Today we visited White Cloud Mountain (also called Baiyun Mountain). We rode a gondola up to the top, walked around the perimeter of the mountain and then hiked down.
The mountain lived up to the name as the city was tough to see through the cloud cover. You can see just enough to tell that the views can be very beautiful on a clear day. We were thankful for the cool weather though. It rained a bit on our hike down but it was nice to get out and get some exercise.
We saw several families playing hacky sack.
Interesting to see so many people carrying radios as they walk through the park. Rather than using headphones here they just have speakers and so that everyone can enjoy their musical selection. apparently iPod has yet to saturate the market here.
We walked around the mall this afternoon and found $5,000 fungus. Seriously. It's called Cordyceps Sinensis and they sell it right next to the tobacco and alcohol in the mall here. They must sell quite a bit of it because we saw tons of it in gift boxes at the mall and at another shop here inside the hotel.
Tomorrow the US Consulate appointment...finally!!!
Praying we get Bo's Visa and can get a flight out on Thanksgiving. If not, we are here till Saturday.
We are really missing our kiddos and our home! Being in a hotel for 2 weeks and eating out most meals with a toddler that has never been to a restaurant is challenging.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Day 10 - TB Free!!
Today we met our guide after breakfast and headed back to the medical clinic.
Bo is TB free, which is good. I don't think I want to know what it looks like to be quarantined here.
We walked around a park for a bit waiting for the official medical sign off and then came back to the hotel for Bo's nap.
After the nap we took a stroll around the hotel. We made the unfortunate decision of eating out which Bo decided he didn't like much.
Tomorrow we are going to Baiyun Mountain.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a consulate appointment for Tuesday. So we pretty much are waiting for Wednesday.
Bo is TB free, which is good. I don't think I want to know what it looks like to be quarantined here.
We walked around a park for a bit waiting for the official medical sign off and then came back to the hotel for Bo's nap.
After the nap we took a stroll around the hotel. We made the unfortunate decision of eating out which Bo decided he didn't like much.
Tomorrow we are going to Baiyun Mountain.
Unfortunately we couldn't get a consulate appointment for Tuesday. So we pretty much are waiting for Wednesday.
Day 9 - New wheels & Shamian Island
We picked up a stroller at the hotel today. At first little man put up a huge protest but then he decided he likes his new set of wheels.
Dad strolled him around the hotel for a bit and we just had a quiet morning at the hotel before nap time.
Unfortunately we are dragging a bit as we picked up a cold from Bo. Hoping we bounce back quick.
Even though we were not feeling great we still decided to go to Shamian Island in the afternoon. It is an interesting place not very far from our hotel in Guangzhou.
It is a strange mix of British, French and Chinese. It looks to be having a bit of an identity crisis. The architecture looks distinctly European with Chinese shops inside.
It has an interesting history. It was once an trade port and later was a strategic point of defense for the Opium Wars.
There was a restaurant (supposed to be western, but kind of not), a Starbucks and two churches.
All within maybe a square mile. We were surprised to see two churches. They are fairly rare here, of course.
It was good to get out and walk around.
Tomorrow we go back to the medical clinic to have Bo's TB test read and get the medical clearance needed for the Consulate.
Dad strolled him around the hotel for a bit and we just had a quiet morning at the hotel before nap time.
Unfortunately we are dragging a bit as we picked up a cold from Bo. Hoping we bounce back quick.
Even though we were not feeling great we still decided to go to Shamian Island in the afternoon. It is an interesting place not very far from our hotel in Guangzhou.
It is a strange mix of British, French and Chinese. It looks to be having a bit of an identity crisis. The architecture looks distinctly European with Chinese shops inside.
It has an interesting history. It was once an trade port and later was a strategic point of defense for the Opium Wars.
There was a restaurant (supposed to be western, but kind of not), a Starbucks and two churches.
All within maybe a square mile. We were surprised to see two churches. They are fairly rare here, of course.
It was good to get out and walk around.
