A coworker and I set out late this morning to check out Unit 731, which I mentioned in a previous post. After we found the correct bus, it was about an hourlong ride out to the suburbs, through the city outskirts and the sprawling industrial wasteland outside the city. When we finally reached 731, we were greeted by a sign that informed us the base was completely closed on Mondays. Awesome.

Having just been on a bus for an hour, we decided to wander around the area a bit before heading back. Mostly, it looked just like Harbin but with fewer cars and less people. We did get to see some parts of 731 through fences, etc., and it looks more or less how you would expect: utilitarian and evil. I took some video of it, and then suddenly my camera broke. Yup. $500, bought it specifically for videotaping things in China and it appears to be broken. I’m going to take it to a Sony kiosk later this week and see what they can do, but don’t expect any new video on here in the future if it’s dead, there is no way I can afford to buy another one right now.

I took some photos after the video camera broke, which I’ll post once I get the cord that connects my camera to the computer.

Bad day.

We’re currently on a 7 day break for National Day (which will be the topic of an upcoming post), and yesterday some of us went to Harbin’s Sun Island Park. It’s not far, but still nice to get out of the city a little, anyway. Have a look:

As those of you who know me personally may know, I was a bit apprehensive about this trip as it approached. After all, I basically left everyone I knew and moved across the world to work a job I’ve never done before. After a grueling thirteen-hour flight over the north pole; my layover in Beijing didn’t help at all. I have never liked that polluted city or its gargantuan airport; as we flew into it we passed over the sprawling desert to the west that threatens to envelop the city, and I couldn’t help thinking that I hope it does. Then, with no transition, I was dumped into a Chinese-language environment, and discovered that my skills had atrophied somewhat. Furthermore, I was tired and frustrated, and as soon as I got into the Air China domestic flights terminal, everyone was staring at me, too. (It might have been because I hadn’t showered in 24 hours or so, but I’m guessing it had more to do with my skin color).

Sitting on the Air China flight to Harbin, I was pacified somewhat by the site of the sun setting slowly over the Songhua river. Harbin itself is huge, but the surrounding countryside is remarkably pastoral, and strikingly beautiful even through the greasy window of an Air China 767.

After arriving in the city, I began to look for signs of home. I have lived here before, for a season last year, and I needed something–anything–that could tie this time to that one and thus reconnect me to what otherwise would seem a rather intimidating metropolis. Harbin is large, and very few of its inhabitants speak English. My Chinese skills give me a leg up on many of my co-workers, but I’m still not good enough to feel comfortable doing everything.

I finally found my sign this morning. After a frustrating initial experience with my apartment (which is nice, but has a leaky washing machine and a temperamental hot water heater), I was wandering the local area with a Chinese staff worker who was showing me around. As we walked down the street toward the RT Mart, a large Wal-Mart-esque market with most household items and a decent grocery store, I spotted a middle-aged man walking toward us wearing a t-shirt with gigantic English lettering, which read: “Rock my world, baby!”

OK. I know this place. I can handle this.