Home again, home again, jiggity jig! Yahoo! We are home and so incredibly happy to be all together again! Liam was absolutely wonderful on ALL the flights and he is in love with his other brother and sister. Wishing I could say the same for Biscuit, but she's a tough little lab and isn't taking it personally yet.
Our internet was cut off after the last blog entry and we decided we would just wait to finish writing at home. Albeit long, our trip was really wonderful. Our guide, Connie, was fantastic. The Chinese people we met on the island and subways and around town were wonderful. The food ranged from interesting to necessary. The accommodations at the White Swan were very comfortable and pleasant. Nobody (other than Liam's ear infections) got sick. Nothing was lost or stolen (okay, the squeaky shoes went AWOL on the last day but were quickly replaced.) Truly, we have nothing but good things to write about and many things to be thankful for.
I will miss little things about China. I will miss the turn down service at the hotel and the little chocolates on our pillows. =) I will miss the little triangle folds at the end of the toilet paper and the smiles from the hotel attendants. I will miss having breakfast fixed for me each day and I will miss just getting out to walk for no reason other than to walk and be outside. I know I could do the turn down & chocolate here and I can even fold the toilet paper after I use it, but it was really nice to have someone else do that for 17 days!
I will miss the little bits of information I got about Shantou or about Chinese culture from the local people. As I have said, these are little gifts they gave without cost and they are gifts I will treasure always. How else would I know about the tea and the fruits in Shantou? How else would I know that the babies there like to have the blanket draped across their tummies and not covered in the blanket? It may seem like trivial information but when we are grasping for anything of our son's past two years, it is golden.
Our plane rides were functional and we are home so it is all good! I can't tell you how many hours we spent on tarmacs (every connection was delayed) and how difficult it is to entertain a two year old that doesn't really speak the same language and has figured out how to unbuckle the seat belts, especially when you are the window and middle seat customers. For 22 hours in the air/tarmac. BUT, truly, Liam was really, really good. He is a happy kiddo and considering this was another list of firsts for him, he did a fantastic job!
Our flights were uneventful, especially comparing the return flight to the arrival flight debacle. Unfortunately, our seats were scattered again and we were able to get two and two, ten rows apart. Both right next to the bathrooms (yuck), both with middle and window seats (ugh), and both with men who had steel bladders and slept the whole trip on the aisle seat. Like I said, we are home now and it is all good!
We landed in Newark, NJ and had to go through immigration there. With our precious sealed "brown envelope" from the U.S. Consulate with their blessings, we went through the line and little Liam James Thompson became a United States citizen at 2:42pm on September 27th. I got teary eyed and wasn't allowed to take pictures (airport regs, not Wade's) to mark the occasion. We gave him his first hugs and kisses as an American and passed through the rest of the inspections. Of course, over my shoulder I hear someone who sounded like they were rehearsing their lines for the Sopranos, using expletives and adjectives that are distinctly American...Ah, you knew that had to happen somewhere and at least it was here and not in China. Welcome to New Jersey, Welcome to America, WELCOME HOME, LIAM!
Our homecoming was absolutely wonderful!!! Greg, Caroline, Elizabeth and Mark (my brother & family) and Wade's sister, Joni was there with our nephew, Travis! It was wonderful to come around the corner and see such beautiful, happy faces waiting for us! A sweet lady (who gave Liam her blackberry to play with on the plane!) came out before us and asked our family if they were waiting for the beautiful little boy from China, which just made our family beam brighter as we rounded the corner. Liam took everyone in and let everyone coo over him, without much fuss! He was dressed in his "Proud to be an American" outfit, decked out down to the new squeaky sandals.
I will post pictures later today when I can see more than just the screen to type! mct
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Happy Moon Festival
Thirty four hours until we are flying home! Gosh, when I began this blog, I was counting the days until we left for China, coming to pick up Liam. Now we are counting the hours until we leave China and bring Liam home. As I write this, I think about all that has happened in the last two weeks...flying to Hong Kong and then Guangzhou, going to pick up Liam but having him not there, going back the next day and finally getting to hold our little guy...and that is all within the first 72 hours! We have had two weeks full of love!!! Lots of hugs, kisses and cuddles. Lots of laughter, confusion, guessing. Experimenting with the local cuisine, speaking with the locals, and seeing the world through a two year old's eyes. We will leave here with many treasures and although the trip has seemed really long, we have been richly blessed.
Today was our consulate appointment. We had no idea what to expect and apparently, it didn't even involve us! We had all our paperwork filled out ahead of time and our guide, Connie, took our paperwork to the US Consulate's office in downtown Guangzhou and delivered it. She waited while it was looked over (and approved) and then she called us to let us know everything went just fine. All we had to do was stay by the phone in case there were any questions!
Tomorrow is our oath ceremony. As I understand, we will swear that all that we have written on his paperwork is true and genuine. Somehow, all this comes together and we will have a brand new United States citizen when our plane lands at the airport in Newark on Thursday! =) We will have his Chinese passport but he will be an American citizen. How exciting!
Today was a very rainy day! There was a typhoon south of here and we have the rain from that. We did get some thunder and lightning and that was neat, especially since it came in the middle of the day. It is a very warm rain and it clears the air...and adds just a little smidge more humidity.
We had our group picture on the famous "red couch" here at the White Swan hotel. I don't know if anything makes this famous, really, but it is tradion for families to have their picture taken on the red couch before they leave, and any children of families that used the same agency. I will post our picture so you can see all the beautiful children. Looks like we didn't get the memo about dressing your child in traditional Chinese outfits. Instead, Liam is in the traditional American two year old outfit. =)
Today is the Moon Festival, or mid-Autumn festival for the Chinese. There are many lanterns out tonight and the boats cruised the river with their neon lights dancing along the outlines. The harbors and paths that follow the river are all lit up and festive. The Chinese bring oranges for good luck (like Liam's orange last night) and a moon cake, which is similar to a fruit cake where people give them but nobody really eats them. They are quite expensive and pretty looking though. The streets have been crowded with people buying their moon cakes since we got here. We thought, "hey, we'll buy one before we leave and take it home to have with the family", only to find they stopped selling them at noon today! We couldn't find a moon cake anywhere tonight!
