May 6, 2013: 7:20am, Guangzhou

May 6, 2013:  7:20am, Guangzhou

This has to be the most surreal feeling in the world:  waking up, and knowing this is the day we become parents.  Truly, truly surreal.  It’s quite indescribable, I must say. 

Yesterday our group split up as we all flew to our prospective provinces to meet our kiddos.  Three couples will meet their children, stay with them in their child’s province, and then meet us in Guangzhou in five days where we will all finalize our adoptions.  We are thankful because not only were we able to fly directly to Guangzhou since Zia Mei’s baby home is within driving distance, but we have one other couple on the journey with us, and our main guide, Zhou as well whom we have all grown very fond of.  We have it easy! 

The plane ride from Beijing to Guangzhou was about 3 hours long…not as long as I was expecting from looking at the map of China.  The boarding process is very different from the states.  While we all had assigned seating, it didn’t much matter until we were on the plane.  We stood in line and handed our ticket to the agent, where we were given a boarding card.  We then filed onto a very crowded bus, and taxied over to our plane.  Then in cattle call fashion, we exited the bus, and filed up the ramp to the plane, handing our boarding card to the next agent.  There were several buses of people, and by the time we took off, the plane was completely full.  They served us lunch, which was nice, but I’m still not entirely sure what I ate.  Let’s just say, I enjoyed the rice, and we’ll leave it at that. 

Guangzhou is a gigantic city, and nestled within the third largest province in all of China.  It is huge!  Luckily, we are staying on the edge of paradise on a small island.  The island reminds us of a cleaner, more laid back New Orleans.  It’s absolutely beautiful, and we are so happy we have the luxury of settling in to our “first home” with our new daughter in such a serene location.  

After checking in to our hotel and relaxing for a bit, we took a stroll around our neighborhood with Zhou and the other couple, where we saw everything from kids playing badminton in the park, to photo shoots, to a restaurant that had live snakes, giant shrimp, and other interesting creatures in tanks. Zhou took us to an American style restaurant for dinner that served everything from traditional Chinese dishes to all American cuisine.  Kathi (my fellow mom) ordered fried chicken, onion rings, and French fries.  I guess she is missing home a little bit. 

We can hardly believe the day has finally come, and that in just a few hours we will finally become parents to our beautiful little tiger princess.  Thank you all so much for following along on our journey.  It means so much to us to have your love and support.  

May 4, 2013: 4:51pm, Beijing

May 4, 2013:  4:51pm, Beijing

Today was another full day!  We went to Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, lunch and the Silk Factory.  Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City were both insanely crowded, and to be honest, a little more how we had envisioned Beijing to be.  Crowded, loud, and hectic.  Tiananmen Square is impressive.  It is HUGE!  A million people can fit there!  A million.  When Chairman Mao died, a million people came to the service held there.  We took a load of photos, and learned a lot.  Since we are American, we definitely stick out like sore thumbs…especially the blondes in the group!  Tons of Chinese men, women and children were coming up to us and taking their photographs with us.  We felt famous.  Especially Eva, the 4 year old in our group…she must have really felt famous.  Over the last two days she probably had her photo taken at least 30 times….and that is not and exaggeration.  One lady grabbed Eric and took her picture with him.  We’re guessing it’s because he has a beard.  I was never photographed.  I’m brunette, so I fit in a bit better than most in our group, and therefore, I am much less interesting.  I’m hoping that is in my favor upon meeting Zia Mei since maybe I will appear more like one of her caretakers and as a result she won’t be quite as scared of me.  We shall see.

