This trip to China has been an answer to prayer. I want to thank all of you who prayed for us and all of you who read along and those who wrote and encouraged. I truly enjoyed journal writing, even though some entries took hours due to slow networks and lost connections. I'm very glad to have this to look back on because of my short term memory! I am in awe of how God orchestrated this adoption and this little boy into our lives. He has such resilience, sweetness and a magnanimous heart. I feel so blessed to be his mommy.
Our plans were to go to Macau last night with ShiLiang but those plans were halted. We discovered, through our adoption facilitator, Yu Lei can't leave China and come back in because he is in a grey area. His Chinese passport is not valid because he has been adopted and has received his American visa to get into America and have his citizenship processed. So he can leave and go to US but he can't leave and come back without an American passport. But we will take this hassle over our last week's medical hassle.
So our day today was back to Shamain, more gift stores and a walk down Qing Ping spice and animal market. Because of the slow down in adoptions due to the more stringent requirements and the most tedious process the shops around the island are hungry for shoppers. Again we did well on the bargaining. We started of at Lucy's restaurant. They offer American cuisine and the kids were happy. We ate outside and watched the people dressed up as Japanese anime characters be photographed. Lydia was happy with her pesto and Lei Lei is quite fond of french fries. Good food but American prices.
Crossing the overpass to the Market there was an older man a with limb difference sitting next to his cane with an offering can. He was there the other day when we crossed and we put some RMB in his can. Such a kind looking man with a life I am certain is difficult. There are so few obviously disabled people in China, which is why special needs adoptions are on the rise and which is why soon these will be the only adoptions China allows. Because of the one child policy these are the children abandoned and the children filling the orphanages. This man was such a huge reminder to me this could have been our Yu Lei. He's not physically "normal" and when his disability is noticed by one person there is no discretion in their reaction. People don't hesitate to stare and point and share with others and point and gesture and talk some more. So Meggie and I gave to the old man generously as did the little girls and I the other day when we came across a young man with a limb difference and a facial birthmark(or burn, I couldn't tell) singing in the street for money. He wasn't a very strong singer but he was trying so hard and my heart went out to him. I didn't know if he grew up in an orphanage and now was on his own or if he had a family, probably not.
The market is full of strong odors, very pungent and mostly unrecognizable. There are stalls after stalls of the same herbs and plants and we settled on some vials of saffron. We were on a search for an ice cream store I had read about that won awards for their cocunut and mango ice cream.
Leo and I woke up early(9:00 :0) and went walking down the river path. Our evenings have been so incredibly late. Right now it's 11:44 and the little kids are just getting to sleep. Night life is when everything happens around here. It is so easy to go out and stay out because shops are open until well after 10:00. Our dinner time at home is late, but here it is easily after 9 when we eat. So, yes, 9 AM is early for us. Leo and I walked for a couple of hours and discovered a big water park on the river and a playground with rides the littles might enjoy. The path is a morning meeting place for grandparents and baby grandchildren, chorus's of people singing, masters teaching marshal arts, dance classes practicing ballroom dancing, Chinese traditional dancing and dancers exercising to individuals singing pop songs enjoyed by the older Chinese sector. There are runners, walkers and bikers. So many middle age and elderly people. So many people!
Once we got home the kids were ready to move so we all took off to discover the Island across the river. On the map it looked like it was an island of parks. We thought we'd go over there, have some lunch and maybe go to the art museum. Well much of the Island ended up being behind walls of construction and though there definitely was a lot of park, it was hot and not much for restaurants. What was there was expensive and catered to the wealthy business man not a family of 8. It was eerie in that there were no people walking around the parks. It all looked fairly new and not many mature plants but it was abundant in parks. We walked past gated communities which must be the richest of Guangzhou, still no stores or restaurants or people until we got off the island. And never have we been in a place in China where the streets are empty. It was a long hot walk and a strange experience. Again Yu Lei amazes us. He walks and walks and walks. He must think this is part of being in a family and he goes along with it all without complaining. Occasionally he will ask to be carried and we do for a time, but he's a big boy and not easy to carry for much of a distance. He never complains...unlike our precious Lydia who always complains. But even she has been a trooper this trip. I would have to say out of all of us she is the one most anxious to get home and back to the familiar. She thrives on routine and she and even Eva recently, are ready to be home. Lei Lei is really sensitive to others moods and emotions. He really looks after Lydia and lets me know when she looks upset or will rush to her with the umbrella when she looks hot and tired. Such a treasure of a boy and an answer to prayer.
On our way home we stopped at a park with rides for the little kids and then headed home to meet Lee to get the last of our paperwork. Finally, all will be complete. What a process this has been! I can't believe it is over. Thank God!
The big kids went out and got Pizza Hut for dinner, we did a little more shopping and brought QQ tea for everyone on our way home.
We had to be ready to go to the American Consulate at 2:30 and having the morning free decided to spend it on Shamain Island, where we stayed our last two adoptions. We took taxis over there and enjoyed wandering the area stopping in all the shops. Shamain is where the American Consulate use to be located and so all adoption families would stay there. Because of this there are so many shops: Jordan's Place, Emma's Place, Peter's Place, Jennifer's Place, and more, and all cater to adoption families. We bargained heavily because if you wanted something and didn't get a dirt cheap deal you could go next door and try again. There were so many knock-off products and we could bargain those by winking and saying, "copy", recalling our shoe store salesman who sold us the "Nike's" and Simon's backroom Air Jordan's. We had a lot of fun buying gifts and fun souvenirs. We did go back to Starbucks and got a round of expensive drinks, but they tasted delicious. I'm not dissing the Nescafe, but Starbucks, even though not my favorite latte, sure tasted good! After drinks we continued shopping and decided to forgo lunch for the time being to get more shops in. The day was warm but but not steamy, quite comfortable, and we were all having a good time. There were more brides and more models, including what the girls called The Disney Princess. The architecture and landscaping is just what the photograpers are looking for.
