Safari Park and Packing for Home

This was our one free day. The agency had nothing planned for us, so we decided to try out the Safari Park, a zoo on the outskirts of the city. We braved the subway, which was pretty nice after all. Our guide had told us sometimes during rush hour it gets so crowded that peoples' faces are smushed up against the windows. We were much luckier.

The park was pretty neat. I especially liked a monkey habitat that allowed the little monkeys to show off their swimming, diving, and cavorting abilities. You could buy and throw food into the water or into their very coordinated paws. The zoo also had a large number of pandas and 60% of all the white tigers in the world.  We even saw baby tigers in incubators and a nursery setting.

These animals were far more active compared to the snoozing animals at the Philly Zoo. But then, here employees throw meat at the tigers and lions to get them moving when guests walk by. It didn't look cruel; I decided to be ok with it since we were already there.  They also dangled chicken necks over water and tigers jumped for it, landing in the water. It was pretty amazing to see swimming tigers just on the other side of a pane of glass.





One really weird part of the zoo was the Jurassic Walk part. They had animatronic dinosaurs in pens, complete with signs that they used for all the other animals. Most of the moved, the raptor spit water, and the biggest ones roared. I found it a little hoaky, but I imagine my brother might have liked it when he was 8 or so.

Several school age children were terrified. Ruby was too little to think anything of it, though I rushed past the noisiest ones.  She did like the Jurassic mists we walked through, though.

I'm pretty sure this was the first time Ruby saw any of these animals. Given the way she jumped when she saw a house cat in a shop yesterday, animals are all pretty new to her. She took a whole park full of them in stride, though. She learned how to point. During the safari tram ride she kept pointing at the wrong side of the tram, at the plants and not the two dozen giraffes. 

And here you see a big step. Mommy's was tired and said no to picking Ruby up to see the silly monkeys, so she turned to Daddy.  He was happy to help. I think this is the first good picture of them together!

We had *lots* of great opportunities to test our parenting today. Ruby missed her nap and scheduled her meltdowns for all the public places: both subway rides, the middle of the monkey walk, the restaurant.  I found myself in the middle of a circle of spectators, holding a writhing, screaming child.  I just avoided eye contact with everyone.  When she stopped crying and I looked up, people seemed to be giving us kind looks. They usually waved goodbye to her.

We try to see these challenges as chances to show her the new boundaries in her life. I'm sure it will take a while. We also have great glimpses of her growing trust in us: I especially love to see her turn her head back to check on me while we walk hand in hand, and then a grin spreads across her face.

We've felt such support from our friends at home. I wanted to let you know some things the experts have told us about helping Ruby to transition during these early days. Our job is to teach her that we are not temporary caretakers, but her parents.  They suggest that only her parents feed and hold her for the first weeks she's home. They actually said we should do everything for her and be the ones to hand things to her for the first six months, but we'll see how that goes. I'll be home with her all the time, so I think that will pretty much be unavoidable.  We know that you all want to hug her, but since she's really got to focus on attaching to us and her grandparents, we'll have to find other ways for her to know how welcome she is.

The other girls might like some extra attention and time out with friends, especially since their transition at home might be tougher than they realize (but nothing out of the ordinary). 

A thunderstorm is echoing through the city--not something I'm used to at all.  My husband has used his amazing spatial awareness to pack all of our bags. Tomorrow we'll be leaving very early to begin our 26 hours of travel (including drive times).  I'll post in a few days to let you know how our reunion with the girls went.

Now, in the words of Pearl and Sapphire, "Adios Flamingos!!"

Consulate Appointment

We had an early Consulate appointment; we joined a roomful of about twelve American families all preparing to bring children home. We all took an oath together. I can't remember what I promised, but it was reasonable, whatever it was.  They called our name first, so we got to hand over the last papers and sign one thing, and we were done.  Ruby becomes an American citizen once we make it through the immigration desk at the airport in DC. 