We had dinner with a couple of families at a local cafe called Lucy's. After dinner, Liam and Mahri (pronounced the same!)played with the lights on the patio and then ran around by the harbor where we watched the neon boats float by. Liam was quiet intrigued by the dogs and cracked himself up as he chased around after them. Biscuit is in for a treat!!!
This afternoon decided to go for a walk before the rain hit but we didn't get far before the sky opened up and poured buckets of water! We were heading to a shop to exchange an outfit of Liam's. This shop is where we shopped the first day and bought his squeaky shoes. The shopkeeper is a very nice young man and he speaks wonderful English. His shop is small, maybe 12x8, but he has some art, shoes, outfits, and antiques...everything I love to shop for! Anyway, we paid for our things, exchanged the outfit and started to head out when the shopkeeper offered us his umbrella. He said we needed three and we only had two (true) and he didn't need it today and we could just return it tomorrow. That is just an example of the generosity and kindness we have experienced during our time here. Again, another treasure...
The pictures tonight are of Liam's snack (corn juice...he LOVED it!!!) and the kids all hanging on Andrew after dinner. Everyone loves Andrew! There is the red couch picture and Liam chasing (and finally, petting) the dog. mct
Today was our consulate appointment. We had no idea what to expect and apparently, it didn't even involve us! We had all our paperwork filled out ahead of time and our guide, Connie, took our paperwork to the US Consulate's office in downtown Guangzhou and delivered it. She waited while it was looked over (and approved) and then she called us to let us know everything went just fine. All we had to do was stay by the phone in case there were any questions!
Tomorrow is our oath ceremony. As I understand, we will swear that all that we have written on his paperwork is true and genuine. Somehow, all this comes together and we will have a brand new United States citizen when our plane lands at the airport in Newark on Thursday! =) We will have his Chinese passport but he will be an American citizen. How exciting!
Today was a very rainy day! There was a typhoon south of here and we have the rain from that. We did get some thunder and lightning and that was neat, especially since it came in the middle of the day. It is a very warm rain and it clears the air...and adds just a little smidge more humidity.
We had our group picture on the famous "red couch" here at the White Swan hotel. I don't know if anything makes this famous, really, but it is tradion for families to have their picture taken on the red couch before they leave, and any children of families that used the same agency. I will post our picture so you can see all the beautiful children. Looks like we didn't get the memo about dressing your child in traditional Chinese outfits. Instead, Liam is in the traditional American two year old outfit. =)
Today is the Moon Festival, or mid-Autumn festival for the Chinese. There are many lanterns out tonight and the boats cruised the river with their neon lights dancing along the outlines. The harbors and paths that follow the river are all lit up and festive. The Chinese bring oranges for good luck (like Liam's orange last night) and a moon cake, which is similar to a fruit cake where people give them but nobody really eats them. They are quite expensive and pretty looking though. The streets have been crowded with people buying their moon cakes since we got here. We thought, "hey, we'll buy one before we leave and take it home to have with the family", only to find they stopped selling them at noon today! We couldn't find a moon cake anywhere tonight!
We had dinner with a couple of families at a local cafe called Lucy's. After dinner, Liam and Mahri (pronounced the same!)played with the lights on the patio and then ran around by the harbor where we watched the neon boats float by. Liam was quiet intrigued by the dogs and cracked himself up as he chased around after them. Biscuit is in for a treat!!!
This afternoon decided to go for a walk before the rain hit but we didn't get far before the sky opened up and poured buckets of water! We were heading to a shop to exchange an outfit of Liam's. This shop is where we shopped the first day and bought his squeaky shoes. The shopkeeper is a very nice young man and he speaks wonderful English. His shop is small, maybe 12x8, but he has some art, shoes, outfits, and antiques...everything I love to shop for! Anyway, we paid for our things, exchanged the outfit and started to head out when the shopkeeper offered us his umbrella. He said we needed three and we only had two (true) and he didn't need it today and we could just return it tomorrow. That is just an example of the generosity and kindness we have experienced during our time here. Again, another treasure...
The pictures tonight are of Liam's snack (corn juice...he LOVED it!!!) and the kids all hanging on Andrew after dinner. Everyone loves Andrew! There is the red couch picture and Liam chasing (and finally, petting) the dog. mct
Monday, September 24, 2007
four days to home...
Hey Everybody,
Today we had our first experience with 'errible "errrs" ("err" or something sort of like that being the Mandarin for "two". Our littlest did not get his nap today and this was not his beloved parents decision.
We arose a smidge earlier than normal today and had a relaxed breakfast with all the usual trimmin's. After a stint in the play room with some other very nice families and their beautiful children, we put on the kiddie rucksack and headed downtown for some shoppin' and to get Andrew some promised McDonalds; that being the closest that we can come to his much missed Taco Bell ("Dad, I dreamt last night that I had two soft tacos and a nacho-cheese chalupa). The baby backpack is noticeably heavier since we first put the fourth child in it. I'm thinkin' we need to cut down on the butter flavored pretzel sticks.
Anyway, we had a great morning shopping on Up and Down street and its associated nooks and crannies. We ate at McDonald's for lunch and had the upper floor to ourselves. We didn't even have to share it with the hum of the air conditioner, as that was not turned on for the "empty level." A manager (third string) came up and noticed that we were pouring out sweat faster than we could pour bottled water in and turned on the a/c as we were finishing. No worries, as this Mickey D's also serves ice cream...
Shopping here is not, of course, the same as going to Nordstrom's. For example, bargaining is expected. Not expected by Mari, of course, but expected none the less. Mari thinks that "these poor folks are working sooooo hard, so we should pay what they think is best", while Wade says "Forty cents for this mink coat?... don't try to swindle me, you soul-less pirate!" Although it might not need to be said, Wade fits in the commercial current a little better. Another way that shopping is not like Nordstrom's is that there is no assuaging the feelings of the customer. When Mari went to buy a couple of skirts, the girl working the "store" stre-eee-ee-ched the miniscule waistband to show Mari that it would fit her. "It big enough for you" is not the greatest come-on line ever. Lastly, the display item may, in fact, be the only item. We saw a couple of things that we liked and asked for them in Andrew/Patrick/Mackenzie/American size. After the "clerk" climbed up to the attic, we were told that the "display" was the only one they had in that style/color/pattern. In order to make up for this lack of inventory, they will always offer to sell us something completely different. The customer is always right...if cured of their delusions.
