Finally, after the longest flight of our lives (trumping the flight over there), Emma Lee is home and enjoying her new surroundings. Our biggest challenge is making her understand that this is it - this is finally her new home, and not the latest hotel we've checked into it. I think she gets it.
She was officially sworn in as a U.S. citizen at the American consulate office in Guangzhou on Tuesday. We had to raise our right hands and swear a bunch of stuff, mainly that we don't tell lies. We were then given a sealed brown package full of papers that we had to present to the immigration officials at the airport when we arrived in Chicago on Thursday.
We flew to Hong Kong on Wednesday night and left China for Chicago on Thursday afternoon. We left Hong Kong at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday and landed in Chicago at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday. But, no, it wasn't a two-hour flight. We lost a day in the process.
As you can imagine, the flight back wasn't nearly as pleasant as the flight over there. Emma Lee was a wild woman for the first eight hours. She just couldn't sit still, jumping and rolling and flipping all over the plane. She just wouldn't go to sleep. We had to keep getting up and walking around the plane. Finally, after eight long hours, she finally fell asleep and slept the final six hours. She then slept two more hours from Chicago to Charlotte.
We had a big welcoming group in Charlotte, and we weren't sure how Emma Lee would react to all that. She was a little shy and in awe at first, but it didn't take her long to warm up to everybody.
By the time we got home, she was going from person to person and playing with them and sitting in their laps. It's strange; for two weeks, she would have absolutely nothing to do with anyone else, particularly Chinese people, who, I guess, she thought were going to give her away again. But she has taken to her new family very easily. She played with Sam and Jackson and Grandma and Pap last night and is sitting in Grandmama Pat's lap playing this morning. It's like she's known them forever. She's running around the house, yelling and screaming and playing, talking Chinese and about to tear the place apart, just like she's supposed to do. (Though we're going to have to do something about all the musical toys she's gotten as gifts. That's just not funny!)
She even slept in her new bed last night, with Sam sleeping on the floor beside her. I went to check on her this morning, and she wasn't in her bed. She had fallen off the bed, between the wall and the bed and was just sitting there looking around. She didn't care; she seemed as content as she could be.
One neat thing happened this morning. We have been putting our hands together and saying the blessing with her before every meal. For two weeks, she has kept her eyes opened and looked around like we were crazy. Not this morning. Prior to her first meal in her new home, she put her hands together, closed her eyes and bowed her head. God is good!
It's been an amazing journey, but we are glad to be home and glad to be beginning the new phase of our lives.
Now, I'm going to kill Jackson for posting those photos of me without my shirt on.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Fifteen
We have spent part of the past two days shopping on Shamian Island in Guangzhou. It is full of little tourist shops that specialize in selling Chinese souvenirs to foreigners.
We were told that, unlike most stores, it is very common to bargain with the sales clerks. Negotiating the price is part of the deal and part of the fun. We’ve had a good time with that.
Most of the salespersons will start with some ridiculous price to see what they can get, and then see what kind of bargainer you are.
Usually, you end up paying about 100 or 200 Yuan, which is $15 or $30. In one store, I got five T-shirts and three other gifts for 200 Yuan.
In another, one lady started out offering Missy several rather expensive gifts for 850 Yuan. We wound up getting them for 500. At a couple of places, we simply said no and walked out, only to have them chase us down and accept our price.
Several of the sales people told me, “You hard bargain.” One said, “You funny man.” Not sure what she meant by that.
In the end, we probably got ripped off anyway, but we had fun and came away thinking we got a good deal. I’ve bought seven T-shirts and paid only about $5 a piece; you can’t do that at home.
Most of the money we’ve spent has been for food. Breakfast has been free everyday at the hotel, but we’ve eaten out at lunch and dinner everyday.
At least we’re finally eating normal food now.
The first week in Beijing and Hefei, we ate mostly authentic Chinese food – rice, noodles, some exotic dishes we couldn’t identify and enough duck to fly home.
But since flying to Guangzhou, we haven’t eaten one Chinese meal (unless you count rice at breakfast). We’ve eaten at Pizza Hut twice, McDonald’s once and a nice Italian restaurant twice. All have been outstanding.
I’m not a big fan of Pizza Hut, but the food at the one here is the best I’ve ever had. McDonald’s is pretty awesome, too. That tells you how much we were craving Western food.
The two things I’ve missed most are normal food and football.
I got up early yesterday (Sunday morning here, Sunday night there) to check the NFL scores. Surprisingly, I was channel surfing when I ran across the Cowboys-Giants Sunday night game. I got to watch a few minutes of it before we had to leave.
And, right now, as I’m writing this, I’m watching Monday Night Football – in Chinese. It’s a great game, but the only American word I’ve heard is Peyton Manning.
More later. It’s the fourth quarter, and then we’re off to get a Big Mac.
We were told that, unlike most stores, it is very common to bargain with the sales clerks. Negotiating the price is part of the deal and part of the fun. We’ve had a good time with that.
Most of the salespersons will start with some ridiculous price to see what they can get, and then see what kind of bargainer you are.
Usually, you end up paying about 100 or 200 Yuan, which is $15 or $30. In one store, I got five T-shirts and three other gifts for 200 Yuan.
In another, one lady started out offering Missy several rather expensive gifts for 850 Yuan. We wound up getting them for 500. At a couple of places, we simply said no and walked out, only to have them chase us down and accept our price.
Several of the sales people told me, “You hard bargain.” One said, “You funny man.” Not sure what she meant by that.
In the end, we probably got ripped off anyway, but we had fun and came away thinking we got a good deal. I’ve bought seven T-shirts and paid only about $5 a piece; you can’t do that at home.
Most of the money we’ve spent has been for food. Breakfast has been free everyday at the hotel, but we’ve eaten out at lunch and dinner everyday.
At least we’re finally eating normal food now.
The first week in Beijing and Hefei, we ate mostly authentic Chinese food – rice, noodles, some exotic dishes we couldn’t identify and enough duck to fly home.
But since flying to Guangzhou, we haven’t eaten one Chinese meal (unless you count rice at breakfast). We’ve eaten at Pizza Hut twice, McDonald’s once and a nice Italian restaurant twice. All have been outstanding.
I’m not a big fan of Pizza Hut, but the food at the one here is the best I’ve ever had. McDonald’s is pretty awesome, too. That tells you how much we were craving Western food.
The two things I’ve missed most are normal food and football.
I got up early yesterday (Sunday morning here, Sunday night there) to check the NFL scores. Surprisingly, I was channel surfing when I ran across the Cowboys-Giants Sunday night game. I got to watch a few minutes of it before we had to leave.
And, right now, as I’m writing this, I’m watching Monday Night Football – in Chinese. It’s a great game, but the only American word I’ve heard is Peyton Manning.
More later. It’s the fourth quarter, and then we’re off to get a Big Mac.
Blog 14
We had a minor scare yesterday and nearly earned an extended stay in China.
On Sunday, Emma Lee had her medical exam, which included a TB skin test. The mark on her arm immediately puffed up and turned red, which obviously concerned us a bit.
We had to go back on Sunday to get the results of the test. These things are pretty routine back home, but we were told that if it showed up positive they would have to do an x-ray. If that showed up positive, they probably wouldn’t allow us to leave the country; that we might have to stay as long as six weeks.
We knew the chances of that were slim, but it was still scary.
When we got to the clinic, some of the other kids were cleared immediately. They checked Emma Lee closely and ordered an x-ray.
At that point, you can imagine we were pretty scared and nervous. Missy and our guides were pretty sure it was a false positive caused by her TB vaccine, which is common. But we still didn’t know how the Chinese doctors would see it.
As we went back for the x-ray, some of the other families stayed in the waiting room and prayed for us.
Emma Lee didn’t like the x-ray at all – in fact she screamed through it while Missy had to hold her.
Thankfully, it was over in minutes, and it was negative. We were cleared and everything was fine – no six-week vacation.
Other than that, Emma Lee is doing great. She is still laughing, playing, talking up a storm and throwing the occasional fit.
She is now saying “Momma” and “Bye Bye.” They have become part of her “usually” words. As far as her “daily sentences,” she talks just like a little person and we still have no clue what she is saying.
