Well, we're home! It's been a crazy week working to get everyone back into a schedule that's only a semi-normal schedule as I've been home all week and spring break is next week. April will be the true test since EVERYONE will be back to school and fully at work then. I've been running Jack to all the doctors - eye, teeth, pediatrician, lab work, etc... Have to convince him that we need to collect his poo...ICK! He's all registered for school now. Language screening yesterday and went to the school where the ELL teacher is at - Oakdale Elementary. John started back to work on Monday, and I started 1/2 days from home on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure it's kicking our butt!
The kids are all acting like they've been together forever. Victoria figured out how to call Jack a little girl in Mandarin and Jack likes to call her a baby as she's been sucking on ring pops this week! Sibling love is alive and well!!!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012 - Consulate Appointment
Yippee!! Our US Consulate appointment was today at 10am. The experience was much quicker and less overwhelming this time around. They made the groups smaller - only about 8 families total. Since we were able to put Jack's English name on his passport in this province, we shouldn't have to mess around with the social security office when we get home. Whoohoo! One less piece of paperwork for me to have to mess with! You can't take cameras or cellphones into the Consulate office so we don't have pictures of the process, but have one next to the sign instead.
Went to a "street" vendor (more of a local counter service) today for lunch w/ John, Patrick, and Benjamin. We managed to order 3 bowls of wonton and noodle soup and some other vegetable (I think it was steamed lettuce) for 45 RMB - $7. John had an ordering snafu and ended up w/ 2 bowls of wonton soup and 2 bowls of fish ball noodles. As a result, we all got to try fish balls. Reminded me of a hot dog. Smashed together meat that you're better off not fully understanding. Taste was okay - a bit bland and fishy. The after taste I'm experiencing now - 5 hrs later - is an unexpected side affect that I could live without.
We've spent the afternoon packing (well, I have - John napped and Jack watched TV - which is okay because they both stayed out of my way). I think we can get it in 3 suitcases, 2 backpacks, and 2 smaller carry-on bags Jack and I have "essentials" packed in. Tomorrow will be the deciding factor as we pack up our bathroom stuff. Are we under the 50lb weight limit?
I think we're missing 1 gift - need something more for Carter. Going to ask him when he wakes up if there's something he wants. Seems like we've bought more for the girls eventhough I know he has stuff. We have Friday morning to go get something if we need it. Catching the bus at 3pm and train at 4:50pm! Hong Kong bound tomorrow!! Home on Saturday!
Went to a "street" vendor (more of a local counter service) today for lunch w/ John, Patrick, and Benjamin. We managed to order 3 bowls of wonton and noodle soup and some other vegetable (I think it was steamed lettuce) for 45 RMB - $7. John had an ordering snafu and ended up w/ 2 bowls of wonton soup and 2 bowls of fish ball noodles. As a result, we all got to try fish balls. Reminded me of a hot dog. Smashed together meat that you're better off not fully understanding. Taste was okay - a bit bland and fishy. The after taste I'm experiencing now - 5 hrs later - is an unexpected side affect that I could live without.
We've spent the afternoon packing (well, I have - John napped and Jack watched TV - which is okay because they both stayed out of my way). I think we can get it in 3 suitcases, 2 backpacks, and 2 smaller carry-on bags Jack and I have "essentials" packed in. Tomorrow will be the deciding factor as we pack up our bathroom stuff. Are we under the 50lb weight limit?
I think we're missing 1 gift - need something more for Carter. Going to ask him when he wakes up if there's something he wants. Seems like we've bought more for the girls eventhough I know he has stuff. We have Friday morning to go get something if we need it. Catching the bus at 3pm and train at 4:50pm! Hong Kong bound tomorrow!! Home on Saturday!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pearl Market, Lychee Bay Park, and Yue Xiu Park
Today was a long but eventful day. We started the day saying good bye to Sarah and Isabella who headed for home. Then, a group of us headed for the Pearl Market. I've never seen a market like that. 5 stories tall with stores and stores of jewelry. They sell wholesale to jewelers around the world. I was extremely overwhelmed!! After the market, we went to a restaurant in the 2nd park near the hotel.
After lunch, we headed to Yue Xiu Park with the Guangdong team. The 1st 4 families - Vesa, Katja, and Jesse; Rebecca, Keith, Andrew, and Nathan; and Patrick, John, and Benjamin. Fed the fish some cheerios, found the 5 Rams and the large amusement park. The amusement park was truly a display of motherly love. The boys wanted to go on a monorail, bicycle ride, but they had to have an adult with them because they couldn't reach the pedals. Rebecca and I went along with them. Got my exercise in for the day (besides the hiking through the park)! Of course, we had to stop for ice cream. It was a great treat for everyone! Jesse was super funny with it. They'd give him a bite, and he'd make a face like he was eating a lemon. Then he'd want more and cried when it was all gone.
For dinner, we headed out to the "red latern" restaurant with the 2nd group of Great Wall families who came in this week. Scott and Veronica with their two adopted daughters; Nancy and her two daughters; and Tim and his two children; and John. We had Veronica tell Jack what we wanted to eat, and he wrote it down for us. He has been a huge help when trying to order stuff and pay for things.
The quiet of our room is welcoming! Trying to decide what to do tomorrow afternoon. We have our Consulate appt in the morning. Leaving the hotel at 9:15am, and we have to tell Rebecca, Keith, Andrew, and Nathan goodbye. They've been wonderful to hang out with! The kiddos have gotten along great!! Possibly going to the leather market. I really need Veronica to translate a letter for me. Hope she has time to visit with us.
I need to start packing soon and figure out if I need another suitcase. We already bought 1. Need to see if I can get it all loaded in what we have. Heading out on the 4:50pm train on Friday for Hong Kong. I think there are about 5 families heading out on the same train.
I've enjoyed the time here, but I'm ready to get back to the kids. Not so ready to get back to the grind of normal life, but ready for the rest! Let's get this show on the road!
After lunch, we headed to Yue Xiu Park with the Guangdong team. The 1st 4 families - Vesa, Katja, and Jesse; Rebecca, Keith, Andrew, and Nathan; and Patrick, John, and Benjamin. Fed the fish some cheerios, found the 5 Rams and the large amusement park. The amusement park was truly a display of motherly love. The boys wanted to go on a monorail, bicycle ride, but they had to have an adult with them because they couldn't reach the pedals. Rebecca and I went along with them. Got my exercise in for the day (besides the hiking through the park)! Of course, we had to stop for ice cream. It was a great treat for everyone! Jesse was super funny with it. They'd give him a bite, and he'd make a face like he was eating a lemon. Then he'd want more and cried when it was all gone.
For dinner, we headed out to the "red latern" restaurant with the 2nd group of Great Wall families who came in this week. Scott and Veronica with their two adopted daughters; Nancy and her two daughters; and Tim and his two children; and John. We had Veronica tell Jack what we wanted to eat, and he wrote it down for us. He has been a huge help when trying to order stuff and pay for things.