We did some other shopping after lunch (just to keep our muscles loose and toned) and then decided that we should head back to get Liam down for his nap. However, apparently the incense sticks in front of the Rain Buddha worked like a champ, because the skies opened up. We bought a couple of cheap umbrellas, but they didn't keep us all dry...especially Mari, who insisted on walking through the pudddles like a school girl on her way home.
After much cajoling, singing (Mari, not Wade as we didn't want the adjoining rooms to complain), and belly-rubbing (Liam), our little man would not fall asleep. Eventually, the white flag was thrown in the crib and he was paroled to the play room.
Even two hours of tackling stuffed Patrick the Starfish and Eeyores didn't take the edge off of Liam. When we needed to meet everyone else from CHI downstairs at 1730 for our "dinner cruise", he was still up. However, just like a nuclear reactor needs some water, Little Man also needs some nap time. The nuclear meltdown, henceforth known as the Guangzhou China Syndrome, occurred just prior to boarding the bus for dinner. Not quite reaching the Earth's core (for which you should all be grateful), fission ended just about the time that the buffet was served.
Buffet, of course, is a generous term, usually calling to mind lines of affable, if somewhat underexercised, Americans lining up for their turn to spoon up the corned beef hash. Buffet on a Guangzhou dinner cruise is a full contact sport, albeit without pads. Recall Mari's previous posts about this culture's non-existent need for personal space (and the general lack of "mmmm-mmm-good" of this buffet) and this made for a wonderful gastronomic experience. However, the wonderful view of the city lights and the ecstatic pointing by Liam more than made up for the fact that the boat didn't make the Michelin Guide.
All this fussiness didn't mean that Mr. T IV didn't make lots of friends. On the elevator down to the lobby (prior to our departure) he decided to say "hello" by patting a very large Nigerian man on the crotch....a couple of times. Our smiled introductions did a lot to aid international relations. While on the dinner boat, Liam made his normal goo-goo eyes and belly laughs at our neighboring table. He also was running along the side (not a gunwale, but hey, I'm in the Air Force, what do I know about nautical terms?) of the dining area and saying "hello" (by waving this time) and smacking their table. They gave the Little Dude an orange, which is the symbol of luck for the Mid-Autumn Festival (that begins tomorrow night). No one can resist the charms of L.J. Thompson!
After we got back to the White Swan, and a warm bath, Liam was primed to go down for the count. He sang a couple of his "going to sleep songs" (which may be the Cantonese versions of "Old Susanna" or "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", who knows) and promptly crashed. We hope it is for a good long time. Mari and I bought a "delicious" bottle of Chilean merlot to enjoy while watching the artistic suffering of Andrew doing his homework...much better than "China's best" Great Wall Cabernet we had over Thanksgiving.
As we said at the top of the post, four more days. Not that we're counting...
Today we had our first experience with 'errible "errrs" ("err" or something sort of like that being the Mandarin for "two". Our littlest did not get his nap today and this was not his beloved parents decision.
We arose a smidge earlier than normal today and had a relaxed breakfast with all the usual trimmin's. After a stint in the play room with some other very nice families and their beautiful children, we put on the kiddie rucksack and headed downtown for some shoppin' and to get Andrew some promised McDonalds; that being the closest that we can come to his much missed Taco Bell ("Dad, I dreamt last night that I had two soft tacos and a nacho-cheese chalupa). The baby backpack is noticeably heavier since we first put the fourth child in it. I'm thinkin' we need to cut down on the butter flavored pretzel sticks.
Anyway, we had a great morning shopping on Up and Down street and its associated nooks and crannies. We ate at McDonald's for lunch and had the upper floor to ourselves. We didn't even have to share it with the hum of the air conditioner, as that was not turned on for the "empty level." A manager (third string) came up and noticed that we were pouring out sweat faster than we could pour bottled water in and turned on the a/c as we were finishing. No worries, as this Mickey D's also serves ice cream...
Shopping here is not, of course, the same as going to Nordstrom's. For example, bargaining is expected. Not expected by Mari, of course, but expected none the less. Mari thinks that "these poor folks are working sooooo hard, so we should pay what they think is best", while Wade says "Forty cents for this mink coat?... don't try to swindle me, you soul-less pirate!" Although it might not need to be said, Wade fits in the commercial current a little better. Another way that shopping is not like Nordstrom's is that there is no assuaging the feelings of the customer. When Mari went to buy a couple of skirts, the girl working the "store" stre-eee-ee-ched the miniscule waistband to show Mari that it would fit her. "It big enough for you" is not the greatest come-on line ever. Lastly, the display item may, in fact, be the only item. We saw a couple of things that we liked and asked for them in Andrew/Patrick/Mackenzie/American size. After the "clerk" climbed up to the attic, we were told that the "display" was the only one they had in that style/color/pattern. In order to make up for this lack of inventory, they will always offer to sell us something completely different. The customer is always right...if cured of their delusions.
We did some other shopping after lunch (just to keep our muscles loose and toned) and then decided that we should head back to get Liam down for his nap. However, apparently the incense sticks in front of the Rain Buddha worked like a champ, because the skies opened up. We bought a couple of cheap umbrellas, but they didn't keep us all dry...especially Mari, who insisted on walking through the pudddles like a school girl on her way home.
After much cajoling, singing (Mari, not Wade as we didn't want the adjoining rooms to complain), and belly-rubbing (Liam), our little man would not fall asleep. Eventually, the white flag was thrown in the crib and he was paroled to the play room.
Even two hours of tackling stuffed Patrick the Starfish and Eeyores didn't take the edge off of Liam. When we needed to meet everyone else from CHI downstairs at 1730 for our "dinner cruise", he was still up. However, just like a nuclear reactor needs some water, Little Man also needs some nap time. The nuclear meltdown, henceforth known as the Guangzhou China Syndrome, occurred just prior to boarding the bus for dinner. Not quite reaching the Earth's core (for which you should all be grateful), fission ended just about the time that the buffet was served.