She also likes to sing. She likes going for a ride in her stroller. Last night, we took her for a ride after dinner and she kept singing as she strolled down the street.
She is a happy little girl, which is a real blessing and understandable considering where she came from.
On Sunday, Emma Lee had her medical exam, which included a TB skin test. The mark on her arm immediately puffed up and turned red, which obviously concerned us a bit.
We had to go back on Sunday to get the results of the test. These things are pretty routine back home, but we were told that if it showed up positive they would have to do an x-ray. If that showed up positive, they probably wouldn’t allow us to leave the country; that we might have to stay as long as six weeks.
We knew the chances of that were slim, but it was still scary.
When we got to the clinic, some of the other kids were cleared immediately. They checked Emma Lee closely and ordered an x-ray.
At that point, you can imagine we were pretty scared and nervous. Missy and our guides were pretty sure it was a false positive caused by her TB vaccine, which is common. But we still didn’t know how the Chinese doctors would see it.
As we went back for the x-ray, some of the other families stayed in the waiting room and prayed for us.
Emma Lee didn’t like the x-ray at all – in fact she screamed through it while Missy had to hold her.
Thankfully, it was over in minutes, and it was negative. We were cleared and everything was fine – no six-week vacation.
Other than that, Emma Lee is doing great. She is still laughing, playing, talking up a storm and throwing the occasional fit.
She is now saying “Momma” and “Bye Bye.” They have become part of her “usually” words. As far as her “daily sentences,” she talks just like a little person and we still have no clue what she is saying.
She also likes to sing. She likes going for a ride in her stroller. Last night, we took her for a ride after dinner and she kept singing as she strolled down the street.
She is a happy little girl, which is a real blessing and understandable considering where she came from.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Guangzhou
We are now in Guangzhou, where we will get Emma Lee’s visa and where she will become an American citizen before we fly home.
We were reunited with our original group here in Guangzhou, and it was fun seeing all the families we met in Beijing with their new children. Surprisingly, there are as many adopted boys as girls, with the children ranging in age from 1 to about 5.
Several parents have been amazed over how much the children seem to resemble their parents, or seem like a perfect match. God works in mysterious ways.
Several parents greeted Emma Lee and told us how beautiful and sweet she is. We smiled at the beautiful and rolled our eyes at the sweet.
All the children had to have medical exams this morning, and that was an adventure. Imagine going to the doctor’s office and it being packed with families, all with little Chinese children. It was controlled chaos.
They had their height, weight and temperature checked and then saw the doctor, who checked their medical records and gave them physical exams. They then checked their eyes and hearing and gave some of a TB test. Some of the children had to have vaccines. We asked them to give Emma Lee a meanness shot, but they wouldn’t.
She continues to be very sweet one moment, and an absolute terror the next. We almost got thrown out of the Pizza Hut this afternoon and an Italian restaurant tonight. We tried to trade her for a large super supreme at Pizza Hut but they wouldn’t take her.
She is still jabbering in Chinese, but picking up a few words in English. She kept opening the door on Missy today while she was in the bathroom. Before she would shut the door, she would wave and say, “Bye, bye.”
She appears to be calling me “Dah or Dah Dah” and Missy “Yah or Yah Yah.” Missy hates that because she thinks “Yah Yah” means grandma in Chinese.
After the medical exams, we went grocery shopping.
That was also an adventure. We went to a super store that was like a Chinese Wal-Mart, only worse. It was packed with Chinese pushing their buggies all over the place. It made Wal-Mart in Gastonia seem like Heaven.
Guangzhou is a beautiful city. It is night-and-day different from Anhui Province and Hefei. It is a lot like New York City, with huge skyscrapers surrounded by nice hotels, restaurants and shops.
It has beautiful tree-lined streets and is a very international city. There are people from all over the world mixing with the Chinese people. It is also very western. We are staying at the Asia International Hotel. There is a Pizza Hut and KFC next door and a McDonald’s right across the street. And everyone in our group was ecstatic to find a Starbucks down the street.
Compared to where we were last week, this city is almost normal, except it is extremely hot. It was 96 when we got off the plane at 9 p.m. last night. It was so hot today that you couldn’t walk more than a block down the street without being drenched in sweat. It’s like Gastonia in mid-August.
We’re going shopping on Shaiman Island tomorrow, and then to a “paperwork party” where we have to fill out her visa application.
More from the Far East tomorrow.
We were reunited with our original group here in Guangzhou, and it was fun seeing all the families we met in Beijing with their new children. Surprisingly, there are as many adopted boys as girls, with the children ranging in age from 1 to about 5.
Several parents have been amazed over how much the children seem to resemble their parents, or seem like a perfect match. God works in mysterious ways.
Several parents greeted Emma Lee and told us how beautiful and sweet she is. We smiled at the beautiful and rolled our eyes at the sweet.
All the children had to have medical exams this morning, and that was an adventure. Imagine going to the doctor’s office and it being packed with families, all with little Chinese children. It was controlled chaos.
They had their height, weight and temperature checked and then saw the doctor, who checked their medical records and gave them physical exams. They then checked their eyes and hearing and gave some of a TB test. Some of the children had to have vaccines. We asked them to give Emma Lee a meanness shot, but they wouldn’t.
She continues to be very sweet one moment, and an absolute terror the next. We almost got thrown out of the Pizza Hut this afternoon and an Italian restaurant tonight. We tried to trade her for a large super supreme at Pizza Hut but they wouldn’t take her.
She is still jabbering in Chinese, but picking up a few words in English. She kept opening the door on Missy today while she was in the bathroom. Before she would shut the door, she would wave and say, “Bye, bye.”
She appears to be calling me “Dah or Dah Dah” and Missy “Yah or Yah Yah.” Missy hates that because she thinks “Yah Yah” means grandma in Chinese.
After the medical exams, we went grocery shopping.
That was also an adventure. We went to a super store that was like a Chinese Wal-Mart, only worse. It was packed with Chinese pushing their buggies all over the place. It made Wal-Mart in Gastonia seem like Heaven.
Guangzhou is a beautiful city. It is night-and-day different from Anhui Province and Hefei. It is a lot like New York City, with huge skyscrapers surrounded by nice hotels, restaurants and shops.
It has beautiful tree-lined streets and is a very international city. There are people from all over the world mixing with the Chinese people. It is also very western. We are staying at the Asia International Hotel. There is a Pizza Hut and KFC next door and a McDonald’s right across the street. And everyone in our group was ecstatic to find a Starbucks down the street.
Compared to where we were last week, this city is almost normal, except it is extremely hot. It was 96 when we got off the plane at 9 p.m. last night. It was so hot today that you couldn’t walk more than a block down the street without being drenched in sweat. It’s like Gastonia in mid-August.
We’re going shopping on Shaiman Island tomorrow, and then to a “paperwork party” where we have to fill out her visa application.
More from the Far East tomorrow.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Twelve
We’ve suffered our first tragedy in China.
Emma Lee has lost her purse.
When we got her, she was clinging to a plastic grocery bag full of treats. When we finally got it away from her, she latched onto a red, cloth purse that Missy bought her in the States.
She has carried it around on her arm everywhere she has gone. Inside she carries her finger puppets, her spoon, her cup, her chopsticks, her lip balm and anything else she happens to have at the moment.
She hasn’t gone anywhere without it.
But this morning we went for a walk through town. We walked through a park, and then stopped at a Yonex tennis and badminton store. Soon after leaving there, Missy noticed that it was missing. Emma Lee must have dropped it out of her stroller.
Missy backtracked a ways trying to find it, but to no avail. Someone must have picked it up.
So far, Emma Lee has barely noticed that it’s missing. When she does, there’s going to be a major fit.
Meanwhile, Emma Lee is still jabbering like crazy, and we still have no idea what she’s saying. She’s even singing now – in Chinese.
She’s talking in complete sentences, but we can’t understand her.
A few months ago, we got a report from her foster home that said she knows some “usually words” and some “daily sentences.” She has broken out her full repertoire.
Later. We’re flying to Guangzhou this afternoon.
Emma Lee has lost her purse.