The quiet of our room is welcoming! Trying to decide what to do tomorrow afternoon. We have our Consulate appt in the morning. Leaving the hotel at 9:15am, and we have to tell Rebecca, Keith, Andrew, and Nathan goodbye. They've been wonderful to hang out with! The kiddos have gotten along great!! Possibly going to the leather market. I really need Veronica to translate a letter for me. Hope she has time to visit with us.
I need to start packing soon and figure out if I need another suitcase. We already bought 1. Need to see if I can get it all loaded in what we have. Heading out on the 4:50pm train on Friday for Hong Kong. I think there are about 5 families heading out on the same train.
I've enjoyed the time here, but I'm ready to get back to the kids. Not so ready to get back to the grind of normal life, but ready for the rest! Let's get this show on the road!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
March 13, 2012 Yuntai Garden, Yue Xiu Park, and Lamborghini Dealer
Busy day and nice weather today! It was still a bit cool in the am and when we were out on a boat, but overall, a much better day then we've been having. Worked up a sweat while climbing up the "mountain" at Yuntai Garden.
We started the day at the Yuntai Garden which is a gorgeous botanical garden. We only explored about 1/2 of the gardens. Would love to go back for more!! The flowers and water features were amazing! The friendship garden had gifts from Guangzhou's sister cities from around the world. Los Angeles is the US sister city and present them with a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star.
Jack has an amazing knack for needing to go to the bathroom as soon as we start a tour (and about mid-way through as well) even after we've asked him several times if he needs to go before we start. But, while I was waiting for Jack and John to return from the first potty break, I got to watch a bride and groom get their pictures taken. I took a few shots of my own. Veronica explained that they generally get them taken about 2-3 months prior to their wedding so that they have them back to display at the wedding. The bride also usually has 2 bridal gowns - a traditional red one and a white one. They are generally rented or on loan from the photography studio. The groom's family is also responsible for paying for the wedding.
We finally figured out how to wear Jack out - climbing stairs!!! We decided to go to the mountain top look out. It was beautiful from the top, but our legs were like jello when we got back down!!
Angry Birds, Snoopy, Mario, and Kung Fu Panda - China's the only country where I've seen plastic cartoon character's in the middle of a beautiful botanical garden! It's a crazy site to see!
After lunch, we headed back to our room to use the potty and lighten our pack before going to the park. Jack did NOT want to go out and do more walking. We pretty much had to drag him out of the hotel. Mama was pretty set against sitting around all day in the hotel room - especially when the weather's so darn unpredictable. Jack's mood improved when he saw the boats and small lake. He convinced dad to let us go for a ride, and at only 50 RMB for 30 minutes, we gave in. I was a bit worried about the possibility of tipping or sinking, but it was a nice ride around the lake. The provided us with some very questionable floatation devices in the roof of the boat. LOTS of people taking pictures and pointing at us.
The walking continued after the boat rides but only because Jack wanted to ride on the amusement park rides. He wasn't very happy when we told him no. The only one he was big enough for was a log ride, and there was no way I was getting wet!! As we walked, he realized we had MORE stairs, and was not even a bit interested in walking them. Mama finally convinced him that he could have ice cream if he figured out how to get us to the 5 Rams statue. He RAN the rest of the way only stopping long enough for us to catch up at different spots along the path. Who knew ice cream could be such a motivator???
There's a Lamborghini dealer across the street from our hotel. John's been drooling pretty much every day that we drive by. We finally walked over there today and got some pictures. He was too chicken to go inside and take a closer look.
Jack's clearly getting more comfortable with us as the days go by. Super unhappy with us when we were trying to get him to do stuff that involved more walking today, and when we were getting ready to go to dinner, he got his Ipod taken away because he threw a fit. He wanted to watch TV instead. Later this evening, he went running naked through the hotel room. Went from not wanting to change in front of us and not wanting us to see his back to who cares what you see. I think he didn't want us to know about his back or was scared we might reject him, but he clearly isn't worried about that now! Progress!!!
We started the day at the Yuntai Garden which is a gorgeous botanical garden. We only explored about 1/2 of the gardens. Would love to go back for more!! The flowers and water features were amazing! The friendship garden had gifts from Guangzhou's sister cities from around the world. Los Angeles is the US sister city and present them with a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star.
Jack has an amazing knack for needing to go to the bathroom as soon as we start a tour (and about mid-way through as well) even after we've asked him several times if he needs to go before we start. But, while I was waiting for Jack and John to return from the first potty break, I got to watch a bride and groom get their pictures taken. I took a few shots of my own. Veronica explained that they generally get them taken about 2-3 months prior to their wedding so that they have them back to display at the wedding. The bride also usually has 2 bridal gowns - a traditional red one and a white one. They are generally rented or on loan from the photography studio. The groom's family is also responsible for paying for the wedding.
We finally figured out how to wear Jack out - climbing stairs!!! We decided to go to the mountain top look out. It was beautiful from the top, but our legs were like jello when we got back down!!
Angry Birds, Snoopy, Mario, and Kung Fu Panda - China's the only country where I've seen plastic cartoon character's in the middle of a beautiful botanical garden! It's a crazy site to see!
After lunch, we headed back to our room to use the potty and lighten our pack before going to the park. Jack did NOT want to go out and do more walking. We pretty much had to drag him out of the hotel. Mama was pretty set against sitting around all day in the hotel room - especially when the weather's so darn unpredictable. Jack's mood improved when he saw the boats and small lake. He convinced dad to let us go for a ride, and at only 50 RMB for 30 minutes, we gave in. I was a bit worried about the possibility of tipping or sinking, but it was a nice ride around the lake. The provided us with some very questionable floatation devices in the roof of the boat. LOTS of people taking pictures and pointing at us.
The walking continued after the boat rides but only because Jack wanted to ride on the amusement park rides. He wasn't very happy when we told him no. The only one he was big enough for was a log ride, and there was no way I was getting wet!! As we walked, he realized we had MORE stairs, and was not even a bit interested in walking them. Mama finally convinced him that he could have ice cream if he figured out how to get us to the 5 Rams statue. He RAN the rest of the way only stopping long enough for us to catch up at different spots along the path. Who knew ice cream could be such a motivator???
There's a Lamborghini dealer across the street from our hotel. John's been drooling pretty much every day that we drive by. We finally walked over there today and got some pictures. He was too chicken to go inside and take a closer look.
