On the Nanchang walking street
Nap time
Everything was good
Chicken, onions, peanuts and just a few hot peppers for decoration!
Beef hot pot. Very good!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Guangzhou UPDATE
We have Christina's passport and will be off to the airport in about 90 minutes. We should arrive in Guangzhou at 4:15pm (2:15 am Iowa time) and after the van ride downtown, should be at Lucy's by about 7pm. WooHOO.
Guangzhou Day TODAY!!!
We'll be heading off to Guangzhou today, provided the civil affairs office has Christina's passport done (pray please). We are so looking forward to the warmth and familiarity of Shamian Island. Mary is especially looking forward to a cold iced tea at Lucy's!
Yesterday was a rather unexciting day (boring to a point) as it was cold and dreary outside and we had no appointments or places to go. Angela has been fighting off a cold and spent a good part of the day resting. John did some reading. The kids watched TV and wrestled. We finally headed out later in the afternoon. Another adoptive family that knows Angela came over to our hotel and we all went to dinner together. We then went down to the "walking street" so the gals could get some glazed strawberries on a stick. On the way back to the hotel, we were walking into a stiff, cold headwind. I (John) popped Christina up on my shoulders and picked up the pace-- her short legs have trouble keeping up sometimes :-) We ended up bouncing and singing and laughing all the way back to the hotel. It was a good bonding experience for us!
Mary had a rough night, as something she ate didn't agree with her. She felt a bit better this morning, and ate a little toast for breakfast. Hopefully the rest of the day will see her getting her strength back. Perhaps this is what she had trouble with??? ADDENDUM: THE PICS I TRIED TO POST DIDN'T WORK. I'LL FORWARD THEM TO CAITLIN AND SHE CAN UPLOAD THEM. SORRY. THE PIC I INTENDED TO SHOW HERE WAS A CHICKEN DISH LOADED WITH HOT PEPPERS. :-)
Yesterday was a rather unexciting day (boring to a point) as it was cold and dreary outside and we had no appointments or places to go. Angela has been fighting off a cold and spent a good part of the day resting. John did some reading. The kids watched TV and wrestled. We finally headed out later in the afternoon. Another adoptive family that knows Angela came over to our hotel and we all went to dinner together. We then went down to the "walking street" so the gals could get some glazed strawberries on a stick. On the way back to the hotel, we were walking into a stiff, cold headwind. I (John) popped Christina up on my shoulders and picked up the pace-- her short legs have trouble keeping up sometimes :-) We ended up bouncing and singing and laughing all the way back to the hotel. It was a good bonding experience for us!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday Evening/Wed morning
Good morning from China! Last night after everyone went to bed I stayed up to send pix and typed up a nice long blog explaining the visit with the fosters and other things …. suffice to say, the connection was lost and so was the note …thought it was saved but alas, no such luck!! So I will try again – this time in Word and copy and paste it!
As some of you know all 3 of our China girls are from Jiangxi … just so happened that way – and Sarabeth, home now 3 yrs was from Nanchang – fostered her entire life with one family who dearly loved her and did EVERYTHING for her … a true China “emperess”. We keep in loose contact with them – pix and letters over the email a few times a year. We had Angela call them to set up a time to have dinner – planned for 5:30 Tues night to meet at this hotel and go down the street for dinner. All of us except Angela (who is now down with a cold/sore throat…please pray for her) went out for lunch and onto Walmart for a few things. John had transferred all the pix we have taken of Sarabeth into one folder and wanted a flash drive to download them and give to the fosters. We came back to find the family already at the hotel at 3:00!!! Not a true surprise to us considering how they frequently just would show up during our week adopting SB … we had to insist they stop as it was truly confusing for dear SB.
Anyway – they decided to change plans – wanted us to go to their home to visit and then onto a restaurant of their choice close to their home. No problem – they also brought along the woman who taught SB to speak a bit of English prior to her adoption – this woman is now in college 2nd year. We went by taxi to their home – truly my worst taxi ride EVER …the driver was obviously the best at playing “chicken” with all the other drivers/buses/mopeds/bicyclists and wanted to show us his expertise!! ACK!! Lushi was laughing at me as I would gasp and say “I’m gonna die!” We pulled into a back alley and then onto an even “backer” alley – SB lived in a 6th floor apt and I was panted heavily by the time I reached the top – no surprise to me that I am totally out of shape!! Their home is quite small with 2 bedrms, small living area and kitchen/ bath….and no heat. It has been below freezing here several days and it was quite chilly! They offered clementines and a crunchy corn stick snack that SB used to love. We chatted a bit and then were off to walk to the “close by” restaurant. NOT!! But although the walk was long and very cold (poor Angela), we went through the “largest” market in Nanchang – veggie/fruit and clothes venders of all kinds – this was a true community sense that we experienced. A small city within a city. We arrived at the restaurant – VERY large and with 3 inch pine wood trim everywhere – walls of brick or white pine logs everywhere – very different from anything we have experienced in China.