When we got her, she was clinging to a plastic grocery bag full of treats. When we finally got it away from her, she latched onto a red, cloth purse that Missy bought her in the States.
She has carried it around on her arm everywhere she has gone. Inside she carries her finger puppets, her spoon, her cup, her chopsticks, her lip balm and anything else she happens to have at the moment.
She hasn’t gone anywhere without it.
But this morning we went for a walk through town. We walked through a park, and then stopped at a Yonex tennis and badminton store. Soon after leaving there, Missy noticed that it was missing. Emma Lee must have dropped it out of her stroller.
Missy backtracked a ways trying to find it, but to no avail. Someone must have picked it up.
So far, Emma Lee has barely noticed that it’s missing. When she does, there’s going to be a major fit.
Meanwhile, Emma Lee is still jabbering like crazy, and we still have no idea what she’s saying. She’s even singing now – in Chinese.
She’s talking in complete sentences, but we can’t understand her.
A few months ago, we got a report from her foster home that said she knows some “usually words” and some “daily sentences.” She has broken out her full repertoire.
Later. We’re flying to Guangzhou this afternoon.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Eleven
Important things to know about Emma Lee:
She knows five words in English – Momma, Papa, back, wide and Mine!
She has good footwork, a solid forehand and hits her backhand with two hands (another sign that she’s really ours).
She doesn’t volley real well, but she already hits her serve harder than Buddy. Her net game needs some work (Mary, maybe you can get to work on that as soon as we get back next week.)
She does seem to be pretty focused, though. Last night she woke up in the middle of the night screaming, “No, no, bounce it!”
She may need some work on her temperament. We had to take her ball away from her to go to dinner. She didn’t like it and flung her racquet across the room and started pouting. (Mary, maybe we can get her in one of your mental approach/attitude adjustment clinics. Maybe she can attend the same one as Sam!)
She does try to honor the code of conduct, though, and shows some compassion. Yesterday she threw her ball and hit me in the chest with it. She immediately said, “Sorry, sorry, not hit at you.”
The director at the orphanage said she was rated a 3.0 in China, but is closer to a 3.5. He thinks we can self-rate her a 3.0 for the spring leagues. Hopefully, she won’t get bumped before the mixed season.
We’ll see you at the courts soon.
She knows five words in English – Momma, Papa, back, wide and Mine!
She has good footwork, a solid forehand and hits her backhand with two hands (another sign that she’s really ours).
She doesn’t volley real well, but she already hits her serve harder than Buddy. Her net game needs some work (Mary, maybe you can get to work on that as soon as we get back next week.)
She does seem to be pretty focused, though. Last night she woke up in the middle of the night screaming, “No, no, bounce it!”
She may need some work on her temperament. We had to take her ball away from her to go to dinner. She didn’t like it and flung her racquet across the room and started pouting. (Mary, maybe we can get her in one of your mental approach/attitude adjustment clinics. Maybe she can attend the same one as Sam!)
She does try to honor the code of conduct, though, and shows some compassion. Yesterday she threw her ball and hit me in the chest with it. She immediately said, “Sorry, sorry, not hit at you.”
The director at the orphanage said she was rated a 3.0 in China, but is closer to a 3.5. He thinks we can self-rate her a 3.0 for the spring leagues. Hopefully, she won’t get bumped before the mixed season.
We’ll see you at the courts soon.
Ten
Emma Lee is definitely getting adjusted to her new life. In fact, she’s turning into a wild woman.
She woke up this morning full of energy and ready to play. While we were talking to the boys via Web cam, she was running around the room and jumping up and down on the bed like a crazy person. Then she got her chopsticks and started acting like she was playing the drums.
I think we’re going to have to take her back and see if we can trade her in for a calmer model.
We bought her some toys today at Wal-Mart, and that pretty much killed nap time. After rolling and jumping around in her crib for about an hour, she got out and tore into her crayons, coloring books and Legos. She’s been wide open ever since.
They told us in one of the letters from her nanny that she likes to play. Boy, was that an understatement.
She also likes McDonald’s. She had some chicken nuggets and fries today, and then snatched Missy’s cheeseburger away and starting munching on it. She took each one of her fries, though, and offered them to Missy and I. Her letter also said she likes to help and share with others. That’s true, as long as you don’t try to take her stuff without it being offered, or try to make her do something she don’t want to do.
Lord, she is going to be a handful.
We also discovered today that she knows how to use chopsticks. We’ve been feeding her with a spoon, and we wondered why she wouldn’t take the spoon and feed herself.
That’s because she doesn’t know how to use a spoon – she uses chopsticks.
She’s was sitting on the bed this morning snacking on a bowl of Cheerios. Missy handed her a pair of chopsticks and she immediately commenced to using them to eat her Cheerios.
At breakfast, she used them to eat Chinese noodles – we call it Lo Mien – which she apparently loves.
She also keeps jabbering in Chinese, and we have no idea what she’s saying. We don’t know if it’s just baby talk, or Chinese words some uses for something. She might be cussing for all we know.
More later, after we get her wound down a bit.
She woke up this morning full of energy and ready to play. While we were talking to the boys via Web cam, she was running around the room and jumping up and down on the bed like a crazy person. Then she got her chopsticks and started acting like she was playing the drums.
I think we’re going to have to take her back and see if we can trade her in for a calmer model.
We bought her some toys today at Wal-Mart, and that pretty much killed nap time. After rolling and jumping around in her crib for about an hour, she got out and tore into her crayons, coloring books and Legos. She’s been wide open ever since.
They told us in one of the letters from her nanny that she likes to play. Boy, was that an understatement.
She also likes McDonald’s. She had some chicken nuggets and fries today, and then snatched Missy’s cheeseburger away and starting munching on it. She took each one of her fries, though, and offered them to Missy and I. Her letter also said she likes to help and share with others. That’s true, as long as you don’t try to take her stuff without it being offered, or try to make her do something she don’t want to do.
Lord, she is going to be a handful.
We also discovered today that she knows how to use chopsticks. We’ve been feeding her with a spoon, and we wondered why she wouldn’t take the spoon and feed herself.
That’s because she doesn’t know how to use a spoon – she uses chopsticks.
She’s was sitting on the bed this morning snacking on a bowl of Cheerios. Missy handed her a pair of chopsticks and she immediately commenced to using them to eat her Cheerios.
At breakfast, she used them to eat Chinese noodles – we call it Lo Mien – which she apparently loves.
She also keeps jabbering in Chinese, and we have no idea what she’s saying. We don’t know if it’s just baby talk, or Chinese words some uses for something. She might be cussing for all we know.
More later, after we get her wound down a bit.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Number Nine
Before I get too much farther into our tale, I have to tell you about Frank, our guide in Hefei.
Frank is from Shanghi, where he attended a university there and majored in tourism. He works for a travel agency, but specializes in helping families who are adopting children in Anhui Province and other areas of China.
Frank knows all the ins and outs of the adoption process, and we could have never done this without him.
He has taken us everywhere we needed to go, prepared us for everything we would face, handled mounds and mounds of paperwork and walked us through everything.
Though he has never been to the United States, Frank speaks very good English, though with a heavy Chinese accent. He is fun to talk to and listen to, though I don’t know if he would say the same about me. Luckily, he doesn’t know the difference between Southern slang and proper English, but I think he struggles with my accent as much as I do his. Missy swears I’m driving crazy with all my questions.
He has been a most gracious host, though, teaching us a lot about the country and Chinese culture, and asking us a lot of questions about America. He is a very intelligent, well-educated man who likes a good joke and who is a pleasure to be around.
He took us to the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), one of the top 30 colleges in China. He lives nearby and goes there a lot to walk and read, so I asked him to take us there so we could buy T-shirts. (Got a XXXL, but, just like at the Great Wall, it doesn’t fit, and it’s not because I’m too fat. They just don’t know their sizes over here.).
We bought two T-shirts, some Chinese newspapers and a Chinese edition of Sports Illustrated.
We went to dinner tonight with Frank and his wife, Yao, who speaks only a bit of English. Yao is a beautiful, pleasant woman who loves people, especially Children. She brought Emma Lee a special necklace with lovelocks, and brought Missy and I packs of Chinese postcards. Though she could understand little of what we were saying, she smiled at Emma Lee all evening and clearly adored her.
