Ok, so its been a month since my last post. That program I was using that allowed me to view my blog gave my laptop hemmoroids and I had to do a system restore. Anyways, its full on winter now. The winds are blowing in from Siberia and the Gobi desert and its friggin cold! The famous Harbin Ice Festival is just around the corner, and we were told by a local taxi driver that because we are artists from Canada, we would be more that welcome to contribute an ice or snow sculpture to the festival..any ideas guys? The running track and sports field beside my place have been flooded to provide a nice big ice rink...I am going to pick up some ice skates this weekend.


This is a view from my place. They have no snow plows or machines to clear snow. People grab shovels like the seven dwarves and just whack away at the ice for hours at a time...I don't have the heart to tell them about salt.

The faulty wiring in my class room caused a 2 inch electrical arc to jump from a computer USB port to my iPod when I tried plugging it it! Destroyed it good, Cap College is reimbursing me though. I cancelled classes for a couple of days until an electrician fixes the problem. Classes are finished January 12, and I will be gennerating final marks for the week after that. Then I come home for 6 weeks!!! WOOOO!!

Harbin Fabric Market

This is me outside a giant fabric martket. Notice the random shit for sale. Also the woman wearing a protective mask in the background. Also a dude shoveling something out of the back of his truck.

This little guy was just hangin out in his moms little cubicle. They just sit inside these tiny rooms either sewing or selling stuff. He is practicing his Tae Kwon Do which he will unleash on his parents for dressing him in that outfit.

These are my awesome Columbia boots. The interior is lined with fur...toasty warm. They only cost me 3o bucks!

HONK KONG

I took a trip to Hong Kong and had a wicked awesome time...(Not too awesome Jacquie) The temperature was like 74 degrees, and a tropical paradise mixed with amazing urban living. This city has it all! The other instructor that went with me ended up catching a horrible stomach bug and was out of commission for the entire trip, so I spent the whole time alone touring the city and the surrounding hills and beaches. It worked out ok though because I just went wherever I wanted to.

Sexy downtown Calloon, kind of like North Van in relation to Vancouver.


This is probably the most amazing coastline I have ever seen. I am on a tour boat gettin' tipsy on Gin and Tonics, watching a nightly light show the city puts on for drunken white trash tourists like myself.


This is looking toward the island of Hong Kong from a ferry that took me across to Calloon. I am on my way to the Hard Rock Cafe.


I went on a tour of a fishing village. I went through this little community of fishing boats where people were living on the water. (I think I saw Kevin Costner)


This was a really cool floating resteraunt in the same harbour as the fishing village. Apparently there was a movie shot here...dunno which one though. Probably something with Jackie Chan.



I made it to the Hard Rock Cafe aslo. This place had a great view and lots of memorabillia. I got a t-shirt and a pin. And the girl at the souvenir shop pawned off like 20 packs of matches on me. I gave most of them away to my students as rewards for answering questions in class... sometimes I use pennies.





The whole city had this really nice balance of urban surroundings and patches of nature like this. The terrain is really uneven in Hong Kong, so you see giant rocks jetting out from everywhere too. I took this picture just outside a huge shopping mall...I think the hat is by Prada.

The folks here do Christmas more seriously than we do in Canada. Its like a serious competition out here.

Saint Nichoris.


WAL-MART (Harbin Style)

I was lucky to run into Jeremy Tin and his younger brother Josh. They are ranked in the top 450 dancers in all of Harin! Go Josh!! (You got a pretty mouth)

I got hit on by these two hot blondes at just inside the entrance to the WAL MART. It was the first time that I truly felt "safe" in this city.

The Manchurian Beaver Project
A WORK IN PROGRESS

I had an idea for a short film, and I got together with a couple of other instructors in the animation department to help develop this story about a Canadian beaver and his travels in Harbin, China. This is the final design for the main character done by designer Dave Brown.






It didn't take long for me to model the beaver, since I had a pretty good design to work from. I still need to do the hands, mouth interior and the straps that dangle on the sides of his hat. I want to use some nice fur on him too. Jacquie, you're going to love the walk this guy ends up having. It will be more like a waddle.

Here is a rough storyboard that Ryan Carter worked out. This sequence is based on a gag where our character attempts to cross a typical street corner in Harbin. (Not an easy task). Our short will be based on these gags, so we can add, remove and swap them around like modules.


I miss everyone a lot now, and I am crossing the days off my FHM calender until I come home in January. I will try to keep you all posted, provided the internet connection holds up. Talk to you soon!