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.