Buffet, of course, is a generous term, usually calling to mind lines of affable, if somewhat underexercised, Americans lining up for their turn to spoon up the corned beef hash. Buffet on a Guangzhou dinner cruise is a full contact sport, albeit without pads. Recall Mari's previous posts about this culture's non-existent need for personal space (and the general lack of "mmmm-mmm-good" of this buffet) and this made for a wonderful gastronomic experience. However, the wonderful view of the city lights and the ecstatic pointing by Liam more than made up for the fact that the boat didn't make the Michelin Guide.
All this fussiness didn't mean that Mr. T IV didn't make lots of friends. On the elevator down to the lobby (prior to our departure) he decided to say "hello" by patting a very large Nigerian man on the crotch....a couple of times. Our smiled introductions did a lot to aid international relations. While on the dinner boat, Liam made his normal goo-goo eyes and belly laughs at our neighboring table. He also was running along the side (not a gunwale, but hey, I'm in the Air Force, what do I know about nautical terms?) of the dining area and saying "hello" (by waving this time) and smacking their table. They gave the Little Dude an orange, which is the symbol of luck for the Mid-Autumn Festival (that begins tomorrow night). No one can resist the charms of L.J. Thompson!
After we got back to the White Swan, and a warm bath, Liam was primed to go down for the count. He sang a couple of his "going to sleep songs" (which may be the Cantonese versions of "Old Susanna" or "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", who knows) and promptly crashed. We hope it is for a good long time. Mari and I bought a "delicious" bottle of Chilean merlot to enjoy while watching the artistic suffering of Andrew doing his homework...much better than "China's best" Great Wall Cabernet we had over Thanksgiving.
As we said at the top of the post, four more days. Not that we're counting...
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lions & Tigers & Bears! Oh, My!
The Safari Zoo Park was a blast! It is located in the center of Guangzhou, about a forty five minute bus ride from our hotel. Our guide told us Guangdong Province is the wealthiest province in China and it is also the first province allowed to have regulations lifted (or lighter) for trade. Because of this, it is wealthier and the people like to give back to their community so everyone can enjoy. The Safari park is owned by a man who was once a butcher. He did really well with the meat and then bought some companies, did well with trade, then bought the Safari Park. There are great exhibits of koalas, pandas, bears, giraffes, rhinos, tigers, lions, kangaroos, and many other animals. When I say great, I mean really great! There were prides,herds, packs, pods, schools, gaggles, you name it! It was really interesting to see so many of each animal together.
The weather today was overcast and very humid. By the time we got to the park, an hour and a half later (the driver got lost), it began to rain. It was a light mist, which continued to get heavier as the morning wore on. It didn't seem to bother anyone though as it cooled us all down~even the animals! By the time we left though, it was a torrential downpour and we were all soaked to the bone!
We took a trolley through the park, where camels, emus and yaks came to see us, up close and personal. It was really neat until we were face to face with a lopsided camel...but he didn't spit as we were expecting him to do. The trolley wound through the maze, where we passed all kinds of animals in somewhat of their natural habitat.
When the ride was over, we got to walk the rest of the park, where we saw how they take care of the baby white tigers, a few tiger cubs being trained, the quest to save the panda, how koalas are born, and Maori dancers (or so we assumed.) Andrew got to feed elephants some bananas~Did you know they eat the banana complete with peel? We got a first hand and personal show of how this is done. =)
Liam absolutely loved the animals! We had a feeling he would as he gets excited when they are on the television. He quite liked the lions and tigers, and tried to imitate the lions deep roar, which was directed at us by the king of the pride as we rode by. He also really liked the monkeys (now, who doesn't?) and the brown bear cubs. The whole park was set up so nicely and it was a wonderful way to spend the day! Apparently, many other Chinese families thought the same thing because it was very crowded there, but it was wonderful to see so many families enjoying each other. Many times when the Chinese come out, the grandparents are with them and it is beautiful to see several generations enjoying an outing together.
Lunch was at one of the little cafes (near the Australian animals) and by the time we got up to the serving line, many things were gone. Everything was written in Chinese, with no pictures, so Wade and Andrew pointed to something that looked like a hamburger. We brought them, and what tasted like sweet tea, back to our table amidst the stares and curiosity seekers. Like I have mentioned before, they don't really hide the fact they are talking about us because they know we don't understand, but it is disconcerting. Fortunately, Liam has figured out how to charm everyone as he starts to wave and barks his "HI" when people look at him. It is pretty darn cute! I think the Chinese people are just curious about us as we are culturally different. I think they want to make sure we are taking good care of one of theirs, and want to learn more about us and our daily activities. As I have also mentioned, once we smile and make eye contact, everyone is very nice and many are very kind and genuine. We are getting used to the stares and having Chinese people watch us eat...just in time for us to leave!
I have digressed. The boys thought they were getting hamburgers and it was somewhat of a hamburger patty but chickeny-fish, deep fried. It had some sauce and pickle and lettuce and tomato, and looked like a hamburger. I got a couple shots of Andrew and Liam as they ate the mystery lunch. There was a bakery right next door so I got a yummy pastry of some sort...it was just bread but had a filling of what seemed to be butter, sugar and coconut blended together. Very yummy, no calories, I'm sure because I don't know what it was! =) Isn't that how it works? Anyway, it was a fun afternoon!
The sun finally came out around 4:30, just for a peek hello, then the rain returned. I know we could use the rain, if nothing else, to clear the air! We went to a new restaurant tonight, one we've seen from the bus. It is along the Pearl River and has a beautiful outdoor patio. It sprinkled as we walked there but poured once we were there. Obviously, no patio seating, so they put us in a little room off the main dining room with another Chinese family (again, grandma, grandpa, husband, wife, child.) We ordered about four different dishes to try and it was very tasty...kind of Thai/Vietnamese type food. We were the only Caucasians there so that was a treat, and quite a feat, considering how many are here in the city right now!