The next stop was Shamian Island, a small island in the Pearl River. The government conceded the island foreign forces in the 1920s, and Chinese nationals were forbidden from entering. The buildings have a colonial feel, and it is peaceful and pleasant on the island. Brides come here for formal photos. Recently the island has been the epicenter of US families traveling to China to adopt. The main hotel there for adopting families has been closed so the tiny rooms can be enlarged, which is why we are at the Garden.

While we played on the playground, we saw some more aerobic retirees doing their morning group exercises.  Women were line dancing, men were playing on high bars, and I saw an older lady playing on a set of monkey bars. It seems like a healthy, social thing to do. One set of sixty-somethings were playing hacky-sack with amazing skill. Men retire here at 60 and women at 55, so they have plenty of time to practice.

We also saw a sign for a forced pregnancy test for women living in the district of Shamian Island. They are required to show up and take the test. Our guide was not sure what would happen to them if they were found to be pregnant without a license.

We did a little shopping, and we were most pleased with one like-minded shop that had reasonable, marked prices and contributes some profits to needy children in China. They gave Ruby an extra present, a magnet of her home province.

As for our parenting progress: we convinced Ruby to sit in the stroller so my back could have a break. She is learning that we are fun but inflexible. She's also warming up to her daddy.  She plays wildly with him in the room, and she takes food from him happily. She even held his hand today (after thinking about it briefly). This afternoon she took a nap with him. It wasn't very snugly, but she did let her foot rest on top of him for a while. He needs lots of encouragement. He told me he looks forward to returning to a world where children like him.  I think she already does.

We also heard that the Chinese-Japanese tensions are worse in other cities. We don't see any protests here today, though the protestors did pull down the Japanese flag on our hotel's flag pole (this is because now some Japanese nationalists have landed on that deserted island both countries claim). Elsewhere protestors attacked all the Japanese-made cars they saw.  This island they are fighting over is about 7 blocks by 4 blocks large, and uninhabited.  Our guide is hoping we leave for home before the US government makes any statements about the situation. 

Today is Monday, and we leave the hotel early on Wednesday to begin a long, full day of travel.  We'll see you soon!

Historical Sites of Guangzhou

I love breakfast here! It is so nice to have someone else make all your food every day. This morning I asked to be seated so we could have a view of the lovely garden and koi pond while we ate.

I'm not sure if they feed the koi anything beyond the donuts, bread, and muffins the guests pitch into the water to see the resulting frenzy.  The fish made Ruby giggle!

Later while we strolled around the garden, we heard chanting. It was a small, illegal protest targeting the Japanese consulate which is housed in our hotel's building.  Fourteen Chinese nationals had made their way to a disputed island, and Japan had arrested them. China demanded their immediate release, but it wasn't clear what would happen. Both nations think the island is theirs. Tensions are high, and we were told not to wander outside during the protest.

When we finally saw it from above, in our room, we saw about fifty protestors surrounded by fifty police and about twenty photographers. So it wasn't that big.  The military was running through the hotel lobby, much to the distress of the sedate and proper staff.  This was not a registered protest, but since it was a pro-China, anti-Japan rally, the police were tolerating it and just trying to keep them out of the hotel, which they did.

We left all the hoopla behind and went to see the Six Banyan Temple, an operational Buddhist temple in the city. There was a pretty, tall pagoda. They had several temples with Buddhas of different sizes inside. At one temple, adoptive families had brought their children to be blessed by the monks.  I didn't care to stay to watch, and I took Ruby out of that building, but Jasper said the monk chanted over them and used a tea leaf to sprinkle water over the families.

Ruby refuses to use the very nice stroller the hotel loaned us. She is used to them from her foster center, but she prefers to be carried. By me. You might find me a half inch shorter when I get back to PA.  Carrying a 24 pound child around seems to be compressing my back. It does give us a lot of bond-building contact, though. She also likes to hold my hand tightly if she is walking, which is a great feature in busy places.

Next we went to the Chen Family Museum. This used to be a center shared by an entire village, but the city has swallowed it up. When it was built, it offered space for ancestor worship (sort of like that scene in Mulan, only with hundreds of ancestor tablets), a place to host visitors, and a school where locals could be trained to serve the emperor.  You can see two tiny ancestor tablets on the narrow steps that used to hold all the villagers' "ancestors."