We got back right in time to meet Lee and head out to the Consulate while the other kids went out to find lunch. The Consulate was a different experience than previously. The Consulate is in an office/apartment building and Lee let us know the tenants were not thrilled to have the American Consulate move in, feeling a bit tense. I'm recalling an uprise at the Consulate in early 2002 just months before we went to bring Lydia home. The Consulate is up on the fifth floor with a lot of security in between. We ended up in a large room with about two dozen children and their parents representated. We chatted a bit with a couple of families and then were called up to a window to sign a document. We then waited another 20 minutes and one of the Consulars walked out to do the oath with us. He talked about the Consulate and their responsibilites, announced upcoming birthdays of children and asked everyone how many previous adoptions and who was first timers. He then had us raise our hands and we did our swearing in. Then we were free to go. We were done with all of our work and just need to wait for Yu Lei's visa tomorrow at 4.
Dinner was at a nearby hot pot restaurant. We had hot pot in 2002 in Changsha with Lisa, Brett and Lauren and I remember it being delicious. Lisa ordered then so we just ate what came our way and she knew what she was doing. We had no idea. The menu was, of course in Chinese, and no one spoke any English to help us even a bit. It was all a guess and a bit stressful. Once our food started coming we got the hang of it and it was tasty. We could have used a little help, but not bad.
Still wondering if my newly uploaded photos can be seen in the States. Let me know if you can see the photos from LuShan Mountain? If not I won't keep uploading; if so I will.
We are doing really well. Just heard from our facilitator that all our paperwork is in order and we can go for the oath tomorrow. After that we wait for our facilitator to pick up Yu Lei's visa and we are good to go. We will miss China a lot, I think. It feels like we have been here for years. Just wish I was learning some Chinese; that would make our stay here perfect.
Love having the apartment. We are all hanging out here relaxing, watching the rain pour down, deciding how to spend our day. We had to wait for Lee, our adoption facilitator, until 11:30 to be sure everything was good and the Consulate had no questions. We went to bed again so late everyone was slow to get up this morning.
Once we got ready we all headed out to find a place to eat. Stopped by some cute little kid clothes, but after spending quite a bit of time trying them on the girls we discovered the prices were US prices with no bargaining. The shopkeepers always show you the "original" price on their calculator and then give you the discount. Cute clothes but not a discount so we moved on. Had a good lunch and the bigs kids and Leo headed out to do some street shopping while the littles and I went to the grocery store and then back to the apartment. I got more drawing tablets for the kids and Chinese books for Lei Lei including a book with scissors and lots of cutting activities which he loves and does well at; good finger dexterity! I just love buying him things because he lights up the room. I love the older adoption; with every experience we enjoy so much just watching his expressions.
The big kids came back, discovered a great QQ tea spot with black milk tea and tasty QQ's; almost as good as ShiLiang's. Emma and my first QQ tea experience was in China in a little restaurant in 2002 with plastic vine covered swings. While in Changsha this trip we had lunch at a restaurant and when leaving I saw those same swings in another section of the restaurant. Must be a China thing.
I then headed out shopping with the girls and Simon, Leo and the littles went swimming. We got lots of good deals and fun kids clothes and the kids had a great time. Yu Lei adores the water, blue lips and all.
We are back in Guangzhou and it is 6:30 PM; the littles are swimming and the big girls are watching T.V. in English! It is really our first down day since we came. We left ShiLiang at the electronic market around 3:00 and are on our own until Friday.
We will keep the apartment until Monday when we leave to go back home. Friday we will venture out and catch the bus to ShiLiang's where he will meet us and we will all go to Macau. He has a friend who has booked us a couple of extravagant hotel rooms for Saturday night. Macau was built by the Spaniards, I believe, and so it is all European architecture. Another little weekend trip. My hope was to visit Guilin with the family, but not this trip. Because our Consulate date was on Wednesday we have to wait until Friday to get Yu Lei's visa so no time to take a three to four day trip which we would need for Yangshuo/Guilin. And last weekend we had to be here Saturday for the TB test and back again Monday night to get to the Exam office early Tuesday, so not enough time again. Yangshuo has the mountains you see in a lot of the Chinese paintings, tall and narrow. There are bamboo rafts and a fantastic light show on the water coreographed by the man who arranged the light for the Olympic opening ceremony. It is beautiful countryside for bike riding and there is cave exploration. Something to look forward to on our next China trip.
It's nice having this apartment where we can spread out and have a home base even though we travel overnight elsewhere. It was definitely the same for Nanchang. Our Nanchang apartment Tiffanie found us was also so perfect. I love the apartment living with all the kids.
Leo and I headed out early with Yu Lei to check on his TB mark. Lee, our Guangzhou adoption guide, picked us up at 7:45 to get us there early. The TB test has to be read within 48-72 hours and we were nearing the 72 hours. All was perfect with Yu Lei and so back home by 8:30. Megs and I did some grocery shopping and then Leo, Simon, Meggie and I headed out with ShiLiang to the electronic market. It was thousands of refurbished(wink) computers, monitors, scanners, etc. ShiLiang wants to set a computer up for Meggie. He loves the Panasonics and it is all a great deal, obviously. Pretty overwhelming.
After wandering around, getting some Chinese DVD's for Yu Lei, and checking out all sorts of different accessories and electronics we left ShiLiang and caught a taxi for the apartment. Things will be a challenge for awhile for us all without ShiLiang. We are in a little to no English area of Guangzhou and even catching a taxi is not as easy without ShiLiang. But we can do it!
Tomorrow is our Consulate Appointment, the one I worked so hard to change from the 7th to the 2nd. We don't even need to be there apparently. Our adoption facilitator takes all our paperwork into the Consulate and they check it all out. We are to wait in the apartment until 11:30 and pray all is fine. Keep us in your prayers as the Consulate checks one more time to make sure all our T's are crossed and everything is in order. And then on Wednesday we take the oath for our little guy!
We headed out about 8:30 to a nearby Japanese restaurant for supper where the food is prepared in front of you. We are doing pretty well without a Chinese speaker but always get a dish or two that is a bit unexpected. While ordering, all the food is shown and all of it is raw in the pictures because it is brought to your table and cooked. Well apparently one of the beef dishes I ordered was a raw Korean beef and the salmon was also uncooked. We got him to cook the salmon looking at us a bit quizically, but we couldn't get him to cook the beef so Leo and Simon ate it(Leo more than Simon because Simon has been understandably cautious). We finished the dinner with flaming bananas and ice cream. Initially the prices looked really good but we soon discovered serving sizes were really small. So a splurge meal but fun for everyone ending in the flaming bananas and ice cream.
