DAY 15 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 15

Well, our final day in China has arrived, we received Lexi's passport and Visa today, and we are nearly packed and ready for departure in the morning.

Before we go though, we asked the kids to help conclude our blog posting with their final thoughts on our Great China Adventure. 

 

Here is what they came up with:

 

Getting LEXI, The Great Wall!, Herbal Market, Chinese boys with weird haircuts, the weddings, pollution, spot lights, traffic!, Crazy Taxi, 50km/hour cab rides, metric system is awesome. . .the US should use it, same with military time, eating shrimp heads, ping pong in the hotels. . .Cullen the Champion!, low tide sludge on the Pearl River, only one bout of food sickness, six dollar Starbucks, ICE CREAM, no fat Chinese people, the Safari Zoo, white tigers, Monkey King Show!, dead dog in bag, sugary duck skin (one liked it, one didn't), water dripping from the buildings on Shamian Island, dust, squatty potty (none in the streets like we were told), Cullen's weapons!?, 7-11, 200 calorie sodas, pizza at La Dolce Vita, Chairman Mao, cruisin' on the river, laser pointers, Beijing, Helen, Learning Chinese ("shay-shay"), spitting indoors, smoke!, big Justin from the orphanage and his Canadian friend, Jade factory, squeaker shoes, the fake Monk, creepy Carnival in Changsha, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, Santa Claus posters, the Tea Room, pee pee boy, Army training, "granny mummy", the Toy Market, and INSANE breakfast buffets!

 

Well, that about sums it all up. If you have any questions on any of the above items, feel free to ask either kid (or Lexi) when we return.

See you all stateside!

DAY 14 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 14

Realizing that we only have a few more days left, we are packing as much activity into the day as possible. Today we started at the Xiangjiang Safari Park to view pandas, but found so much more. We were able to explore two halves of the park by train and by foot, viewing not only pandas, but lions, white tigers, bears, giraffe, koala, rhinos, etc. in their natural environment.

 

Richard then picked us up and shuttled us to the American Consulate in downtown Guangzhou for our final act to complete the adoption; the Oath. We, along with about 20 other adopting families (following a brief meeting with a consulate official), stood and pledged our commitment to raise our adoptive children in a loving and healthy environment. Certificates were passed out, and it was done! Now, the only thing left, is to receive Lexi's Visa and travel papers, which should arrive tomorrow, and then we are able to travel home with her this Friday!

 

To celebrate tonight, Lexi first posed with her new friends on the traditional "red sofa" at the White Swan Hotel, and then we all took a dinner cruise on the Pearl River. A terrific finale to our two week odyssey.

 

One final note. . .as we celebrate one of the most memorable events in our immediate family history, our hearts ache for all those affected by the earthquake(s) in Haiti as we have been keeping up with the disaster in the news. Our thoughts and support go out to all those affected by this disaster as we now prepare to leave for home.

 

DAY 13 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 13

We had a "free day" today without appointments or guidance from Richard, and of course, we chose to spend our time on Art and Architecture! First, the Guangzhou Museum of Art with collections of local artists in different media. Following playtime in the plaza, a brisk cab ride over to the Guangdong Museum of Art for more of a contemporary collection of work from Chinese artists.

 

Following a recent pattern, this afternoon we went shopping near our hotel. We bought Lexi a stamp with her American and Chinese name on it, her first set of Chinese "squeaker" shoes, and her first traditional Chinese dress (she picked purple!).

 

Hard to believe we have been in China almost 2 weeks already! It has been a memorable and enjoyable trip, but we will certainly be ready to come home Friday. We can't wait to introduce friends and family to our newest family member.

DAY 12 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 12

Today we toured once again with Richard and the first stop was to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, an active Buddhist temple. There, Cullen threw a coin through an urn for good luck, Monks joined in procession through the courtyard, and we marveled at the Flower pagoda (a structure dating back to 1097 and named for its bright colors).

 

We then visited Yuexiu Park, one of the oldest parks in the region. Among the sites, we saw the Five Rams Sculpture which has become a symbol of Guangzhou. According to the local belief, the statue is the outcome of an ancient myth and is known to bring good luck and fortune to the city.

 

We have been getting to know Lexi more and more each day, and find her extremely easy going, friendly, intelligent, out-going and well-behaved. She is also a good sleeper, and a VERY good eater. We all find her wit and charm irresistible and she compliments the family very well!

DAY 11 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 11

Day 2 in Guangzhou started with a ping pong tournament and ended with Edy's Ice Cream. . .what a day! This morning, we took a stroll around our new neighborhood; Shamian Island  (not actually an island, but a area of the city where wealthy merchants once lived and built a moat for protection). This afternoon, Richard took us to the Guangdong Folk Art Museum, a beautiful collection of buildings celebrating the art of the common Chinese people.

 

We also visited several shops, along with the famous Pearl Market, which is actually a HUGE mall full of wholesale jewelers. Outside was the most crowded shopping street we have ever experienced. Thousands of people jammed into a mile-long stretch of road with shopping and food. . .and yes, we were the only Westerners around. Tonight, had dinner at a nice Italian Restaurant not far from the hotel with several other adopting families. . .with ice cream afterwards. . .oh, and by the way. . .Cullen won the ping pong tournament.

DAY 10 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 10

Woke in Guangzhou to our warmest day yet (in the 70's). Beautiful neighborhood where we are with boulevards, palm trees and brick streets. . .reminiscent of Savannah. Latitudinally, Guangzhou is equal to south Florida, so all of a sudden, it seems like a vacation!  The only problem is that most of the city is under renovation due to the Asian Games due here in the Fall.

 

Lexi had her official physical this morning at a nearby clinic and all checked out OK. We then strolled along the riverfront, had lunch at a Western-style Cafe (burgers-n-fries, fish-n-chips), and listened to a traditional Chinese music group play for the leisure Saturday afternoon crowd in the park.

 

Met and talked with many other adopting families this afternoon. Most families come to Guangzhou to finalize their adoption process due to Consulates being located here. We have met families from all over the US, many with smiling little girls similar to Lexi; one family with 6 biological kids and 3 adopted, and one family adopting two 13-year-old boys. Great to see such international support for kids in need.

DAY 9 - China Adventure

CHINA ADVENTURE, DAY 9

We ventured out into the city this morning to Changsha's largest park complete with lake, aquarium, mini-amusement park, musicians, and of course, people selling their wares. The boys chatted briefly with a Buddhist monk and each bought a bead bracelet.

 

The cab rides are always interesting in China, and the ride to the park was no exception. Drivers typically do not follow the lines on the road, pedestrians are not yielded to, and chosen speed is up to the driver. Our cabbie even "bumped" another cab, a few words were exchanged, and they drove on.

 

We had an evening flight out to Guangzhou and all went smooth (although taking our "Circus" on the road is no easy task with lots of luggage, and now baby in-tow). Before departure, we had to say good-bye to our doorman at the Hotel Dolton, one of the most famous in all of China!

 

Arrived late in Guangzhou and fell directly to sleep.