Each Day is Better

July 27, 2010




Well, we’ve been home about 10 days and each day just gets better. We want to say thank you the Douberly family for the beautiful welcome home posters, balloons and streamers that were waiting for us. We also want to thank them for buying us groceries. I had envisioned going to the grocery store at 5 a.m. the day after we got home. But, I was able to relax and enjoy my first real cup of coffee in weeks.


Here are photos of the beautiful
posters:

Thanks also to Sydney for the beautiful birthday cake that she made for Lacey. The cake had both chocolate and white icing, and even a number 6 candle. Cassie helped Sydney with the red trim. Gladis came to dinner and we had a little birthday celebration. This was very exciting for Lacey.

Gladis and Lacey with the birthday cake

Lacey has experienced many “firsts.” We’ve tried to keep things low key, so that she doesn’t feel overwhelmed. But, at the same time, I can’t sit in the house with both girls all day. Last week, we visited the farmer’s market. We also went to an outdoor bluegrass concert. A couple days ago, we visited the thrift store. Cassie loves to shop here to find unique pieces. Lacey caught on very quickly. Apparently, size has never factored into her wardrobe selection before. It took quite a bit of convincing to get her into the proper sized shirts. I found a couple lovely pieces for myself – things that I never would have paid retail price for. We walked away with 10 garments for $45.

Lacey picked her outfit by herself for the first time -

 a red flowered shirt with orange plaid pants.

Tasting watermelon at the farmer's market

I’ve been learning how to spread myself between two kids. Yesterday we went shopping for school supplies. So, this wasn’t exactly enriching for Lacey. We tried to use the picture dictionary to explain what we were doing. If we had been shopping for pencils and notebooks, she might have gotten excited. But, seriously, Ziploc bags and wet ones just didn’t do the trick. As a result, anxiety was a little high while we shopped. Now, when we’re out shopping, my left hand has always been reserved for Cassie. So, I naturally extended my right to Lacey. She would have nothing to do with it and lunged for my left hand. I made my way across the parking lot, almost dragging the two girls who were clinging to my left hand. We crossed the parking lot this way not once, but twice. I didn’t say anything the whole time, thinking that one of them would budge. In kids we call this stubbornness. When it comes to adults, I like to think of it as perseverance.

I discovered that Lacey likes music. Every day we’ve been playing a variety of music – gypsy, zydeco, classical, kids, etc. We get out the tambourines and the drum and go crazy. This is a great way for Lacey to communicate and provides great stress relief for me.

A really positive note is that Lacey has become interested in books. I’m hoping that this is because she sees all of us reading so frequently. Cassie has valiantly tried to read a stack of books to Lacey every day while Lacey rolled around on the floor, chattered, did jumping jacks, chased the cat, and any other thing that she could do to avoid books. But, over the past few days, Lacey has become genuinely interested in looking at books. I’m guessing that she has had very limited exposure to print. She has latched onto a couple cardboard books and likes to look at these over and over again. She is also making a huge effort to learn vocabulary from the picture dictionary. We have been going over the vocabulary related to school and home multiple times every day.

Watching TV together

All the adoption literature I read said that for the first few months, the “new mother” should forget about housework. Well, I tried that, but it didn’t go away. I’ve been finding a little time to work in the garden. The tomatoes and peppers are doing nicely, and my raspberries are getting ready to blossom a second time. In what must be a tribute to my Dad, the horseradish that he gave me a couple years ago is strangely spreading all over my yard. Neither the lack of rain nor the lawn mower has harmed it. For some unknown reason, it is simply exploding across the back yard!

Home at Last

We are happy to be home, after a trip of about 30 hours. Our luggage got sidelined in Chicago, but caught up to us about an hour ago. We are busy unpacking and doing laundry. Lacey became an American citizen as soon as she got off the plane in Chicago. We got home around 11 p.m. Last night, we were out on the swing set at midnight. The girls went to sleep around 1 a.m. but were up at 4:30 a.m. It will take us all several days to adjust to the time difference.


Now that we’re home, I can access the blog myself! Thanks for all the warm comments. Thanks also to the people who emailed me about the blog. It’s been fun sharing news this way and we’ll probably update it periodically to share family news. Thanks especially to my sister, Susan, for helping us with the updates.