After our meal we walked around our apartment compound, a gated community with four apartment buildings. We discovered there is a beautiful walking path along the Pearl River literally right outside our door. The path runs for miles and is lighted up and covered in trees. We walked it for quite a distance and made another discovery at one end. We can catch the Pearl River cruise boat for a few dollars and decided that would be our evening activity tomorrow or Thursday. Look ShiLiang, we can find things to do without you!
Just posted on our yesterday, but my post seems to have disappeared. I didn't copy and paste unfortunately so I'll go back later and rewrite.
Monday we woke up early and meandered around the apartment until ShiLiang had finished up in the factory. At about 11:30 we headed into town for a delicious noodle, dumpling and Chinese hamburger lunch. We then went to a shoe store that sales name-brand shoes(wink). Most things are knock-offs but occasionally you get the real deal. This was a place that has knock-offs and a backroom of real deals for a deal. Simon hit the jack pot with some real Air Jordans and Megs was thrilled with her cheap knock off Nikes. ShiLiang has connections everywhere. We then went back to the cheap name-brand(wink) clothing items from last night and the big kids shopped happily. My Emma found a few items for her mother that were fun and a bit frilly and I purchased them for a mere $11.00. All the big kids found great finds. There was not much for the littles so I took them up and down the street stopping at a hair salon where Eva and Lydia and then eventually Simon and Leo all got haircuts for 45 yuan total, or about $1.50 a piece. A group of about 4-5 girls greeted us and hustled everyone to their chairs but it was all guys doing the cutting. Unfortuately it was all sign language and the two guys cutting Eva and Lydia didn't get the straight across the back sign I was relaying. Both girls got tremendous layering. Eva was O.K. with it; hers will just go in a bun. But, Lydia had a Lydia style melt-down right there in the chair. I had stepped out to tell the big kids where we were and Leo was waiting at the salon but hanging out with Yu Lei. No one was monitoring her cut. It is really shaggy and her shortest piece is almost too short for a pony. I thought I got the length across to them, after braiding her hair and showing them where to cut. But, alas, the great language barrier. I really have to study Chinese! Leo took Lydia's chair after she was finished and the guy barely cut any. I think Lydia's cries intimidated him a bit. Another Chinese adventure!
We then went to a stationary store and the kids got lots of fun gifts. I revelled in little Yu Lei. I encouraged him to pick out a drawing notebook and then found a little zip folder/holder for his drawing tools. I gave him choices for each item and he definitely has an opinion. It's not my choice usually but it is so sweet. I then put his notebook in the folder and we found colors. He was so pleased. I don't think he has ever picked out items for himself. Once he got the idea he would hold up things every couple of minutes and look at me with his big eyes. Mostly I said yes and he would pop it into his folder. Everything was incredibly cheap and made him so happy.
We then went and packed up our things in ShiLiang's apartment and headed off to his recommended foot massage spot. We decided on the massage over baby lamb hot pot even though it was about 9 PM and we were all starting to get a bit hungry. We decided we could eat the free food at the massage spot. Once there we found a room where all seven of us bigger people had a chair and the two littles, who weren't getting a massage, had room to sit on the floor and draw with their new crayons and tablets. It was lovely. An 80 minute massage with QQ tea, fruit, edamame beans being delivered to us as we relaxed. We first received a back and neck massage, then foot and leg. It varied between extremely painful to quite soothing. Yu Lei and Lydia were perfect. They ate off our fruit plates and colored and drew picture after picture. They were very sweet together. The final bill for all of this was about $6.00 a person.
After our massage we headed back to Guangzhou driven by ShiLiang. He is one of the rare good drivers in China. He only used his horn one time the entire day. Once back at the apartement we all crashed. It was after 1 AM and we were all exhausted.
I just finished up this entry and didn't save it unfortunately, and lost it! Boo Hoo! I'll try again. Since I mentioned the hospital situation I was not able to add a journal entry nor see any photos. I thought it was ShiLiang's country home but now back in Guangzhou I am still unable to see photos, though I can journal now. Coincidence, maybe!?! Please let me know if you can see photos. I will add them within the hour.
Simon is feeling much better now. The day started a bit challenging with all of us hiking to the bus stop with our overnight bags. ShiLiang's just around the corner turned into a considerable hike. The bus stop was at a University a ways away and when we got there there were no more tickets for sale. Poor Simon was so weak he had to stop every couple blocks and sit for a time. The campus was beautiful but we were all focused on poor Simon and just wanted to get on that bus to Zhangshang. We were able to catch a couple of taxis and head to the station. Another cultural difference I've discovered is the length of discussion over everything. We might ask, "how much are tickets?" and after receiving an answer we would pay. ShiLiang asks, "how much are tickets?" and a heated discussion will ensue that includes about 5-6 people all sharing in the dialogue and about 10,000 words and end with ShiLiang saying,"O.K., let's go!"
The bus trip was about 2 hours outside of Guangzhou. ShiLiang lives outside the city of Zhangshang. It is beautiful there. His home is at the end of a country road situated at the base of many hills. The hills are different than the Coburg Hills in that they are tree covered all the way up and so close. ShiLiang said there are no paths and no one ever climbs them. If I stayed there much longer I might have tried. Leo and I took a long walk late that night and it was beautiful. The moon was big and yellow and the cicadas and frogs and other unidentifiable sounds came from the farmers fields. There were rice paddies, banana trees and other crops growing right up to the road. It was midnight, and as we walked past the little village stores they were lighting their stoves and cooking up all sorts of foods. The big sister factory was changing shifts and the village was active with workers. As we walked down the narrow dirt road, bikes and motor bikes whooshed past us and out of sight. I can't even imagine living life as one of these people. I still can't believe we are in China, 15 hour time diference between here and there. Most of these village workers make about $200.00 a month. Many of them live in the factory dorms and all of the factory workers are young. I am always trying to imagine life here. We know what we experience and we have met so many great people. I just feel like we are in a really different time and of course, a really different place. It's so surreal.
ShiLiang's home is above the factory and across from his father's apartment. Their factory makes molds for circuits that are found in electronics. ShiLiang gave us a tour of his father's factory and then we headed over to their sister factory that makes the circuits. Siva, a very engaging man and one of the heads of the factory living here from India, gave us the tour. It was very impressive how well the companies are run.