The Forbidden City is absolutely breathtaking.  It is one of the most impressive places in the world.   It goes on for miles.  Just when you think you’ve hit the end, it goes on some more.  There are so many details and so much artistry.  We were all very impressed.  We did however, lose one of the members in our group for a while which was a bit scary!  His wife was not too happy, but she held it together.   It was SO crowded, and he just lost sight of us.  He found us eventually, and we were all able to laugh about it, but it was a bit touch and go there for a while. I’m just glad it wasn’t Eric.  And to be honest, a bit shocked it wasn’t!  Ha! He does tend to wander…

Today’s lunch was absolutely to die for.  It was another family style setting, and they sliced the duck right in front of us, serving it fresh (head included!).  No one in our group dared to eat the head, but we certainly had fun joking about it!  I thought maybe someone would be brave enough, but we all played it safe.    The silk factory was incredible.  We learned the process that goes into making comforters and clothing.  It was very cool.  My mom would have loved it there…it reminded me of the years she was a professional weaver with all the looms.  It brought back wonderful memories.  We wanted to buy a silk baby blanket and a cute little outfit for Zia, but the blankets were all too big, and the outfits a bit too pricy.  We’ve been told silk is much cheaper in Guangzhou, so we decided to wait.  The most impressive thing at the factory was the silk paintings.  Literally:  “paintings” that were created out of silk.  Again…the Chinese artistry was commendable, and truly breathtaking. 

On the ride back to the hotel, our guide explained the next few days to us, and the reality really set in.  So far this trip has been feeling much more like a sightseeing vacation than an adoption process, but that is all about to change!  We are eager of course, but it’s all a bit daunting.  We are so thankful we will have Zhou (our guide) with us the entire time.  Three out of the five families are traveling into unknown territory tomorrow with a new guide, but we have the luxury of being able to rely on, and lean on Zhou.  The process is daunting enough, so we are extremely thankful we have it just a bit easier on that end.  Tomorrow, we will all part ways until we meet back up again on May 10 in Guangzhou with our new daughters!  It’s a very mind-blowing feeling, and one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.  Tonight Eric and I are going to enjoy a nice dinner in the hotel and relax, knowing our relaxation time is short lived!  Tomorrow we will be leaving the hotel at 9am, and traveling down to Guangzhou, settling into our new home away from home while we anxiously await Monday afternoon.  At 2:30pm on Monday we will meet our baby and take custody of our little treasure.  Here we go!!  

May 4, 2013: 2:37am, Beijing

May 4, 2013:  2:37am, Beijing

After a fun-filled yet exhausting day, we crashed around 8pm, so now we’re paying the price!  Wide-awake at 2:37am, Eric is attempting to sleep, and I have decided this is as good a time as any to update my journal/blog.  Yesterday was incredible.  First we went on a tour of the jade factory; something my dad would have absolutely loved.  It was incredible to witness the artistry that goes into each piece.  Learning about the different qualities of jade, how it’s carved, and seeing the finished pieces was a humbling experience.  So, so beautiful.  Next up:  The Great Wall!  As our van pulled up to the entrance, the whole group let out an audible sigh.  It is a truly magnificent place.  We were all surprised at the sheer magnitude.  From photographs, it’s difficult to tell just how large the Great Wall truly is.  We walked the “easy” side…um…easy?  Hardly.  The steps varied from tiny little steps to over twelve inches wide, so not very easy for short people such as myself!  And there are oh soooo many of them! And of course, Eric and I forgot water.  Good jobs, Gould’s. Not one of our finer moments.  But we made it!  Luckily at the top there were vendors selling bottled water, coke products and souvenirs.  Water and cola has never tasted so good! What a beautiful place.  It’s funny though, there is a huge, busy road that runs underneath, making it less than serene…hearing traffic the entire time you are walking the Great Wall was definitely an odd experience. 

After surviving the Great Wall, we went on a quick tour of Cloisonne, ate a delicious family style meal as a group, shopped a little, then made the trek to Olympic Stadium, which I can tell you is one of the most impressive places we have ever seen.  Beijing went ALL out for the 2008 Olympics, and now it’s a huge park and tourist location.  And what a tourist pit it is!  There were people on every side of us shoving mini kites, postcards; you name it at us, trying to get us to buy things.  But we didn’t care…the stadium is absolutely breathtaking, and an incredible thing to see.  On the way back to the van as we were passing street vendors serving everything from friend tofu to pineapple pops, we smelled the most foul smell in the air.  One of the girls from our group asked our guide what it was, and he said it was a type of cheese!  Now we all understand the term “stinky cheese!” Wow…it was severe.