Cassie and I came up with some “Top 10 Lists” that we have to share.



The Top 10 Things We’ll Miss About China

Our facilitator, Shiyan , and the American families who traveled with us;

The friendly Chinese people;

The cheap and efficient laundry service;

Not having to wash dishes;

Swimming pools right outside our door;

The doorman at the White Swan who held the door with a smile, no matter how many times we entered and exited the building each day;

1001 miscellaneous shops, each one about 12 by 20 feet;

The beautiful parks and landscaping;

The variety of interesting statues; and

Lucy’s Restaurant.





The Top 10 Things We Won’t Miss About China


The smell of China in the morning;

The undersized, extra hard beds;

The pushy salespeople;

Ancient Chinese men wearing Speedos, and men who combat the heat by rolling up their shirts and letting their bellies hang out;

The semi-toxic drinking water;

The endless dining out;

The masses of screaming, sweating, pushing people, especially in elevators;

The endless bus rides;

The babies without diapers; and

Not being able to use ice in our drinks.

The children adopted from Shanghai

American girls

Lacey's first glimps of her bedroom

July 14

July 14

This is our last day in China.  We’re not looking forward to the long day of travel ahead.  But, we are anxious to get home.

Yesterday was the “swearing in” ceremony at the U.S. Consulate.  This was really the culmination of our journey.  And, although we had all been anticipating this event, we really were happy to see it end.  It began with a sweaty bus ride that lasted about an hour.   Then, we had to drag the children up four flights of escalators.  At the top, we went through security, only to discover that we were not allowed to bring cameras into the building.  We had to leave all cameras at the desk.  Once inside, we learned that our “appointment” was just the designated time for all adoptive families whose paperwork was being processed to report.  So, there were approximately 50 families jammed into the room with whining, hungry kids.  One by one, the children’s Chinese names were called while parents struggled to understand the pronunciation of their precious name over the background din.  Then, when the name was finally called, passports and child were presented and one parent was required to sign one document and told to sit down again.  After all the families had been called, a consulate employee spoke to us for awhile about the processing of the paperwork and the number of annual adoptions.  Then, the parents stood, raised their right hands, and took the citizenship oath on behalf of the children.  So, that was it.  Technically, Lacey won’t be a U.S. citizen until she sets foot on U.S. soil.

Lacey continues to adjust to being part of an American family.  She has learned to play Uno.  She also taught me a couple card games that she has played before.  She cheats like crazy and then jumps around waving the victory sign and yelling, “Yeah! Yeah!”  This drives Cassie nuts.  Lacey has also begun refusing to use anything but a Western style toilet.  Chinese toilets are commonly referred to by Americans as “squatty potties.”  Your imagination can supply the details.  In some restaurants and places frequented by tourists, there may be one or more Western toilets.  And, of course, our hotels have “normal” toilets.  Last night we were in a Chinese restaurant.  I took Lacey to use the restroom (out the back door of the restaurant and across the alley.)  She took one look at the toilet and came out waving her hands emphatically saying, “No! No!”  I asked our interpreter to speak to Lacey.  But, there’s no way she will use a “squatty potty” anymore!  

Today we will swim, pack and maybe go to a local market.  The heat is so relentless that we don’t really want to do any major site seeing.  So, soon we will be home and many of you will be able to meet Lacey in person.

July 11, 2010

July 11, 2010

Last night, we had dinner with the other American families at “Lucy’s.”  This was the second night in a row that we had eaten there.  The menu includes both Chinese and American food so many adoptive families like to eat there.  Also, it is only about a 30 second walk from the hotel.  It really is a different universe here.  I don’t remember if I mentioned this before.  But, I feel like I’m living in a colony of expatriates.  Try to picture a bunch of Americans in China, drinking beer and eating fried chicken in a restaurant decorated with posters of “Barbie Mermaid” and “Justin Bieber.” Then, you’ll begin to understand why all this feels so surreal. . 

