In Nanchang we met with the provincial level Civil Affairs personnel, as well as with the Notary representing the provincial level Justice side of the equation. Quite an experience. In both of our meetings, the orphanage director was present, nodding his encouragement to us adoptive parents, holding his charges, smiling and patting them affectionately. It was abundantly clear that this man was devoted to "his" children. Our agency director as well as our interpreter were present as well.
Finally, after 5 days, we took the next "40 minute" bus trip back to the airport (either much more sedately driven or we had relaxed a lot!) to board our flight to Quangzhou. While waiting for our flight, we were photographed and some members were interviewed by the local newspaper. Our interpreter promised to photocopy the article that resulted, and send us all copies for our daughters scrap book.
Meiya began to relax as soon as we left the hotel; she clearly had decided to turn a page in her life and allow these two old, tall, tired, homely folks who had fallen so in love with her to become her new parents. She began to call me "mama", but before I swelled too much with pride, I noticed that she also called her dad, and later her big sister, our 125-lb. black lab, and our tabby cat *all* mama. (The black lab has since been renamed "BIG Mama", a name he seems to resent.) I am working on "Mommy" now. (Julia, our 4 1/2 year-old, ever searching for ways to bust her mom's chops, has taken to calling me "Molly"....is this just an unfortunate phase?? [g])
We spent the next 8 days in Guangzhou at the Victory Hotel. It was very nice, very
reasonable (about $54/night) very comfortable and convenient, and I recommend it highly to
whomever is in a position to make their own arrangements while overseas. (We were not; we
did what we were told, when we were told, and we LIKED IT.
Guangzhou was a kick. Shamian Island (where the White Swan, the Victory and the American Consulate are all located) reminded me of New-Orleans. The White Swan is very modern and towers over the balance of the architecture; it seemed everything else was very old-world charming. We frequently traveled to the White Swan in the morning for their fabulous breakfast buffet. It was always fun to look around the dining area (a long, bright area facing the Pearl River) and see other adoptive parents with their lovely daughters in tow....all the parents looking a bit bedraggled, confounded and a lot proud!
I had asked Kathy G of this board to contact me when her itinerary became firm, she did so via my mother in law in Chicago, and I arrived back at our hotel room one PM to find that she was registered at the Victory.....across the hall from our room, no less! What fun it is to first physically meet people with whom one has become friendly over the internet, most particularly when the meeting is half way around the world, and the person lives just miles from you locally! Kathy was on her way "in" to receive her daughter Rebecca, and we were in the midst of some paper work in preparation for our meeting at the consulate, so we did not have much time to visit, but it was fun meeting her, and I hope she is home safe and sound with Rebecca now.
Guangzhou is a wonderful place. Larry, Meiya and I did a fair amount of exploring; sometimes with the group, sometimes just the three of us. The weather was warming, but still marginally comfortable; our backs had adjusted to the back and tummy packs in which we carried Meiya, and we had become surprisingly proficient in the use of chopsticks, and just had a ball exploring some of the wonderful restaurants. Ordering was always an adventure; I had left the States confident that I had a working array of useful phrases down pat in Chinese. I quickly came to realize that I must have learned Russian by mistake... .I was met with lots of dull stares and questioning looks....finally, I learned to let my fingers do the walking, and my little English/Chinese dictionary came in very handy! A surprisingly large percentage of the Chinese population have some degree of proficiency in English; I am always embarrassed by what a relative language boob I am. (Although, in my defense, I used to be able to order draft beer in Germany without the use of a English/German dictionary.) Anyway, by choice or mistake or trickery, we managed to eat baby bird, silk worm pupae, and heaven knows what else.......also a lot of chicken .......(or so we were told!). Meiya was clearly used to sharing food at the table; chopsticks are marvelous tools for getting small bits of food into small mouths. The congee was a life-saver; she loved it and actually, I did too. (Try the Salt Egg Congee in the ground floor restaurant at the Victory....you will only find it on the "Chinese" menu, not the Western one. I though it was delicious!) Meiya began to smile lots, wave at folks, eat up a storm, and generally just have a great time. Carrie's hall sessions continued, and it was so much fun to watch all the kids blossom. If requested, Larry and I would have been delighted to take them all home with us; we have plenty of room for Molly, Lea, Jessie, Jessica, Joiri, Mary and Jenna. Not surprisingly, we were not asked! It was so funny to see how the kids just "fit" so beautifully into their new families. I am not sure who was adapting more, parents or children, but the matching was really wonderful! Kathy and Bill (you know Bill; he's the one inclined to do back-flips down the promenade that ran along the canal in front of the Victory) were gifted with a daughter, Joiri, who was just as wound up as they were.... watch out, world, these wonderful folks will not be easy to miss!! And Carrie and Ed, with their gregarious and extroverted natures, were blessed with the lovely Lea, whose smile was ever present and ever directed toward whomever was willing to give her a wave. *Those* were cheeks that simply could not go un-clucked, and every person on the street seemed to be overwhelmed by the desire. Carrie and Ed were the perfect parents for such a gregarious daughter; they clearly loved the attention as much as Lea.....we were constantly yelling at them to hurry and catch up! Bill and Susan R's Jessie (you will certainly have heard of her via Susan's tellings while we were overseas; Susan and their son Matt stayed at home while Bill traveled to receive Jessie.) simply blossomed; I can think of no other word to describe her progress. While she had obviously been loved, I believe her existence prior to Bill's arrival was relatively sheltered. I imagine she had been tightly swaddled and allowed very little stimulation. Bill, with quantities of energy I can only vaguely remember *ever* having, had Jessie up and about all day every day... on walks, playing in the hall, at the dining table. Jessie's eyes began to sparkle, she began to reach for objects and fondle them, finally, beautiful, shy smiles began to emerge from her darling, intelligent face. She is just a doll, I can't wait to see her and her whole family again.