Jack's clearly getting more comfortable with us as the days go by. Super unhappy with us when we were trying to get him to do stuff that involved more walking today, and when we were getting ready to go to dinner, he got his Ipod taken away because he threw a fit. He wanted to watch TV instead. Later this evening, he went running naked through the hotel room. Went from not wanting to change in front of us and not wanting us to see his back to who cares what you see. I think he didn't want us to know about his back or was scared we might reject him, but he clearly isn't worried about that now! Progress!!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Today we went to the Safari Park with Rebecca, Keith, Andrew, Nathan, Veesa, Katja, and Jesse. The park was awesome. We did a ride along train and got to see the large habitats up close and personal. We then did the walking pathes and got to see alot more of the animals. Some of them, we've never seen before. We missed the black panther, but not really surprised since we had a really hard time reading the map. The kiddos really seemed to enjoy the experience, and it was great to not be in the room in the afternoon. The weather coorperated nicely - a bit cool but the rain held off.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Today was spent at the Chen family temple. We've been there before, but Jack hadn't so we went anyway. Plus, it was good bonding w/ all of the families. Jack was very interested in seeing all of the artwork, and he was taking pictures like crazy on his Ipod. I always like hearing about the local history as well as the cultural revolution.
After the temple, we went to the government store for some shopping. We got an ink chop with Jack's zodiac and his English and Chinese names. Plus, a few gifts for ourselves and others. Lunch was out at Macau Restaurant which is a local chain restaurant and very good.
It was cold out today - low 50's and drizzle. Missing my coat! After warming up in the hotel room in the afternoon, we headed back out to Shaiman Island for more shopping. We finally had some time to stroll through the shops and eat at Lucy's again. I think we're almost done w/ shopping. Heading to the leather market on Wednesday.
Tomorrow is a day we're all looking forward too. Safari time. Will probably make a few people at home mad because we didn't make it there last time, but since we're in the same province the whole time, we're able to fit it in.
After the temple, we went to the government store for some shopping. We got an ink chop with Jack's zodiac and his English and Chinese names. Plus, a few gifts for ourselves and others. Lunch was out at Macau Restaurant which is a local chain restaurant and very good.
It was cold out today - low 50's and drizzle. Missing my coat! After warming up in the hotel room in the afternoon, we headed back out to Shaiman Island for more shopping. We finally had some time to stroll through the shops and eat at Lucy's again. I think we're almost done w/ shopping. Heading to the leather market on Wednesday.
Tomorrow is a day we're all looking forward too. Safari time. Will probably make a few people at home mad because we didn't make it there last time, but since we're in the same province the whole time, we're able to fit it in.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Saturday, March 10 - Herbal Market and Lucy's
Today, we visited the traditional Cantonese herbal market and pet street. It hasn't changed much since our last visit. Lots of items in bulk - pet food, fish, cats, dogs, aquarium supplies plus crazy herbs like snake skin, beef tendons, and sponge. Some how, we missed the "food" street as I lovingly refer to it - the wonderful place where you could get your live or nearly live daily meat. I didn't get to see the hanging raw meat out in the elements. Hmmmm...disappointed or not? I'm on the fence.
We had paperwork this afternoon. I got to spend a lovely hour filling out our last round of paperwork for the US Consulate. Our appointments are next week. We had 5 more Great Wall families join us as they just got in from other provinces. At least 2 are from the St. Louis / Columbia, MO area, and 1 is from Arkansas. We had our own little mid-west reunion going on. The breakfast area this morning was a bit crazy between our agency and Holt (another agency that's utilizing the same hotel). I feel bad for all the business people who happen to wander in to the middle of all these families. The hotel does a good job of trying to keep us segregated. All the crying babies and high chairs all in one section of the room. Of-course, that means I have to walk that much further to get to the "egg-man" who wasn't ready for me today. Actually had to wait for my over-medium eggs.
This evening, our "team" as Andrew has lovingly deemed us (the 4 families from Guangdong province) went out to dinner together at Lucy's on Shamain Island. Yum! I had a grilled cheese and fries. John thought I was crazy until I pointed out that Rebecca ordered the exact same thing! Thank you Rebecca for not making me look crazy! Although, I did steal a corner off of his steak when it arrived.
Well, it is now 11:35pm, and I have a 6:30am wake up call. I should be wrapping up all this blogging! We're off to the Chen Family temple and the government store for shopping in the morning with all 9 families. Monday, several of us are heading to the safari park - yippee! Hopefully, I'll get to check back in tomorrow night if I can kick my boys off of my machine!!
We had paperwork this afternoon. I got to spend a lovely hour filling out our last round of paperwork for the US Consulate. Our appointments are next week. We had 5 more Great Wall families join us as they just got in from other provinces. At least 2 are from the St. Louis / Columbia, MO area, and 1 is from Arkansas. We had our own little mid-west reunion going on. The breakfast area this morning was a bit crazy between our agency and Holt (another agency that's utilizing the same hotel). I feel bad for all the business people who happen to wander in to the middle of all these families. The hotel does a good job of trying to keep us segregated. All the crying babies and high chairs all in one section of the room. Of-course, that means I have to walk that much further to get to the "egg-man" who wasn't ready for me today. Actually had to wait for my over-medium eggs.
This evening, our "team" as Andrew has lovingly deemed us (the 4 families from Guangdong province) went out to dinner together at Lucy's on Shamain Island. Yum! I had a grilled cheese and fries. John thought I was crazy until I pointed out that Rebecca ordered the exact same thing! Thank you Rebecca for not making me look crazy! Although, I did steal a corner off of his steak when it arrived.
Well, it is now 11:35pm, and I have a 6:30am wake up call. I should be wrapping up all this blogging! We're off to the Chen Family temple and the government store for shopping in the morning with all 9 families. Monday, several of us are heading to the safari park - yippee! Hopefully, I'll get to check back in tomorrow night if I can kick my boys off of my machine!!
Friday, March 9th - Visit to Shenzhen & meeting foster family
We visited Shenzhen in the afternoon. We left around noon or shortly after, and it was a 2 hr drive. I think it’s probably only about 90 miles away, but traffic in both cities is very bad. There is a city in between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and it felt like we never actually left the city. Businesses and apartments along the entire route. Some nicer than others, but you see that in the US! Shenzhen is a very young city in that as early as 1980, it was still a very small fishing village. In the early 80’s, the Chinese government recognized the benefits of its location and granted tax leniency to businesses who established themselves there. Foxcom is located in Shenzhen – the large factory many people have heard of recently because of the Apple products that are made there. Many electronics that are made in China are produced in the Guangdong province like Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Because of this rapid expansion – fishing village of only a 100-200,000 people to 9 million people in less than 30 years, the city is very diverse and has a young population. Many families migrated there for work including Jack’s foster parents. His dad arrived there first in the early 80’s, and his family joined him later. Our guide said the language is very diverse, and she doesn’t like the “young” feel of the city. She and her husband live there for his current employer (doing research on how to make the drinking water safe without changing all of the old piping in the cities), and she said she has difficulty talking to her neighbors due to the many different dialects. She misses her relatives and home in Beijing.
