The Consulate

Today was a big day, the last of the bureaucratic requirements. Out of the hotel early to get to the US Consulate for our 8:30 am appointment to apply for JMX's US visa. They see 24 families a day, two appointments of 12 families. We were in the first group today.

This is the one thing that determines when a family can travel. An adoptive family's entire trip is planned around this appointment. The sooner you can get it, the sooner you meet your child. The sooner you meet you child, the sooner you should be able to go home as a family. Did I say this was a big day? This is a big day!

I won't bore you with the details, but things work pretty much like this. Go to consulate, get to the appropriate office with the other families, take oath, have paperwork reviewed by government clerk, and hope everything is in order. And that was pretty much how it went. We were fortunate enough to be called first, so we were finished first. The whole thing, minus waiting for the office to open took about 10 minutes. We were back at the hotel by 9:05 am.

Our guide will pick up the visa and associated documents for us tomorrow and we are off to Hong Kong by van on Tuesday afternoon. Flight back home on Wednesday.

JMX has continued to bond with both of us, and we cannot believe how fortunate we are. She and I spent playing together the past few days, and where before she was previously a bit stand offish, she now smiles and laughs, and even squeals with laughter! And aside from food, the only thing that makes her happier than me, is Kay!! And that is how it should be. Aside from the food part, but we will work on that.











Later in the day we went to a nearby park, where we were almost overcome by fumes. The adults were coughing and gagging, JMX was smiling at the funny sounds we were making. Gotta love the demeanor, but gotta work on the "big picture" view!

Aside from the fumes, the park was nice. Some water features, a few amusement park rides, some sculpture, and of course, the mistranslated warning signs.







"Don't hurt me for your pretty" equals _________?

We had dinner in the hotel steakhouse with two other families, at a big round table in a private room, and swapped stories and reflections about the past couple of weeks and what the future holds. And these people, smart, funny, warm, and determined, who endured six years of unexplained and probably unnecessary delays, who traveled across the world, who shared this experience, each now have a beautiful child and a more complete family. And these families are part of a global community that is defined by the children and what each of these children has experienced. And we are proud to be part of that community, and we look forward to the support structure that comes from that community.

Off to Hong Kong tomorrow!

Location:Renmin North Rd,Guangzhou,China

Together Again

We said goodbye to our Nanchang guide, Helen, and flew from Nanchang to Guangzhou yesterday. After a slight delay due to weather, we had a good flight. JMX was great. She slept through nearly the entire flight and was great when she was awake. She often falls asleep after her bottle, so Kay planned it out to perfection. You can see in the picture below that she is starting to fade just before we pull away from the gate.




I started to feel more comfortable as we approached Guangzhou and we could see the city from above. Maybe it is because we live in a big city, although Nanchang is a big city by US standards. I didn't realize it until we left, but there was something about it that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Not unsafe or anything, just uncomfortable. Maybe it was because we were separated from our group from Beijing, or that our hotel in Nanchang was off the beaten path, or something, but no matter, I was pleased to get to GZ. Big city feel, another step closer to home, back with people we had bonded with. Definitely upbeat!

The hotel in GZ (The China Hotel) is very nice, and the overall mood is so positive! In Nanchang, we were keenly aware of feeling out of place, round eyes with Chinese baby, lots of comments from locals, not speaking the language. The hotel there (The Crowne Plaza) was clearly interested in catering to large groups, which makes sense for a huge place in a non tourist city, but I felt like we were an afterthought. There were probably seven adoptive families in Nanchang.

GZ, and especially the hotel, is full of adoptive families who have united with their children over the past week, sharing stories, comparing notes, sharing experiences, and getting closer to home.

Today, we had the requisite medical exam for Jenny Mei. The families from our agency were driven to Shaiman island where the children had visa pictures taken at a small store (The store sold these very cute Chinese wine bottle covers, the same ones we get in Chinatown in NYC. They look like little Chinese outfits and make a great gift when bringing a bottle of wine to a friend's house. When we asked about the price, they told us "not too much, less than $5." We get them for 99 cents back home.) then we headed over to the clinic. The clinic was jammed full of adoptive parents and their new children, all lined up for this examination process in this sanitary smelling, cold and impersonal place. And yet it is an incredibly hopeful place, filled with these resilient children, incredible parents, a number of whom were on their second third, and fourth or more adoptions. Healthy kids, kids with special needs, younger parents, older parents, no matter. All Chinese children adopted by foreigners, and at least one adoptive parent, make their way through this place.







Jenny Mei has been dripping snot since we got her and we finally got her in front of a doctor. We were told to "give her medicine". After some clarification we understood that she should be on antibiotics. We are now working on proper measuring and hope to get her started in the AM.

Following that we got to walk around the island a bit before heading to Lucy's for lunch. Lucy's sells itself as a western restaurant, but we were not buying that. We all ordered Asian food.





Jenny Mei in the shade.



Dan and Jenny Mei in the Friendship Garden



Shaiman Island



In front of Lucy's.



Street sign.



Spiderman and Harry Potter posters inside Lucy's.



Feeding Jenny Mei.




The three of us.



JMX on a swing.