Angela and the elder sister ordered- the first dish to arrive looked like beans and beef – I, Mary, took a “bean” and bit into it …. It was a pepper … and a very HOT one at that. I did not regain my taste buds for ½ of the meal!! Several dishes came out that we had never had before – some good, some not so good. The fosters all the while encouraged us to eat, eat!! while they did very little eating. At the end of the meal they brought out some fried thin bread that we have had at the Cow Bridge Restaurant before – very yummy. Dujie dropped two sets of chop sticks and a spoon (broke it) – she is a bit clumsy or probably just mindlessly active.
After dinner the family wanted us to then go the younger sister’s home – we have seen pix of this and know it is very modern and comfortable. We were just tuckered out and knew dear Angela needed some meds and rest for her cold. We taxied back to the hotel.
The dynamic duo of Lushi and Christina is forming true sibling love and hate – chiding eat other, teasing, blaming each other – they chatter on and on. So glad we bought a bag of sunflower seeds – this has kept them busy in front of the TV during the long hours of nothingness that the adoption waiting can produce – the weather earlier was rainy, cold and even snowy. No walking streets during that!
We are now into our Wednesday and getting ready for breakfast – will meet up with another WCF family today – the McNews – for dinner. Tomorrow we will be off to GZ hopefully and onto warmer weather and the comfortable “ahh” of Shamian Island!
As always, we are thankful for your prayers and comments – they encourage us while we are so far away!!
Mary and John
As some of you know all 3 of our China girls are from Jiangxi … just so happened that way – and Sarabeth, home now 3 yrs was from Nanchang – fostered her entire life with one family who dearly loved her and did EVERYTHING for her … a true China “emperess”. We keep in loose contact with them – pix and letters over the email a few times a year. We had Angela call them to set up a time to have dinner – planned for 5:30 Tues night to meet at this hotel and go down the street for dinner. All of us except Angela (who is now down with a cold/sore throat…please pray for her) went out for lunch and onto Walmart for a few things. John had transferred all the pix we have taken of Sarabeth into one folder and wanted a flash drive to download them and give to the fosters. We came back to find the family already at the hotel at 3:00!!! Not a true surprise to us considering how they frequently just would show up during our week adopting SB … we had to insist they stop as it was truly confusing for dear SB.
Anyway – they decided to change plans – wanted us to go to their home to visit and then onto a restaurant of their choice close to their home. No problem – they also brought along the woman who taught SB to speak a bit of English prior to her adoption – this woman is now in college 2nd year. We went by taxi to their home – truly my worst taxi ride EVER …the driver was obviously the best at playing “chicken” with all the other drivers/buses/mopeds/bicyclists and wanted to show us his expertise!! ACK!! Lushi was laughing at me as I would gasp and say “I’m gonna die!” We pulled into a back alley and then onto an even “backer” alley – SB lived in a 6th floor apt and I was panted heavily by the time I reached the top – no surprise to me that I am totally out of shape!! Their home is quite small with 2 bedrms, small living area and kitchen/ bath….and no heat. It has been below freezing here several days and it was quite chilly! They offered clementines and a crunchy corn stick snack that SB used to love. We chatted a bit and then were off to walk to the “close by” restaurant. NOT!! But although the walk was long and very cold (poor Angela), we went through the “largest” market in Nanchang – veggie/fruit and clothes venders of all kinds – this was a true community sense that we experienced. A small city within a city. We arrived at the restaurant – VERY large and with 3 inch pine wood trim everywhere – walls of brick or white pine logs everywhere – very different from anything we have experienced in China.
Angela and the elder sister ordered- the first dish to arrive looked like beans and beef – I, Mary, took a “bean” and bit into it …. It was a pepper … and a very HOT one at that. I did not regain my taste buds for ½ of the meal!! Several dishes came out that we had never had before – some good, some not so good. The fosters all the while encouraged us to eat, eat!! while they did very little eating. At the end of the meal they brought out some fried thin bread that we have had at the Cow Bridge Restaurant before – very yummy. Dujie dropped two sets of chop sticks and a spoon (broke it) – she is a bit clumsy or probably just mindlessly active.
After dinner the family wanted us to then go the younger sister’s home – we have seen pix of this and know it is very modern and comfortable. We were just tuckered out and knew dear Angela needed some meds and rest for her cold. We taxied back to the hotel.
The dynamic duo of Lushi and Christina is forming true sibling love and hate – chiding eat other, teasing, blaming each other – they chatter on and on. So glad we bought a bag of sunflower seeds – this has kept them busy in front of the TV during the long hours of nothingness that the adoption waiting can produce – the weather earlier was rainy, cold and even snowy. No walking streets during that!
We are now into our Wednesday and getting ready for breakfast – will meet up with another WCF family today – the McNews – for dinner. Tomorrow we will be off to GZ hopefully and onto warmer weather and the comfortable “ahh” of Shamian Island!
As always, we are thankful for your prayers and comments – they encourage us while we are so far away!!