Our visit started with the foster family. They made us all kinds of food and had gifts for our whole family. They welcomed all of us very openly – 3 of us, our guide, and an employee from the orphanage, Ms. Wu. I really can’t put in to words what the visit meant without crying. To know that Jack had been there since he was 18 months old except for a period of time when he had back surgery. His mama didn’t like him being in the orphanage during the recovery so she went and got him out and took him home to care for him. All I could think about his how I would feel if I was in her shoes, and my heart was breaking right along with hers. I promised her we would keep in touch and send her photos and emails frequently, and we would return in 2-3 years for a visit. I would visit more, but it’s not financially realistic. Leaving the family home was very emotional, and John had to carry Jack out. All of us were crying, and there are very few times I’ve seen my husband cry.
I inquired with our guide about whether or not the foster families can adopt, but she said they must apply just like us and have similar requirements for age, salaries, etc… We met two other foster moms while we were there. The one who lived right below Jack was NanRae’s mom. I have to find this little girl when we return home. I know she lives in Chicago with the Harpers, and I have her phone number. She and Jack were very good friends, and I have a gift from her foster mom.
At the school, we got to meet Jack’s class and teacher. We were able to observe a flag ceremony and see drawings on their chalkboard that Jack drew. He was apparently the teacher’s assistant and very good at art! Leaving there wasn’t as rough as the foster family, but you could clearly see that Jack was sad.
The orphanage was about what I expected, but it still made me sad. I want to think that every child has lots of toys and space, etc…. Overall, it seemed clean, and the children seemed to be well taken care of. We got to see the 3-6 year old and 1-3 year old rooms. Children everywhere excited to see you. We got to the 1-3 year room just as the babies were getting their afternoon conge snack. One little boy was following me around and trying to get my attention. He apparently has a very serious heart condition and has to go to the doctor every month or he will die. His fingertips were turning blue and his lips were ashen. John thinks he may have a circulation / oxygenation problem. There was also a cute little girl in that room who has been matched for a domestic adoption. John told me when he joined me in the room that there was a young girl in the 3-6 room calling him baba. I think they all do that, but he really liked her. We had to leave quickly after I learned about that. I’m not sure I can handle 5 kiddos, but if we could have, we probably would have scooped up 2 or 3 and walked out with them.
We got to meet Spring and Michael – Jack’s foster brother and his wife. Their son, Marcus, stays with grandma and grandpa during the day so we got to meet him earlier. Spring and I have been talking since October which has been a wonderful way for us to get to know Jack! Technology is a wonderful tool!!
Overall, I would rate our trip as very emotional but successful! I would have forever regretted not seeing and meeting everyone. I think it was also good for Jack to get to say good bye with us present. Grieving is a natural step in this process and hopefully allows him to move one step closer to us as parents which I know will take time.
Our visit started with the foster family. They made us all kinds of food and had gifts for our whole family. They welcomed all of us very openly – 3 of us, our guide, and an employee from the orphanage, Ms. Wu. I really can’t put in to words what the visit meant without crying. To know that Jack had been there since he was 18 months old except for a period of time when he had back surgery. His mama didn’t like him being in the orphanage during the recovery so she went and got him out and took him home to care for him. All I could think about his how I would feel if I was in her shoes, and my heart was breaking right along with hers. I promised her we would keep in touch and send her photos and emails frequently, and we would return in 2-3 years for a visit. I would visit more, but it’s not financially realistic. Leaving the family home was very emotional, and John had to carry Jack out. All of us were crying, and there are very few times I’ve seen my husband cry.
I inquired with our guide about whether or not the foster families can adopt, but she said they must apply just like us and have similar requirements for age, salaries, etc… We met two other foster moms while we were there. The one who lived right below Jack was NanRae’s mom. I have to find this little girl when we return home. I know she lives in Chicago with the Harpers, and I have her phone number. She and Jack were very good friends, and I have a gift from her foster mom.
At the school, we got to meet Jack’s class and teacher. We were able to observe a flag ceremony and see drawings on their chalkboard that Jack drew. He was apparently the teacher’s assistant and very good at art! Leaving there wasn’t as rough as the foster family, but you could clearly see that Jack was sad.
The orphanage was about what I expected, but it still made me sad. I want to think that every child has lots of toys and space, etc…. Overall, it seemed clean, and the children seemed to be well taken care of. We got to see the 3-6 year old and 1-3 year old rooms. Children everywhere excited to see you. We got to the 1-3 year room just as the babies were getting their afternoon conge snack. One little boy was following me around and trying to get my attention. He apparently has a very serious heart condition and has to go to the doctor every month or he will die. His fingertips were turning blue and his lips were ashen. John thinks he may have a circulation / oxygenation problem. There was also a cute little girl in that room who has been matched for a domestic adoption. John told me when he joined me in the room that there was a young girl in the 3-6 room calling him baba. I think they all do that, but he really liked her. We had to leave quickly after I learned about that. I’m not sure I can handle 5 kiddos, but if we could have, we probably would have scooped up 2 or 3 and walked out with them.
We got to meet Spring and Michael – Jack’s foster brother and his wife. Their son, Marcus, stays with grandma and grandpa during the day so we got to meet him earlier. Spring and I have been talking since October which has been a wonderful way for us to get to know Jack! Technology is a wonderful tool!!
Overall, I would rate our trip as very emotional but successful! I would have forever regretted not seeing and meeting everyone. I think it was also good for Jack to get to say good bye with us present. Grieving is a natural step in this process and hopefully allows him to move one step closer to us as parents which I know will take time.
Shenzhen Visit to foster family, school, and orphanage
I can't get alot of pictures loaded on here all at once so be sure to check out Facebook!! I can get my entire daily album loaded there in a few short minutes. 
Friday, March 9 - Morning - Buddhist Temple
We spent the first part of the morning at the Six Banyan Temple which is a Buddhist temple. It was a very interesting experience. Veronica explained to us the different religions that are practiced in China and that Buddism is the largest group but only about 8% of the population practices. Christianity is one of the religions practiced here along with Muslim and Daoism. The children were blessed by the monk to have a long and prosperous life. As we walked, we received the high level overview of Buddhism, and I found it interesting in that overall, it doesn't differ much from the basic concept of Christianity and Judaism in that they believe in a god, a heaven, and a hell. They believe that you will be punished for your wrong doings, and while in Christianity you are completely forgiven of your sins and your slate can be wiped clean, the Buddist believe you can be forgiven, but you still have a record of your wrong doings so when you die, those transgressions still impact whether you go to heaven or hell. They also believe in reincarnation so if you have wrong doings, you could come back as an animal.
Daoism does not believe in a god, but it focuses on nature. The Feng Shui concept stems from Daoism.
The laughing budda greated us at the enterance. He was actually a skinny man in real life, but history remembers him with a large stomach to capture all of the good in life. The blessing temple had 3 buddas. You could pray in front of the one you wanted. They represent past, present, and future.
Daoism does not believe in a god, but it focuses on nature. The Feng Shui concept stems from Daoism.
The laughing budda greated us at the enterance. He was actually a skinny man in real life, but history remembers him with a large stomach to capture all of the good in life. The blessing temple had 3 buddas. You could pray in front of the one you wanted. They represent past, present, and future.
