Hello to the Children's Home in Qingdao!

Home

It is good to be away, but better to be home.  After a grueling 26 hours of travel, we arrived home last night with a smiling toddler.  She is always happy!  We had a good night sleep in our own bed with Ian and Chen Qian!  Then breakfast of eggs and scapple - OK, we have found one thing she will not eat (scrapple).  But she eats minced squid and ink dumplings?  Go figure.  I will need a nap around 3:00 PM -over football?

General Musings on China

China is a wonderful place.  It is familiar, yet very different at the same time.  And when it is different, it can be downright odd!  People are the same all over the world and I think travel is the best way to understand that and break down any misperceptions we may have.  However, things do not always translate well.

And it was!

Pictures on the "Famous" red couch!

And if you don't like this McDonalds, you can go the one directly behind me.

Don't even try to come to this shopping area on the weekend.

At the Park, and no it doesn't translate well.

Under construction

Steve, Lisa and Nathan Wurster, the other family from Welcome House with whom we are traveling

Our hotel, the White Swan

We had lunch at a very famous (remember, I said everything is famous?  Our guide Erin, now catches herself when she tells us something is famous and finds it humorous as well) Thai restaurant yesterday.  It is called the "Cow and the Bridge".  And the best part is they were playing Country and Western Music!  Pig tripe and Country and Western just don't seem to mix in my book.  Then in the evening we had a dinner cruise on the Pearl River.  Sounds nice, doesn't it?  In theory only.  Chinese people do not cue.  Enough said.  It was like these people had not eaten for three weeks!  You should have seen the rush to get to the buffet line and then the pushing shoving once we got there.  It was an experience not to be missed and I am glad we did it - plus it was a great way to see Guangzhou.  Enjoy the pictures from another park and one of the main pedestrian shopping zones along with pictures from the cruise.  BTW - we have not yet found anything Chen Qian does not like to eat - including cartilage.....gross and very Chinese. 

Some of you have asked if we are not yet calling her Lily.  For the time being we will continue to call her Chen Qian, which she knows as her name.  Mama may begin to call her Lily soon.  I will probably always call her Chen Qian - which means "little bit of the whole universe" - it is a very cool name.  We come home in two days, so look for a new post next week about our arrival home.  Pray for us for traveling safety and good flights!

Oath Day at US Consulate

Today we went to the US Consulate in Guangzhou and took the oath of citizenship for Chen Qian so that when we land in the US she will become a US citizen.  The adoption happened last week in Jinan and was very low key.  There we just signed a paper and she was ours.  Now she will be a US citizen and give up her Chinese citizenship.

We also toured a very nice park today.  It is popular with the retired folks and there were lots of old people playing Tia Chi, practicing ballroom dancing, exercising and fan dancing.  There is one thing that I cannot get over and that is people swimming in the Pearl River.  It is gross and lots of big boats use it for transportation.  If you can see the dude swimming in this photo - right next to the big boat.  It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode with Kramer swimming in the East River.

 Can you see the dude swimming?

 ...right next to the ship?

 Lunch time, when we do lots of "cheers".

 Tired baby

Banyan Tree Temple

Char and Chen Qian lighting incense sticks

Today was another good day with Chen Qian.  We had a few tears in the morning and we are never sure what sets her off.  But we had a  great day of playing and laughing.  She is very comfortable with us and freely calls us Mama and Baba - which is very cool.  We can't wait to get home to the boys so we can all be together again.    Char and I even got good night kisses tonight without having to bribe her! 

I also included some photos of our trip to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees.  There are only three there now.  We lit some incense and made wishes for Chen Qian and the rest of the family.  I think Chen Qian has been to Temple before, as she seemed to know exactly what to do with the incense.  Enjoy the pictures.

Tomorrow is a fun day of shopping at the pearl and jade markets -- lunch together with our guide and the Wursters who we are traveling with, and then a dinner cruise on the Pearl River (no swimming).  Any requests for our shopping trips???

Good News!

Chen Qian did not test positive for TB!  We get to come home on Saturday!

We were watching the test site for the last 72 hours and yesterday the site was raised and this morning it was red, but it had to be 10 millimeters to be a positive result.  It was was only 6x5 at the appointment.  

We went to the Temple of the 6 Banyan Trees -  there are only 3 there now.  Very beautiful and busy as it was the first day of the lunar month.  Restful afternoon and peaceful evening on the river.  We will post more pictures tomorrow.

A Day in the Park

Today was a warm, sunny day with no appointments, doctors visits or adoption paperwork.  Chen Qian started out a little teary eyed, but warmed up over a big breakfast of noodles, ham, and chocolate croissant (quite a combination).  After a few more tears (not sure why) we were off to Yuntai Garden Park.  This is a beautiful botanical garden that we enjoyed walking through.  They had a greenhouse full of beautiful orchids, paths that meandered through rose gardens, beautiful walkways, and water gardens.  Chen Qian really enjoyed her bubble maker (what is it with kids and bubbles -- or Pop Pop and bubbles?) 

After lunch we spent the afternoon on our own.  We spent our time playing, walking the streets, and going to the park again.  Probably the most anticipated part of our day was picking up the clean laundry!!  Finally clean clothes again!!

After a dinner of noodles, playing with BaBa and a long bath, Chen Qian fell alseep early.  Please keep us in your prayers -- tomorrow we head to the Doctor again to have the TB test checked.  We're a bit worried just because of this nasty cough that she has. 

White Swan Hotel

We are here in Guangzhou on the banks of the Pearl River. It is beautiful and busy and kind of feels like Florida.  Very warm and pleasant.  Today we did the Chinese medical exam this morning prior to our VISA interview with the US Conulate next week.  It was organized chaos - but we did recive one huge blessing.  As of Yesterday, families adopting under the Hague Convention do not have to have any vaccinations in China and can wait until they get home.  We understand that the process took about two hours less (we were only there for one hour) and very little crying.  However, you stood in this line, then that line, then the other line.  Welcome to China....Chen Qian did have to get the TB test as she is over 36 months old -  there was a bit of crying  for that - but it is a huge blessing to not have to deal with a kid getting multiple vaccinations in one day.

Lunch and playing in the playground at the park this afternoon.  Lets just say that when Chen Qian is around, the party has begun!  Here are some more pictures from our prvious destinations.

Chen Qian and caregivers at the orphanage where she was after her surgery.  These two women were some of the ones that took care of her during that time. 

The playground at the orphanage where she was after her surgery. 

Our "little rabbit"!

Feeding the fish with bottles at the aquarium in Qingdao.

We had dinner at a very famous fish restaurant in Qingdao.