 

After going to Olympic park, weary, yet inspired, we traveled back to the hotel.  Eric and I decided to venture out for dinner.  We went to the Pizza Hut down the street, but let me tell you, this is not your ordinary Pizza Hut. In addition to pizza and pasta, they had a full dinner menu including several rice and noodle dishes.  It was very impressive. We thought we would order the most basic thing on the menu since our server did not speak English, and the language barrier was definitely going to be a challenge for all involved.  As she pointed, we nodded “yes” or “no,” made hand gestures, and all of us smiled and laughed.  We pointed to a large pepperoni pizza and smiled.  She turned the page and pointed to a mushroom, Canadian bacon, tomato pizza, smiled and wrote something down.  We shook our heads “no,” then turned the page again and pointed to the pepperoni pizza, she smiled, wrote something down.  Then turned the page back to a bacon wrapped shrimp pizza with a stuffed crust.  We smiled, shook our heads “no” again, and then pointed once again to the pepperoni.  She smiled, and then showed me what she wrote on the ticket to confirm our order, which of course made me laugh since the entire thing as written in Chinese characters.  I looked at the ticket, smiled, looked back at her, shook my head “yes,” then said “Xiexie” (which means “thank you”).  When our order came, it was the mushroom pizza, of course.  Well…at least we tried!   We both laughed, and I spent the remainder of the meal picking the mushrooms off the pizza so my husband, who for those of you doesn’t know, can’t stand mushrooms!  The entire experience was truly a comedy act, and one we will be laughing about for years. 

We can’t believe that in just 2 days we will have our little tiger in our arms!  What a mind trip, truly.  On one hand it feels as though we are all just on a tour of China…it’s amazing to think how much all of our lives are about to change!  In a few hours, we will have another action pack tourism day, then we all part ways for a few days.  On Sunday, three of the families will be traveling to their child’s province, meeting their children, then traveling to meet up with us in Guangzhou.  Eric and I, plus one other couple sort of have it easy.  On Sunday, we will fly down directly to Guangzhou since both of our daughter’s provinces are driving distance from Guangzhou (where we all finalize).  Then, Monday, May 6, we will finally hold our daughter.  Amazing.  It’s going to be so much fun to meet up with everyone again, children in tow!  We can’t wait!

Okay, I guess I better try and get more sleep

May 3, 2013: 7:02am, Beijing

May 3, 2013:  7:02am, Beijing

We slept later than anticipated, waking around 6:30am.  We both feel rested and ready to tackle the day!  Today:  we will be going to the Great Wall!  We feel like little kids on Christmas morning…excited and eager to see this magical wonder of the world.  Before the Great Wall we will be going to a jade factory.  Afterwards, we will be going to a place called Cloisonne, where they create beautiful enamelware, then lunch, then the Olympic Stadium.  Should be a long and exciting day!

May 2, 2013: 7:30pm, Beijing

May 2, 2013:  7:30pm, Beijing

Our China adventure has officially begun!  After a long, yet relatively easy flight to Beijing, we are settling in nicely.  We arrived earlier than the rest of our travel group, so there a little confusion trying to meet up with them once they arrived.  Our guide was almost ready to give up on us and take the rest of the group to the hotel without us, thinking we had already gone there on our own!  The good news is, Eric and I are very seasoned travelers, so we weren’t fazed.  We would have found our way, but glad we met up with everyone!  Our guide is adorable…he was giving us tips and answering questions all the way to our hotel.  Glad we didn’t miss that!  It’s a beautiful feeling having four other couples on this journey with us.  It’s nice to look in their eyes, and know we are all in one way or another having the same experience.  It’s a truly indescribable feeling.  We are still learning everyone’s name and story, but it’s a connection unlike anything else.  So far we have learned everyone is adopting a little girl this trip.  I’m surprised there aren’t any little boys being adopted actually.  Couple #1 has two bio children, and their new daughter is 3 ½.  Couple #2 has three bio children, and their new daughter is five.  Couple #3 does not have any other children, and their new daughter is 3 and will be their only child.  Couple #4 has one bio daughter, age 4 who is also on this trip with us.  Their new daughter is 21 months old. At 17 months old, our little tiger is the baby of the group.   Looking forward to staying in touch with this group, even after we part ways in China. 