After dinner, we decided to stroll around Guangzhou for awhile.  There are many shops that cater to adoptive families.  “Cater” probably isn’t the correct word.  They are in business only because of adoptive families.  Shop-owners intercept tourists about a block or so from their stores.  They are very friendly and offer a variety of services.  Almost every single shop does laundry.  They probably all take it to the same place to have it done and their prices are basically the same.  We saw families walking down the street with suitcases.  They were not yet leaving town – they were just dropping off dirty laundry.  Yesterday morning, while I was at the clinic with Lacey, Les and Cassie dropped off our laundry.  Believe me, we had laundry.  Les has been wearing his socks for three days in a row.  Later, Cassie took me aside and said that the place they had dropped off the laundry was also a clothing donation center.  She was very concerned that Les’ Chinese was not very good and that he had accidentally donated all our clothing!  She probably thought this just because of the massive piles of dirty clothing.  I assured her that he had a receipt.

 Shhh....no more whining!!

Anyway, we strolled around the shops, just to avoid being closed in our hotel room.  Most of the shops are named for women.  There is “Miss Linda’s,” “Miss Lulu’s,” “Miss Emma’s,” “Laura’s,” and “Jenny and Amy’s Place.”  You get the picture.  This must have been done to make Americans feel comfortable.  It just makes me feel like I’m in a brothel.  They all advertise, “beautifully designed children’s clothes,” “Unique squeaky shoes,” “gifts and souvenirs,” etc.  There are baby strollers, shoes, clothing, formula, bottles, toys, you name it.  More and more American families are adopting older Chinese children.  I’m sure that the shops will adjust and begin carrying products for older children soon.

 Cassie and some friends

We visited the pool after dinner.  It’s nice to have some down time.  The pool is surrounded by a variety of trees.  They’re beautiful to look at.  But, apparently the planners didn’t realize that the leaves would all fall into the pool.  One hotel employee stands at each end of the pool.  They both hold long-handled nets.  There is a rhythmic “thwack, thwack, thwack,” as they take turns trying to scoop leaves out of the pool.

Today we visited the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum.  It is “Chen’s Ancestral Hall” that was built during the Guangxu Reign of the Qing Dynasty.  In case you think I’m becoming an expert on Chinese history, let me explain that I’m copying from a brochure.  We saw beautiful wood carvings, etchings, pottery, porcelain and embroidery.  The rest of the day we will just relax and continue getting to know Lacey.  She is becoming more assertive each day.  She laughs easily and tries very hard to get Cassie’s attention – all the time.  Cassie is being a good sport and adjusting to having a sibling fairly quickly.  Les made the mistake of introducing Lacey to the TV remote.  Now, she can work the panel with the radio and light switches with her feet and flip through TV channels with her hands.  I’m not kidding.

Tomorrow is our visa appointment at the U.S. consulate.  We pray that there are no errors in our mountain of paperwork.  Yesterday, I had to recopy a 4-page form because the form had been updated. . . 

  One of daddy's little girls

We’re tired of living in a hotel.  Besides having to eat out all the time, the thing that bothers me the most is having to share one toilet among four people.  You can never appreciate this unless you’ve been forced to share a single, low capacity toilet with your spouse for two weeks!

July 10, 2010

A couple of busy days have flown past.  We did a little more touring in Shanghai and took the kids to the park again  The international technology exposition is currently being held in Shanghai and hotel rooms have been booked months in advance.  So, the hotel that adoptive families normally stay in wasn’t available.  Our hotel was very nice.  But, there weren’t many restaurants around.  In the past four days, we ate at Dominos pizza three times.  The pepperoni pizza, which was the only thing on the menu that we recognized, was actually very good.  Eating in restaurants has gotten tiring.  They’re not expensive, just time consuming.  When we are a group of families with hungry children and we’re trying to negotiate with non-English speaking restaurant staff, we all feel like crying.

We toured the Bund, which is the old financial district in Shanghai.  The buildings were all designed to resemble European structures.  Then, we visited the marketplace in Old Shanghai.  Cassie was especially happy when we found a Dairy Queen.  While walking through the marketplace, we experienced many unusual smells.  I’ll leave it at that.