After lunch we did some shopping in the area, souvenir stuff, before heading back to the hotel to spend some time bonding as well as hanging out with other families.

All in all, a really good day. JMX gets closer to us every day and we cannot believe how lucky we are to have her. She is incredibly happy and resilient, and is never unhappy for long. She is unfazed at most everything, and interacts well with everyone. And we are SO IN LOVE WITH HER!!!! And she seems to like us, too!

More people have told us that she looks like me, and Kay and I both feel that her personality is a great fit for us. We cannot wait to get her home!!


The three of us at the waterfall at the hotel.

Location:Renmin North Rd,Guangzhou,China

Everybody Nanchang Tonight

Thursday was our last full day in Nanchang and with the temperature and humidity both high, we spent most of the daylight hours in our hotel. We left late afternoon for the pedestrian shopping area not too far from here, a department store, some general walking around, dinner, and then a dancing waters show.

We have been frustrated with the food options for lunch and dinner as the hotel buffet is expensive, repetitive, and we are not eating that much, so we were looking forward to getting out to someplace more authentic. And the other restaurants in the hotel also appear overpriced. And since the hotel is off the beaten path, we could not wander the neighborhood and visit a local place. There are none here.

The pedestrian mall area was pretty standard. The big difference, aside from that it is in China, is that in China, the concept of pedestrian appears to mean that cars and trucks are not allowed, but mopeds and bicycles are ok. Makes for a more interesting stroll, as one can imagine.











The streets are very lively with noise from cars, trucks, mopeds, music from stores, hawkers trying to attract shoppers. Our guide took us (I said took us) into an indoor market, which was interesting. Filthy, but interesting. Did not find anything we needed or wanted there.

Everywhere we go JMX gets attention. Some of it people wondering why we have a Chinese baby, but our guide has been handling that. She told us she is getting tired of the question. Obviously, this makes us wonder what people know, what they don't know, and how they feel, both about the Chinese policies that have led to people abandoning their babies, and about all the foreigners that come here to adopt those children, as well as the orphanages themselves. Do people here scrutinize these orphanages and the people who run them, or is the subject taboo? Are the people who run them good hearted public servants, or corrupt bureaucrats, or something in between?

After the market, we went into a department store in search of a sweater for JMX for the plane rides. The combination of poor selection for girls, and everything being too large did not lead to a purchase, but we did enjoy the browse, even if only for the amusing english language Chinese marketing. That's me and JMX below in front of the the world famous "Mr. Dog Family" brand display.




After that it was off to dinner, which was quite tasty. Pictures below. We had pork wrapped in eggplant, Chinese Yams, which I think we know as water chestnuts, buns with radish and hot peppers, and a noodle dish with Chinese cabbage, or bock choy. It was all very good and very cheap. It fed three of us for less than $18.













Another interesting thing about China is you can come across a sidewalk, street, or building that is undergoing repairs, with little or no safety precautions, meaning one can trip and fall quite easily, or be forced into the street to fend for one's self with the mopeds, cars, etc. And while things force pedestrians to be both cautious and creative, the drivers are clearly the most adventurous. And we have had both Chinese guides comment on NYC traffic. We have a great piece of video but it will not upload. Maybe when we get home.

From there we made a stop at a hotel for a diaper change, and then back into the van for a ride to the park for the dancing waters (Think China meets the Bellaggio, or Chinaggio, if you will). We crossed the bridge and got a nice view of Nanchang at night. The bridge lighting changed every few minutes.













We watched the light show, which goes on each night. There were a few thousand people and it seemed like a nice local event, where families could gather on a hot summer night and get some free entertainment. We stayed out past JMX's bedtime, and we were all hot, sweaty, and tired by the time the show ended around 8:30. And this is where I was snapped back to reality as far as she and I, and our bonding.

We crossed the street to meet the van for a ride back to the hotel. I carried JMX, while Kay and Helen, our guide, had the rest of our stuff. As is often the case when I took her from Kay, she was not happy. And when she is not happy, she squirms, and she hits me. I have made it a point to keep my head out of range when she tries to hit me. And when I start to walk around with her, she settles down. Well, it was late, we were all cranky, and as I was carrying her, I gave her a kiss on the head. So she did what she does, and head-butted me in the face. That little head and that short neck, with that gorgeous smile packed a heck of a wallop.

And I realized it had only been about four days since we had met. And this would take more time. Which is what Kay and I had discussed before we came to get her.

The journey continues.

Location:Nanchang, China

Wednesday in Nanchang

Wednesday- People's Park -- a "Central Park" of Nanchang- beautiful, but 98 degree weather prohibits any real enjoyment of it!!




We had a delicious meal at a local dumpling place after our trip to WalMart- yes, Walmart!!




Hey, we needed a stroller! Our guide ordered a big bowl of steamed dumplings for us to share, a mix of vegetable and beef. We also ordered a large bowl of cellophane noodles in a beef broth. A huge hunk of pork sat in the broth- the idea being that you grab the hunk of beef with your hands and gnaw off the meat and suck out the marrow from the bone. Honestly. We watched the man next to us doing just that, but I delicately trimmed some of the meat off the bone with my chopsticks and enjoyed it that way. Not a fan of marrow- don't kill me fellow foodies!