Thursday, March 8, 2012 Medical Day
I am falling behind on my blogging. So much going on every day, and I'm having to compete for computer time between John and Jack! Tonight (Saturday), John was complaining that I was falling behind yet he'd been on the computer since we had got back to our room. :)
Thursday morning was a big day for all the kiddos as we had to spend the morning getting their medical exams. ENT, eye test, doctor exam, and TB test. Jack was VERY shy about anyone looking at his back. He had John and I both stand behind a curtain. I think we're going to have to change our doctor appt from Dr. Toohill to one of the male doctors in her practice since he's so shy about females in general right now. TB test came back negative today - YEAH! No shots at the exam which was great! We have to sign an affadavit that we'll get them done when we're home. I like this plan much better!
We tried out Cafe Veranda at the hotel and had nice big juicy Marriott burgers. They were really good, but really expensive. $15 just for our 2 bottled waters and a juice. UGH!!!
We were going to go to the park that afternoon, but it was rainy and cold so we chose to hang out in the hotel room instead. It was nice to just chill. Dinner was out at a local restaurant. John and Patrick join us for most dinners. It's nice to have the company. Poor Rebecca and Keith have been seriously under the weather. Katja and Vesa are starting to get this parenting figured out. They were the only family on our trip who are first time parents, and their little one had a few rough days at first. He's finally sleeping good so mom and dad are having some good days!
Thursday morning was a big day for all the kiddos as we had to spend the morning getting their medical exams. ENT, eye test, doctor exam, and TB test. Jack was VERY shy about anyone looking at his back. He had John and I both stand behind a curtain. I think we're going to have to change our doctor appt from Dr. Toohill to one of the male doctors in her practice since he's so shy about females in general right now. TB test came back negative today - YEAH! No shots at the exam which was great! We have to sign an affadavit that we'll get them done when we're home. I like this plan much better!
We tried out Cafe Veranda at the hotel and had nice big juicy Marriott burgers. They were really good, but really expensive. $15 just for our 2 bottled waters and a juice. UGH!!!
We were going to go to the park that afternoon, but it was rainy and cold so we chose to hang out in the hotel room instead. It was nice to just chill. Dinner was out at a local restaurant. John and Patrick join us for most dinners. It's nice to have the company. Poor Rebecca and Keith have been seriously under the weather. Katja and Vesa are starting to get this parenting figured out. They were the only family on our trip who are first time parents, and their little one had a few rough days at first. He's finally sleeping good so mom and dad are having some good days!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
3/7/2012 Wednesday - shopping day
A "down" day today. We started the day w/ a trip to Carfour (French version of Wal-Mart). Got Jack and Judah some small history books and some "essentials" like Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and a case of water. We also picked up some treats for our orphanage visit.
Our second stop was to Shamain Island to get Visa photos done. We had a group lunch and a very small amount of shopping. The babies in the group were getting tired. Very sad to see the White Swan - it looked in such bad condition because it's boarded up and getting a complete overhaul. Island life looks like it's still good - a couple of schools I don't remember seeing before. Not quite as many shops as before, but there are still several there. We will be making a trip back for shopping and to eat at Lucy's. Our biggest issue is finding transportation back to the hotel, but we'll get it figured out. :)
We were adventurous for dinner and went downstairs to Food Street. :) At least it has an English menu!! I'm not brave enough to order off of pictures. We ended up with chicken and mushrooms in a clay pot and a shrimp, scallops, and crab roe (egg) fried rice. All very good. We could have ordered fish intestines if we had wanted to. I don't think that will be ordered - EVER.
Hung out in the room in the evening to "relax". I don't think Jack has a "relax" bone in his body! We fired up Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I relaxed, Jack enjoyed the explosions. I got covered up w/ lots of pillows - twice. Good to know I'm good for something. :)
Our second stop was to Shamain Island to get Visa photos done. We had a group lunch and a very small amount of shopping. The babies in the group were getting tired. Very sad to see the White Swan - it looked in such bad condition because it's boarded up and getting a complete overhaul. Island life looks like it's still good - a couple of schools I don't remember seeing before. Not quite as many shops as before, but there are still several there. We will be making a trip back for shopping and to eat at Lucy's. Our biggest issue is finding transportation back to the hotel, but we'll get it figured out. :)
We were adventurous for dinner and went downstairs to Food Street. :) At least it has an English menu!! I'm not brave enough to order off of pictures. We ended up with chicken and mushrooms in a clay pot and a shrimp, scallops, and crab roe (egg) fried rice. All very good. We could have ordered fish intestines if we had wanted to. I don't think that will be ordered - EVER.
Hung out in the room in the evening to "relax". I don't think Jack has a "relax" bone in his body! We fired up Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I relaxed, Jack enjoyed the explosions. I got covered up w/ lots of pillows - twice. Good to know I'm good for something. :)
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
3/6/2012 - Adoption Day
March 6, 2012 is our official adoption day! We spent the morning teaching Jack how to play Uno and then went to the Civil Affairs office for paperwork and interviews. He was great at all the waiting in the am. Played Uno, tossed the hacky sacks w/ mom and dad and other kids, and liked wrestling w/ dad. As always, dad is the human jungle gym! He's really taken a liking to Benjamin, Yi He Xi, who is almost 18mn. He'll play with him, offer him toys, etc...
For lunch, we went to McDonalds. We gave Jack the choice of traditional Chinese food or McDonalds. He likes Chicken McNuggets and fries and lots and lots of ketchup! We hung out in the hotel playing a few games after lunch while waiting to go to the police station for passport photos and final adoption papers. We toured the hotel and found a lovely courtyard on the 4th floor with a tennis court/basketball court, small playground, water feature, and lots of room to run around in!! We will be going back!
The police station was BORING per Jack. He asked if we could leave within 5 minutes of getting there. Typicall kid. Can't blame him - it was pretty boring. He and Andrew played catch for awhile so that helped!
Veronica helped us load a program on the computer so Jack can type in Mandarin, and she informed a very disappointed Jack that it appears his QQ account has been hacked (like our US Facebook). She said it showed someone else logged in to it already. Going to see if I can move him over to Facebook. Arwen is going to be trying the same thing with Judah so maybe if we work in conjuction together we can make it work and help the boys not feel too disconnected from their Chinese world yet give me so peace of mind on who's on their accounts.
We went out for a traditional Chinese dinner with Veronica, Patrick, John, and Benjamin. It turns out that one of the restaurants we ate at on our last trip is very close to the hotel. Veronica ordered us some wonderful dumplings, fried rice, fried bananas, sweet and sour pork, and some peanut, cumcumber, carrot, chicken dish that was heavenly! I asked her to please write it down so we can go back! Found out that Jack likes coconut milk. Will have to see if we can find that at home at one of the asian markets.