After the tours we were treated by ShiLiang's father and Siva to a delicious Korean meal. Everything was delicious! The kids and Mom were thrilled. Simon was unable to join us because of his stomach. He is still so sensitive to smells so it was oatmeal for him, no sugar, honey or milk. All are hard to find here. Milk is in every store but it is the expiration date you have to watch out for. We have yet to find an expiration date in the future. In this little village I even discovered a spring 2009 date.
After dinner we made our way to a brand-name store(wink) where prices were unimaginable. We haven't shopped too much and the kids have been dying to find those extremely good China deals...well here they were. Unfortunately everyone was exhausted and Simon wasn't there. ShiLiang promised a return trip tomorrow.
Up early and realizing Simon's illness was pretty serious we considered our options. Our plan was to take Yu Lei to his physical and then take a bus two hours to ShiLiang's home for a couple of days. Yu Lei had to have a TB skin test and we have to be back Tuesday morning when it has to be checked for a possible reaction. Once we realized Simon was so sick we changed plans. Meggie and I took Yu Lei to his physical and Leo stayed back with Simon. We returned, Simon's fever was still spiked and with Shi Liang's encouragement Leo, Simon and ShiLiang went to the hospital. Sickness in China is always a hospital visit. ShiLiang wanted Simon to go last night, but thinking it was a 24 hour bug we thought we'd wait it out. Once the fever got so bad even I pushed the hospital visit.
The girls went for a Starbucks, yes a real cup of coffee, not Nescafe, and I packed up the littles and myself. We then walked the Island, waiting to hear from Leo. Shamain Island is where the physicals for both the girls were given and where the American Consulate was for our last two adoptions. We also stayed at a 5 star hotel, The White Swan, on the previous two visits. This trip we only went there for red couch photos. It is tradition for adoption groups to get their group of children together to get a photo of all of them on the red couches at The White Swan. Since our group is our family we did the three littles in the photos. Everyone is pretty happy!
At The White Swan about 1:00 Leo called and said Simon was just hooked up to an IV, which is standard procedure for anyone in pain, and they would be there awhile. The girls and I wandered the Island, had lunch, and were amazed by all the photographers shooting their subjects: groups of actors dressed in Japanese anime, bride and grooms in red and white, beautiful models. Shamain Island is very European looking with beautiful, elegant buildings and flowers everywhere, and therefore the perfect background for photographers.
At around 4 we met ShiLiang and headed to the hospital to check on Simon. What a horror the next 4 1/2 hours turned out to be. The hospital was packed with people in one large room full of IV chairs and small rooms with beds for the more ill patients. Simon had a bed in a room with a woman bandaged on her cheek and blood-soaked clothing hooked up to an IV, two elementary age children reading and sitting on their mother's lap hooked up to IVs and a young woman lying down hooked up to an IV. Simon had emptied one IV bag and was just beginning his second. He felt miserable. His stomach was aching terribly and his cheeks were burnt red. It is the most helpless feeling being in a foreign hospital with customs that appear so primitive and no concern for hygiene or cleanliness. The old man outside Simon's door sleeping on a mat would occasionally sit up and pee on the floor. The foyer outside the IV area had clear panes in the ceiling, which when the torrential rains came, poured water onto the linoleum and people just slushed through it. There were no doors to the outside so people would ride their bikes through past the admitting desk. Old men would sit on the chairs in the waiting area, under the No Smoking signs, smoking. In Simon's room a little boy waiting for his grandma with the face injury, sat on her bed clipping his toenails. The bathrooms had no soap and dirt and mold covered the walls and floors. People ate among the IV chairs leaving their food trash on the floor when they left. When Simon's IV drip emptied no one was around to monitor him so I noticed it was back suctioning his blood. I yanked it out and blood was everywhere. We were so happy to finally leave.
ShiLiang, our amazing friend, found us a two bedroom apartment near the university for $378.00 until next Saturday. We weren't going to be here that long, but with Simon being sick we needed a place for the night and then again we need to be here next week Tuesday through Friday to do Yu Lei visa paperwork.
Simon is sleeping now, his fever is down but he still aches terribly. Please pray for him and cover the rest of us in your prayers for health. We are thinking now it was food poisoning, possibly something he ate up in the mountain...so it's just waiting it out here. In this case I think having the extra fluids in him from the hospital is a good thing.
On a Lei Lei note. He is so cute!! He has quickly made us all mush. We laugh all the time. Whereas the first day he would flinch and push your hand away when touched he now loves hugs and being held. The first day he didn't know where to put his legs when being held. He didn't know to wrap them around your waist. He kept them together down the side of the one holding him. Now his legs enwrap whoever is holding him. He loves blowing in your face when you look at him. He is so modest when the Doctor doing the physical went to check out his lower extremities she thought he had something wrong with his knees because he held them together so tight. He didn't flinch when given four shots today, in fact he smiled and happily received the candy. He was so good in the hospital, sitting quietly for 4 1/2 hours waiting for Simon and really looking concerned for all the people around him. Such an amazing blessing! Just y'all wait. You will love him!
We headed back to Nanchang early, packed, cleaned our apartment and off to the airport for an evening flight to Guangzhou.
The most unfortunate event of our trip was about to unfold. Recalling Simon mentioning a headache while cleaning the apartment, once at the airport I realized he was as pale as a ghost. He could barely hold his head up. I kept thinking of H1N1 and was so thankful there wasn't the temperature checks, otherwise we'd still be in Nanchang. His head was hurting so bad he wrapped it up in a jacket to keep the noise and the lights out. He made it through the hour and a half airplane ride but once in Guangzhou while we were looking for something for everyone to eat, he began his long spiral down. Unfortunately it was a series of mishaps and misfortune. We had decided to look for a McDonalds. The kids were so hungry for a red meat and fries. They have made it almost two weeks without food complaints but at this point everyone was a bit exhausted, hungry and cranky. We found one but it served only chicken burgers after 10 so we went across the mall courtyard to another. Poor Simon, he was hitting every trash can, feeling so sick, and turning a creepy shade of green. We were so sorry but we had to find food for the others. Once back in the van we headed to Shamain Island where we would go to do Yu Lei's physical in the morning. We were at a hotel that was right in the middle of construction so our van had to drop us off four blocks away. Poor Simon, the sidewalks were torn up so we had to meander in mud, around brick piles over stumps until we reached the hotel. And then he was up the entire night with stomach cramps, a headache and by the early morning hours a high fever.
