Thursday 9/13/12
Today is our last day in Guangzhou and we are taking it easy. We are all packed and ready to go. We leave today at 4:15 to head to Hong Kong by van, it will be a long ride but it is the best option as we will get to the hotel at a reasonable hour. The fact that the van literally provides door to door service makes it even better ;o)
I wish I could say we are leaving with mixed emotions but for the most part we are not. We are incredibly grateful to have been there and that we have been entrusted with one of their precious children. Emily has stolen our hearts and our family is now complete in way that we could only imagine before coming here. China has been a wonderful experience. We have seen some amazing things and met some great people. However, we have also seen some things that will leave indelible pictures in our minds of how it could have been for Emily if she had stayed there. It is those things that humble a heart and gives one a true spirit of gratefulness for what we have at home.
Our next post will likely be from home so bye for now...
Hong Kong...
We have arrived at the hotel in one piece! It was a wild ride; at one point the driver was racing down the emergency lane to bypass traffic, lol. Emily did quite well during the ride although she didn't nap. The hotel itself is a little disappointing. The lobby is beautiful and the restaurant we had dinner in was wonderful. However the rooms leave quite a bit to be desired. It was quite small and the bed was lumpy and uncomfortable. The crib looked a bit rickety and was lumpy as well. We will power through it knowing tomorrow we are headed home to the comforts we are used to.
Good night from Hong Kong!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Consulate Appointment...
Wednesday Sept. 12th
Today we, along with the Foote family, had our US Consulate appointment. Basically we stood behind a glass window, held up our right hands and swore the information in our files was true.After that we spoke with a consulate representative for maybe five minutes and then we were done. After the process in Nanchang it was kind of a non-event. Not sure why but I was expecting for it to be more formal or something. In any event Emily will be granted a visa and allowed to enter the US. Once we land in Chicago on Friday morning she is officially a US citizen.
Cameras are not allowed inside the consulate office but we were able to take a couple quick pictures in the lobby.
Emily continues to amaze us
as each day. Every day she shows more and more of her true personality. She is
a spicy and stubborn little one; and has no problem letting you know what she
does and does not like. Think she has a bit of the Lewis side of the family in
her, lol. She is getting stronger every
day and shows an amazing amount of curiosity for the world around her. She is
in perpetual motion and only stops when she finally passes out to sleep. Speaking
of sleep, this last week it has been more and more difficult to get her to go
to bed. I’m hoping that once we are home we can get her into a routine and get
that issue resolved.
Today we, along with the Foote family, had our US Consulate appointment. Basically we stood behind a glass window, held up our right hands and swore the information in our files was true.After that we spoke with a consulate representative for maybe five minutes and then we were done. After the process in Nanchang it was kind of a non-event. Not sure why but I was expecting for it to be more formal or something. In any event Emily will be granted a visa and allowed to enter the US. Once we land in Chicago on Friday morning she is officially a US citizen.
Cameras are not allowed inside the consulate office but we were able to take a couple quick pictures in the lobby.
Lobby sign for the consulate
Josh, Kelly and Amy
Tonight is our last night in Guangzhou, tomorrow we leave for Hong Kong. We are ready to go home and sleep in our own beds, eat American food, and see our family. This has been an amazing but exhausting trip.
Group Pictures...
Tuesday Sept.11th
Today was mostly a free day except for meeting for group pictures. Unfortunately the China Hotel doesn't have anything like the infamous red couch of the White Swan Hotel so our group pictures we done on the lobby stairwell. It was a bit chaotic but we finally got a couple that were okay.
Today was mostly a free day except for meeting for group pictures. Unfortunately the China Hotel doesn't have anything like the infamous red couch of the White Swan Hotel so our group pictures we done on the lobby stairwell. It was a bit chaotic but we finally got a couple that were okay.
The Foote Family
Our attempt at a couch picture
We stayed in the rest of the night and kept it low key. Tomorrow is a big day because we have our consulate appointment that makes Emily ours in the eyes of the United States. Two more days and we head home ;o)
Friday, October 12, 2012
Shopping...