Mary and John
More pix
Bored watching TV and eating sunflower seeds
Sarabeth's foster family
Her foster parents
@ foster family's house
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday Dec 15, in Nanchang
It's been a few days since we posted. Sorry for the delay. On Sunday afternoon we headed off from PHF to the Beijing airport. Christina did not look back. We had thought there might be some tears shed but she handled the transition well. Our guide Angela met up with us at the airport and we headed to the gateway. Christina was excited to go up in the plane, but because it was dark out by the time we took off, she couldn't see as much from the air. Air China must be obsessive about "on-time" departures! People were still finding their seats when the door was closed and the plane was pushed away from the gate. In the US, that plane wouldn't move until everyone was seated. Then, we were blasting down the runway and lifting off while the safety video was still playing! Very different from at home.
On arrival in Nanchang, we headed off to the Gloria Plaza Hotel and finally hit the sheets at about 11:30pm. We had an early wake-up tho, as we needed to be at the Civil Affairs Office by 8:30am. At Civil Affairs, there were MANY adoptive families milling around the waiting room. We talked to several families who had been waiting for their new healthy children for up to 44 months! That seems so foreign to those of us who adopt from the "waiting children" lists. The longest we've ever waited from login to travel is 9 months, and that was excruciating enough.
After signing all the paperwork and paying all the bills, we went to the Nanchang Wal-Mart, which is ALWAYS mind-boggling! You'll never see a Walmart like this in this states! Everything from live squid to turtle, fried everything on a stick, LOUD salespeople on megaphones shouting their pitches and the same annoying version of "Jingle Bells" repeated over and over again on the store's loudspeakers. Arghhhhhhhhh! After quickly gathering up some water, Pepsi and a few snack items, we headed back to the hotel. After lunch and a short nap, we took a trip several blocks from the hotel to the pedestrian mall area. We walked the length of the "walking street" and the girls enjoyed some glazed strawberries on a stick. We love the atmosphere on the walking street-- so many people gathered, walking arm in arm, talking etc. After supper at a local restaurant, it was time for a much needed sleep.
Today, we were able to sleep a bit longer as we have no appointments. We are in the worst part of the adoption travel time-line.....waiting, waiting, waiting. It is cold and rainy (with a few snowflakes mixed in) outside. Our only thing scheduled today is to meet up with Sarabeth's foster parents. It has been 3 yrs since we left Nanchang with our lovely Sarabeth, and the fosters still miss her greatly. We will be meeting them at 5:30 for dinner and I've put together a photo album on a flash drive that we will give them, which chronicles Sarabeth since her adoption. Tomorrow....another day of waiting. Thursday though is the day we've been waiting for- Lord willing, we'll have all of Christina's paperwork returned and be off to warm Guangzhou.
We'll send some pictures off to Caitlin and hopefully she will get them uploaded to the blog soon. Thanks for the many comments, notes and prayers. We appreciate all of you.
John and Mary.
On arrival in Nanchang, we headed off to the Gloria Plaza Hotel and finally hit the sheets at about 11:30pm. We had an early wake-up tho, as we needed to be at the Civil Affairs Office by 8:30am. At Civil Affairs, there were MANY adoptive families milling around the waiting room. We talked to several families who had been waiting for their new healthy children for up to 44 months! That seems so foreign to those of us who adopt from the "waiting children" lists. The longest we've ever waited from login to travel is 9 months, and that was excruciating enough.
After signing all the paperwork and paying all the bills, we went to the Nanchang Wal-Mart, which is ALWAYS mind-boggling! You'll never see a Walmart like this in this states! Everything from live squid to turtle, fried everything on a stick, LOUD salespeople on megaphones shouting their pitches and the same annoying version of "Jingle Bells" repeated over and over again on the store's loudspeakers. Arghhhhhhhhh! After quickly gathering up some water, Pepsi and a few snack items, we headed back to the hotel. After lunch and a short nap, we took a trip several blocks from the hotel to the pedestrian mall area. We walked the length of the "walking street" and the girls enjoyed some glazed strawberries on a stick. We love the atmosphere on the walking street-- so many people gathered, walking arm in arm, talking etc. After supper at a local restaurant, it was time for a much needed sleep.
Today, we were able to sleep a bit longer as we have no appointments. We are in the worst part of the adoption travel time-line.....waiting, waiting, waiting. It is cold and rainy (with a few snowflakes mixed in) outside. Our only thing scheduled today is to meet up with Sarabeth's foster parents. It has been 3 yrs since we left Nanchang with our lovely Sarabeth, and the fosters still miss her greatly. We will be meeting them at 5:30 for dinner and I've put together a photo album on a flash drive that we will give them, which chronicles Sarabeth since her adoption. Tomorrow....another day of waiting. Thursday though is the day we've been waiting for- Lord willing, we'll have all of Christina's paperwork returned and be off to warm Guangzhou.
We'll send some pictures off to Caitlin and hopefully she will get them uploaded to the blog soon. Thanks for the many comments, notes and prayers. We appreciate all of you.
John and Mary.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
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