BTW, the White Swan is a very dangerous shopping mecca...Its really hard not to spend too much money there! The book store is well worth a visit. I purchased some Chinese soft-bound classics , lots of beautifully illustrated children's fables, some Chinese language flash cards, a kite, other things that allude me for the moment. Also, the chop shop there is fast and reliable. I left my request for 5 chops at breakfast, and was told I could pick them up that PM. More fun, IMO, however, is shopping on the economy. The "Nanchang" Department store in Guangzhou is quite good, but I really fell in love with the "Mother Daughter Store", also in Guangzhou, discovered on one of his wanderings by Bill R. I have no idea why it is so named. With that name, I expected a boutique of some sort, instead I would describe it a fairly large department store. There, I purchased traditional Chinese garb for each of Meiya and Julia, really exquisite silk and embroidered items at a fraction of what one would expect to pay here in the States, even if they could be found. This store is across the Canal from the Victory, walk through the herb and spice area of the open market (don't miss the open market....its quite an experience, I'm still trying to figure out what the desiccated "bats on a stick" are for....) til it opens out onto a main thoroughfare. If you go left at that juncture, you will eventually hit the McDonalds, if instead you go right, about 2 or 3 blocks down the street, on the left (and just beyond a rather paltry Friendship store, as I recall), you will find the Mother Daughter.
Also, if children's traditional garb at very reasonable prices interests you, try a little shop on the side street that "runs into" the front of the White Swan. (i.e., runs perpendicular to the street that fronts the White Swan.) Actually, there are three little shops in a row, all catering to the White Swan adoptive crowd, but I liked the one that was situated on and up a flight of stairs (on your right as you approach the Swan.) the best. A young woman and her elderly father run the shop; they are very pleasant and have a nice array of clothing, all very reasonably priced.
We were treated on the eve of Chinese Independence (October 1) (the reason for the backlog in Guangzhou, as I came to find out....not the moon festival as originally thought) to a powerful and very impressive fireworks display. Kind of brought home the fact that China is indeed the birthplace of the technology and art of fireworks. This holiday, which was celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of October, was one of the reasons our trip was comparatively long. The US consulate, as well as the banks and many commercial concerns, were closed, creating quite a backlog.
Well, this is running way too long. It is great to be back, it is great to have my family finally intact and beginning to function on a somewhat normal level. I must admit to being a whole lot more tired then I thought I would be, particularly since I was still "flying high" several days post arriving home, and thought I would just be one of those admirable specimens not daunted by the rigors of the trip. Not so. Also, to complement the pregnancy symptoms that I encountered while waiting for Meiya, I am slowed down a bit by something that reminds me very much of the post partum blues that occurred shortly after the birth of Julia. Nobody will ever be able to convince me that these two paths toward family building are not in many ways very, very similar.
The best to all of you, God speed on your referrals and travel clearances. God bless all our darling children, be they already at home, waiting for our travel, or waiting to be formally matched with their parents. Never loose sight that each of our children are forever and securely attached to us by their particular red thread.
All the best,
Molly,
Proud mother of Julia and Meiya,
Proud wife of Larry.
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Would love to hear from other families with children from any orphanage in Jiangxi Province. If you'd like to share any information, ask questions, or post your child's photo on this site please e-mail me at webmaster@gurrad.com.