Monday Sept. 10th
After the medical exam we went shopping with Ann from Red Thread. Josh Foote made the arrangements since both of us had used her services to deliver care packages to our daughters. Ann met us at the hotel and we took the subway to a wholesale mall.
The mall had 5 or 6 floors and was jam packed with all kinds of little shops from silk dresses to the kind of junk you get at your local Spencer's store here. We've never seen so many cell phone cover places! Ann got us some great deals on silk dresses for the girls.
After the medical exam we went shopping with Ann from Red Thread. Josh Foote made the arrangements since both of us had used her services to deliver care packages to our daughters. Ann met us at the hotel and we took the subway to a wholesale mall.
The mall had 5 or 6 floors and was jam packed with all kinds of little shops from silk dresses to the kind of junk you get at your local Spencer's store here. We've never seen so many cell phone cover places! Ann got us some great deals on silk dresses for the girls.
Emily found a bouncey ball that lit up and had to have it ;o)
One pooped little girl!
After shopping we had a short meeting about departing Guangzhou and went with the entire group to dinner. About 30 of us piled into taxi's and went to Tequila's to enjoy a Mexican dinner.We had a good time chatting and getting to know everyone a little bit.
On the way back to catch a cab we saw the saddest thing. There were some severely disabled men laying in the middle of the sidewalk begging. They were so disabled, their bodies thin and twisted, it was obvious someone had to have put them there becasue they were not capable of getting there themselves. It broke my heart to see and yet again I was so grateful that Emily would never be in a position to be out on the street begging for her survival. China is a beautiful and strange place yet we find ourselves longing to be home and starting our new lives as a family of 3. Three more days and we start the trip home.
Medical Exam...
Monday Sept. 10th
Today we went with the group to get all of the kids in the group their medical exams. The exam wasn't too bad, really wasn't much to it at all. There were 3 stations - one was to weigh and measure her. At the 2nd she got a general look over including listening to her heart and lungs. Finally, at the 3rd they checked her eyes, ears and nose. Combined it took about 20 minutes tops. We spent most of the time playing with the other kids and waiting for the rest of the group to get done.
Today we went with the group to get all of the kids in the group their medical exams. The exam wasn't too bad, really wasn't much to it at all. There were 3 stations - one was to weigh and measure her. At the 2nd she got a general look over including listening to her heart and lungs. Finally, at the 3rd they checked her eyes, ears and nose. Combined it took about 20 minutes tops. We spent most of the time playing with the other kids and waiting for the rest of the group to get done.
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Shamian Island - Part II
Sunday Sept. 9th
Outside Lucy's
Best purchase was the stroller, she loved it!
3 Generations of Chinese Women, this a famous sculpture
The Chinese love children
Emily playing with the puzzle of China we bought her on the Island
Some of our purchases; we saw the panda scroll painted ;o)
After our trip to the island we had a group meeting to work on our visa paperwork. I was shocked when I got there and there were 8 other families there in addition to us and the Footes. The Footes and us were the only families in the traditional program. The other 8 had been to Hunan and we all in the waiting child program. After our paperwork was done we decided to stay in for dinner and went to the hotel dinner buffet. I have to say there are some strange things on the buffet at night. Needless to say I ate noodles and rice again, lol.
Shamian Island...
Sunday Sept. 9th
Today is basically a free day so we decided that we would catch a cab to Shamian Island and do some shopping. Shamian Island was once used as a port for foreign trade between Guangzhou and Europe. The island itself is not large and is marked by colonial European buildings and tree lined streets. Bronze statues depicting colonial life are all over the island and in the park. At the park we saw older women playing mahjong and some gentlemen practicing swords. The park was peaceful and it seems like a lot of Chinese people go there to relax.
Today is basically a free day so we decided that we would catch a cab to Shamian Island and do some shopping. Shamian Island was once used as a port for foreign trade between Guangzhou and Europe. The island itself is not large and is marked by colonial European buildings and tree lined streets. Bronze statues depicting colonial life are all over the island and in the park. At the park we saw older women playing mahjong and some gentlemen practicing swords. The park was peaceful and it seems like a lot of Chinese people go there to relax.