Skyped home for the 2nd time right before bed. It seems like the only time we can catch everyone because we're typically heading out before everyone is home and settled in for the night! Everyone seems to be in pretty good spirits and still alive! Trying to gather them all up in front of the computer at the same time is a bit challenging!! Brothers are constantly picking on their siblings!! And in last night's case, Tash poked Victoria from behind to which Victoria turned around and hit Carter...well, he may not have deserved it this time, but he's earned it plenty of other times! Plus, he was doing plenty of poking on Addie!
For lunch, we went to McDonalds. We gave Jack the choice of traditional Chinese food or McDonalds. He likes Chicken McNuggets and fries and lots and lots of ketchup! We hung out in the hotel playing a few games after lunch while waiting to go to the police station for passport photos and final adoption papers. We toured the hotel and found a lovely courtyard on the 4th floor with a tennis court/basketball court, small playground, water feature, and lots of room to run around in!! We will be going back!
The police station was BORING per Jack. He asked if we could leave within 5 minutes of getting there. Typicall kid. Can't blame him - it was pretty boring. He and Andrew played catch for awhile so that helped!
Veronica helped us load a program on the computer so Jack can type in Mandarin, and she informed a very disappointed Jack that it appears his QQ account has been hacked (like our US Facebook). She said it showed someone else logged in to it already. Going to see if I can move him over to Facebook. Arwen is going to be trying the same thing with Judah so maybe if we work in conjuction together we can make it work and help the boys not feel too disconnected from their Chinese world yet give me so peace of mind on who's on their accounts.
We went out for a traditional Chinese dinner with Veronica, Patrick, John, and Benjamin. It turns out that one of the restaurants we ate at on our last trip is very close to the hotel. Veronica ordered us some wonderful dumplings, fried rice, fried bananas, sweet and sour pork, and some peanut, cumcumber, carrot, chicken dish that was heavenly! I asked her to please write it down so we can go back! Found out that Jack likes coconut milk. Will have to see if we can find that at home at one of the asian markets.
Skyped home for the 2nd time right before bed. It seems like the only time we can catch everyone because we're typically heading out before everyone is home and settled in for the night! Everyone seems to be in pretty good spirits and still alive! Trying to gather them all up in front of the computer at the same time is a bit challenging!! Brothers are constantly picking on their siblings!! And in last night's case, Tash poked Victoria from behind to which Victoria turned around and hit Carter...well, he may not have deserved it this time, but he's earned it plenty of other times! Plus, he was doing plenty of poking on Addie!
Monday, March 5, 2012
3/6/12 Gotcha Day
What a wonderful Gotcha Day! When we arrived at the Civil Affairs office, it was around 2:30pm, and the place was a mad house! Families everywhere. There were at least 2 other adoption agencies there at the same time, and they each had several families. There was a room in the back of the main greeting area where the children were all waiting. Jack recognized us right away and was waving and blowing kisses at us. They had to keep directing him away from the door and then finally they brought him out to meet us.
He came out carrying several bags. One was the backpack we sent him in a care package that contained all of the care package items,and it had his flute attached to it. It also has 3 cameras that I need to get developed, the photo album we sent with additional pictures from his foster family, and a USB flash drive w/ pictures from a dress up day at school. Another bag had a pair of shoes and a new outfit from the orphanage. Unfortunately, upon inspection in the hotel, the outfit is way too small so I gave it to Jennifer who adopted a 3 yr old from the same orphanage. The shoes fit though which was great! The 3rd bag is a gift for NanRae from her foster family. She is one of Jack's friends who lives in Chicago. I will need to call her mom when I get home to mail it to her.
We keep asking if we can see Jack's foster family when we visit Shenzhen on Friday. Thus far, the response had been pretty bleak as it doesn't sound like the government encourages reunions because it may be too hard on the children. BUT, the social worker at the orphanage told me that the foster family is looking forward to meeting us and that they have gifts for us. She said she would contact them and help make arrangements. YIPPEE!!! Now, we just wait until Friday and make it all happen!
We bought Jack an IPod Touch before we left. Great debate over that or a DS, but the IPod won out due to more versatility. GREAT purchase. John downloaded a translation app and loaded it on both of our phones and his IPod. He can write in Chinese, and we can write in English. It hasn't been perfect, but it sure has been helpful!
Two medical "concerns" we will need to watch for while here - car sickness and eating cold foods. Car sickness makes some sense as we had read about it previously since they don't spend a lot of time in cars. I found a ginger root in his back pack and asked him what it was for. Our guide helped w/ the translation on this one. I was able to get as far as it is to help his stomach, but couldn't get the why. Apparently, his foster mom gave it to him to chew on (but not eat) to help calm his stomach. Eating and drinking cold foods apparently causes him indigestion. Going along w/ it while we're here, but that one's getting addressed by Dr. T when we get home. Our guide told us the same thing w/ Addie - that she probably won't like cold foods and drinks, but she quickly adapted. Jack seems to be more adamant about not even trying a sip of cold water and given that he was in the hospital a few years ago w/ stomach issues, we'll go along w/ it until we can confirm why and work on getting it properly addressed.
We received a small package of information from the orphanage w/ a few more pictures and medical updates. They also gave us a flash drive with pictures of group activities from the orphanage and him hanging out with some friends. They apparently put eye shadow on the boys who are dancing or participating in the programs. I will have to keep those pictures away from Carter because oh what fun he would have teasing him about that. Will have to have a chat about stage makeup and cultural differences because even I had a pretty good chuckle when I saw the pictures!
We also received a few notes about school. He is in grade 3 here. Not sure what that translates to in US schools. He does well in school, but a note from his teachers say they wish he'd be more focused. Seems like I may have a "class clown" on my hands. He has a very fun personality but what wonderful conversations those will be. I need him to be my focused child. :)
He came out carrying several bags. One was the backpack we sent him in a care package that contained all of the care package items,and it had his flute attached to it. It also has 3 cameras that I need to get developed, the photo album we sent with additional pictures from his foster family, and a USB flash drive w/ pictures from a dress up day at school. Another bag had a pair of shoes and a new outfit from the orphanage. Unfortunately, upon inspection in the hotel, the outfit is way too small so I gave it to Jennifer who adopted a 3 yr old from the same orphanage. The shoes fit though which was great! The 3rd bag is a gift for NanRae from her foster family. She is one of Jack's friends who lives in Chicago. I will need to call her mom when I get home to mail it to her.
We keep asking if we can see Jack's foster family when we visit Shenzhen on Friday. Thus far, the response had been pretty bleak as it doesn't sound like the government encourages reunions because it may be too hard on the children. BUT, the social worker at the orphanage told me that the foster family is looking forward to meeting us and that they have gifts for us. She said she would contact them and help make arrangements. YIPPEE!!! Now, we just wait until Friday and make it all happen!
We bought Jack an IPod Touch before we left. Great debate over that or a DS, but the IPod won out due to more versatility. GREAT purchase. John downloaded a translation app and loaded it on both of our phones and his IPod. He can write in Chinese, and we can write in English. It hasn't been perfect, but it sure has been helpful!