It was partly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution when religious, cultural, and historical artifacts were destroyed.  Now it is owned by the government and used to display local folk arts.

Here we are holding a picture of Traveling Tara from the Clubhouse Jr. Magazine that Pearl colored.  You're supposed to take pictures of her on your travels.  Ruby may look uncomfortable, but she was fine.

We came back to the hotel to cool off and rest, and later we made our way to a nearby TrustMart, a sort of everything store. Jasper stocked up on more peanut milk than I think he can drink in the next 2.25 days before we leave. That's something else he missed from his stay ten years ago.

Medical Exam

We saw a little more of our new hotel, the Garden. It has a lovely garden and koi pond outside the breakfast area. It also has peanut butter for breakfast, which made me happy.  Our hotel also has 1,900 staff running it. This includes two people to stand by the front door and welcome us in each time, and someone to push the elevator button when we wish to get on.  This is a disappointment to Ruby, who loves that task best of all.

We've seen a lot of over-staffing here in China. Today I saw someone sweeping up the few leaves that had fallen from trees onto the sidewalk. Restaurants seem to have more waitstaff than you ever see in the States. Labor is cheap, but we heard today that some of the factories in Guangzhou have relocated to the cheaper labor market of Vietnam.  Nothing is cheap in China anymore, we were told

The medical exam went very well.  We speeded through it--two photos, a brief body exam, a height and weight check, and an ear, nose and throat exam.  I was sure Ruby was going to be writhing on the floor at some point, but she didn't.  All the kids have to have this check before they get their visas.  The US consulate contracts the clinic to do the checks.

These guys had speed. You don't need much of a bedside manner if you can check everything in 60 seconds.  

We went through it so quickly we had time to stroll through the open square of Guangzhou and see all of the buildings that have been built over the last six years. When Jasper was here last 10 years ago, this land was farmland. Now the farmers have been given new apartments in return for their land, and these apartments go for nearly $1 million US.  The old fields are now giving a crop of highrise buildings, including some of the highest towers and radio towers in the world.  The buildings are impressive. One had a wind tunnel that powers the whole building's electrical needs.

Behind the segue-riding policewomen you see the Canton Tower, a radio and observation tower; it was briefly the tallest tower in the world from 2009 until 2011.  You could take a 20 minute tram ride around the top, if you wanted to. I don't.  We came back to the hotel and worked on some paperwork. John tells us the paperwork is now over, that he takes it over from here.  I don't really believe him--it is too good to be true.

I took a walk to explore our tiny corner of this huge city, the third largest in China. Jasper took a nap, and so did Ruby. She's really doing much better with him.  He can get her to laugh and play, and she knows he is the master of the cookies.  I'm hoping we work our way up to him holding her or at least being able to sit near her without me before that 12 hour flight. She even lets him pick her up briefly if she knows it will benefit her (like she'll get to push an elevator button).

This evening we got to go out to eat with a very pleasant family from Washington, the same family that had been in Hohhot with us. Jasper did a great job ordering a variety of foods, including, if you notice in the center, a plate of whole, fried fish with the heads on. We didn't eat the heads. He also got that special dish he likes so well--the one from the north eastern area of China that we couldn't find at all in Hohhot.  It's the half gone orange-y dish on the left. Ruby ate a ton, as usual. She really liked the sweetened sesame seed bread. She also liked taking the crayons out of the box repeatedly and watching me pick them up as they fell. 


Sending a big hug to Pearl and Sapphire, who are doing such a good job entertaining their grownups in Pennsylvania!! 

Guangzhou

I've got a new perspective on how the standard adoption trip works. It is like a parenting sprint. You get about 5 days to parent the child enough to get ready for a flight, which is just a big of prep for the long, challenging flight back to the States. I'm hoping for a bronze.

We're in the third and final leg of this trip. The flight was at 1:05pm, so we had plenty of time for a late, leisurely breakfast and packing up the room.  Ruby slept through airport security, but she woke up as we boarded the shuttle to the plane. Thing didn't go all that smoothly, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She screamed on the shuttle and then during the descent, both times out of frustration. Since Ruby is under two, she doesn't need her own seat but sits on our laps. That is, she sits on our laps if she isn't mad that we said no about something. Then she hangs out around my feet. But that worked out ok. She didn't mind the change in air pressure at all.  I think the long flight might be ok because we will have all those Disney movies to entertain her.