Tomorrow we'll do some shopping in the morning and we have a Pearl River dinner cruise in the evening. Tomorrow I will tell more about shopping and how fun it is for me to walk into a store and have them bring out size XXXL and tell me "look, it stretches to fit you." No kidding, it happened in several stores. Shopping is always a humorous experience so I'll elaborate more tomorrow. mct
The weather today was overcast and very humid. By the time we got to the park, an hour and a half later (the driver got lost), it began to rain. It was a light mist, which continued to get heavier as the morning wore on. It didn't seem to bother anyone though as it cooled us all down~even the animals! By the time we left though, it was a torrential downpour and we were all soaked to the bone!
We took a trolley through the park, where camels, emus and yaks came to see us, up close and personal. It was really neat until we were face to face with a lopsided camel...but he didn't spit as we were expecting him to do. The trolley wound through the maze, where we passed all kinds of animals in somewhat of their natural habitat.
When the ride was over, we got to walk the rest of the park, where we saw how they take care of the baby white tigers, a few tiger cubs being trained, the quest to save the panda, how koalas are born, and Maori dancers (or so we assumed.) Andrew got to feed elephants some bananas~Did you know they eat the banana complete with peel? We got a first hand and personal show of how this is done. =)
Liam absolutely loved the animals! We had a feeling he would as he gets excited when they are on the television. He quite liked the lions and tigers, and tried to imitate the lions deep roar, which was directed at us by the king of the pride as we rode by. He also really liked the monkeys (now, who doesn't?) and the brown bear cubs. The whole park was set up so nicely and it was a wonderful way to spend the day! Apparently, many other Chinese families thought the same thing because it was very crowded there, but it was wonderful to see so many families enjoying each other. Many times when the Chinese come out, the grandparents are with them and it is beautiful to see several generations enjoying an outing together.
Lunch was at one of the little cafes (near the Australian animals) and by the time we got up to the serving line, many things were gone. Everything was written in Chinese, with no pictures, so Wade and Andrew pointed to something that looked like a hamburger. We brought them, and what tasted like sweet tea, back to our table amidst the stares and curiosity seekers. Like I have mentioned before, they don't really hide the fact they are talking about us because they know we don't understand, but it is disconcerting. Fortunately, Liam has figured out how to charm everyone as he starts to wave and barks his "HI" when people look at him. It is pretty darn cute! I think the Chinese people are just curious about us as we are culturally different. I think they want to make sure we are taking good care of one of theirs, and want to learn more about us and our daily activities. As I have also mentioned, once we smile and make eye contact, everyone is very nice and many are very kind and genuine. We are getting used to the stares and having Chinese people watch us eat...just in time for us to leave!
I have digressed. The boys thought they were getting hamburgers and it was somewhat of a hamburger patty but chickeny-fish, deep fried. It had some sauce and pickle and lettuce and tomato, and looked like a hamburger. I got a couple shots of Andrew and Liam as they ate the mystery lunch. There was a bakery right next door so I got a yummy pastry of some sort...it was just bread but had a filling of what seemed to be butter, sugar and coconut blended together. Very yummy, no calories, I'm sure because I don't know what it was! =) Isn't that how it works? Anyway, it was a fun afternoon!
The sun finally came out around 4:30, just for a peek hello, then the rain returned. I know we could use the rain, if nothing else, to clear the air! We went to a new restaurant tonight, one we've seen from the bus. It is along the Pearl River and has a beautiful outdoor patio. It sprinkled as we walked there but poured once we were there. Obviously, no patio seating, so they put us in a little room off the main dining room with another Chinese family (again, grandma, grandpa, husband, wife, child.) We ordered about four different dishes to try and it was very tasty...kind of Thai/Vietnamese type food. We were the only Caucasians there so that was a treat, and quite a feat, considering how many are here in the city right now!
Tomorrow we'll do some shopping in the morning and we have a Pearl River dinner cruise in the evening. Tomorrow I will tell more about shopping and how fun it is for me to walk into a store and have them bring out size XXXL and tell me "look, it stretches to fit you." No kidding, it happened in several stores. Shopping is always a humorous experience so I'll elaborate more tomorrow. mct
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Is There a Doctor in the House?
Breakfast buffet anyone? Playroom time anyone? That seems to be how we start each day...feasting, watching boats and meeting new families. Today was no exception~
While Andrew worked on homework in the room, Wade and Liam wrestled and had a grand time playing. We all came upstairs to the room to check on Roo and to get ready for our lunch but Liam wasn't done playing...he and Wade continued to play and goof around when Liam just began to cry! We couldn't figure out what was wrong! Did he just "hit the wall"? Did his fingers get pinched? His left arm hung limply to the side and he just kept crying! We took off his clothes, checked him out, tried to get him to take something with his left hand...nothing! We scooped him up and went downstairs to the clinic and explained the situation to the doctor. He checked his wrist: fine. Fingers: fine. Shoulder: fine. Elbow: out of joint!! He massaged Liam's elbow and then popped it back into place. It was wild! Little Man cried huge tears and was trying so hard to be brave as he bit his lower lip...it broke my heart! This doctor was so sweet and felt so bad having a crying baby and a crying mama at his table. He gave Liam a toy to play with, which Liam grabbed with his left hand and everything was good...until he had to give the toy back! =) Me? I got a kind smile and a tissue.
As if that weren't enough trauma for the Mama, we called home to talk to Patrick and Mackenzie this morning and Mac mentions Patrick's on crutches. "Crutches? Why? What happened?" Mac, in the dry way only Mac can answer, says, "Patrick wouldn't eat his vegetables and Grandma got tired of it." Ha! Actually, he apparently hurt his knee in the football game on Wednesday, it got worse on Thursday and by Friday he had crutches. When everyone is awake back home, we'll call again and see how it is. I looked at Andrew and told him I may have to wrap him in bubble wrap for the day because it breaks my heart to have my kiddos getting hurt, no matter how big they are!
Now that Liam was all fixed up and ready to go, we met our guide, Connie, and Abby's family and went for a Dim Sum lunch. As you know, Dim Sum is Chinese for appetizers, so Connie ordered a bunch of local appetizers for us to try. We were a little nervous entering the restaurant as it was the same main door that we went through for our "Fear Factor" lunch just last week, but this was a different restaurant and very nice. We had many local specialities, including fried chicken feet (she ordered that special for Andrew) and some other tasty delicacies. There was a local broccoli type thing (good) and some dumpling things (good) and a congealed shrimp thing (fair) and a pork fat wrap (passed on that one.) There was a yummy date finger food (loved that but only three little triangles came to the table so I couldn't hog them) and a noodle dish with beef. All in all, it was a very good meal. It was served with all the Oolong tea we could drink and a sesame gooey cookie to finish.
