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. 

Passport in Hand

My husband and I take our marriage vows very seriously, and yesterday we added a new one for the first time since we were married eight years ago: never trick your spouse into eating the meat of a strange animal without first getting her permission. We ordered a huge hot stone bowl of soup with boiled turnips, lasagna size rice noodles, and very tender beef, or so I thought. Later it came out that it was donkey meat, and he had known it all along. I was ok with this particular animal, but we saw the need for a new rule nonetheless. Ruby ate it happily too. I imagine the Neffs' donkey would have been much tougher. Here's she's eating a sugar-crusted sweet potato.

Ruby and her daddy had a breakthrough in their relationship last night too. I got her to sit in the bathtub--it seems she had always showered over a tub while standing, so she didn't want to sit. Well, she soon saw how much fun it was to splash and play with soap in the tub. Jasper took over as lifeguard and only pulled her out when she unfortunately tried to use the bar of soap to wipe water out of her eye.  She let him put her jammies on, and then they played and romped and tickled for half an hour. This morning she was shy of him again, but maybe not as much as yesterday morning.  I'm sure the prayers are helping!

Today we visited the Hohhot police station briefly to pick up Ruby's passport. Her little passport photo is so cute! Then we went to the enormous, new Hohhot museum of Inner Mongolian culture. It contained rooms focusing on the prehistory of the land, dress, weapons, animals, and mineral extraction.  I liked seeing the life-sized dioramas of Mongolian life from long ago. They also had a whole room dedicated to Ghengis Khan (they pronounce it "Chengis Can"). He is their big hero, and they have many traditional stories about him. Ruby saw some of it, but she also slept in the baby sling that draws a lot of stares when we walk around with it!

Ruby doesn't look Mongolian to anyone here, so she is probably Han. She doesn't come from the provincial capital of Hohhot, but from a farming region several hours west of here where they grow sunflowers and melons.

I'm hanging out in the room while Jasper sees the last of Hohhot's sights this afternoon and Ruby naps.  We saw most of the interesting buildings our first day here, but there was a pagoda we missed then. Having a nearly 2 year old does change things, and I'm reminded of the parenting skills that have grown rusty in our house: daily naptime scheduling, temper tantrum management, and the ability to redirect and distract. Ruby does not like to hear "no", even when it is said gently and for a very good, that-lamp-might-fall-on-you kind of  reason. At least we know she understands us! I'll ask for prayer now that the infrequent meltdowns come at manageable moments during the rest of the trip and that she soon learns to handle "no" better.

Ruby has a happy shoulder jiggle. We noticed her doing it when she tastes something new that she really likes. She'll sit there and bob her shoulders up and down, smiling as she chews.  It doesn't happen all that often, and we feel like we've hit the jackpot whenever she starts doing it.

Ruby loves seeing photos of herself and her sisters (so do I). Soon they will be in photos together.
 

Getting to Know Each Other

After all the excitement of yesterday, I guess we needed some down time.  We had a nice breakfast, and Ruby ate a good bit, occasionally offering to share with me. As usual they offered chicken feet, noodles, rice, dim sum, rotisserie lamb, and salty milk tea for breakfast along with the normal Western fare. I'm a little less adventurous at breakfast now; I just want comfort foods.

At 9am we went to the hotel meeting room for some official paperwork.  Two other families were there, one from Michigan and one from Washington. I held Ruby on my lap and played playdough while Jasper handled the paperwork. I teased him that it was his turn now, after I completed all the other forms over the last 18 months. After we signed each paper, we had to stamp our thumbprint in red ink over it. It took about 90 minutes.

So far these pictures show her on my lap, because she spends a lot of time there. She hasn't warmed up to Jasper as much, or at all, really. He's handling it well, but I know he'd like to start making friends with her too.  Right now she sort of edges away from him if she has a choice, and he won't force it.  Ruby and I are great friends though. She looks up at me with her big eyes as we walk along holding hands as if she wants to see if everything is alright.

She fell asleep on me when we returned from a walk throughout the hotel (it was raining outside most of the day here), and she slept for three hours in her crib. It felt a little odd to have come all the way to China to sit in a hotel room for most of the afternoon while she slept.  We have HBO and several English sport channels (of no help to us!), but the English movies are usually horrible.  We lucked out when A Few Good Men came on, and then I took a nap.

We tried the pool, and I think I taught Ruby the word 'water.' We had to wear the swim caps. She likes to splash!

We went out to dinner then and she ate so much I was a little concerned she'd pop. She ate dumplings and rice and mushrooms and beef and fried chicken (just like nuggets, only in stick shape), but she really loved the broiled lamb T-bone. Lamb is a big dish here. Tomorrow we might see some sheep as we take our grassland tour.

We tricked Ruby a bit by turning on the tv to distract her, then I shimmied her up to Jasper who popped a bottle of warm water (that's what they give babies here) into her mouth. Experts suggest encouraging some regression, like giving bottles, to help the adopted child experience some more baby-like stages with her new parents.  She sucked at it for a while before she realized how close she was to him and turned away, but she fell asleep like that, so I guess it is progress.  It's the closest he's been to her yet. Prayer for her to see what a wonderful daddy she has would be a big help.

Now a note on Chinese pastries. I am always shocked to see Chinese buffets in the States fill a whole table with those tasteless pastries that only novices try.  They are horrible. They make me want to write to the Chinese Buffet Confederation and beg them to save money and food waste by cutting them from the menu. I have long wondered if the pastries are the Chinese restauranteurs' attempt at pleasing the American palate, or if they are a replica of real Chinese food. Well, now I've seen those same cream puff style desserts in bakeries here, so I know the answer. We try to sample bakery offerings whenever we can. I always hope to find red bean paste filled things, but it is always a gamble since we have no idea what we are buying. There have been some disappointments, but others are tasty.  These three had coconut, sesame, and date fillings. A total strike out. 