Thursday we headed up early to LuShan Mountain for a night in Northern Jiangxi province. The mountains are spectacular. There is nowhere where you could see the entire mountain. It was an hour drive on the highway and another hour up windy roads to the mountain resort. The roads are narrow and for safety purposes the driver would honk everytime he rounded a corner. We just prayed no driver heading down the mountain would take a wide turn.
China is full of buildings begun and abandoned or crumbled and abandoned or torn down and left in heaps~everywhere! The mountain was no different. A huge resort begun years ago, hollowed out buildings and then a quaint little area inhabited by villagers and tourists. There were many hotels and ours was the VIP hotel. We unloaded and then headed up the mountain even further for a hike. We stopped at the lake and meandered through the poet's garden and then along a steep ridge trail. The views were breathtaking and different than any mountain landscape I've experienced in America. The views were immense. The fog was rolling in and drizzle came and went. We would hike for 1/2 and hour and come across a snack stand. It made us laugh. We are always joking about a coffee cart when hiking in the mountains of Oregon; well, unfortunately no coffee cart, but snacks and souvenirs up every steep accomplishment.
There was a cavern noted for a Taoist priest who began practicing and teaching people who came to him in the cave hundreds of years ago. We were there for their spring religious ceremony. Interesting but the incense poured out and overwhelmed me with the strong odor. There was even a caricature sketcher up there.
The views continued to be spectacular and the viewpoints continued to be incredibly dangerous. The only thing in many spots that kept you from falling off the edge was a yellow line painted that you were not to cross. Different standards of safety.
We met up with the parking lot at one point and chose to go on to find the suspension bridge high across the river. It was downhill for much of it and so was easy going. Once it we headed up the littlest were struggling but we were so curious to find a view. At the point we learned the bridge was closed for crossing, some waited at a garden area and others of us headed down for a look, and boy, were we rewarded for that decision! We hit a viewpoint and saw where the bridge probably was but at that time was covered in fog. We waited and watched. I can't even describe the beauty. Immense mountains with rolling fog spread out right before us and you can't see where they begin or end. Spectacular! Over time the fog cleared a bit and the bridge came into view. Breathtaking!
We headed back, uphill, and a long way away from the van. At one point on the trail a monkey ran by us. We thought it was one of the monkey men's monkey escaped. But, come to find out, this is a home to many wild monkeys including the mean mom monkey who we hussled away from fearing a bit for our safety after she and her four babies ran after us.
It was a great China experience. We went back to our hotel, rested, had a meal and off to bed.
Our morning began with an early walk to Teng Wang Pavillion and some photos outside the gates. To go in foreigners have to pay 50 RMB and we didn't think it was worth it since the little kids would not appreciate more history.
Tiffanie met us there and we took taxis to Eva's Social Welfare Institute. We waited a bit for the second taxi and to our complete surprise at the same time the second taxi came Eva's foster parents appeared from the opposite direction. Foster mother was sobbing and pulling out photos of Eva as a baby and more that we had sent the SWI to give to her and never thought they received them. I was in shock because I had prepared Eva for the wrong foster mother. We were told this would be the second foster mother, that they could not find the first. But this was the foster couple that Eva had spent the most time with and who when we adopted Eva had cried big and long tears. Eva was their first and only foster baby, we found out, because Eva caused them so much pain when she was taken from them. They had enlarged one of her pictures and had it framed on the wall of their home at the entrance. It was so emotional and I was so glad it was this couple who had come. The foster father then came up to her and held her face in his hands and sobbed. Eva did not know what to do or how to respond. She just smiled. Only at one point did her eyes really tear up, but I think it was all overwhelming for her and comforting to know how much love this couple had for her.
We walked down the outside corridor to the orphanage. There was a huge sign posted outside the double doors Welcoming Eva. It was incredible the extra touches they took to welcome her back. The sign said, "Welcome Hong Zhou Ying Go Back Home". ShiLiang explained the characters they used in "Go Back Home" are the same characters used in welcoming a married daughter who returns home to her birth family for a visit. Sweet.
We sat in a room and dialogued with the foster parents. We were to have such a short time with them. Once we began our tour they had to go. Foster Father told of hoe when he returned from work Eva would run and greet him with his slippers. They were concerned with Eva's scar on her face from a fall off a rocker when she was young. They showed us her photos and shared her photos with her, and they hugged her and hugged her. Eva had made a bag for her foster mother and gave her a scarf she wove in her fibers class. Before they left I asked that they be able to watch her dance. They stayed to watch her perform to a small groups of toddlers and early elementary kids. They were so sweet and I could have collected all of them and scooped them up.
Yu Lei watched quietly and hung on his favorite, Meggie. They have a sweet bond. Meggie knows his habits and his food preferences more than all of us. He loves her and hangs on her much of the time. He will grab others hands when walking but Meggie is always his person of preference.
Watching the foster parents leave was tough. I wanted to assure them we would contact them. She had quickly and indiscreetly handed Leo their address upon meeting him and I knew we had that. They wanted to meet us somewhere later but was sent away by the director and told to go home. One more big hug and sadness watching them walk away.
Our tour consisted of the baby room. There were about 20 babies, most of them newborn, of various sizes, many with health issues. My heart broke looking in each face. The two nannies were eating at the table, some babies were crying softly, but all were sweating under layers of clothing and blankets in very hot and humid conditions. A fan was quietly rotating but not enough to validate the amount of covering. All had bug bites or rashes and only one sported a big grin when I talked to her. She was breathing heavily, but such a sweet sweet face.
After the orphanage visit the director took us out to a delicious lunch and shared the views of the orphanage with us. Babies are often sent out to be in foster homes but returned when toddlers because it is important they adapt to the orphanage since this will be their life. This is better for them, they say. Sigh!
After lunch and a rest we went with Tiffanie to an elementary school to see Chinese traditional music lessons. There were two classes, one of the zither and one of the gourd flute. It was fun watching the kids and they were all so cute especially the zither(Chinese piano) players. They were so encouraging when we attempted to play the instrument; good teachers. One of the little girls, 10 years old, had a notebook that she asked us all to write her words of inspiration. She was very articulate and engaging.