The boys had a long afternoon nap while Wade did Liam's paperwork for the US Embassy. I was able to catch up on some emails and work on the journal. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon (well, maybe not so for Wade.) When the boys woke up, we went for a stroll, got a Starbucks (can you see my smile from here?)and went to play at the park again. Dinner was a local "American" type diner, where we had something that resembled hamburgers and fries. I don't know if we willed them to taste like home or they actually did, but either way, it was a nice dinner.
Tomorrow we have an early day as we're going to the Zoo and a Safari place. I don't know if they are one in the same or not but it sounds like fun! We are having a nice time here but I am glad we are within counting days of coming home! =)
Today's pictures are of Wade, Andrew and Liam playing and Andrew eating the chicken feet (knuckles and all) at lunch. Have a wonderful weekend! mct
While Andrew worked on homework in the room, Wade and Liam wrestled and had a grand time playing. We all came upstairs to the room to check on Roo and to get ready for our lunch but Liam wasn't done playing...he and Wade continued to play and goof around when Liam just began to cry! We couldn't figure out what was wrong! Did he just "hit the wall"? Did his fingers get pinched? His left arm hung limply to the side and he just kept crying! We took off his clothes, checked him out, tried to get him to take something with his left hand...nothing! We scooped him up and went downstairs to the clinic and explained the situation to the doctor. He checked his wrist: fine. Fingers: fine. Shoulder: fine. Elbow: out of joint!! He massaged Liam's elbow and then popped it back into place. It was wild! Little Man cried huge tears and was trying so hard to be brave as he bit his lower lip...it broke my heart! This doctor was so sweet and felt so bad having a crying baby and a crying mama at his table. He gave Liam a toy to play with, which Liam grabbed with his left hand and everything was good...until he had to give the toy back! =) Me? I got a kind smile and a tissue.
As if that weren't enough trauma for the Mama, we called home to talk to Patrick and Mackenzie this morning and Mac mentions Patrick's on crutches. "Crutches? Why? What happened?" Mac, in the dry way only Mac can answer, says, "Patrick wouldn't eat his vegetables and Grandma got tired of it." Ha! Actually, he apparently hurt his knee in the football game on Wednesday, it got worse on Thursday and by Friday he had crutches. When everyone is awake back home, we'll call again and see how it is. I looked at Andrew and told him I may have to wrap him in bubble wrap for the day because it breaks my heart to have my kiddos getting hurt, no matter how big they are!
Now that Liam was all fixed up and ready to go, we met our guide, Connie, and Abby's family and went for a Dim Sum lunch. As you know, Dim Sum is Chinese for appetizers, so Connie ordered a bunch of local appetizers for us to try. We were a little nervous entering the restaurant as it was the same main door that we went through for our "Fear Factor" lunch just last week, but this was a different restaurant and very nice. We had many local specialities, including fried chicken feet (she ordered that special for Andrew) and some other tasty delicacies. There was a local broccoli type thing (good) and some dumpling things (good) and a congealed shrimp thing (fair) and a pork fat wrap (passed on that one.) There was a yummy date finger food (loved that but only three little triangles came to the table so I couldn't hog them) and a noodle dish with beef. All in all, it was a very good meal. It was served with all the Oolong tea we could drink and a sesame gooey cookie to finish.
The boys had a long afternoon nap while Wade did Liam's paperwork for the US Embassy. I was able to catch up on some emails and work on the journal. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon (well, maybe not so for Wade.) When the boys woke up, we went for a stroll, got a Starbucks (can you see my smile from here?)and went to play at the park again. Dinner was a local "American" type diner, where we had something that resembled hamburgers and fries. I don't know if we willed them to taste like home or they actually did, but either way, it was a nice dinner.
Tomorrow we have an early day as we're going to the Zoo and a Safari place. I don't know if they are one in the same or not but it sounds like fun! We are having a nice time here but I am glad we are within counting days of coming home! =)
Today's pictures are of Wade, Andrew and Liam playing and Andrew eating the chicken feet (knuckles and all) at lunch. Have a wonderful weekend! mct
Friday, September 21, 2007
Where is the Meaow, Meaow?
Today was literally a walk in the park! After the feast breaking our fast (ha!) we went for a little walk around the island. We have done this many times but today our mission was to find the Catholic Church here. We headed out the main alley way and dropped off laundry, then took a right and went through the Esplanade. There we saw three grandmas with their (three) beautiful grandchildren. The children were about Liam's age, maybe a little older, and they were looking for a cat. We caught the language ("meaow, meaow"...I know, we're clever) and joined it. It was so neat to see the kids happy to be with Liam and him happy to tag along, looking for meaow, meaow. This hunt took them through the mazes of neatly trimmed bushes that outline the Esplanade, and they went over and under the bushes, calling for the cat. It was precious! Wade and I were grateful they didn't actually find the cat as he looked rather sickly and not very friendly. After a while, the three little ones and their grandmas went inside the kindergarten building and Liam went up to Andrew's arms.
We continued our walk down a few more blocks and found the sweetest church! It is named Our Lady of Lourdes and was built in 1892 by the French. The gate was closed but not locked. We took some pictures and thought we may try to come back to it another day and maybe it will be open then. I am so glad we saw this!
Because we spent yesterday out and about and away from the hotel, we decided to stay closer to home today~and I am grateful we did as our little guy had a super long nap and all we could do was join him! =) Just what the doctor ordered~a great nap and smiles all around. Sometimes there is nothing better than a nap.
Wade and Andrew decided to check out the ancient art of massage this afternoon. They came back like putty~totally relaxed and very happy. Liam and I were like putty, totally relaxed and very happy because we went swimming! This kid has no fear of the water and was putting his head under to find the leaves that went in the pool. I know my dad will be happy to have his little "skimmer" swim in their pool, won't you Dad? I have a massage appointment for tomorrow. Wade said there were other services, such as blood letting and foot reconstruction...I think I'll stick to the ol' back rub and foot rub, thank you very much. And I know if Andrew takes Liam swimming, he'll be a very happy camper.