We visited a porcelain shop- Jiangxi Province is known for their pottery. Always interesting to haggle with the locals. I leave it for Dan to do- he's much better at it than me. I'd rather just pay the price listed than bother!!




We returned to the hotel, finished up some paperwork with our guide then plopped JMei in her stroller and headed across the parking lot to the little store. We bought a couple local beers, some chips- cucumber flavored!!- and some frozen fruit bars. JMei clearly liked the grape better than my mango flavored one, but did enjoy the cool treat on her gums!
Dinner back at the hotel was uneventful. We try to introduce a new food or two at each meal. Tonight was watermelon- a hit!! The waiters and other help continue to coo over our sweet girl! She lights up the room with her personality and smile! No one an resist her charm!


Before we knew it, it was time for bottle and bed.
It was a good day in China. A wonderful day!

Quick Update 8-21-2011

I forgot to include a big piece of news the other day...we got Jenny Mei's Chinese passport before we left Nanchang!!! She will hate the picture when she is old enough, because it looks like she was woken up from a nap, and that she stopped crying just long enough to get the picture, which is exactly what happened.

We have our consulate appointment in the AM tomorrow to apply for her visa to get into the US. We are outta here on Tuesday when we head to Hong Kong for a flight out on Wednesday.

JMX had her first experience in a swimming pool today, and that went really well. Various pictures from today are below.



Showing off her bathing suit with Mom!







JMX lounging at poolside.






Jenny Mei and her pasty white Dad.






Fun with Momma!






Après pool.

Location:Renmin North Rd,Guangzhou,China

Getting To Know Each Other

Tuesday in Nanchang. The plan is for us to visit Teng Weng Pavillion in the morning with the afternoon free.

At breakfast in the hotel, where yesterday it was empty and today it was overrun by a conference of some sort with everyone wearing the same red and blue golf shirt, Kay struck up a conversation with a couple we had met the day before who were sitting at the next table. And if you don't believe that this is a small world, this may help prove it. The people are from the town where Kay and I grew up and their 9 year old daughter, also from China, is going to school where Kay went to middle school.

JMXC is a very vocal and communicative girl. Going on at on at length with no prompting. She repeats some of the sounds quite often. Some of it seems to be basic speech development, lots of "da" and "dada", "la" and "lala". And because we don't speak any type of Chinese, we have no idea if anything she is saying is gibberish, or some rudimentary Chinese. In addition, she seems to be using some sign language of some sort. We figure it has to mean either she is hungry, or wants a bottle, or wants her diaper changed, more likely the former.





She also has just about figured out crawling in the past 48 hours. When we got her, she was great with the arms, but not so good with her legs, the result being she would move backwards when she wanted to go forward. But she is now moving forward pretty much at will, and she also has the leg movements for walking figured out, though not perfected. She also has a ways to go with her balance before she is walking, but that cannot be too far away, either.

We went to the pavilion today as planned.


It was first built in 653 AD, with this one being some more recent iteration. The elevator gives that away. JMXC was fully engaged during a short play, very focussed on the performance. We were quite proud, and relieved of course, that there was not a peep of discontent out of her.

She was also the center of some attention from the locals, with people trying to get her attention, making friendly remarks, and taking pictures.










After that, back to the hotel, the Crowne Plaza, which is very nice. It is not, however, particularly family friendly. I'll skip my rant.

It is almost miraculous to be with Jenny Mei. Kay and I could not be happier and the joy she has brought to us is immeasurable. She has a cold, as all the girls from her orphanage do, and has been dripping snot since we met her. She has heat rash and is itching like mad, waking up numerous times each night to scratch and cry before falling back to sleep. At times during the day she scratches her lower back so much she practically scratches herself raw. She has something up with her scalp, possibly heat rash as well, and that itches too. And she has this big belly, but you can see her ribs, and there is not an ounce of fat on this child, so you know that she is under-nourished. And she is teething. And there are these strange people taking care of her, one of whom is a man, which she is not completely comfortable with.

And she is so HAPPY!!!! Laughing and smiling and chatting up an indecipherable storm!! An independent, feisty little ball of positive energy who has the power to positively transform our moods through the sheer force of her four-toothed smile. She takes face-plant after face-plant into
the bed and comes up with a grin. "Oh no, don't hold my bottle, I can do it for myself," she would say if she could speak English. And she does hold it. She has bonded with Kay after two days like they have been together forever, with each of them lighting up when they see each other. And even when I pick her up, and she she cries, and struggles, all I need to do is start walking, and she settles down, holding on as we take laps of the room, or the lobby, or the parking lot with her head swiveling, trying to take everything in. And when we encounter a man somewhere, and he tries to get her attention by clucking at her, because that is what they do here, she buries her head in my chest out of shyness, and I know at that moment with all my heart, that this was meant to be, that this tiny, snot dripping, half starved, absolutely spectacular little girl is mine, is ours. And we are a family. Completely. Perfectly. Whole.

Kay and me and our Beautiful Star.

Location:Nanchang, China