That evening we had an amazing meal prepared by ShiLiang and Ashta and finished the night off with fireworks. Yu Lei is all boy. He wanted to be in the middle of the explosions and the lighting of the firecrackers. He was all smiles!
With a two hour drive through the countryside in our big white van we arrive at An Yi Ancient Village. To our suprise, unlike the ghost towns we can tour at home, this Chinese type ghost town was still inhabited. There are about 1000 people living in the village. As we walk through the village the villagers were performing their everyday work with an occasional glance or stare up in our direction. The old stone buildings of the village are very cool but when we step out into the narrow streets we are again greeted with the afternoon sun and Lydia is not so happy. As we were leaving at noon the school children were heading home for lunch. In China the children often go home for lunch and a rest before going back to school until 4 or 5.
After returning from the village we all set out on a walk in search of good shopping. The street markets were extremely busy with people bumping into you from every direction. With Shi Liang's assistance in bargaining we made it out with fans and flowered hair clips for the girls. We stopped for dinner on the way home; our first dinner out as a whole family with our newest eighth member. On our way home we stopped to purchase fireworks. There were rolls of fireworks that you can buy by the 1000's that are completely illegal in teh states. As I type this I hear 1000's going off outside our apartment. You can hear them going off frequently for celebrations. We bought a large bag full for $10 to shoot off tomorrow night. We ended the evening with a one hour massage for the adults, costing a whole 15 RMB per person. (Two dollars a person)
Yu Lei, or Lay Lay, as he was called, continues to fit into our family like he was always with us. He has a lot of walking endurance, loves to be active, giggles and smiles all the time. He is such an answer to all of our prayers. He is so ready to be in a family. The last couple of days he has hung on to Meggie; last night he switched allegiances to the two little girls. He's a character!
We woke up in our awesome apartment secured by Tiffanie. It is incredible, a home away from home. It has three bedrooms, living room, den/music room, a kitchen and much to Lydia's relief one of the two bathrooms is western style. The owners made a welcome sign which is again a sign of China's hospitality. We feel so comfortable here.
Leo and I had to head off to the Civil Affairs office and the notary to finish up the adoption. Yu Lei came along and saw his ayis one more time. He was pleased to see them and followed them around holding their hands, but once it was time to say goodbye everyone was all smiles. Can't quite figure out the relationships, but that's O.K. Yu Lei is all ours now. Our adoption guide, Mary, made sure we were in their early, the first of the day, to avoid the large groups which were coming after us. It was all so strange after waiting 1 1/2 years to have it all over with in minutes. It seems like it should all happen with a huge amount of fanfare. I guess our family will provide that.
We left at 8:00 and we were back by 9:30 to meet the rest of our group and leave with Tiffanie to visit an English class at a local high school. We were there in time to see morning exercises with well over 1000 students and then onto the English class. Yu Lei walks everywhere with us, again all smiles. He was quiet during the class and today is making eye contact and grabbing hands and mimicing everyone. Cute as can be! The English class was so sweet. The teacher prepared a lesson geared toward us. She has never gone outside of her normal lesson plan and really did a good job incorporating all of us. She did a lesson with her kids, very high level English and most kids about 16 years. She then engaged us all in a fill-in-the-blank activity. And lastly she had Meggie talk about high schools in America and Emma talk about life in college and out of college. Meg did a great job describing American high schools. The kids oohed and ahhed when things she described were so entirely different. One boy asked her about police on campus and ended telling her she was so pretty. Emma was asked about independence from the family in the teenage years. They were very articulate and a fun class. They wanted Meggie and Emma's e-mails.
After we went to a Buddhist temple and witnessed the monks chanting for a family who recently lost a father. Very interesting; Meg pointed out to me no photos after I took a bunch of them with the monks. They couldn't say much because they were too busy chanting!
We walked across the street to go to Eva's Park Bai Yi Park. This is the park Eva was abandoned at the gates of. We went in an entrance we hadn't visited and headed right over to the paddle boats. The little girls and Yu Lei had a great time on the boats. We stopped for ice cream for 10, about $2.00. Most things aren't as cheap as I remember them years ago but ice cream is still a bargain. We took many photos of Eva at the gate and she seemed satisfied with the visit. It's a beautiful park.
Home for lunch noodles, a rest and then a walk down the street. The girls stopped for a manicure, to the grocery store and home for dinner. Yu Lei walked and walked without complaining. He eats everything we give him and holds on to every gift he receives, including his water bottle, as if he will never get another like it. Love him!!!!
We received Yu Lei at the Civil Affairs office immediately upon landing in Nanchang. Our train was delayed on the track for an hour and we had to go with our adoption guide by taxi while the kids went with Tiffanie in a van. We had to wait for a nerve wracking 1/2 hour to 45 minutes for the taxi while our van group headed right over and waited for us. Fortunately Yu Lei was late with his entourage and so we all met him together. He smiled a nervous smile and would not make eye contact with any of us but over time now he is getting much more comfortable. He is very active and loves Simon's ipod. He is exactly like his photos...huge grin all the time. He has not shed a tear and has been so playful with all of us. He slept great, eats great, and sight-sees with a smile. We are all so happy. I am borrowing ShiLiang's computer so once we get ours working I'll download photos and update.
It's 8:49 and we are still relaxing in our hotel room! It has been a joy moving slowly this morning though sleep still didn't come easy for me. Shi Liang brought us some instant breakfast and we are packing up and getting ready to leave at 10:00. Our train leaves at 11:33 and heads to Nanchang via Xinyu, Yu Lei's city. We won't stop but thought it would be incredible to see him get on with his nannies at Xinyu. We'll be looking. We get into the Nanchang train station and Leo and I get picked up by our adoption guide and driven directly to the Civil Affairs office. The kids will come behind with Tiffanie, who will meet them at the same time at ther station. So in 6 hours we will have our boy!
Our train took 17 hours but we bought the hard sleepers and it wasn't a bad deal. At first it seems quite cramped and the train station is swarming with people, but we made it through and found our spot. Train 61 is the train Lydia was abandoned on. It originates in Beijing and passes through Changsha. It is unknown to us when and where she was discovered exactly. It was a good chance to follow Lydia's path to Changsha.