Two medical "concerns" we will need to watch for while here - car sickness and eating cold foods. Car sickness makes some sense as we had read about it previously since they don't spend a lot of time in cars. I found a ginger root in his back pack and asked him what it was for. Our guide helped w/ the translation on this one. I was able to get as far as it is to help his stomach, but couldn't get the why. Apparently, his foster mom gave it to him to chew on (but not eat) to help calm his stomach. Eating and drinking cold foods apparently causes him indigestion. Going along w/ it while we're here, but that one's getting addressed by Dr. T when we get home. Our guide told us the same thing w/ Addie - that she probably won't like cold foods and drinks, but she quickly adapted. Jack seems to be more adamant about not even trying a sip of cold water and given that he was in the hospital a few years ago w/ stomach issues, we'll go along w/ it until we can confirm why and work on getting it properly addressed.
We received a small package of information from the orphanage w/ a few more pictures and medical updates. They also gave us a flash drive with pictures of group activities from the orphanage and him hanging out with some friends. They apparently put eye shadow on the boys who are dancing or participating in the programs. I will have to keep those pictures away from Carter because oh what fun he would have teasing him about that. Will have to have a chat about stage makeup and cultural differences because even I had a pretty good chuckle when I saw the pictures!
We also received a few notes about school. He is in grade 3 here. Not sure what that translates to in US schools. He does well in school, but a note from his teachers say they wish he'd be more focused. Seems like I may have a "class clown" on my hands. He has a very fun personality but what wonderful conversations those will be. I need him to be my focused child. :)
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Monday morning
So, Gotcha Day is here. Unfortunately, we don't actually get Jack until around 4pm. UGH! Meeting our guide around 12pm to go to the bank and get a short walking tour around the hotel. We're in a completely different part of the city than we were before. Shaiman Island is about 20 minutes away. The White Swan is under renovation. Veronica (our guide) said they expect it to open next year, but don't expect them to accept as many adoptive families. They're apparently making the rooms larger and going to try to appeal to more dignitaries. Now that the US Consulate is no longer there, I guess it makes sense. The place for Jack's medical exams has moved too. Veronica thought we should be able to go back to the island at least once for a visit. Many of the shops that were there have closed, but Lucy's is still open. I REALLY liked eating there last time. Lots of western food at good prices.
We're in a much noisier section of the city. They sure like their horns here!! Forgot about that until we were waiting on the car at the airport. Looking forward to getting outside. There's a park across the street. Might be frequent visitors throughout our trip! A 24 hr McDonald's is next door too, and I saw a Starbucks sign. Hmmm....
Housekeeping set up a crib in our room by mistake. Hope they remove it today. Jack might get a little offended. :) The Marriott that we're in is pretty nice. Huge buffet for breakfast, but thank goodness it's included - $50 for breakfast for 2. Ouch! Not sure what the hotel lunch prices will be. Hopefully less expensive, or we will have to find other options. Can you tell where my brain is right now - money and food!
Looking forward to trying to find good bargins on clothes - particularly shoes. Jack needs some, and I would love to find some cute flats. Until the docs figure out what's wrong w/ my foot, that's all I can wear, and my selection is limited. May need an extra suitcase just for momma's shopping!
Loving the Marriott rewards card - free wifi!! John's got us set up w/ the VPN to home for updating the blog and facebook. Wonder if we'll have a free night or two by the time we're all done? Not sure what 12 nights gets you. Got to finally talk to the kids last night via Skype which was cool! We're hoping to visit w/ them again tonight (their Monday morning) after we get Jack.
Well, I should be going. Gonna go check out the hotel and meet up w/ our guide.
We're in a much noisier section of the city. They sure like their horns here!! Forgot about that until we were waiting on the car at the airport. Looking forward to getting outside. There's a park across the street. Might be frequent visitors throughout our trip! A 24 hr McDonald's is next door too, and I saw a Starbucks sign. Hmmm....
Housekeeping set up a crib in our room by mistake. Hope they remove it today. Jack might get a little offended. :) The Marriott that we're in is pretty nice. Huge buffet for breakfast, but thank goodness it's included - $50 for breakfast for 2. Ouch! Not sure what the hotel lunch prices will be. Hopefully less expensive, or we will have to find other options. Can you tell where my brain is right now - money and food!
Looking forward to trying to find good bargins on clothes - particularly shoes. Jack needs some, and I would love to find some cute flats. Until the docs figure out what's wrong w/ my foot, that's all I can wear, and my selection is limited. May need an extra suitcase just for momma's shopping!
Loving the Marriott rewards card - free wifi!! John's got us set up w/ the VPN to home for updating the blog and facebook. Wonder if we'll have a free night or two by the time we're all done? Not sure what 12 nights gets you. Got to finally talk to the kids last night via Skype which was cool! We're hoping to visit w/ them again tonight (their Monday morning) after we get Jack.
Well, I should be going. Gonna go check out the hotel and meet up w/ our guide.
2 more comments - Hong Kong and travel
As I was loading pictures to Facebook, I remembered two stories I need to write down so we don't forget them. 1 - rootbeer on plane = bad idea; 2 - keep an eye on John when he's ordering food.
1. So in my great wisdom, we bought drinks before boarding the plane in Detroit. It's going to be a long flight so we want to make sure we are fully refreshed - right? Got on board and decided I wanted some refreshing rootbeer. Had no idea how jostled around it had gotten in the back pack while boarding. Oops! Yep, you guessed right - root beer in my lap... Luckily, it wasn't a large quanity, and I had the in-flight pillow handy. It soaked most of it up. I was able to get to the bathroom to clean up my hands. REALLY happy I had on black yoga pants and not jeans. How embarrassing would that have been?
2. Gonna have to keep my eye on John when he's ordering food - even at McDonalds. For lunch, we slipped in to a McDonalds (yes, we know - "what? You're in China and going to McDonalds? You don't even like to eat there in the US."). We were short on time and wanted something fast. I went the safe route and ordered chicken mcnuggets. I could make those out pretty well. When I look at a picture of a hamburger and go "what's that on it?" I tend to steer clear of it. As the case of the #4 CBG, EGP, or whatever the 3 letter combo was (we're arguing over it now & can't find it on their website- should have taken a picture). I even pointed out - "what is that?" to which John replied - "when in Hong Kong, you should try something new." However, he didn't actually see that the #4 was some mystery meat and ordered it. He thought he was ordering a spicy chicken sandwich. Apparently, he needs glasses so he can read the menu. Thus, he ended up w/ mystery meat. The whole time he was ordering, I just kept looking at him and asking...."are you sure?" It wasn't until we were seated that he understood my confusion and said - "where's my spicy chicken sandwich?" So our lunch conversation completely revolved around said mystery meat - which he ate and said wasn't too bad. Come to find out - Thank you to McDonalds for printing their boxes in English - it was a grilled chicken thigh.