Tomorrow we go back to the medical clinic to have Bo's TB test read and get the medical clearance needed for the Consulate.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Day 8 - Medical check
We met our guide after breakfast and went for Bo's medical check. It is a bit overwhelming with dozens upon dozens of families waiting.
There are 4 separate rooms to get checked through. The first is just a basic height and weight check.
The next room is for ENT and then a general check of heart, lungs and evaluation of special needs. The last is a TB shot to make sure we are TB free.
Bo pretty much threw a fit each step. Not a big fan of the medical check up. So I guess that means he's a normal 2 year old. :)
On the way back from the medical check we spotted a Starbucks sign - oh the sheer joy!!!
We came back to the hotel for Bo's nap and we had some lunch and Skyped our kiddos at home. We miss them a ton!!!!!
After nap time it was Starbucks time. We actually met up with the family that has a kiddo from Bo's orphanage and got to talk with them for a bit over coffee. It was great to connect with them again.
We had Italian for dinner. YAY!!!! Loving the Chinese food but it was good to have something different. Starbucks and Italian food all in one day. Yippeee!
Tomorrow a quiet morning at the hotel and then we head to Shamian Island in the afternoon. We are looking forward to that. It is supposed to be very beautiful.
There are 4 separate rooms to get checked through. The first is just a basic height and weight check.
The next room is for ENT and then a general check of heart, lungs and evaluation of special needs. The last is a TB shot to make sure we are TB free.
Bo pretty much threw a fit each step. Not a big fan of the medical check up. So I guess that means he's a normal 2 year old. :)
On the way back from the medical check we spotted a Starbucks sign - oh the sheer joy!!!
We came back to the hotel for Bo's nap and we had some lunch and Skyped our kiddos at home. We miss them a ton!!!!!
After nap time it was Starbucks time. We actually met up with the family that has a kiddo from Bo's orphanage and got to talk with them for a bit over coffee. It was great to connect with them again.
We had Italian for dinner. YAY!!!! Loving the Chinese food but it was good to have something different. Starbucks and Italian food all in one day. Yippeee!
Tomorrow a quiet morning at the hotel and then we head to Shamian Island in the afternoon. We are looking forward to that. It is supposed to be very beautiful.
Day 6 and 7 - Museum and waiting for a passport
On Thursday we went to the Shanxi museum. We aren't big art buffs, but it was interesting to see some of the ancient money, pottery and jade from this region.
Most of the afternoon we spent in the hotel just getting to know Bo.
We are learning more about our son.
He hates to go to sleep. That might be an understatement. :)
He is potty trained for the most part. Yay!!!
He will take a bottle most of the time - except when he won't.
He's very shy and quiet.
He doesn't understand any English.
He seems to understand Chinese, but hasn't spoken much at all. The only word we've heard him say is something like Gou Gou for a dog that we saw in the park.
We are starting to teach him to feed himself.
He can walk, but isn't super steady.
He seems to be learning things quickly. He just hasn't ever gotten the one on one time for anyone to show him much of anything.
On Friday we waited pretty much all day at the hotel for Bo's passport. Unfortunately, our initial flight was cancelled so we couldn't leave Taiyuan for Guangzhou until 8:00PM. Bo didn't think much of the airplane and let everyone know about it. Thankfully he very quickly fell asleep and stayed asleep most of the flight.
We got to our hotel about 11:30 at night and we already love it here. The air seems much cleaner here and the bed isn't hard as a rock. Bonus!
It is a larger city and more modern. I wouldn't really call it Westernized, but the people seem more friendly and there are a bunch of families at our hotel that are also adopting. We feel much less isolated and alone than we did in Shanxi.
The US Consulate is here so all the people adopting from China come through Guangzhou.
Tomorrow we have Bo's medical check which is a US requirement for us to travel back home.
Most of the afternoon we spent in the hotel just getting to know Bo.
We are learning more about our son.
He hates to go to sleep. That might be an understatement. :)
He is potty trained for the most part. Yay!!!
He will take a bottle most of the time - except when he won't.
He's very shy and quiet.