We had dinner at one of our favorite places here, "The Cow and Bridge." I know it sounds appetizing =), but it is really good Thai food. The waitstaff is so kind to Liam and it is an easy walk from the hotel. After dinner we walked around a bit and the cutest little Chinese girl, age 13, came up and asked if she could speak to Andrew in English! She was just a doll, not only physically beautiful but her personality just sparkled and she was so happy to be practicing her (very good) English with Roo! Her mother was very kind, too, and I will enclose one of their pictures in our picture post. The people here are so genuine and I am so glad we have had this extra time to get to know some of the locals. The girl's mother is one of the shopkeepers (she sells calligraphy signs so we may be heading to buy one tomorrow!) and we had met her on our first day here. The different shop keepers remember Liam and tell us things about his hometown, the agriculture there, some words from their dialect, their produce,facts about the university there. It is as if they are all giving us a little gift to take with us, something from their heart and something they know we will treasure and pass on.
As we continued our walk, we came to a park on the Esplanade. It is a combination of children's park and adult athletic stations. There are a couple of pebble paths that surround the park (about a half block long) for people to stand/walk on barefoot (and then they head to the massage therapist, I'm guessing). It is pretty to look at and obviously functional. Liam found some new buddies at the park tonight and had a blast on the slide! There is a playground at his orphanage and that must have been a highlight each day for him because he knew exactly what to do and what he wanted to do! There were many children with their parents and grandparents and they were all very friendly to us as well. A genuine smile is the same in any language, isn't it?
Andrew and Wade headed to the arcade for a little "Dad & Dude" time and Liam and I came back to the hotel for a bath and bed. Today's pictures will be of the Church, looking for the cat and time at the park! mct
We continued our walk down a few more blocks and found the sweetest church! It is named Our Lady of Lourdes and was built in 1892 by the French. The gate was closed but not locked. We took some pictures and thought we may try to come back to it another day and maybe it will be open then. I am so glad we saw this!
Because we spent yesterday out and about and away from the hotel, we decided to stay closer to home today~and I am grateful we did as our little guy had a super long nap and all we could do was join him! =) Just what the doctor ordered~a great nap and smiles all around. Sometimes there is nothing better than a nap.
Wade and Andrew decided to check out the ancient art of massage this afternoon. They came back like putty~totally relaxed and very happy. Liam and I were like putty, totally relaxed and very happy because we went swimming! This kid has no fear of the water and was putting his head under to find the leaves that went in the pool. I know my dad will be happy to have his little "skimmer" swim in their pool, won't you Dad? I have a massage appointment for tomorrow. Wade said there were other services, such as blood letting and foot reconstruction...I think I'll stick to the ol' back rub and foot rub, thank you very much. And I know if Andrew takes Liam swimming, he'll be a very happy camper.
We had dinner at one of our favorite places here, "The Cow and Bridge." I know it sounds appetizing =), but it is really good Thai food. The waitstaff is so kind to Liam and it is an easy walk from the hotel. After dinner we walked around a bit and the cutest little Chinese girl, age 13, came up and asked if she could speak to Andrew in English! She was just a doll, not only physically beautiful but her personality just sparkled and she was so happy to be practicing her (very good) English with Roo! Her mother was very kind, too, and I will enclose one of their pictures in our picture post. The people here are so genuine and I am so glad we have had this extra time to get to know some of the locals. The girl's mother is one of the shopkeepers (she sells calligraphy signs so we may be heading to buy one tomorrow!) and we had met her on our first day here. The different shop keepers remember Liam and tell us things about his hometown, the agriculture there, some words from their dialect, their produce,facts about the university there. It is as if they are all giving us a little gift to take with us, something from their heart and something they know we will treasure and pass on.
As we continued our walk, we came to a park on the Esplanade. It is a combination of children's park and adult athletic stations. There are a couple of pebble paths that surround the park (about a half block long) for people to stand/walk on barefoot (and then they head to the massage therapist, I'm guessing). It is pretty to look at and obviously functional. Liam found some new buddies at the park tonight and had a blast on the slide! There is a playground at his orphanage and that must have been a highlight each day for him because he knew exactly what to do and what he wanted to do! There were many children with their parents and grandparents and they were all very friendly to us as well. A genuine smile is the same in any language, isn't it?
Andrew and Wade headed to the arcade for a little "Dad & Dude" time and Liam and I came back to the hotel for a bath and bed. Today's pictures will be of the Church, looking for the cat and time at the park! mct
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Trains, Subways, Cabs & A Trip "Around the World"
Today was a fantastic day! The weather was the same (hot, humid, hazy) and the breakfast was the same (yummy!) but we decided to do something different. Wade found on the internet that the train station isn't too far from the hotel and there is a place called "Windows of the World" in a city called Shenzhen, just west of HongKong.We figured it would be a nice day trip, within our province, and something to get us out of the hotel. We called Abby's family to see if they wanted to join us (they did!) and we took a shuttle to the train station, a train to Shenzhen and then a metro to the theme park.
Windows of the World is a theme park in the sense that there is a park with a theme (exhibits) but no rides. The theme is obviously, "around the world" and there are reproductions on different scales, about 1:1.5, of the beautiful monuments and buildings around the world. The main attraction is the Eiffel Tower (complete with Christmas tree decorations!) but there are different lands that you walk through that have attractions & monuments from all over...St. Peter's Square, Ayers Rock, the Taj Mahal, the Cologne Cathedral, St. Mark's Square, Arc de Triumph,Pisa Cathedral and Leaning Tower, the Matterhorn, the Tower of Babel,Asian things (I don't know what they are) etc...There were kitchy things like a gondola ride in the lake, riding the elevator up a couple stories in the Eiffel Tower, and snowboarding at the Matterhorn. There was even a ten foot mono-rail! It was similar (in a B+ sort of way) to walking around Busch Gardens Europe without the rides. We thought it was an interesting way to bring the world to those that can't travel as easily as others. It certainly wasn't stroller friendly, nor was it inexpensive, but it was a wonderful insight into the Chinese teaching about the rest of the world and what it has to offer. The detail on the monuments was incredible! They used marble, iron, and inlay~very realistic and authentic looking. It was spectacular to see and a treat to find it here on our trip.