Frank and Yao are about the same age as Missy and I and have a 20-year-old son who attends a university in Shanghi. Frank and I had a fascinating conversation over dinner about the difference and similarities between Chinese and American universities and the two education systems.
Though we’ve only known him a few days, and have a business relationship, I feel like we have become friends.
Peter, our driver, has also been with us every day. He drives for a living and drives for many families adopting Chinese children.
He picked us up today wearing a Georgia Tech T-shirt, which blew my mind. We are in the middle of Anhui Province in Southern China, and our driver is wearing a T-shirt from an American university in Atlanta. I asked where he got it, and Frank said from another family who adopted a child.
I promised I would send them T-shirts from my university – the real Carolina.
Numero Ocho
Emma is adjusting really well and quickly becoming quite attached to us, which is a real blessing – one of the many we have received on this amazing trip.
She is laughing and playing and even saying some things we can’t understand. We were playing in the hotel room this afternoon and she got excited and rattled off about three words. Missy and I looked at each other dumbfounded. Neither of us had any idea what she said.
She has started saying a few words here and there, but we don’t know what they mean.
She did have a bit of a traumatic experience this afternoon when we went to visit her orphanage.
As soon as we got there, she realized where we were and got a bit agitated. We were worried about how she would react. We were afraid that either she would be happy to return and want to stay (as crazy as that sounds), or she would be frightened that we were taking her back.
Fortunately for us, it was the latter. She whimpered a little and held on really tight as we walked around the grounds of the facility.
We weren’t allowed to go outside because of fear of swine flu, but we were allowed to walk around outside and take pictures.
It was a relatively nice facility (from the outside) for the area, with a small playground, a little pond with a gazebo and well-landscaped gardens. It was actually one of the nicest places we saw in the county, which is extremely poor and dirty, with gravel or mud roads in many places and little run-down shops and homes that wouldn’t pass for a junkyard or garage where we come from.
The weird thing is that the facility also includes a hospital for the homeless and disables and little homes for the elderly. The whole time we were walking around, there were elderly Chinese men and women sitting on their porches or hanging around outside their homes, curiously watching the Americans with a Chinese baby.
I’m sure they’ve seen it many times before, but for us, it was surreal walking around the place where our daughter was taken in after being abandoned, with curious onlookers staring us down like we didn’t belong there.
We are very grateful for what the orphanage did for her and for allowing us to adopt her, but it still wasn’t a good feeling being there.
We only stayed a few minutes, and Emma Lee was clearly relieved to leave.
That wasn’t the worse part of our trip, though.
We stopped in downtown Ding Yuan for a few mintues, and then had to stop to fix a flat tire on the way out of town. We actually had fun watching Peter, our driver, and a local mechanic change the tire in the rain while we watched people walking and peddling up and down the road.
The orphanage is in Ding Yuan County, about a two-hour drive from Hefei. That’s no big deal except that the roads are horrible.
I can’t even describe how bad they were, but that didn’t seem to matter to most of the drivers on the road.
The roads are littered with one pothole or rut after another. But that did not deter Peter. Nor did the fact that he was carrying seven people, including two toddlers.
He drove about 60 or 70 mph the whole way, weaving back and forth across the road to avoid the biggest potholes. And passing is apparently legal at any time and anywhere, no matter what you are passing – a bicycle, a scooter, a wagon, an ox, a goat or whatever.
Three times we had to swerve or slow to a near stop for something in the middle of the road – a man, a chicken and a goat.
Peter is an excellent driver, and he demonstrated his skills often, but I can’t draw any analogy that will do justice to the poor conditions of the roads. The best I can tell you is that we didn’t ride to Ding Yuan; we bounced.
Emma Lee hated it, just like she hates riding in elevators. She screamed and cried for most of the two-hour drive back.
But one day, the trip will be worth it because she will be able to see pictures of the town and area she was born in and the orphanage where she began her life.
We were afraid for a while that the trip might ruin her day, but it didn’t. She went right back to laughing and playing – and eating – when we got her back to the safety of her hotel room.
It seems to be the place that she feels safest and considers her new home. When we get off the elevator, she takes our hand and practically pulls us to the room. She can’t wait to get inside, where she becomes a completely different person.
It is funny; she grew up in an orphanage and a foster home, and now she thinks a hotel room at the Holiday Inn in Hefei is her new home.
Boy, is she in for a big surprise.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Blog Seven
Well, I guess we know now that Emma Lee is definitely mine.
We were strolling down the streets of Hefei today and it started raining. We stopped at a street-side vendor to buy an umbrella when an older Chinese lady came out to look at Emma Lee in her stroller.
She looked at her, and then looked at me and started laughing. She kept pointing at me and saying something I couldn't understand. We finally figured out that she was saying that Emma Lee looks like me.
My eyes have always been slanted - I ate a lot of rice as a kid - but I didn't know they were that slanted.
Much to our relief, Emma settled down today and seemed to get adjusted to us. She slept all night last night and by this morning was laughing and giggling and playing. By the end of the day, she seemed to be getting attached.
In fact, the only time she cried - screamed is more like it - was when we tried to take her food, sippy cup or toy away from her. She also didn't like it when we she thought we might be leaving her.
Based on the way she has acted and things we have learned, we have figured out that she has been left behind or sent away a lot in her short life. Based our research and interviews with the orphanage officials, she was taken to an orphanage shortly after she was born. After about a year there, she was taken away and sent to a foster home. The, after about 11 months there, she was taken away again and sent back to the orphanage to prepare her for her latest transition.
She was at the orphanage for about a week before they brought her to us. That explains why she was so upset when we met her. She knew she was being left and sent away again.
As a result, she can't stand to have us out of her sight, or to think that we might be leaving her.
We had to go back to the Adoption Center today to finalize our paperwork, and we were scared to death of taking her back there. We were afraid she was either going to see the orphanage director again and want to go back with him, or would be scared we were going to take her back and leave her.
Thankfully, neither happened. She calm the entire time, playing and laughing for two hours while we signed more documents. That was another blessing and a sign that everything is going to be fine.
She also hates elevators. She screams and cries and is terrified every time she gets into an elevator. At first we thought it was just the motion. But we think the only time she has ever ridden in an elevator was this week when they brought her to the fifth floor of the Adoption Center to meet us - and leave her once again.
Despite all that, she is adjusting well and quickly becoming attached to us and part of our family.
She even got her first trip to Wal-Mart today, so she is prepared for the transition to Gastonia.
The other exciting thing that happened today was the 30-minute walk to and from Wal-Mart. We walked down the streets of downtown Hefei, surrounded by store after store and street vendors.
People were everywhere, walking the streets, zipping in and out of traffic - vehicles and pedestrians - on their scooters and motorcycles. It's a miracle there aren't a dozen people run over and killed every hour.
There were also dozens of street vendors, cooking food and peddling various products and services.
They all watched us with a deep sense of curiosity and awe. Most clearly had never seen an American couple walking the streets of their city with a Chinese baby.
Most seemed downright dumbfounded. Some may have been shocked or appalled, but most were simply curious.
Many greeted us warmly and seemed very pleased to see Emma. Many smiled and said, "Hallo, hallo (hello)," while others laughed and said things we couldn't understand (and I probably don't want to).
It was an incredible experience walking the streets and blending in with the Chinese people, soaking up their culture. This is the China we imagined and expected, unlike Beijing, which is as Western is many American cities. It's hard to explain what it's like, but it's as foreign as anything you can imagine.
Tomorrow we get to see the town she came from and the orphanage where she has spent most of her life.
More on that and her progress later.
As I watch her sleep, I can't help but think for the umpteenth time today that she is the most beautiful, most precious child that I have ever seen.
We were strolling down the streets of Hefei today and it started raining. We stopped at a street-side vendor to buy an umbrella when an older Chinese lady came out to look at Emma Lee in her stroller.
She looked at her, and then looked at me and started laughing. She kept pointing at me and saying something I couldn't understand. We finally figured out that she was saying that Emma Lee looks like me.