Yesterday, we picked up notarized adoption papers and then headed to the airport.  This was the first plane ride for all the children.  We had been worried about air sickness. But, after the amusement park, we were pretty convinced that the children would be okay.   We boarded the plane only to discover that our flight had been delayed.  We occupied the children for an hour and then lunch was served.  About 30 seconds later, they announced that our flight was leaving and scooped up all the food, leaving the children hungry.  Lacey did very well on the flight.  She was fascinated with everything – the seat, the materials in the seat pocket, the tray.  She was so interested in studying the safety brochure that I let her keep it.  This was really the first time that she has been interested in print material so I was very happy.  

Here's a picture of Cassie learning to use chopsticks....and the next picture is Lacey and Cassie at the amusement park. 

Mid-afternoon, we arrived at the White Swan Hotel.  For the past few years, this hotel has been mythical to us.   It is the final stopping point for all families who are adopting from China because it is near the U.S. Consulate.  Let me tell you that it has really lived up to its reputation.  There is an indoor fountain and a stream with live fish, footbridge included.  The breakfast buffet was unbelievable.  There are two outdoor pools.  The hotel is on an island and actually sits right on the Pearl River.  Our room looks out over the river.  There is a children’s play room in the hotel that has been furnished by Mattel.  When we came back from lunch, there was a gift from the hotel and Mattel – a Barbie doll that is holding a baby Chinese girl.  That one’s going to sit high on a shelf!  I would include a photo but we can’t find the adapter to download photos right now. 

Big sister is already driving little sister around!!

 Lacey on the ferry...so stylish!!!

This morning I took Lacey for her medical exam.  They measured her and looked at her ears, nose and throat. The doctor sort of looked at her spine.  She was pronounced healthy and we were free to return to the hotel to swim.  This is her first pool experience and she is loving it.

We send love to  you all and thanks to Susan for posting this!

July 7, 2010

 Thank you to my sister, Susan, for continuing to update the blog for us.  We cannot access it from China, so I have been emailing additions to her.

Yesterday we went to the Shanghai Adoption Registration Office to register the adoption.  We spent a couple hours there.  We had to be photographed, interviewed and asked to promise that we wouldn’t abuse or abandon the children.  Then, we went to the Shanghai Notary Office to register the adoption and get the children’s visas.  Then, the adoption was official.  The children were really well-behaved during all the sitting and waiting.  They are all interested in their new toys.

 Lacey is still enjoying her first coloring book and is very content to sit and color.  She is not yet interested in learning English, but knows how to say “No.”  She is changing a lot already and is much more relaxed than she was the first day.

We had a Chinese meal for lunch and decided to check out the park across the street from our hotel.  Les’ stomach was bothering him so he stayed in the hotel.  I took the girls with two other wonderful families.  The park was huge and had a small amusement park for the children.  Cassie and Lacey went on the merry go round and a honeybee ride.  By this time, Lacey was much more animated than she has been.  She asked to go on the bumper cars.  I was happy because this was actually the first time that she had asked for anything.  It’s not that I want to turn her into a spoiled American child.  But, it was an indication that she’s beginning to interact with us and not just focusing on surviving.  After I bought the tickets for the ride, Lacey thanked me. This was also the first time that she has thanked for anything.  I think she is starting to get over her fears and understand that we want to make her happy.

  Lacey relaxing in the Lobby

 

By dinnertime we were all tired.  We decided to go to the little bakery that is next to our hotel.  Cassie was a little tired and cranky and at first didn’t see anything on the menu that she liked.  I left the table to see if I could find her some bread.  When I left, Lacey started to cry.  I felt horrible.  I hated to see her cry but I was touched that she missed me.  She let me pick her up and comfort her.  This was also a big step for her. 

Cassie and the other American kids playing cards 

with a group of onlookers

 

 

This morning we visited the Oriental Pearl Tower, which is a TV tower and one of the tallest buildings in China.  The architecture was impressive and the view from the top was quite spectacular.  Unfortunately, we will most likely remember the sweaty hordes of pushing, shouting people.  It’s simply amazing how many people can cram into an elevator here.  An elevator with a posted limit of 12 passengers can actually hold about 40.  I decided that it was best to ride holding my hands above my head to avoid getting too personal with strangers.