There are a lot of
shops although we had several shop owners tell us that business is not as good
as it was when the White swan Hotel was open and the consulate was still there.
At Susan’s the family that owned the business were especially nice. They made
some fresh tea and invited us to have a cup with them which we did. We
purchased some nice gifts and then went to Lucy’s for a break from the stifling
heat. Lucy’s is a restaurant that serves Western food and seems to be quite the
draw for adoptive families looking for a taste of home. We ran into several other
families there and in various shops.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Leaving Nanchang...
Saturday Sept. 8th
Saturday Morning
Today we leave Nanchang and fly to Guangzhou. I'm glad we were able to see some of Emily's province and will miss our guide Evelyn. She has been amazing and so responsive to all our needs and questions.
Hopefully, Emily will do well on this short flight. It will be her first time on a plane and she has had a cold all week.
Saturday Evening
We are in Guangzhou and beginning the last leg of this trip. Emily did great on the flight here even though she slept for everything except the takeoff. Our new guide, Jocelyn, met us at the airport in a hotel bus to take us to our new hotel, the China Hotel.
This is the hotel where the bathroom and bedroom are separated by a glass wall which is kind of weird. Thankfully there is a screen that can be lowered so there is some privacy. The room here is smaller than the Crowne Plaza but it is not bad.
We have decided to stay in tonight and rest. Emily is busy exploring her new surroundings and I'm sure she thinks this is home. Poor kid doesn't realize that this is just another hotel room and that before we are "home" she will stay in yet a third hotel. She is doing better and better every day. Her personality has really started to come through and she is definitely a spicey little Nanchang girl!
Tomorrow is a free day and we may catch a cab to Shamian Island.
Saturday Morning
Today we leave Nanchang and fly to Guangzhou. I'm glad we were able to see some of Emily's province and will miss our guide Evelyn. She has been amazing and so responsive to all our needs and questions.
Hopefully, Emily will do well on this short flight. It will be her first time on a plane and she has had a cold all week.
Saturday Evening
We are in Guangzhou and beginning the last leg of this trip. Emily did great on the flight here even though she slept for everything except the takeoff. Our new guide, Jocelyn, met us at the airport in a hotel bus to take us to our new hotel, the China Hotel.
This is the hotel where the bathroom and bedroom are separated by a glass wall which is kind of weird. Thankfully there is a screen that can be lowered so there is some privacy. The room here is smaller than the Crowne Plaza but it is not bad.
We have decided to stay in tonight and rest. Emily is busy exploring her new surroundings and I'm sure she thinks this is home. Poor kid doesn't realize that this is just another hotel room and that before we are "home" she will stay in yet a third hotel. She is doing better and better every day. Her personality has really started to come through and she is definitely a spicey little Nanchang girl!
Tomorrow is a free day and we may catch a cab to Shamian Island.
Random Pictures...
Crowne Plaza Lobby
Lobby chandalier
Play time!
Love my yogurt drinks!
Mini 'Bama fan
She lvoes to point
Cuddle time ;o)
The Village - Part II...
Friday Sept. 7th
This little guy was too shy to take the candy from us
Apartments across the river
Community water pump for dish washing
Rice paddies across the river
Men's Restroom
According
to our guide most villages consist of one family and only a few people ever
leave. It's hard not to wonder if Emily might have come from a place like this.
If God had not given her to us, is this the kind of place she would have grown
up in? The Chinese seem so matter of fact regarding their circumstances. Mostly
they ignore us Americans as they are more concerned with getting through their
daily lives. But when they see us with Chinese babies we get the thumbs up sign
from people and are told how lucky our girls are. To them Emily has hit the
jackpot; she is a lucky girl who will have a future full of plenty. It's hard
not to feel for the people who live in this place. I wish that that these
children would have better opportunities for their lives. It also gives me an
enormous sense of gratitude for what we have. I am so grateful that we have
been given the opportunity to be here and see some of the country that gave us
Emily but I admit that I'm even more grateful to be able to take this little
one back home.
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