He doesn't understand any English.
He seems to understand Chinese, but hasn't spoken much at all. The only word we've heard him say is something like Gou Gou for a dog that we saw in the park.
We are starting to teach him to feed himself.
He can walk, but isn't super steady.
He seems to be learning things quickly. He just hasn't ever gotten the one on one time for anyone to show him much of anything.
On Friday we waited pretty much all day at the hotel for Bo's passport. Unfortunately, our initial flight was cancelled so we couldn't leave Taiyuan for Guangzhou until 8:00PM. Bo didn't think much of the airplane and let everyone know about it. Thankfully he very quickly fell asleep and stayed asleep most of the flight.
We got to our hotel about 11:30 at night and we already love it here. The air seems much cleaner here and the bed isn't hard as a rock. Bonus!
It is a larger city and more modern. I wouldn't really call it Westernized, but the people seem more friendly and there are a bunch of families at our hotel that are also adopting. We feel much less isolated and alone than we did in Shanxi.
The US Consulate is here so all the people adopting from China come through Guangzhou.
Tomorrow we have Bo's medical check which is a US requirement for us to travel back home.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Day 5 - Divine appointment
Today we were supposed to go to the Shanxi museum but our guide thought we'd better take advantage of the good weather and go to the park.
So we head to Yingze Park which was beautiful and strange all at once. It has a large amusement park area which is closed in the winter. It was sort of like going through an old run down Disney where all the rides and shops are closed. Beyond that there was a lake and a more traditional park area.
We saw a lot of people dancing which was fun to watch. Some couples dancing, many ladies dancing with fans and even a group of people dancing "Gangnum Style" - I kid you not. :)
We saw some men playing with a Chinese yo-yo. Apparently many retired people come everyday to the park for dance and exercise. It was nice to see this bit of the culture and just to get out for a walk.
We came back to the hotel and had Chinese Pizza. :)
I stayed with Bo to put him down for a nap and Matt went off with the guide to Yangquan the city Bo is from.
Matt's mission was to get a picture of the orphanage and Bo's finding spot. It is about a 2 hour drive from the Capital of Taiyuan, where we are staying. It is up steep hills that are carved out for agriculture. They are growing lots and lots of corn on the top of the hills all around the area.
Matt got to see the orphanage. They are building a nice new building which is set to open in December. It is beautiful and very very big. We've seen pictures of the old building which are pretty sad. Unfortunately the orphanage doesn't accept visitors so Matt wasn't able to go in but we are glad to have some pictures for Bo of where he first lived.
Matt also went to the hospital, a burn unit actually, where Bo was found. We wanted a picture for Bo to have someday. Matt and the guide went into the hospital asking about the burn unit and they were told where it was. They went to find the spot and also talked with the nurse. Turns out she is the nurse that found our Bo two and a half years ago. A divine moment!
She told Matt what she remembers. Unfortunately, in China people get arrested when giving up their babies so it is quite risky to leave your child. We know that he was loved enough for someone to want him to be found and to risk being seen leaving him in a public area. Tears in my eyes just thinking about it.
Matt was able to tell the nurse that he has a home and a family and that he will be loved. A divine moment indeed!
Thanking God for this nurse and for Matt having the chance to meet her two and a half years later!!
Matt got back and we had a quiet evening in the hotel. Bo actually had several hours of play time without crying until we put him down for bed. He's not a big fan of going to sleep.
So we head to Yingze Park which was beautiful and strange all at once. It has a large amusement park area which is closed in the winter. It was sort of like going through an old run down Disney where all the rides and shops are closed. Beyond that there was a lake and a more traditional park area.
We saw a lot of people dancing which was fun to watch. Some couples dancing, many ladies dancing with fans and even a group of people dancing "Gangnum Style" - I kid you not. :)
We saw some men playing with a Chinese yo-yo. Apparently many retired people come everyday to the park for dance and exercise. It was nice to see this bit of the culture and just to get out for a walk.