And an update on Pearl and Sapphire, who we talk to via Skype nearly every day. They are well. Sapphire is too busy to talk to us other than to shout "hi" and "by-I-love-you" as we sign off.  Pearl is more constant, but I think it is partly because she likes seeing herself make faces on the screen. They are having a fun-filled day with their aunt and uncle today. They won't want to come home!

Last Day Touring Beijing

We had another delightful breakfast. I learned I like muesli and *love* Chinese donuts covered in white sugar and a touch of cinnamon.

Then we left for the Temple of Heaven. This was where the Emperor went twice a year to offer sacrifices to the god of Heaven, the only entity he was ok with being above him in authority.  They sacrificed calves to the dead emperors and the god of Heaven. There was a big complex, complete with a changing room for the emperor so he could put on his more humble (not gold) outfit before the sacrifices.  It was very crowded there. My favorite part was the public area of the park where retired people were doing all sorts of activities: tai chi, step dancing to music, sing-a-longs, Chinese chess, knitting, card games, and hacky sack. There weren't many children; the retired people come every day to be active and with others. There was even a few guys on a set of high bars swinging themselves around, but not doing any flips.

This place was pretty crowded, but I did get a good idea of the culture that created the sacrifice system.

Then we went to an indoor flea market and Jasper made me haggle for a few little things. It was not a thrill. I do not like haggling.  

Next we went to a much anticipated lunch. Jasper has been on a quest for a dish he had when he lived in Jilin. It turns out David, our guide, is from northeast China and knows all about the foods Jasper reminisces about.  So he was able to find us a northeast restaurant right in Beijing and order us guo ba roe, thinly sliced pork in a batter, fried, and laid in a vinegary sweet and sour sauce.  It really was amazing.  I've heard about this mythic dish for years, so I was glad to try it finally. We ate it all, and much of the other dishes David ordered. He always orders multiple dishes. They are all placed on a rotating lazy Susan, and we share them. This was the most authentic place--no tourists, just locals. 

Next we went to Tienanmen Square (avoiding Mao's corpse), where it started to rain. We walked through the square and into the Forbidden City.  It is nearly a kilometer long and some 700 meters wide with over 800 rooms, all surrounded by a moat and walls. I have to watch *The Last Emperor* again. The interiors are all closed off, so at best you can push through a crowd to peer into a room with a throne. The exteriors of the buildings are impressive and colorful, though. This was the most crowded place of all.

Tomorrow we leave here at 8:30 to go see Ruby's foster center for a brief visit on the way to the airport. I prepared the gifts for the nannies there, as well as a list of questions we want to ask. We're hoping to take lots of pictures and maybe some videos for Ruby to remember it by.We fly to Inner Mongolia at noon.

Side note: I'm really enjoying the Olympic coverage in China. We watch it on a few different channels, but the CCTV one does a great job showing long pieces of different sports. I've had a chance to see synchronized swimming and some kung fu.  They don't just focus on Chinese athletes, though they show them a lot too.  I think they do a better job than NBC; they show you more and it does not feel so truncated. Also, we love the blooper reels they put on every morning. Synchronized swimming is my new favorite sport!

Longest Day Ever

Jasper suggests I stay up as long as possible now, but I just want to sleep. We left our home at 6am Aug 8th and made great time going to Dulles until we hit serious backups around DC.  We had to veer into the city--and we were getting nail-bitingly close to eating up all our buffer time sitting in traffic.  We finally found some clear roads south of Silver Springs, and then we were fine.

The flight was long, but I really appreciated the new style of movie watching. I had bout 40 movies to choose from. We watched Hunger Games and the newer Sherlock Holmes movies, which were entertaining. I got a little teary at 6pm PA time when I knew VBS was starting without me. I listened to my mp3 player with the VBS songs and imagined the kids waving their arms gleefully to the music.  I'm glad I got to be there two nights.

Fourteen hours is a long time to be in a plane!! And I couldn't help but think about what the return flight is going to be like with a 23 month old on our laps.  We had just about no leg room as it was, so I think it could go very badly. The last long flight will take off at 8 in the evening, so let's all pray she sleeps! I also plan to scout out an empty seat and stake it out, if possible.

David, our facilitator, was at the airport to greet us, which really made me feel secure. We are not his usual clients. He said we're much younger than most adopting couples, and we carry less baggage.  He took us to "refresh" at our hotel in Beijing. Here's the room.  

 Then we went to a Wigar (not sure of the spelling--they were in the news last year) restaurant that serves an oil company near our hotel. The head chef makes dishes from the company's native Xinjiang Province where the Muslim Wigar's live.

 This is a lamb dish over what David called a "pizza."  It was round bread, but otherwise not pizza like at all to me. I really liked the mutton. Then there were green beans like you see at buffets at home, but these had about 20 times the flavor of those green beans.



The dish below is Kung Pow Chicken, sort of spicy.

 Then we said goodbye to David and began a little stroll to stay awake. Our hotel is alongside the moat that used to surround old Beijing. Our hotel is in the oldest part, the center of the city. 

 And we came upon a fragrant market selling tofu, lots of peaches, veggies, fish, meats, and all sorts of things. 

 Tomorrow is a big day. We'll go to the Badaling part of the Great Wall, and we'll see the Summer Palace (a palace girls!) and an acrobat show in the evening.  So we're doing just fine, and I can't wait to fall asleep!