ShiLiang and Lucy met us at the train station in Changsha at 9. Lucy works at ICC with the special needs kids. She was helping us hook up with my brother Tim and his wife Jenny's special friend who they met back in 2002 and keep in monthly contact with him. ZengHuang is a really happy teenage boy who was a joy to spend the day with.
We went to his apartment and met his roommates and to the ICC(International China Concern) where they care for the youngest and those with the greatest needs. It is an amazing group of people. The Lighthouse is bright and happy and active. They offer all kind of therapy and have volunteers who help with the children as well as loving staff. It was so touching to see how they love Lucy so much. She has been there 10 years and every child goes running to her for a hug. So sweet.
On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Grand Sun Hotel, Lydia's receiving hotel. We had to ask and find just the right person to remind us the exact floor. Once we found him he was more than gracious and took us on a tour of all the important hotel spots. It was good being on the floor and visiting all the significant places for Lydia. She reverted to sucking her thumb, for a visual, I believe, but it seemed to mean a lot to her to be there and be the focus. She doesn't appreciate having all the attention centered around her but she did O.K. with this. The manager also took us to the breakfast room and we showed her all the places we ate in the room. It was really good.
Afterward we went back to the hotel for a bit, had delicious instant Nescafe and were entertained by more of ShiLiang's magic. He is such a gem. He keeps the party lively. We all just love him and laugh so much together.
Then onto Pizza Hut and DQ for dessert, all the while enjoying Lucy's easy manner and interesting discussions. ZengHuang smiled the whole time.
And now I need to get some rest. It's almost 1 AM and in a little over 12 hours we meet our little guy. So unbelievable!
We woke up at 7:00 to have a birthday breakfast for Selena and head out to visit family. Our first stop was Selena's parents home. It was in their California Apts. a few buildings from their Fangshan home. Her parents were lovely, all smiles and more generosity. It runs deep in their family. We were presented with fruit and tea and enjoyed a quick introduction and some kind words. Selena is so thoughtful she knew we wanted to see how people in China lived and she was giving us the complete experience. We then went to their home and spent just a short time there getting a tour. It was a great apartment, very comfortable and light. Lydia loved their living room chandelier. With a push of the remote you could change the color. She got a picture of each color!
From here we went out to the country to Jon's father's home. What an amazing man. He is a man of so many interests. He paints, climbs mountains, travels on his motor bike around the country, has a magnificent telescope. His house is so interesting. It is truly an artists respite. What a delightful man he is! He showed us around and painted cherry blossoms for the girls. We received four new paintings from him and they are all exquisite. We had received three paintings when Fred stayed with us for a week in February. We are so blessed to have these! I can't wait to frame them and hang them in our home. They will always hold a special place in our home and hearts...that is if the kids don't all claim them. They are all hoping for a picture.
Before going to lunch Jon and Selena presented the children with gifts of Olympic shirts only the volunteers received. Very cool!!! And the guys got an Olympic swirl tie. Amazing!
After lunch they drove us to the train station, walked us to the gate and gave us food for our journey. All this because they want us to know China hospitality. It was hard to accept so much but we are prepared to receive them to our home one day soon; and we believe God's hand is in this and he can do more than we can even imagine!
The day seemed to start off at 90 degrees. And, of course, we had a day of walking. Lydia was complaining after about 5 minutes into The Temple of Heaven. She dragged and admitted it was going to be so difficult not to whine today. She has done so great. She has walked without much complaining at all and asking her to walk miles and in the heat of the Beijing day was a lot to ask.
The structures in the Temple are remarkable. The grounds are beautiful. All this and it was only used once to four times a year by the Emperor. Walls were built to create specific echos. There is so much thought and science that went into the Chinese architecture. So very beautiful!
It is fun seeing these sights with the kids, even when the temperatures reach high numbers. We often stop for the fun and interesting. We spent a lot of time in the shade watching Tai Chi and ballroom dancing, badminton and dancing. There are these karaoke characters who sing to the crowds, while many dance and some sing and some merely watch. People of all ages gather and exercise.
Beijng noodles for lunch, a light and delicous lunch. We ate at a fun little noodle place on our way to the Forbidden City. We have had great food experiences so far. Each meal is a real treat.
On to Tianamen square and the Forbidden City. We had a hard time really spending much time at any one spot in the Forbidden City, or Go Gong, because of the heat. But it is impressive no matter what the weather. Incredible size and quantity, and wealth. It is truly amazing.
Our last sight-seeing spot was the Olympic grounds. China knows how to impress. The structures are huge and so surreal. I think the Chinese are very loyal to their history and their monumental buildings. I believe they will be coming here for a long time. The facility is so overwhelming and I know many Olympic grounds have a hard time functioning afterward but from my viewpoint, there were lots and lots of people supporting the Bird's Nest. We nearly didn't get a chance to walk on the field. You had to register to get down on teh field and they weren't letting anyone else down because they ran out of forms. We walked an begged and then our guide Jane said we couldn't come back becuase we were leaving tomorrow.That did it fortunately and down on the track we went...so cool!
After all our walking and our feel throbbing we headed out to Fangshan, Selina's and Jon's home district. They upgraded our stay to a lovely hotel near Selina's and Jon's family. We will be meeting them tomorrow. Again, the dinner was spectacular with more food than twice our number could eat. Generous is an understatement. It was a welcomed meal after a long day.
After dinner Jon and Selena arranged swimming and foot massages. We had thought an American swim experience...silly us. We went into the swimming facility to be greeted by dozens of workers and led to a long couch men on one side women on the other. We were given slippers to put on and a key chain to wear at all times around our wrists. We were then led into the locker room where the swimmers were to donne bathing caps. Those who were going for foot massages had to change into a pink suit. My girls laughed hysterically at the idea of their mother wearing pink. But eventually we were all in uniform pink suits being marched up the stairs to the foot massage area. The little girls were led out to the pool to meet up with the men who were swimming. We endured some pretty hearty massaging, complete with fire, which had moments of grandness and moments of teeth gritting pain. Well into our massage the men marched in with matcing yellow suits for their massage. The little girls came up after swimming and after having the workers wash and condition their hair for them, dressed in....pink. There was someone at all times to help do anything and everything for you. What a unique experience.
After each one of our family members either misplaced their key, forgot their key to being locked out while another member was showering, we settled down for much needed sleep.