We're in Guangzhou now, because that is where the US consulate is. This city used to be called Canton back when the Europeans first accessed China through the south and they learned Cantonese rather than Mandarin.  The Garden Hotel is the nicest place we've stayed yet. The lobby is enormous, and we have a suite. They had a Combi stroller for us to borrow, and a basket of baby presents for Ruby, including a panda toy. We see the occasional adopting family here, since all the US families have to come through this city, and many stay at this hotel.

John is our guide here, and he seems very knowledgeable. He took us for a walk in the hotel's neighborhood and showed us some restaurant options. We ended up going to a local place that serves Cantonese food. The main dishes we were told to try in this part of China are dim sum (steamed buns filled with pork bbq that they eat especially for breakfast), fried rice, and wonton soup. I loved the orange drink you see there--it has large pearl tapioca at the bottom and mango puree on top. I might have one every night.

Guangzhou feels a little like New York City.  Hohhot had poorly planned sidewalks, half of which were useless for walking because they were either partly torn up, being put in, or covered in parked cars. Here the sidewalks are very reasonable and useful, and the shops are more of the NYC variety.

Ruby seems to really like "Old MacDonald had a Farm." We brought a book with pictures, and she's trying to get the "e-i-e-i-o" right, but she doesn't have it down yet. She let Jasper hold her today to see a truck full of pigs pass our van. He thinks he's making progress.

I think things will go just fine while we are here in Guangzhou. If you are a pray-er, I'd appreciate some help praying for wisdom for us as we thoughtfully work through parenting Ruby and her upcoming relationship with her sisters.  This won't be anything unusual for adopted children and their siblings, I'd just like this to go as smoothly as possible. 

The Itinerary

We got our itinerary today! We have to be in Hohhot for 5 business  days to make the adoption legal. I'm hoping we'll get to see a grassland tour of some sort while we are in Inner Mongolia, but we will have to see how car-friendly Ruby is.  Some of the flight times are not exactly ideal (arriving at midnight in Guangzhou with a 23 month old!) but I'm sure people do it all the time. 

8/8/2012                                 Flight to China!!

8/9/2012                                 Arrive in Beijing 2:20pm. 

                                               

8/10/2012                                Sightseeing: Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, (KarateGuy has seen all these already, but I haven't!)

8/11/2012                                Temple of Heaven, Beijing foster facility where Ruby has been for nearly all her life, and Acrobat show 

8/12/2012                                10:00am depart for the airport, flight to Hohhot, 12:40pm.  Guide will pick you up and take you to check in the Sheraton Hotel.  Rest.

8/13/2012                                10:00am – Baby will be brought to the hotel lobby!!!!

8/14/2012                                9:00am – Go to the Civil Affairs Office to complete the paperwork.

8/15/2012                                Guide will take you around Hohhot. (Apparently this will be a

                                                pay as you go trip, so please discuss with your guide

                                                beforehand in case you don’t want to go)

8/16/2012                                Guide will take you around Hohhot. (Apparently this will be a

                                                pay as you go trip, so please discuss with your guide

                                                beforehand in case you don’t want to go)

8/17/2012                                Pick up passport.  Flight to Guangzhou, 8:30pm-

                                                11:50pm. Guide will pick you up at the airport and take you to

                                                check in the Garden Hotel.

8/18/2012                                9:00am – Child’s medical check, visa photo, and visa paperwork

8/19/2012                                Tour – Chen Family Museum

8/20/2012                               7:45am – Leave for the U.S. Consulate.  Appointment at

                                                8:30am. Group oath.

8/21/2012                                3:30pm – Guide will pick up the visa from the USC and bring

                                                it to the hotel.

8/22/2012                               8:00am – Leave for the airport.  Flight to Beijing,

                                                10:30am-1:50pm.  Return home with your new daughter!!!