Its funny…Beijing is a huge, huge city, with thousands upon thousands of people living in it, and yet it feels surprisingly calm and easy going to us.  We were expecting it to feel a little more like Tokyo with bright flashy lights, or Times Square with crowds of people pushing their way from place to place, but instead, it actually reminds us a lot of Chicago in a way…very laid back city with walking trails amidst high rise buildings.  It is a very smoggy city, but other than that, it feels clean.  The streets are not littered with trash or filth at all, and the people we have encountered thus far have been gracious, kind, and friendly. We walked around tonight, and there is a wonderful energy that fills the streets.  A little girl on the back of a motorbike waved and smiled at us.  She continued waving and smiling even after we waved and smiled back.  It was a precious moment.  We feel very at home here, and look forward to the day when we can bring little tiger, Zia Mei back here.  The food is delicious, as expected.  Tonight we opted to eat in the hotel.  They were serving a buffet, and we were in heaven.   Funny side note:  when we were seated, our server stood over us while we decided.  Literally stood over us until we spoke to her.  She was super friendly, it was just funny.  Once we said, “buffet,” she smiled and moved on.  They served an incredibly spicy pork dish, so of course Eric was in love.  Looking forward to a full day of sightseeing tomorrow.

Lions, Tigers, and Lockdown, oh my!

We are frantically packing, organizing, and buying last minute things as we prepare for our long journey to bring our daughter home. In just two days we will be on our way to Beijing!  Wednesday, May 1, 2013 to be exact (but who's counting?!)  As we make our way half way across the globe, our little tiger will be turning 17 months old.  We will finally have her in our arms just one week from today.  I must admit even as I write these words, there is a part of me that wondered if this day would ever come.  Our journey has been a rocky one, but it's amazing how easily the past can be washed away.  Once we received the referral for little tiger, everything fell beautifully into place.  The struggle was finally over.  And while the waiting period was difficult at times, we knew in our hearts this magical moment would arrive.  In the past, I'd say one of my biggest human challenges was with patience...not anymore! Adoptive parents must be the most patient people in the world!  

The basic rundown of our journey goes a little something like this:  Leave on May 1, travel to Beijing.  Arrive the next day.  Sightsee with several other families from the same agency.  Eric and I are looking forward to seeing the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.  We will take lots of pictures, don't worry!  We have heard however, the smog is almost unbearable in Beijing, so we're not much looking forward  to that.   But hey, gotta pay to play, right? On May 5, we will travel down to Guangzhou, and on May 6 we will finally have little tiger in our arms!  From the 6-16 we will have a lot of down time, a few appointments, and then we'll travel home.  The one "big outing" we are hoping to make is a trip to the  Zoo.  We feel it is important to show our daughter large animals, seeing as she will be living with two of them back home!  Our dogs...they aren't exactly small creatures.  Sweet, but definitely not small...

And then, the real work begins.  We will be going into "lockdown" mode for roughly two months upon returning home.  Lockdown is probably one of, if not the most important step in the international adoption process, and one we are taking very seriously.  "Lockdown" is the technical term for a two month intensive attachment and bonding period involving just Eric, myself, our daughter, and our two dogs.  In the simplest terms, we will be teaching her what a family is, learning how each other ticks, and working to bond in a healthy way so that we do not have struggles later on.  Basically...it's either "pay a little now, or A LOT later on."  No one, not even her grandparents will be able to come over during that time (I know!!)  After a while, we will slowly begin integrating family members and close friends.  And a while after that...open season!  We hope everyone understands we are not trying to be rude, or selfish by "keeping her all to ourselves" during this time...we are simply following the advice from our agency, social workers, other adoptive parents before us, and mounds of reading material and attachment/bonding training.   We ask that everyone be patient with us during that time as we build our family into a healthy and strong foundation.  Xie Xie! (Thank you!)

We have been told we will have internet access in our hotel rooms, so I am hoping to update our blog throughout our journey.  Facebook is blocked in China however, so I will most likely send updates through our dear friend, Sarah Jane and she will post on our behalf.

We are elated, anxious, and truly over the moon in love with this next chapter in our lives.  Love and light to all,
Crystal