In the afternoon, we took a cruise on the Huangpu River.  The kids really enjoyed this.  The adults were happy that we had indoor seats and took advantage of the air conditioning.

Shanghai is a city of 18 million.  Most of the signs in the city include English translations.  We are really enjoying the English translations.  For example, at the park yesterday the lakeside restaurant was described as an “above water restaurant.”  A sign next to the lake cautioned, “Caution!  Falling in water.”  This morning at the Pearl Tower, a bomb detecting dog wore a vest that said, “Explosive Dog.”   There was a long list of rules for passengers board the boat.  No one who was “insane” was allowed, nor was anyone with any “unusual smells.”  Tomorrow we will visit the “Bund” and Old Shanghai.

Here's the sign with rules for the boat passengers:

July 6, 2010

July 6, 2010:  The Meeting

Today we celebrate two cherished lives.  First, we remember and honor Betsy’s Dad, whose funeral service will be held today.  Then, we celebrate the child that God has entrusted to us.

The meeting with Lacey could not have been any more beautiful.  Shanghai is in the midst of the monsoon season.  But, the rain cleared just as all the families boarded the bus to ride to the Shanghai Children’s Welfare Institute, a.k.a. “the orphanage.”  A guard admitted us and we walked to the administration building.  We were early so we were permitted to wander a short distance outside and photograph the buildings and grounds.  The institute consists of the orphanage and a rehabilitative hospital for children.  According to the map, there are numerous gardens and play areas, and a mini golf course.  Our entire visit took place in the conference room and we did not see any children other than the ones being adopted.

Around 10 a.m. we were instructed to enter the conference room to begin paperwork.  We were required to sign temporary custodial agreements.  We also gave our donations to the orphanage and designated how we wanted the money divided between the children and the staff members.  We had barely begun the papers when caregivers arrived with the first two children, a 9-year old boy and a 5-year old girl.    A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the back door of the conference room and another caregiver arrived with Lacey and a 3-year old boy.  Of course, all paperwork was forgotten.  Cassie went to greet Lacey and introduced herself in Chinese as the big sister.  Cassie later chastised me for not letting her be the first to hug Lacey.  (I had made a “pinkie promise.)  But, of course, we were all lost in the moment.  Lacey was very shy at first.  Several more caregivers appeared, and were later followed by the director and deputy director of the orphanage.  All the staff members were wonderfully supportive.  They smiled the entire time, although they must have been feeling some loss.  They encouraged the children to interact and kept pointing out family members as Momma, Daddy, Big Sister, etc.  Lacey immediately loved the stuffed cat that Cassie has been saving for three years.  She has scarcely put it down since.  She also loves to color.  She was very focused on a coloring book and stickers throughout the duration of our time at the orphanage.

Each family was presented with a gift bag from the directors.  With an interpreter, the deputy director explained the contents to us.  The family photos that we had sent were there, along with an outfit that we had purchased.  The orphanage presented Lacey with a beautiful photo album.  It includes the first photo taken of her when she arrived at the orphanage, and many photos taken in and around the orphanage.  The photos are beautiful and must have been taken professionally.  There is a carved wooden name stamp with her Chinese name, “He Hai Dan,” and a porcelain ink pot.  There is also a jade pendant of a monkey.  Lacey was born in 2004, which is the year of the monkey.  Finally, there is a Dvd about the orphanage, to inform us and to help Lacey remember.

We spent about two hours at the orphanage, getting to know the children and establishing their comfort.  Then, everyone sensed that it was time to say goodbye.  Toys were put away and each family posed for a photo with the orphanage directors.  We boarded a bus, waved goodbye and headed to a Chinese restaurant for lunch.

What we have learned about Lacey so far is that she was in a foster home from age 15 months until about a month ago.  She lived outside the city, in a house, with foster parents and an older brother.  In April, her foster mother died.  Lacey was brought back to the orphanage to prepare her for adoption. The director thinks it is easier for children to say goodbye to an institution than to foster parents.  Through an interpreter, Lacey told us that she has known about the adoption for about 3 months.  If this is true, she has known about it since we received our preliminary referral.  She said she also knew that she would have her own bedroom.  That made us chuckle because we think that staff members must use things like this to entice the children.  Lacey finished Chinese kindergarten but we’re not really sure what that entailed.  She loves to color and brought a stack of drawings with her.  She focuses on the color book for long periods of time.  She is shy at first but already has begun to test us a little.  She put her feet on the table at dinner last night!  Cassie has been responding to Lacey instinctively and directly for her heart.  We understand that Lacey’s first bonding might be with Cassie and that is fine.  We are still calling Lacey by her Chinese name and will discuss this with her when she is more comfortable. 