My eyes have always been slanted - I ate a lot of rice as a kid - but I didn't know they were that slanted.
Much to our relief, Emma settled down today and seemed to get adjusted to us. She slept all night last night and by this morning was laughing and giggling and playing. By the end of the day, she seemed to be getting attached.
In fact, the only time she cried - screamed is more like it - was when we tried to take her food, sippy cup or toy away from her. She also didn't like it when we she thought we might be leaving her.
Based on the way she has acted and things we have learned, we have figured out that she has been left behind or sent away a lot in her short life. Based our research and interviews with the orphanage officials, she was taken to an orphanage shortly after she was born. After about a year there, she was taken away and sent to a foster home. The, after about 11 months there, she was taken away again and sent back to the orphanage to prepare her for her latest transition.
She was at the orphanage for about a week before they brought her to us. That explains why she was so upset when we met her. She knew she was being left and sent away again.
As a result, she can't stand to have us out of her sight, or to think that we might be leaving her.
We had to go back to the Adoption Center today to finalize our paperwork, and we were scared to death of taking her back there. We were afraid she was either going to see the orphanage director again and want to go back with him, or would be scared we were going to take her back and leave her.
Thankfully, neither happened. She calm the entire time, playing and laughing for two hours while we signed more documents. That was another blessing and a sign that everything is going to be fine.
She also hates elevators. She screams and cries and is terrified every time she gets into an elevator. At first we thought it was just the motion. But we think the only time she has ever ridden in an elevator was this week when they brought her to the fifth floor of the Adoption Center to meet us - and leave her once again.
Despite all that, she is adjusting well and quickly becoming attached to us and part of our family.
She even got her first trip to Wal-Mart today, so she is prepared for the transition to Gastonia.
The other exciting thing that happened today was the 30-minute walk to and from Wal-Mart. We walked down the streets of downtown Hefei, surrounded by store after store and street vendors.
People were everywhere, walking the streets, zipping in and out of traffic - vehicles and pedestrians - on their scooters and motorcycles. It's a miracle there aren't a dozen people run over and killed every hour.
There were also dozens of street vendors, cooking food and peddling various products and services.
They all watched us with a deep sense of curiosity and awe. Most clearly had never seen an American couple walking the streets of their city with a Chinese baby.
Most seemed downright dumbfounded. Some may have been shocked or appalled, but most were simply curious.
Many greeted us warmly and seemed very pleased to see Emma. Many smiled and said, "Hallo, hallo (hello)," while others laughed and said things we couldn't understand (and I probably don't want to).
It was an incredible experience walking the streets and blending in with the Chinese people, soaking up their culture. This is the China we imagined and expected, unlike Beijing, which is as Western is many American cities. It's hard to explain what it's like, but it's as foreign as anything you can imagine.
Tomorrow we get to see the town she came from and the orphanage where she has spent most of her life.
More on that and her progress later.
As I watch her sleep, I can't help but think for the umpteenth time today that she is the most beautiful, most precious child that I have ever seen.
Blog Six
We had wondered and imagined for months what it was going to be like when we finally met Emma Lee.
Well, it wasn’t exactly like we had envisioned. We were just as delighted and overcome with emotion as we expected to be.
Her?
Not so much.
I haven’t heard screaming and crying like that since we finally took Bunny Rabbit away from Jackson. For me, it was Déjà vu; that’s the way Missy wailed when she first met me.
We met her in the Adoption Center and Civil Affairs office in Hefei (Ha-Fay), the capital of Anhui (And-Wee) Province. When they brought her in with another little girl, we recognized her right away and knew she was ours.
She wasn’t quite as thrilled, though. She kept clinging to the leg of the orphanage director and started screaming when Missy tried to get her.
She kept on screaming bloody murder for about 30 or 40 minutes. As Missy held her and tried to comfort her, she kept twisting around and trying to find the director, whom she was obviously very familiar with. When Missy sat her back down, she immediately tried to run back to him.
With the help of my new trusted sidekick, Frank, our Chinese guide, the director explained to me that it was not uncommon for some of the children to act that way, especially ones her age (about 2 and a half).
He explained to us that she was very attached to her foster family and some of the nannies at the orphanage. Though she was going through a difficult time, it made us happy to know that she had been loved.
He also explained that she had never seen people who looked like us. I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Americans in general, or just us.
He also told us that she was very smart and that she understood just enough to know what was happening.
After a while, she began to calm down and we were able to take her with us. We left with her and another little girl that was adopted by Dave and Lori, our new friends from Livonia, Mich.
Frank took us to a huge mall and supermarket and she enjoyed that, looking around at all the people and things she had never seen before. During the ride, she looked out the window and smiled when she saw all the people, with scooters and bikes zooming by and horns blaring.
In the grocery store, we got a lot of strange looks from shoppers and store clerks. You could tell that many of them were wondering what the strange Americans were doing with a Chinese baby. I guess some of them thought she was Frank’s.
A lot of them also greeted us warmly and came up to see her.
Frank had explained earlier that a lot of people in places like Hefei do not understand the adoption process. He said they know that there are many children in orphanages, but they do know not that Americans and others come to adopt them.
The ones that do understand, he said, are very gracious and appreciative because they understand what we are doing and they were are given their children a good home.
Once we got Emma back to the hotel room, she began to settle down a little bit.
When she arrived at the Adoption Center, she was clinging tightly to a little plastic grocery bag that had something in it. She would not let go of it. She would have a fit if you tried to take it away, jerking it away from you and crying. She held it so tightly her in fist that you couldn’t take it away.
It wasn’t until we got back to the hotel room, about two hours later, that we were able to find out what was in the bag.
We thought it might be clothes or some toys or something like that.
Finally, she let us take it and look inside.
It was filled with food. Candy, sweet cakes and all kinds of treats.
We dumped it out on the floor and she got very excited. I gave her one of the sweet cakes, opened it for her and she immediately starting devouring it. She sat on my lap and ate with while drinking some juice.
This was a touching moment because we realized that someone loved her enough to send her away with a bag of her favorite treats.
Some of the other children who came to the orphanage were dirty and had nothing but the clothes on their back.
Emma was nicely dressed, well-groomed and holding onto her treats. It made us feel good to know that she was loved and well-taken care of. That explains a lot about why she was so upset to leave.
As you can tell by the treats, she loves to eat. She ate two or three of the little cakes before dinner.
The director had also told us that she would eat anything. He was right.
We ordered room service and she ate some of Missy’s french fries. She then climbed in my lap and ate a ton of steamed rice and chicken soup. I can’t wait for her to lay into some of Mama’s chicken and dumplings.
Enough rambling for now. Can’t wait to see what today brings.
Well, it wasn’t exactly like we had envisioned. We were just as delighted and overcome with emotion as we expected to be.
Her?
Not so much.
I haven’t heard screaming and crying like that since we finally took Bunny Rabbit away from Jackson. For me, it was Déjà vu; that’s the way Missy wailed when she first met me.
We met her in the Adoption Center and Civil Affairs office in Hefei (Ha-Fay), the capital of Anhui (And-Wee) Province. When they brought her in with another little girl, we recognized her right away and knew she was ours.
She wasn’t quite as thrilled, though. She kept clinging to the leg of the orphanage director and started screaming when Missy tried to get her.
She kept on screaming bloody murder for about 30 or 40 minutes. As Missy held her and tried to comfort her, she kept twisting around and trying to find the director, whom she was obviously very familiar with. When Missy sat her back down, she immediately tried to run back to him.
With the help of my new trusted sidekick, Frank, our Chinese guide, the director explained to me that it was not uncommon for some of the children to act that way, especially ones her age (about 2 and a half).
He explained to us that she was very attached to her foster family and some of the nannies at the orphanage. Though she was going through a difficult time, it made us happy to know that she had been loved.
He also explained that she had never seen people who looked like us. I wasn’t sure if he was talking about Americans in general, or just us.
He also told us that she was very smart and that she understood just enough to know what was happening.
After a while, she began to calm down and we were able to take her with us. We left with her and another little girl that was adopted by Dave and Lori, our new friends from Livonia, Mich.