Breakfast was a buffet of Chinese. Hot drinks are not typically a part of morning meal. I communicating with the servers I'd love a cup of "Cha", and thinking they understood as they nodded and headed off to the kitchen, I was pleased with myself. A short time late a man arrived with a fork. Apparently I chose the wrong tone.
Our first stop of the day was the Summer Palace. It was a beautiful day and we were ready to be the tourists. It was wonderful. A stroll along the Lake, a Dragon boat ride across and an ice cream to cool us off. A lady getting off the Dragon boat gave the girls her Empress Dowager head piece so we didn't even have to buy a souvenir.
After a light lunch we headed off to the Great Wall. We went to a part of the Wall that was so touristy. The past two trips for us have been to a beautiful spot that is pretty quiet. Because of that there are many places you can climb up on the wall in the towers. I don't know if it was because the other two times it was so new, but todays section of wall seemed less authentic and more reworked. This spot had camel rides, bears in pits, horse rides and a roller coaster style ride we took up to the first tower. It was packed with people until we got to the very top tower and then instead of heading back the way we came we headed down the back way, so very steep! Poor Meggie and her knee, she had to be very careful.
The Great Wall is magnificent! It is so amazing how the wall follows the lines of the mountains. They are so steep! It is impossible to imagine how any human could have created this structure. And to see it roll right over the horizon. The Great Wall continues for 5000 miles.
We headed back to Beijing passing the Emperor's tombs, maybe next trip. Dinner was at a Western style Mall. It is truly a different Beijing than I remember it. There are so many new western style structures you can mistake Beijing in some areas for any US large city. Never did I feel that way before. I'm thinking the Olympics have a lot to do with that. "The Place" is the mall we went to walking past two cafe's to get to the restaurant. The funny thing about that is we took an extra 1/2 hour before our morning excursion trying to find a cafe. When we did come across one we had to wait twenty minutes or so for our drinks and they were served in a plastic cup. They were not accustom to take out drinks or, I think, serving a cup of coffee without a meal.
We met Selina and Jon and Fred at the Golden Jaguar. It was a huge buffet with food from all over the globe and live music with a female lead who sported a tattoo. It was really fun. The food was endless and again the company was extremely generous and accomodating. Jon was the perfect host, once again, ordering up and bringing over all sorts of fun and tasty treats.
After our meal we walked to the center of the mall under what is the largest continuous LED screen. The Chinese seem to love LED! It's impressive. We walked to the subway, past many restaurants full of westerners. This is near the Embassy, apparently, and where many westerners stay and live while in Beijing. Again, anywhere in a big city U.S.A. feel. We experienced the subway including our first of many security bag checks where bags go through the screening but no one is really paying any attention. We took the subway to Jon and Selina's tiny apartment. It is their downtown apartment and Selina and Jon were so gracious to share their homes with us. Selina knew I really wanted to give the kids a feel for life in China and boy did she work hard to help us experience everything. From the apartment we walked back to the hotel exhausted but thrilled with the day.
It is 5:02AM China time. We left Sunday morning flying Eugene-Seattle, with a 3.5 hour layover, and then onto Asiana Air for an 11 hour flight to Seoul. The kids started out so excited, especially the littles after discovering Alvin and the Chipmunk movie was playing on their little screen. But after the fourth playing and going through all their backpack activities, a bit of distress set in. We arrived in Seoul, waited for a couple of hours, then flew onto China and were met by ShiLiang in the Guangzhou International airport at 10PM Guangzhou time.
It was great seeing ShiLiang! He even made a sign. Funny guy. He hasn't changed in five years; maybe he thought he wouldn't recognize us. He met us with his girlfriend Ashta and a van borrowed from his father's business friend. Outside was sweltering hot at nighttime and in May. The hotel was only a few minutes away. The landscape is lovely and the buildings are massive. The construction of buildings is always large scale here, like our big gulps back home.
Flew to Beijing to begin our sightseeing journey. ShiLiang could not go with us on this part of the trip because he had to travel to Taiwan for his grandfather's funeral. We have his girlfriend Ashta. What a good sport she is. Not sure she wants to be here with us, but ShiLiang must have convinced her to take care of us. He'll meet up with us again In Changsha on Saturday.
In February we had some Middle School students stay with us and one of the students contacted us with a thank you after returning home. We kept up correspondance and then I thought to contact his mother and ask her for Beijing advice for travelers. Well many e-mails later she and her husband have so graciously helped us in everyway possible in Beijing. Their generosity is uncomprehendable to us. Not an American way of hospitality but full blown unconditional giving. We are definitely not use to this treatment. It will continue to catch me off guard and give me a bit of unrest the entire trip. Apparently it is a Chinese way to give above and beyond what you were given; their son Fred was with us for a week studying in Eugene. Wow!
We had lunch, checked into our hotel room, four lovely rooms booked including a suite for Leo and I, and then headed off to visit Fred's Middle School. The Middle School was massive but Laoshi Helen kept saying very small, only 2000 students. We had a tour, visiting Fred and Tom's class as well as entering a chemistry class where we were surprised to see two very dear students who stayed with us in 2009 for a week. We surprised each other.
After our visit, the open market, a bit of relaxing and dinner. And off to bed. Everyone was exhausted.
Off today to The Great Wall, Summer Palace and The Bird's Nest. Gotta get ready!
Yah! we got Travel approval!! I am so EXICITED!! Today when we were getting ready for China my mom got a call that we a got travel approval!!!!!!!!
Lydia Batenhorst
We are so excited to go to China. As many of you may know we are leaving May 17. Only two weeks away!!! I am very happy to have a new brother and look forward to introduce him to a new world. I do know a little Chinese and will want to speak to him to see how good or bad I am.
I can't wait to hold him, hug him, and see his sweet face. Thank you so much to the many many people who helped me make and sell my bags. I have raised enough money to pay for my airfare. Hurray!
Thank you all so much! Eva Zhou Ying Batenhorst
I'm excited to be going to China to get my new brother. What I want to see in China is market places, The Great Wall, briges and my brother, of corse. What I want to do is buy some stuff for my friends and me. And make some thing here in Oregon to give the people who are going to help us. Also to look at the pretty scenery and look down from our apartment window. I am glad to go back to my home town and to China TO GET MY NEW BROTHER!!
Lydia Batenhorst