1. So in my great wisdom, we bought drinks before boarding the plane in Detroit. It's going to be a long flight so we want to make sure we are fully refreshed - right? Got on board and decided I wanted some refreshing rootbeer. Had no idea how jostled around it had gotten in the back pack while boarding. Oops! Yep, you guessed right - root beer in my lap... Luckily, it wasn't a large quanity, and I had the in-flight pillow handy. It soaked most of it up. I was able to get to the bathroom to clean up my hands. REALLY happy I had on black yoga pants and not jeans. How embarrassing would that have been?
2. Gonna have to keep my eye on John when he's ordering food - even at McDonalds. For lunch, we slipped in to a McDonalds (yes, we know - "what? You're in China and going to McDonalds? You don't even like to eat there in the US."). We were short on time and wanted something fast. I went the safe route and ordered chicken mcnuggets. I could make those out pretty well. When I look at a picture of a hamburger and go "what's that on it?" I tend to steer clear of it. As the case of the #4 CBG, EGP, or whatever the 3 letter combo was (we're arguing over it now & can't find it on their website- should have taken a picture). I even pointed out - "what is that?" to which John replied - "when in Hong Kong, you should try something new." However, he didn't actually see that the #4 was some mystery meat and ordered it. He thought he was ordering a spicy chicken sandwich. Apparently, he needs glasses so he can read the menu. Thus, he ended up w/ mystery meat. The whole time he was ordering, I just kept looking at him and asking...."are you sure?" It wasn't until we were seated that he understood my confusion and said - "where's my spicy chicken sandwich?" So our lunch conversation completely revolved around said mystery meat - which he ate and said wasn't too bad. Come to find out - Thank you to McDonalds for printing their boxes in English - it was a grilled chicken thigh.
3/4/12 Hong Kong
John and I decided to make the most of our trip and site see in Hong Kong on day 1. It's not often that you get to travel to a foreign city so who wants to sit in the hotel all day. Our travel agency recommended that we use the Airport Express Train to go to the city, and it was a GREAT recommendation. Straight forward directions, continual rotation of trains, fast commute... Once we got to the station, we had no idea where to go. I really wanted to go to the Peak Tram that goes up to Victoria Peak, but it was so foggy that you couldn't see the Peak to be able to walk by site to the tram station. We used a taxi to go the short ride. When we go there, we were hit up by a vendor recommending a Big City Bus Tour. At first, we were going to blow him off, but after listening to him, we liked what we heard. The fair included 4 different routes, 2 Star Ferry passings, and the Peak Tram. He also recommended that we start on the bus and come back in the afternoon for the tram since it was so foggy. His recommendation agreed w/ what I had read in the travel guides. We'd be able to go up, but we'd only see clouds once we were there.
So, we set out to see the city via the upper deck of an open aired bus. It was a great choice. The audio kept us informed of what we were seeing. I was able to get good pictures, and we were able to get a better feel for the downtown Central district so that when we did get off the bus, we were able to make our way back to the train station on foot.
Hong Kong, along with other cities in China, is quite a mix of old and new. You'll see a large modern sky scraper next to a smaller, run down apartment building. You have a beautiful harbor with cruise ships docking yet there's container unloading and land reclaimation equipment everywhere which truly impairs the wonderful views that could be there.
We learned about the common weekend practice of people gathering for picnics which helped to explain why there were so many people just sitting and hanging out on blankets on the sidewalks. The bus tour stumbled beside a parade / festival. The participants were just as interested in us as we were of them. Joint picture taking was going on. John thinks it was an Insect Festival that he had read about, but we're not 100% sure. We saw the tallest building in Hong Kong, but I wasn't able to get my camera pointed up in time. I did get a couple of pictures of other tall buildings that were built around it though. Unfortunately, I didn't get my tram ride in. :( By the time we did all of our bus touring and lunch, we were out of time and had to get back to the hotel and airport. Catching the plane out was much more important that seeing the peak.
So, we set out to see the city via the upper deck of an open aired bus. It was a great choice. The audio kept us informed of what we were seeing. I was able to get good pictures, and we were able to get a better feel for the downtown Central district so that when we did get off the bus, we were able to make our way back to the train station on foot.
Hong Kong, along with other cities in China, is quite a mix of old and new. You'll see a large modern sky scraper next to a smaller, run down apartment building. You have a beautiful harbor with cruise ships docking yet there's container unloading and land reclaimation equipment everywhere which truly impairs the wonderful views that could be there.
We learned about the common weekend practice of people gathering for picnics which helped to explain why there were so many people just sitting and hanging out on blankets on the sidewalks. The bus tour stumbled beside a parade / festival. The participants were just as interested in us as we were of them. Joint picture taking was going on. John thinks it was an Insect Festival that he had read about, but we're not 100% sure. We saw the tallest building in Hong Kong, but I wasn't able to get my camera pointed up in time. I did get a couple of pictures of other tall buildings that were built around it though. Unfortunately, I didn't get my tram ride in. :( By the time we did all of our bus touring and lunch, we were out of time and had to get back to the hotel and airport. Catching the plane out was much more important that seeing the peak.
Travel 3/2-3/3/12
I had truly forgotten how long the flights to China are. Ouch! 3 hrs in to the flight to Tokyo, I was looking at my watch and asking "how much longer?" Only 10 1/2 more hrs to Tokyo - Ugh! The aisle seat is truly the favored seat. I almost had one. We were 4 wide w/ John and I in the middle and the seat beside me still didn't have anyone in it when at the last minute, the attendant moved a Sky priority member to it because he didn't like who he was sitting by. I checked those seats last week, and it was shown as reserved - ARGGGGG!!!! We apparently had a slightly older plane because while we had movies, there was only 1 big screen in our cabin and it was 7 rows in front of me. Short people can't see over the seats in front of them that well. I needed a phone book! :) My saving grace was the book I brought. Finally dug it out and got sucked up in it and read for about 7 hrs. Took a couple of short naps when my eyes started to burn. The guy beside me turned out to be okay. He was quite the talker, but after dinner, he finally fell asleep. We got the whole standing up to go to the bathroom routine worked out and timed to about every 3 hrs.
Tokyo was pretty uneventful. Big airport, and that's pretty much all we saw. John and I were pretty tired at this point so we pointed ourselves in the direction of the gate and just stayed there. Getting back on another long flight was not looked upon favorably! Another 4 1/2 hrs in the air. But, I got a nap and finished my book. Hong Kong's airport looked fabulous when we arrived!! Found our luggage and hiked our way to the hotel - luckily, it was attached and easy to find.
Tokyo was pretty uneventful. Big airport, and that's pretty much all we saw. John and I were pretty tired at this point so we pointed ourselves in the direction of the gate and just stayed there. Getting back on another long flight was not looked upon favorably! Another 4 1/2 hrs in the air. But, I got a nap and finished my book. Hong Kong's airport looked fabulous when we arrived!! Found our luggage and hiked our way to the hotel - luckily, it was attached and easy to find.
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