Today we will go downtown to begin the formal registration of the adoption.

Today is “Gotcha Day,” the day that we will forever remember as the day that we got Lacey.  We have had breakfast, and have an hour to wait before we travel to the orphanage.  Once there, we will be escorted to a meeting room where we will spend our entire visit.  We will not be invited to tour the orphanage or meet any other children because the orphanage officials are worried that we might bring germs.  We will meet for 30 minutes to complete paperwork.  The most important documents will be to give us temporary custody of Lacey until we go to the Civil Affairs Office tomorrow to register the adoption.  Then, the children will be brought to us and the 3 other American families who are adopting.  We will have about 30 minutes to ask questions of the caregivers and then we will leave.  The children will say goodbye forever to the orphanage and immediately have to begin adapting to being Americans.  Shiyan has suggested that we take the children to Dominos Pizza for restaurant so that everyone can relax and she can do some translating to help with the introductions.  Shanghai has an original dialogue but the school age children are required to speak Mandarin at school.  So, communicating might be our biggest challenge.

Yesterday was a very long day.  We began by touring a putan, which is a traditional Chinese neighborhood.  We were taken there in rickshaws.  We met a woman whose family had lived continuously in the putan since 1936.  The early morning was a little cooler and this was a very enjoyable tour.  It was interesting to see how Chinese families have lived for many years.

Next, we went to visit the Forbidden City.  By this time, the day had become very hot and humid.  The crowds were unbelievable.  I guess I could compare this to the desire of foreign and domestic tourists in the U.S. to visit Mount Vernon.   However, I would take a typical summertime Mount Vernon crowd and multiply it by about 10.  The exteriors of the buildings were available for tourists to view.  Several interior rooms were available for viewing through windows.  Each time we tried to look, such as at the Emperor’s bedroom or throne, we were compelled to elbow our way through a crowd of tourists who were as sweaty and irritable as we  had become.  It was still very interesting and for the rest of our lives we can say that we have visited the Forbidden City.  Our guide, Joy, did a good job hitting the highlights and trying to keep our spirits up.  After exiting the Forbidden City, we immediately walked across Tienanmen Square.  Our guide had few words or opinions to share about the square.  Although there were hundreds of people crossing the area, nobody lingered.  A few pictures were snapped and everyone moved on.

This is a picture of Betsy and Big Sister Cassie in the Forbidden City

A most valuable lesson that we have learned is that Chinese people don’t believe in standing in line.  Everywhere we go, there is a great deal of good-natured shoving and elbowing.  The Chinese are not in the least offended by this and we have had to accept that we will be run over unless we also shove and push.

After our touring, we went back to our hotel.  We had already checked out at breakfast time.  We had an hour to grab a late lunch.  We then headed for the airport with Shiyan and two other families.  The airport was roughly an hour’s ride on the bus.  As it turned out, we hadn’t needed to hurry.  The Shanghai airport was overcrowded and all incoming flights had been temporarily postponed.  We all ended up sitting on the floor, waiting patiently.  Cassie has paired up with a little girl from Wisconsin name, Anna.  The girls were wonderful and occupied themselves by writing stories in Cassie’s journal and playing tic tac toe.  We finally arrived in Shanghai around 10:30 p.m.  From there, it was another hour’s bus ride to our hotel.  Our bus driver hadn’t figured out how to get the bus anywhere near the baggage claim.  Nor was he sure of which floor of the garage he had left the bus on.     We spent about 10 minutes riding the elevators up and down until we found the correct floor.  We ended up still having to carry all the bags down a flight of stairs to the parking lot. 