Frank took us to a huge mall and supermarket and she enjoyed that, looking around at all the people and things she had never seen before. During the ride, she looked out the window and smiled when she saw all the people, with scooters and bikes zooming by and horns blaring.
In the grocery store, we got a lot of strange looks from shoppers and store clerks. You could tell that many of them were wondering what the strange Americans were doing with a Chinese baby. I guess some of them thought she was Frank’s.
A lot of them also greeted us warmly and came up to see her.
Frank had explained earlier that a lot of people in places like Hefei do not understand the adoption process. He said they know that there are many children in orphanages, but they do know not that Americans and others come to adopt them.
The ones that do understand, he said, are very gracious and appreciative because they understand what we are doing and they were are given their children a good home.
Once we got Emma back to the hotel room, she began to settle down a little bit.
When she arrived at the Adoption Center, she was clinging tightly to a little plastic grocery bag that had something in it. She would not let go of it. She would have a fit if you tried to take it away, jerking it away from you and crying. She held it so tightly her in fist that you couldn’t take it away.
It wasn’t until we got back to the hotel room, about two hours later, that we were able to find out what was in the bag.
We thought it might be clothes or some toys or something like that.
Finally, she let us take it and look inside.
It was filled with food. Candy, sweet cakes and all kinds of treats.
We dumped it out on the floor and she got very excited. I gave her one of the sweet cakes, opened it for her and she immediately starting devouring it. She sat on my lap and ate with while drinking some juice.
This was a touching moment because we realized that someone loved her enough to send her away with a bag of her favorite treats.
Some of the other children who came to the orphanage were dirty and had nothing but the clothes on their back.
Emma was nicely dressed, well-groomed and holding onto her treats. It made us feel good to know that she was loved and well-taken care of. That explains a lot about why she was so upset to leave.
As you can tell by the treats, she loves to eat. She ate two or three of the little cakes before dinner.
The director had also told us that she would eat anything. He was right.
We ordered room service and she ate some of Missy’s french fries. She then climbed in my lap and ate a ton of steamed rice and chicken soup. I can’t wait for her to lay into some of Mama’s chicken and dumplings.
Enough rambling for now. Can’t wait to see what today brings.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Emma Lee Pictures
I'm not sure what's going on with the e-mail. So i won't be able to get any new blog update from the crew over in Asia, but be patient. I'm sure we'll get things rolling in the mean time. So shan, chill. For real. =]
Off to Hafei
Well, here we are, waiting in the Beijing airport to fly to Hefei in the Anhui Province, where Emma lives.
This is the day we have been waiting and praying for for more than two years now, and it’s finally here. I’ve felt for a couple of weeks like we were having our own baby and just waiting for the delivery. The past two weeks have been like the labor pains and contractions, only we have both felt them together.
Sitting here is like sitting in a hospital room, waiting for the moment of delivery. I guess the biggest difference is that she will be delivered by the director of a Chinese orphanage instead of a doctor. And, of course, she is already two years old, which means no diapers. Hallelujah.
It also somewhat strange being alone. Out of the 14 families and 30-plus people in our group, we are the only ones traveling to Anhui Province. With a couple of exceptions, we are all traveling to different areas of the country to get our children. Of the 14 families, we are traveling to about eight or nine different provinces.
We have gotten to know everyone in our group and have become good friends with some. Two families have little Chinese girls with them from a previous adoption and a previous trip to China. They, of course, have been the hit of the trip so far. Everyone can’t help but look at them and hope that their children will be just as beautiful and sweet.
This morning was interesting. We had to meet in the lobby to check out and leave for the airport at 5 a.m. But despite the early morning and some lingering jet lag, everyone had a bounce in their step and was more than a little wired. There were a lot of well-wishes and a few hugs as everyone went on their own separate journeys. We will all meet together as a group again in about a week in Guangzhou. That will be really interesting, because by then, all the new families and friends we have met will have additions to their families.
We have all been anxious and curious to see what it will be like when we finally meet our new children. It’s like stepping into the great unknown. You have your own ideas and hopes and wishes for what it will be like, but you don’t really know. We know it will be an emotional and joyous occasion for us, but what about for her?
What will she feel and how will she react? Will she be scared to death and angry, or will she know that we are her new parents and come to us willingly? We have prayed for months for God to prepare us and her for this moment.
We are just a few hours away from receiving the blessing he has prepared for us.
This is the day we have been waiting and praying for for more than two years now, and it’s finally here. I’ve felt for a couple of weeks like we were having our own baby and just waiting for the delivery. The past two weeks have been like the labor pains and contractions, only we have both felt them together.
Sitting here is like sitting in a hospital room, waiting for the moment of delivery. I guess the biggest difference is that she will be delivered by the director of a Chinese orphanage instead of a doctor. And, of course, she is already two years old, which means no diapers. Hallelujah.
It also somewhat strange being alone. Out of the 14 families and 30-plus people in our group, we are the only ones traveling to Anhui Province. With a couple of exceptions, we are all traveling to different areas of the country to get our children. Of the 14 families, we are traveling to about eight or nine different provinces.
We have gotten to know everyone in our group and have become good friends with some. Two families have little Chinese girls with them from a previous adoption and a previous trip to China. They, of course, have been the hit of the trip so far. Everyone can’t help but look at them and hope that their children will be just as beautiful and sweet.
This morning was interesting. We had to meet in the lobby to check out and leave for the airport at 5 a.m. But despite the early morning and some lingering jet lag, everyone had a bounce in their step and was more than a little wired. There were a lot of well-wishes and a few hugs as everyone went on their own separate journeys. We will all meet together as a group again in about a week in Guangzhou. That will be really interesting, because by then, all the new families and friends we have met will have additions to their families.
We have all been anxious and curious to see what it will be like when we finally meet our new children. It’s like stepping into the great unknown. You have your own ideas and hopes and wishes for what it will be like, but you don’t really know. We know it will be an emotional and joyous occasion for us, but what about for her?
What will she feel and how will she react? Will she be scared to death and angry, or will she know that we are her new parents and come to us willingly? We have prayed for months for God to prepare us and her for this moment.
We are just a few hours away from receiving the blessing he has prepared for us.
Emma Lee!
After about three years. She has finally arrived. She's been a little bit shocked by all the goings on, and dad will be sending along a new blog just as soon as we figure out the technical issue with their email, but we have laid eyes on her now. She is, as i said, still upset by everything. But the people at the Civil affairs center said all is normal.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Day three
We started our third day in China in a way we never expected – by going to a very American church.
We went to a Christian church for English-speaking visitors. It was for foreigners only, and we even had to show our passport to get in.
But, surprisingly, it was very much like worship services we are used to. There was a youth praise band that reminded us a lot of our band at Sandy Plains, with many of the same songs. We kept thinking about Justin, our youth minister, up there singing and Jackson and the boys playing behind him.
The lead singer is from Colorado and the pastor is from Missouri and had pastured a church in Minnesota.
It was a very inspiring and uplifting service, with people from all over the world all worshiping together. There were many Chinese-Americans, but also English-speaking people from all over the world.
The sermon was entitled: “Love Matters.” We all know that there is no love greater than the love of God, but the sermon made us all think about the love being shared by our group of 13 families that are all here for one main purpose – to adopt and love children that currently have no home.
Though the pastor had no idea we were coming or who we were, it was almost as if the sermon was planned just for us.
After church, we went to a pearl factory and then to Tiennamen Square and The Forbidden City, where we walked for miles and miles. I’m not sure how big the square and the city are, but I believe Cramerton and McAdenville would both fit inside.
The Forbidden City is the palaces where the Chinese Emperors lived from the 1400s until the revolution in 1911. It is filled with numerous palaces surrounded by beautiful, ancient statues, sculptures and artwork.
There are 9,999 rooms in the palaces, which means the emperor either had a lot of servants or a lot of wives, probably both.
I would tell you more about it but it’s forbidden.
We ate some duck and some other things that we’re still not sure what it was. The food has been OK, but not great. Some is a bit exotic and quite different from American Chinese food. After three days of it, we’re pretty sure that Emma’s first meal is going to be at McDonald’s.
The toughest part of the day was not knowing. Wondering every hour, all day, but just not knowing.
