One More Post...

Okay, I know the previous post was supposed to be my last, but today we took pictures of all the kids in traditional Chinese attire, and it was just so cute I have to post again. Maggie was pretty freaked out because so many of the kids were crying. Soon she started crying herself. (You can see her head behind the couch as they tried to put her in the "formal" group shot.) Anyway, we did get some nice pics that I wanted to share.

A Morning Diversion

Yesterday we went on a morning excursion to the local botanical gardens. We rode a shuttle bus with the other families adopting through Harrah's International. It was nice to talk to other families who are also happy but tired. The gardens were fun and, best of all, got us out of the hotel room.

Today we'll do one last bit of shopping, take a group photo with the other families, and start packing up. Tomorrow we visit the U.S. Consulate and then leave for Hong Kong, where we'll stay overnight and then catch our flight to Newark then Houston. So this is my last post before we arrive home!!!!

Visiting an Ancient Temple

Saturday we went to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, a Buddhist temple built in 537 A.D. during the Liang Dynasty. We watched Chinese visitors burn incense and even saw a Buddhist worship ceremony.
The streets were so busy after we were done touring the temple grounds that we couldn't catch a taxi, so we walked and took the subway instead. Very crowded!

It was good to get out for the afternoon, because being cooped up in the hotel is starting to make me a little crazy. Monday we may go to a botanical garden.

Maggie is learning lots of new English words and has discovered the joys of Sesame Street. (Thank goodness for my laptop!)

Shopping Day

Yesterday was a busy morning. After going through U.S. paperwork, our guide, Kathy, took us to a few good shopping areas. We toured the herbal medicine market where we saw dried seahorses, deer tails and bones, everything imaginable that could be cooked down to make a drink or soup.

Then we took Maggie through an area full of pets for sale. Actually, this part of the market used to be the place to buy live animals for cooking, but the SARS epidemic put an end to that.

Next, we went to a crowded retail area and ended up in the pearl market. We found some nice strands so that Maggie can have a necklace and earrings from her home city. (By the way, we learned today that Guangzhou is a city of 10 million people!)

We ate at a 3-story restaurant. This is fairly common in China, sort of like Kim Son in Houston. Each level has a different chef and a slightly different menu. Kathy ordered for us, and it was delicious. Maggie ate everything, of course.

We're just resting up this morning. We may visit a Buddhist temple this afternoon.

More Appointments!

Yesterday we went to a provincial office where Maggie's passport was issued. We saw an older girl from her orphanage, and Maggie seemed a little sad after we left. She perked right up after we got back to the hotel, though.

This girl can eat! We ordered her a huge adult entree of beef and rice noodles for lunch yesterday and almost couldn't drag her away from the table when she had eaten half of it. Today we were smarter and had the second half boxed to take back to the room for supper.

We've also shopped a bit. Nona Popo ("popo" means maternal grandmother) bough her a panda backpack that she was dying for. I bough her a pink Chinese dress.

Today we go to the doctor for a short physical. I'm tired and miss everyone. And let me tell you, the little bit of American-style food that we've sampled has been very amusing. You should try the Chinese version of pizza!

A Nice Day

Today we went back to the government office for a couple of interviews and a little more paperwork. Then we went to a really large French-owned retail store--sort of like a Wal-Mart. Very interesting experience. Tomorrow we get Maggie's Chinese passport that will allow her to leave China and enter the U.S.A.

GOTCHA!!!

Today was our Gotcha Day for Maggie. That's international adoption lingo for the day your child is given to you. Our appointment was at 2:30 p.m. and I was so nervous by 1:45 that my hands were shaking. Our guide and a driver shuttled us to a government office where 10 or 12 other families were waiting. One by one the caretakers brought out the children. There was a lot of crying (mostly from the new parents). Then we saw a nanny walking through the crowd holding the hands of two children. The smaller one was Maggie. (We knew immediately because of her chubby cheeks.) She was not afraid at all, just a little nervous. But she was laughing and having fun as soon as we met her. This little girl has loads of personality and already knows about 10 or 12 English words, all from just one afternoon. In fact, she's already talked to her daddy (Ba Ba) on the phone (about 3 a.m. his time!).

She's charmed everyone at the hotel, and she speaks both Mandarin and Cantonese. We had fun playing in the room and the hotel play area today. I have a short interview tomorrow morning with a government official. After that, our top priority is to buy her some real shoes. (They gave her to us in little boys light blue Converse high-tops!)

So Exhausted!!

Where do I start? First, a 4-hour flight from Houston to Newark. Then a 16-hour trek from there to Hong Kong. Actually it really wasn't so bad. It was a huge plane, and each passenger had his/her own monitor, complete with a menu of every movie, tv show, video game imaginable. I watched two movies, listened to music, watched about about 9 sit-coms and napped and ate intermittently (We received 4 rounds of food during the flight.)

Hong Kong airport--confusing. But Mama and I figured it out, finally. We bought our train tickets for the next day, and managed to end up using the good, government-sanctioned taxis instead of the questionable guys who try to approach you as soon as you step through customs.

After a night's stay in the Kowloon International hotel, we explored the harbor area of Hong Kong and bought Maggie a big teddy bear for Monday. We then hopped on the train to Guangzhou. But it wasn't that easy. Lots of standing in line and waiting. And to see the two of us hefting our giant suitcases onto that train was a sight, I'm sure.

Anyway, with great relief we met out guide, Kathy, at the East Guangzhou train station. We were shuttled to the White Swan hotel where Kathy gave us the run-down for the week and a tour of hotel and Shamian Island. The Island is one of the first places that Europeans and other non-Chinese were allowed to settle as they traded with China and the area. It is absolutely gorgeous, with huge twisted old oaks and colonial-style buildings, even some old churces. Much more laid back than Hong Kong! Our two rooms overlook the widest stretch of the Pearl River.

The big news, though, is that tomorrow at 2:00 we get Maggie at the Civil Affairs Office!! We'll let you know how it goes!!!

Now I'm going to use the remainder of my prepaid hour of Internet service to try and upload photos.

Dinner with Dear Friends

John, Zach and I met our good friends, the Alexanders, for Mexican food last night. They gave us the cutest outfits for Margaret. I'm packing them today. My suitcase is stuffed! We've gotten a good bit of our Christmas shopping done, which is a big relief. I'm hoping to shop in Guangzhou for some of the remaining gifts.