Another valuable lesson is that we all grab a few minutes of sleep whenever we can.  This is the only way that we can survive.  Some people dozed on the floor of the airport; some on the plane and others on the bus.  The children have been incredibly flexible. 

Here's Les trying to figure out how to close the glass window in the bathroom of our hotel!!

Well, very soon we will be a family of 4!

Happy Independence Day

July 4, 2010
Happy Independence Day



We are sending love to Betsy's family members who are gathering in Colorado in preparation for her Dad's funeral. Our love, thoughts and prayers are with you all. We also send a huge thanks to Susan for helping us with this blog.
We spent most of yesterday visiting the Great Wall. It was extremely hot out, but a memorable day. Many Chinese people are attracted to Cassie because of her coloring and want to have their picture taken with her. SHe has been a great sport about this. She probably enjoys all the attention. We also visited a cloissone factory, a jade factory and shop, and the pearl mall. Lots of attractions to keep the ladies and girls happy!

Today we will visit the Forbidden City. Tonight we fly to Shanghai and tomorrow we will finally welcome Lacey to hour family. We are all feeling very emotional. But, we are blessed to be traveling with other American families who are adopting and we are all able to support each other. Soon, we'll have photos of Lacey to share!

Here's a picture of Cassie and I with friends we made while climbing the Great Wall.

July 2, Later - Gotcha Day minus 3


We discovered that the hotel has a fabulous breakfast buffet. Cassie feasted on fried noodles, bok choy, pork rolls, salad, sweet breads, lunch meats and cheeses, and tea. She doesn’t like traditional American breakfasts and would like to eat this way every day.


After breakfast, we had a few hours on our own. We asked for directions to a supermarket. Either we misunderstood the directions, or the hotel clerk’s English was flawed. At any rate, we found ourselves wandering through residential neighborhoods. The city is so busy. Although cars and taxis crowd the roads, bicycles seem to be the preferred mode of transportation. Bicycles, ridden by people of all ages, carry people to work, serve as taxis, and take children to school.



As we were wandering, an older Chinese lady approached us and asked where we were from. She told us that she lived in the neighborhood and asked if we needed help. She was very happy to walk us to the local super market and explained that it opened at 8:00. We thanked her and seated ourselves outside the market with a crowd of people waiting for the doors to open. As soon as the market opened, people rushed inside and began grabbing the fresh produce. The place was well stocked, and the produce and fresh meat and seafood were amazing. We found bottled water and some snacks. Cassie is anxious to see if the Lays potato chips are the same.



Sanitation habits here are quite interesting. The interiors of buildings are immaculate. Public restrooms have fulltime cleaning staffs. As soon as one exits a stall, the cleaning lady rushes in and scrubs the toilet. Outside is another story. The pretty fountain outside our hotel smells very unpleasant (don't want to say sewage, but that'd be my guess). And, the amount of public hawking and spitting going on is amazing. We learned very quickly that it’s important to watch where we step. At the same time, there is an army of city workers whose jobs are to sweep the streets and pick up trash.



At 10:00, we had an orientation with Shiyan, who helps American families navigate through the adoption process in China, and who will travel to Shanghai and Guanzhou with us. We first discussed the details of each family’s itinerary. Then, Shiyan advised us about the children and the various reactions that we might expect during their first few days with their adoptive families. She cautioned us that they might not love us immediately, or might only bond with one family member. She recommended that we have candy and snacks to use to distract the children during the first couple days. Shiyan kindly also spoke with Cassie alone and talked to her about cultural differences that Lacey might exhibit. But, she added that she is sure Cassie will be a great role model.



Shiyan also gave us a safety briefing. We learned that Chinese cities are relatively safe because private citizens aren’t allowed to own guns. However, we were cautioned to beware of pickpockets everywhere we go. Shiyan told us how to safeguard our cameras, passports, money, etc. throughout our trip.



Next, Shiyan led us all to the Bank of China to exchange our money. We must have looked really funny walking to the bank. We were strung out for about a block behind Shiyan. Each family was toting backpacks, water bottles, children, cameras, etc. When we got to the intersection, Shiyan became very attentive. She had warned us about how reckless Chinese drivers are, with no regard for pedestrians. Shiyan stood in the middle of the intersection, with her umbrella open, waving her arms and yelling, “Go! Go!” The scene made me think of that picture book about the ducklings trying to cross the street.