Andrew feels he hit the lottery as he got to snowboard today! It was a hundred degrees outside and he was snowboarding in Southern China! He and Abby's big sister, Ericka, rented snowboards and a jacket and went down the indoor snow mound a few times. It was fun to see them laugh and just be teenagers~and the exhilirating glows from the snow and cool breeze made them light up like the sun. It was a wonderful afternoon!
As always, meals were interesting. We ordered something of a fried rice and tofu for lunch at a restaurant outside the train station. Little Man, of course, ate half my lunch and part of Roo's, plus the Miso soup. Because our travels brought us home so late, we had to grab a yogurt at a 7-11 (yes, they have them here!) and have that with our powerbars. Even Liam (my little swimmer, remember!) loves power bars, but for him, they are just a snack.
We have met the nicest people! Abby and Liam were in their strollers for the subway rides (half hour each way) and out of the strollers, on our laps, for the train ride (an hour each way) and they called attention, not only from being so darn cute, but because they have Anglo/American parents. Another cultural difference is the Chinese have no qualms about talking about us or the children in front of us, knowing we don't speak Cantonese. Whatever differences we have politically and spiritually, the truth is they are just like us and can't help but smile when they see a sweet child. Once we made eye contact and just smiled, it is like their shell was thrown from them and they didn't feel the need to stare or talk about us, but to us and the children. The kiddos, of course, commanded smiles and laughter and got it from everyone around. It makes me sad that their government allows them only one child and you know, now that we are here, I see it seems to make them sad, too. The people follow their rules but they all seem to have soft spots for the beautiful children and we will all come home with memories of the kindness of the locals and the smiles that Liam and Abby brought out of complete strangers.
Tomorrow has nothing exciting on the agenda. I am learning "exciting" is a relative term as every day is exciting to our little Liam and every day is exciting to Andrew, who has gained so much knowlege about adoptions, love from the very bottom of your heart and life on this trip. I know he has learned from the sweet older people we visit with and the local shop keepers, in addition to the guided tours. A lesson in life...that we are all here because of His love and that is all He asks of us in return. It really doesn't matter where in His beautiful world you live, the message is the same, to love one another. Although we teach that, I know Andrew knows that, he is seeing truly that love has no boundaries. Okay, time for me to get off my soapbox and scoot to bed.
The pictures today will be from our trip around the world! =) mct
Windows of the World is a theme park in the sense that there is a park with a theme (exhibits) but no rides. The theme is obviously, "around the world" and there are reproductions on different scales, about 1:1.5, of the beautiful monuments and buildings around the world. The main attraction is the Eiffel Tower (complete with Christmas tree decorations!) but there are different lands that you walk through that have attractions & monuments from all over...St. Peter's Square, Ayers Rock, the Taj Mahal, the Cologne Cathedral, St. Mark's Square, Arc de Triumph,Pisa Cathedral and Leaning Tower, the Matterhorn, the Tower of Babel,Asian things (I don't know what they are) etc...There were kitchy things like a gondola ride in the lake, riding the elevator up a couple stories in the Eiffel Tower, and snowboarding at the Matterhorn. There was even a ten foot mono-rail! It was similar (in a B+ sort of way) to walking around Busch Gardens Europe without the rides. We thought it was an interesting way to bring the world to those that can't travel as easily as others. It certainly wasn't stroller friendly, nor was it inexpensive, but it was a wonderful insight into the Chinese teaching about the rest of the world and what it has to offer. The detail on the monuments was incredible! They used marble, iron, and inlay~very realistic and authentic looking. It was spectacular to see and a treat to find it here on our trip.
Andrew feels he hit the lottery as he got to snowboard today! It was a hundred degrees outside and he was snowboarding in Southern China! He and Abby's big sister, Ericka, rented snowboards and a jacket and went down the indoor snow mound a few times. It was fun to see them laugh and just be teenagers~and the exhilirating glows from the snow and cool breeze made them light up like the sun. It was a wonderful afternoon!
As always, meals were interesting. We ordered something of a fried rice and tofu for lunch at a restaurant outside the train station. Little Man, of course, ate half my lunch and part of Roo's, plus the Miso soup. Because our travels brought us home so late, we had to grab a yogurt at a 7-11 (yes, they have them here!) and have that with our powerbars. Even Liam (my little swimmer, remember!) loves power bars, but for him, they are just a snack.
We have met the nicest people! Abby and Liam were in their strollers for the subway rides (half hour each way) and out of the strollers, on our laps, for the train ride (an hour each way) and they called attention, not only from being so darn cute, but because they have Anglo/American parents. Another cultural difference is the Chinese have no qualms about talking about us or the children in front of us, knowing we don't speak Cantonese. Whatever differences we have politically and spiritually, the truth is they are just like us and can't help but smile when they see a sweet child. Once we made eye contact and just smiled, it is like their shell was thrown from them and they didn't feel the need to stare or talk about us, but to us and the children. The kiddos, of course, commanded smiles and laughter and got it from everyone around. It makes me sad that their government allows them only one child and you know, now that we are here, I see it seems to make them sad, too. The people follow their rules but they all seem to have soft spots for the beautiful children and we will all come home with memories of the kindness of the locals and the smiles that Liam and Abby brought out of complete strangers.
Tomorrow has nothing exciting on the agenda. I am learning "exciting" is a relative term as every day is exciting to our little Liam and every day is exciting to Andrew, who has gained so much knowlege about adoptions, love from the very bottom of your heart and life on this trip. I know he has learned from the sweet older people we visit with and the local shop keepers, in addition to the guided tours. A lesson in life...that we are all here because of His love and that is all He asks of us in return. It really doesn't matter where in His beautiful world you live, the message is the same, to love one another. Although we teach that, I know Andrew knows that, he is seeing truly that love has no boundaries. Okay, time for me to get off my soapbox and scoot to bed.
The pictures today will be from our trip around the world! =) mct
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
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