I just kept wondering and wondering … did the Gamecocks beat Georgia?
They were up 17-14 when I left the hotel room, and then I heard nothing else all day.
Finally, we got back to the hotel, went online and got the news of another heartbreaking loss. Oh well, it’s not like I’m not used to.
And now I have to get through tomorrow not knowing who won the NFL games. Life overseas is indeed hard.
Enough for now. We’re up at 4 a.m. tomorrow to fly to Anhui province to finally meet Emma Lee. We can’t wait, but also can’t quite fathom what it’s going to be like. It will be a very joyful and emotional day.
I can’t wait to watch her bite into her first chicken nugget.
We went to a Christian church for English-speaking visitors. It was for foreigners only, and we even had to show our passport to get in.
But, surprisingly, it was very much like worship services we are used to. There was a youth praise band that reminded us a lot of our band at Sandy Plains, with many of the same songs. We kept thinking about Justin, our youth minister, up there singing and Jackson and the boys playing behind him.
The lead singer is from Colorado and the pastor is from Missouri and had pastured a church in Minnesota.
It was a very inspiring and uplifting service, with people from all over the world all worshiping together. There were many Chinese-Americans, but also English-speaking people from all over the world.
The sermon was entitled: “Love Matters.” We all know that there is no love greater than the love of God, but the sermon made us all think about the love being shared by our group of 13 families that are all here for one main purpose – to adopt and love children that currently have no home.
Though the pastor had no idea we were coming or who we were, it was almost as if the sermon was planned just for us.
After church, we went to a pearl factory and then to Tiennamen Square and The Forbidden City, where we walked for miles and miles. I’m not sure how big the square and the city are, but I believe Cramerton and McAdenville would both fit inside.
The Forbidden City is the palaces where the Chinese Emperors lived from the 1400s until the revolution in 1911. It is filled with numerous palaces surrounded by beautiful, ancient statues, sculptures and artwork.
There are 9,999 rooms in the palaces, which means the emperor either had a lot of servants or a lot of wives, probably both.
I would tell you more about it but it’s forbidden.
We ate some duck and some other things that we’re still not sure what it was. The food has been OK, but not great. Some is a bit exotic and quite different from American Chinese food. After three days of it, we’re pretty sure that Emma’s first meal is going to be at McDonald’s.
The toughest part of the day was not knowing. Wondering every hour, all day, but just not knowing.
I just kept wondering and wondering … did the Gamecocks beat Georgia?
They were up 17-14 when I left the hotel room, and then I heard nothing else all day.
Finally, we got back to the hotel, went online and got the news of another heartbreaking loss. Oh well, it’s not like I’m not used to.
And now I have to get through tomorrow not knowing who won the NFL games. Life overseas is indeed hard.
Enough for now. We’re up at 4 a.m. tomorrow to fly to Anhui province to finally meet Emma Lee. We can’t wait, but also can’t quite fathom what it’s going to be like. It will be a very joyful and emotional day.
I can’t wait to watch her bite into her first chicken nugget.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Travel tip 1
Travel tip to China No. 1: Don’t automatically assume every non-Asian person you meet is American. Ellie Mae learned that lesson when she tried to chat up a French couple at dinner.
Travel tip to China No. 2: Make sure your spouse is out of the bathroom before trying to plug in your European/American electrical adapter followed by a power strip. You might blow out the power in your hotel room. Thanks Ellie.
Travel tip to China No. 3: Master the art of chopsticks before your first public dining experience or you might become the dinnertime entertainment. Eating fried rice with chopsticks is like trying to eat soup with a fork. And getting frustrating and using your soup spoon is generally frowned upon.
It’s 3 a.m. Saturday morning and we’re both wide awake, looking for coffee and waiting on the workout room to open. It’s called jet lag.
Off to the Great Wall. … Three days to E Day!
Travel tip to China No. 2: Make sure your spouse is out of the bathroom before trying to plug in your European/American electrical adapter followed by a power strip. You might blow out the power in your hotel room. Thanks Ellie.
Travel tip to China No. 3: Master the art of chopsticks before your first public dining experience or you might become the dinnertime entertainment. Eating fried rice with chopsticks is like trying to eat soup with a fork. And getting frustrating and using your soup spoon is generally frowned upon.
It’s 3 a.m. Saturday morning and we’re both wide awake, looking for coffee and waiting on the workout room to open. It’s called jet lag.
Off to the Great Wall. … Three days to E Day!
Arrival
After the longest flight of our lives, we are finally safe and sound in China.
Despite flying halfway around the world and losing a day (we left at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday and landed in Beijing at 3 p.m. on Friday) it actually went about as smooth as it could. I read two books, watched two movies, ate three meals (including a carry-on cheeseburger from Chicago’s famous Billy Goat Tavern), all while Missy slept, and before I knew it, we were there.
The first dose of culture shock came, however, as soon as we stepped on the flight to Beijing in Chicago. About 80 percent of the 300 or so people on board were Chinese, which I guess we should have expected, but somehow I thought there would be more Americans going that way. I guess there’s a lot more Chinese visiting America these days than vice-versa.
It was pretty cool being on a plane, flying across the big lake and listening to the majority of the people around you speaking a totally foreign language. They were very pleasant and unusually quiet – a lot quieter than if it had been a planefull of rowdy Americans.
My first brilliant observation came the minute we walked into the airport - there were Chinese people everywhere. It looked like Chinatown in New York City on a Saturday afternoon. And as soon as you walk outside, every street and building sign is in Chinese. If you’re an American, you better have a tour guide and an interpreter. It was one of those Duh moments, but it still drives home the fact that we’re thousands of miles from home. I could almost hear people speaking in Chinese saying, ‘You ain’t from around here, are you?”
Beijing is much more Western than you think, though. The first restaurant we saw in the airport? KFC. We were going to stop for a bucket, but they didn’t have Kung Pao or Schezuan.
We also passed McDonalds, Pizza Hut, a Haigan Das ice cream shop and a three-story Super Wal-Mart. It was then that we started to feel comfortable. (Nothing makes you feel at home like a Wal-Mart). And, of course, everyone in our group wanted to stop.
Beijing is a huge city. The airport is probably the biggest one I’ve ever been to. It’s a lot like the airport in San Francisco – you land in San Jose and take a train to baggage claim.
The traffic is also intense and bumper to bumper. It’s about like I-77 North from Charlotte to Lake Norman on a Friday afternoon.
Beijing may also be the only city in the world that currently has more condos going up than Charlotte.
That’s enough for now. We’re off to find some real Chinese food, or as they call it here, food.
Despite flying halfway around the world and losing a day (we left at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday and landed in Beijing at 3 p.m. on Friday) it actually went about as smooth as it could. I read two books, watched two movies, ate three meals (including a carry-on cheeseburger from Chicago’s famous Billy Goat Tavern), all while Missy slept, and before I knew it, we were there.
The first dose of culture shock came, however, as soon as we stepped on the flight to Beijing in Chicago. About 80 percent of the 300 or so people on board were Chinese, which I guess we should have expected, but somehow I thought there would be more Americans going that way. I guess there’s a lot more Chinese visiting America these days than vice-versa.
It was pretty cool being on a plane, flying across the big lake and listening to the majority of the people around you speaking a totally foreign language. They were very pleasant and unusually quiet – a lot quieter than if it had been a planefull of rowdy Americans.
My first brilliant observation came the minute we walked into the airport - there were Chinese people everywhere. It looked like Chinatown in New York City on a Saturday afternoon. And as soon as you walk outside, every street and building sign is in Chinese. If you’re an American, you better have a tour guide and an interpreter. It was one of those Duh moments, but it still drives home the fact that we’re thousands of miles from home. I could almost hear people speaking in Chinese saying, ‘You ain’t from around here, are you?”
Beijing is much more Western than you think, though. The first restaurant we saw in the airport? KFC. We were going to stop for a bucket, but they didn’t have Kung Pao or Schezuan.
We also passed McDonalds, Pizza Hut, a Haigan Das ice cream shop and a three-story Super Wal-Mart. It was then that we started to feel comfortable. (Nothing makes you feel at home like a Wal-Mart). And, of course, everyone in our group wanted to stop.