Before we left the U.S., we had been carefully directed to only bring brand new bills because the Chinese are suspicious of any bills that are crinkled, torn or dirty. This was not difficult for us to accomplish because of the number of large banks in Northern Virginia . However, families from smaller towns were telling stories of what they had to go through to obtain new bills. A couple families had understanding banks who had been collecting bills for six months! Each family had forms to fill out, passports to be handed over, and incoming money to be counted and examined, bill by bill. Apparently, the Bank of China was very concerned that we Americans would slip them counterfeit dollars. Then, the exchange rate was calculated and agreed on, and the Chinese yuan were counted out and signed for. Families like us, who are going to Shanghai, had the opportunity to wire our donation directly to the orphanage. We realized that this was a great advantage as we saw families stepping away from the teller with stacks of yuan approximately eight inches high. How would you hide that in a money belt? Midway through the line of families, one of the tellers who was helping us became very agitated and started yelling at Shiyan. Shiyan pounded on the glass and yelled back. (I forgot to mention that there were glass walls separating customers from bank employees). The teller grabbed a microphone and yelled louder. Shiyan yelled even louder. All of us Americans thought, “Oh geez. Don’t tell me she found a counterfeit bill!” But no, the teller just thought that we were taking up too much time. Interesting how the extremely deliberate pace of her actions didn’t factor into that time equation.



Later, we went to a Chinese acrobatic show. It was beautifully choreographed and really made an impression on all of us. A Chinese father and his little son who were seated near us were fascinated with Cassie. We had been told that people would be attracted to her red hair. The father laughingly tried to get Cassie to go home with him. On the bus ride to and from the theater, we had the opportunity to see the Central Business District of Beijing. This part of the city has witnessed explosive growth over the past 20 years. Massive buildings fill virtually every square inch of land. It was rather overwhelming.



We had dinner in the Chinese restaurant that adjoins our hotel. The food was delicious and we learned that the seal is “for attraction only.” Cassie has named the seal, "Slippery," and has taken a couple dozen pictures of it already.

July 2...we are in China!!

 I (Susan) am posting this for my sister Betsy/Elizabeth because they don't have access to the Internet right now. They have arrived safely in China!! This is the latest news:

July 2, 2010

Made it to Beijing yesterday.  The plane ride was long, but not too bad.  The airport experience in Beijing was much more pleasant than I had anticipated.  The airport is huge, but really wasn’t too crowded.  We learned that in China, “the children and the elderly must be escorted on elevators.”  We went through customs, which was a mob scene. But, a guard pulled us out of line, asking if we were “singles” or “group.”  When he repeated his question for the third time, we understood that he was trying to separate us from the massive groups of college students who were travelling together.  I guess their visa situation is different.  The guard took us to a much shorter line.  I guess we looked different because Cassie was standing there clutching Brown Bear.  We then got our luggage and looked for our guide.  By the way, luggage carts in China are free.

I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to be met by someone holding a card with my name on it.  Let me say that there were dozens of people holding name cards, waving banners, yelling and clapping.  After a brief panic, we found a young woman holding a sign that said, “Bethany,” the name of our adoption agency.  She took us down to the parking garage where a driver was waiting to take us to our hotel.  Beijing has every bit as much traffic as Northern Virginia. We are staying at the Chang An Grand Hotel.  It is beautiful and expansive.  We were too tired to appreciate much of anything.  As a surprise, Shiyan, the Bethany employee here in Beijing, had arranged a dinner for all the American families.  There are 12 families, including us and 9 American children.  The CEO of Bethany Christian Services was in town and treated us all to a wonderful buffet dinner. 

After dinner, we wandered around the lobby for awhile.  There is a large room with various fish tanks in it.  Some are rectangular and are mounted to the wall.  Others are round and are on top of pedestals.  I could tell they held marine life and was able to recognize eels, rays, and some kind of fish.  There was also a small pool with a seal frolicking in it.  Then, an employee who was dressed like a butcher appeared.  Not sure about the seal, but I think I’ll eat vegetarian tonight.