We came back to the hotel and had Chinese Pizza. :)
I stayed with Bo to put him down for a nap and Matt went off with the guide to Yangquan the city Bo is from.
Matt's mission was to get a picture of the orphanage and Bo's finding spot. It is about a 2 hour drive from the Capital of Taiyuan, where we are staying. It is up steep hills that are carved out for agriculture. They are growing lots and lots of corn on the top of the hills all around the area.
Matt got to see the orphanage. They are building a nice new building which is set to open in December. It is beautiful and very very big. We've seen pictures of the old building which are pretty sad. Unfortunately the orphanage doesn't accept visitors so Matt wasn't able to go in but we are glad to have some pictures for Bo of where he first lived.
Matt also went to the hospital, a burn unit actually, where Bo was found. We wanted a picture for Bo to have someday. Matt and the guide went into the hospital asking about the burn unit and they were told where it was. They went to find the spot and also talked with the nurse. Turns out she is the nurse that found our Bo two and a half years ago. A divine moment!
She told Matt what she remembers. Unfortunately, in China people get arrested when giving up their babies so it is quite risky to leave your child. We know that he was loved enough for someone to want him to be found and to risk being seen leaving him in a public area. Tears in my eyes just thinking about it.
Matt was able to tell the nurse that he has a home and a family and that he will be loved. A divine moment indeed!
Thanking God for this nurse and for Matt having the chance to meet her two and a half years later!!
Matt got back and we had a quiet evening in the hotel. Bo actually had several hours of play time without crying until we put him down for bed. He's not a big fan of going to sleep.
Day 4 - Forever a Son
We had a quiet morning at the hotel. We tried to get Bo to nap before going back to civil affairs office at 2:00 but he wasn't interested at all.
So at 2:00 we headed back to Civil Affairs after the 24 hour waiting period to register the adoption and make things official. We went back in to the room where we met Bo. He was nervous and wouldn't let me set him down but overall much calmer than the previous day.
It was really awesome because we met a family that was there the previous day, when we picked up Bo. They were also back to finalize their adoption. In the rush of things the previous day we had barely had a chance to even say hello to them. So thankful that we got to meet them again because it turns out they adopted a little girl the same age as Bo from the same orphanage.
They were there when Bo and their daughter were walked in together the previous day and they've sent us a precious picture of the two of them. We hope to keep in touch with that family thorough the years. How amazing for them each to have someone with a strong connection to their early days at the orphanage. I can't wait to see how the story of these two evolves.
We signed a bunch of documents. I'm not sure what any of them said but we signed and also made our thumb prints in red over our signatures. Then they did a red palm print of Bo's hand on one document and they gave us his vaccine card, his finding ad and an official certificate of adoption. YAY!!!
We now wait a few days for his passport to go on to Guangzhou.
Bo finally went down for a nap when we got back to the hotel. He really fights going to sleep.
Yep, he must be a Motley!
So at 2:00 we headed back to Civil Affairs after the 24 hour waiting period to register the adoption and make things official. We went back in to the room where we met Bo. He was nervous and wouldn't let me set him down but overall much calmer than the previous day.
It was really awesome because we met a family that was there the previous day, when we picked up Bo. They were also back to finalize their adoption. In the rush of things the previous day we had barely had a chance to even say hello to them. So thankful that we got to meet them again because it turns out they adopted a little girl the same age as Bo from the same orphanage.
They were there when Bo and their daughter were walked in together the previous day and they've sent us a precious picture of the two of them. We hope to keep in touch with that family thorough the years. How amazing for them each to have someone with a strong connection to their early days at the orphanage. I can't wait to see how the story of these two evolves.
We signed a bunch of documents. I'm not sure what any of them said but we signed and also made our thumb prints in red over our signatures. Then they did a red palm print of Bo's hand on one document and they gave us his vaccine card, his finding ad and an official certificate of adoption. YAY!!!
We now wait a few days for his passport to go on to Guangzhou.
Bo finally went down for a nap when we got back to the hotel. He really fights going to sleep.
Yep, he must be a Motley!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)