作情况。

　　这位负责人介绍，10月份，据卫星遥感监测数据统计结果和各地报告的现场巡查检查结果，在北京、天津、上海、重庆、四川、贵州、云南等7省（市）未发现秸秆焚烧火点，在其他23省（区、市）共监测到秸秆焚烧火点2168个（剔出卫星误判火点，不含云覆盖下火点），较2013年同比减少356个，降幅为14.1%。

　　这位负责人指出，从前期秸秆焚烧火点卫星监测和现场检查情况看，部分地区违法焚烧秸秆现象仍然屡禁不止，秸秆禁烧形势依然十分严峻。从10月份全国秸秆焚烧火点分布情况看，火点数排名依次为黑龙江565个、吉林470个、河南319个、辽宁266个、内蒙古114个、山西111个、安徽76个、山东69个、湖北54个、宁夏28个、河北27个、新疆19个、甘肃16个、江西14个、广西7个、湖南4个、陕西3个，青海、福建、广东、海南、浙江、江苏等6省各1个。

其中吉林等6省（区）火点数较2013年同比均有所增加，吉林增加388个、黑龙江增加366个、辽宁增加257个、内蒙古增加4个、江西增加1个、海南增加1个；安徽等17省（区）火点数较2013年同比均有所减少，安徽减少453个、河北减少208个、山西减少207个、湖北减少182个、山东减少107个、河南减少57个、新疆减少52个、陕西减少30个、江苏减少21个、宁夏减少20个、湖南减少18个、广东减少6个、青海减少5个、甘肃减少3个、广西减少2个、天津减少1个、福建减少1个。北京、上海、重庆、四川、云南、贵州等6省（市）连续两年未在10月份发现秸秆焚烧火点。从全国秸秆焚烧火点强度看，平均每千公顷耕地面积火点强度排前5位的省份依次为吉林0.085个、辽宁0.065个、黑龙江0.048个、河南0.040个、山西0.027个。

[woshizhengde]

Hey, Judith. I am so sorry to hear that it has been a tough trip for you. I don't know if there is anything I could do to help. I assume you will have to adjust yourself to local food and be sick for a short while, I recommend a OTC called 乳酸菌素片。 It balances flora in your digestive system. It works like magic for me. And if you have problem with translation when perchasing a cell phone, I am free to help on every recent Saturday.Hope everything gets better for you!

[JudithO]

Hi guys! Sorry I didn't say anything for a week, but I was very busy. I work everyday from mon to fri/ 8:30 to 5:30. So I can meet people in the afternoon, or in the weekend, I still don't have wechat account for china, but we can use this or pm in the forum to contact.

 

Everything is going fine and I meet some nice people already here, so far it's been good. I didn't went yet to do sightseeing of Harbin but from my room I see the dragon tower, and it's amazing. 

 

How are you guys?

[ChTTay]

sounds like a good time to organize a Harbin Chinese-Forums Meet up