Beijing is a huge city. The airport is probably the biggest one I’ve ever been to. It’s a lot like the airport in San Francisco – you land in San Jose and take a train to baggage claim.
The traffic is also intense and bumper to bumper. It’s about like I-77 North from Charlotte to Lake Norman on a Friday afternoon.
Beijing may also be the only city in the world that currently has more condos going up than Charlotte.
That’s enough for now. We’re off to find some real Chinese food, or as they call it here, food.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Here we go ...
It's been a very stressful, but exciting week. My fantasy football draft went really well (got lots of studs), the Gamecocks won their season-opener (though they looked lousy doing it; at least Georgia lost), our tennis team is 4-0 and in first place and the NFL season starts this week. ... Oh yeah, and we're finally leaving for China tomorrow to get Emma Lee! We're both anxious, nervous and excited. I feel like I'm either in a third-set tiebreaker, or the clock is winding down with South Carolina clinging to a slim lead (I know, that doesn't happen often). Anyway, we're packed and ready to go. Kickoff - I mean, takeoff - is only a few hours away.
- Jeff
- Jeff
TIME TO PACK!
We had our conference call with our travel group yesterday. There will be 12 other families traveling with us. Most of us will meet in Chicago and be together for the 14 hour flight to Beijing. We will tour for a couple of days to get acclimated to the time change and then Monday(China time) we meet Emma Lee. We don't know if it will be in the hotel or in a Cival Affairs Office yet but Monday she will be ours. I still can't believe it. It seems like we've hoped and prayed for so long its not even real. Packing has proven to be an adventure. What do you pack for someone you've never met? Especially if you can't stay focused on anything for longer than a few minutes. My Mom is coming to day to get me organized then tomorrow morning we fly out. It feels like a dream.......more to come........
Friday, September 4, 2009
We're all set
Finally, she can "calm down."
We got our final approval today and are all set to leave on Thursday, Sept. 10. It's been a long week since we were first told we MIGHT leave on Sept. 10 and getting the final appointments and confirmation. Today has been a whirlwind of activity, making travel arrangements and final preparations. The stress has been tremendous and, believe it or not, Missy has been the one telling me to "calm down." After 29 months of telling her to be patient and relax, I'm the one that needed to be talked off the cliff today. Reality has finally set in and we are both excited, anxious and more than a little stressed out. (For those of you playing tennis with me in the morning, BEWARE! You've been warned.) Next Thursday can't get here fast enough. I think once we are on the plane and on our way, maybe we can both "calm down" and finally relax. More to come later.
Jeff
We got our final approval today and are all set to leave on Thursday, Sept. 10. It's been a long week since we were first told we MIGHT leave on Sept. 10 and getting the final appointments and confirmation. Today has been a whirlwind of activity, making travel arrangements and final preparations. The stress has been tremendous and, believe it or not, Missy has been the one telling me to "calm down." After 29 months of telling her to be patient and relax, I'm the one that needed to be talked off the cliff today. Reality has finally set in and we are both excited, anxious and more than a little stressed out. (For those of you playing tennis with me in the morning, BEWARE! You've been warned.) Next Thursday can't get here fast enough. I think once we are on the plane and on our way, maybe we can both "calm down" and finally relax. More to come later.
Jeff
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I wish I had some great new to share but alas, more of the same, hurry up...now wait...
We are still being told to expect to travel on 9/10. We haven't gotten the confirmation for all the appointments we'll have while in China but the agency keeps saying just hang in there. In fact, here it is exactly:
"Hi Jeff,
Our in-country staff spoke with them today and was informed they'd confirm
tomorrow."
So there you have it......nothing.......
Maybe tomorrow. Keep praying, because I'm hanging by an awfully thin thread.
We are still being told to expect to travel on 9/10. We haven't gotten the confirmation for all the appointments we'll have while in China but the agency keeps saying just hang in there. In fact, here it is exactly:
"Hi Jeff,
Our in-country staff spoke with them today and was informed they'd confirm
tomorrow."
So there you have it......nothing.......
Maybe tomorrow. Keep praying, because I'm hanging by an awfully thin thread.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
What a rollercoaster!
We got our Travel Approval yesterday and I was literally bouncing off the walls. Of course Jeff has to give me his standard line, "you need to just calm down", yeah, right! Well, they told us we could choose to travel 9/3 or 9/17. So much to get together, we chose the 17th. I get home today and find out that there were no consulate appointments available for that travel date and we have to choose again, 9/3, 9/10, or 10/8. We asked for the 10th. Keep your fingers crossed everybody, maybe we'll have a firm travel date by the end of the week. I can't believe it. A daughter in weeks, not months, not years but weeks. Please pray. Pray hard for our plans, for a travel, for our family and for our Emma Lee.
Here a a couple of snaps shots of Emma Lee's room. It's very very green!
missy
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Signs From Above
When we decided to take this journey, we had little doubt that this was what we were meant to do, that God had a special child picked out for us that we were supposed to bring home and make part of our family. But as the wait grew longer and longer, we, of course, began to have some doubts. Those doubts all went away when we finally got the call and were presented with Jia Mei, now our Emma Lee. We had waited about 27 months when our adoption agency called and told us they had a little girl they thought suited us and that we should consider. Since we were on a special-needs list, we had only 48 hours to make a decision. It wasn't difficult. There were signs everywhere that this was indeed the little girl that God had chosen for us. We have told many people this story, and it seems more amazing each time. First of all, there was the tennis ball. Yes, a tennis ball. Missy and I are both avid tennis players. We both play three or more times a week, playing for fun and competing in tournaments and on teams. Our youngest son, Sam, has also taken up the game and has become a competitive player. Neither our agency nor the officials in China had any way of knowing this. Yet, when we got our first photos of Jia Mei, there she was, holding a tennis ball. In two separate photos, she was holding a tennis ball. To me, this was a sign that was too strong too ignore. The call also came while we were on the road, traveling from Charlotte to Columbia, S.C. to visit our close friends from college, Dode and Cheryl Prickett. Dode and Cheryl were with us on one of the weekends two years ago when we decided to pursue an international adoption. Dode was particularly instrumental in helping me put things in perspective and realize all the reasons that this was right for us and our family. We only see the Pricketts a couple of times a year, yet on this day, when the call came, we were headed to their home. They were the first ones after Missy and I to see her picture and view her information. To us, this was another strong sign. Our pediatrician, Dr. Ellis Fisher, had agreed early on in the process to help us view our child's medical records when we got a referral. Because the call came on a Saturday, we were immediately worried that we wouldn't be able to get in touch with Dr. Fisher in time to make our decision within 48 hours. But when Missy called his office and frantically explained to his nurse what was going on and asked her how we could reach Dr. Fisher quickly, her answer was another sign. "Hold on, he's standing right here." Dr. Fisher reviewed her medical records and got back to us in just a few hours. While we were absorbing all this, Missy began to cry and told me how she had told some of her close friends and prayer partners that she believed in her heart that shortly after school was out, sometime in early June, we would know who our daughter was. That the call came on June 6, just a few days after school ended for the summer, was another clear sign. Then there was her birthday. The information we received about Emma Lee included her birthday - Jan. 1, 2007. She shares a birthday with my father and my grandmother (she was actually born on Jan. 2, but we always celebrated her birthday on New Years Day) and her birthday is only a day after the wedding anniversary of her grandparents, Willie and Shirley Cheek. To us, these were much more than just ironies or strange coincidences. They were signs from above that this was indeed the little girl God has chosen for us and sent our way. They immediately erased any doubts we might have had. We can't wait to finally meet our daughter and make her part of our family. And one day share with her this amazing journey.
- Jeff
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
updated pictures
We got our updated pictures June 22nd. We couldn't believe how tiny she looks in a dress instead of 4 layers of clothes!
We started this all in August of 2006. Now here we are 3 years later still waiting to be a family of 5. We were matched with our Emma Lee on June 6, 2007. The CCAA has approved us to be her family. We are waiting now for our travel approval and hope to travel in early September.
These were our first pictures. The tennis ball sealed the deal for us!
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