Bartering with the Mongolian Speed Skaters

The Mongolians are on the floor. Get out your change gear. A Mongolian speed skaters have their wolf fur hats on hand want to trade for a Canadian jacket. I don't really want to trade my jackey but at -21 for the last week here in Harbin the Hat looks like a solution to my frozen ears! I try to open my bid with my Canadian tuque but he says no in five different languages except image. He insists on the jacket. I convince Allison in the Mission staff office to sell me a smaller size jacket because mine was is xtra Large and the poor Mongolian would swim in it. For $80 bucks Canadian I buy the Jacket, hand it over to my new found friend from Mongolia and he gives me the Fur Hat. We shake hands and he says "Canada Friend" I say "Mongolia Friend" and the transaction in secured. I now have warm ears and I now match our Chief Athletic Therapist Christian Seguin who earlier secured a Wolf fur hat also! Economics 101- Barter!

Taking in the Culture of Harbin

Emperor From Laurier from Team Canada Peter Baxter on the Throne of the Golden Hawk and riding a camel at the Harbin Ice and Snow festival.

Dr. David Mai of the University of Ottawa

Besides the competition the best part of the Universiade is to see the student-athletes and Mission staff engaging in the Chinese culture. In the village we have had the opportunity to witness performances of the Peking Opera including some of the staff and athletes having the opportunity to get the opera make up artist paint up some of the team members. The Chef de Mission also took advantage of a camel ride at the snow and ice festival. The village has a Chinese

cultural and language centre to learn Mandarin and they also have a volunteer that spells your name in Chinese Characters. We also went out to a restaurant close to the village for an authentic meal. The village also has a Chinese Tea room with Volunteers that make you your tea flavour of choice. Tonight the Women's hockey team tonight went to the international skit night that was held in the Athlete Village entertainment Centre. Lots of friends made between nations and fun had by all.