Guangzhou and a turning point!

I heard there are blizzard conditions at home.  I hope that all is well with family and friends back home.  Please stay safe.  Also, our very best wishes to Erin Dlott and her  parents, Jeff and Tracy, on the occasion of Erin’s bat mitzvah.  We are so sorry that we are missing your special day and that you are having to deal with all of that snow!  I know that you and your family will make the best of it and that your bat mitzvah will be one NO ONE will ever forget!  Mazel tov!

 

Today we visited the Hubei provincial museum, which is really amazing – Smithsonian level quality.  I don’t think that the girls appreciated it, but the rest of us did!  We are bringing home a DVD, a book with lots of photographs, and a CD of the special ancient bells being played so that Maya Mei can hopefully appreciate it later down the road.  We would love to return and spend more time there, and also visit the Hubei art museum right across the street.  We returned to our hotel to load up our luggage, went to pick up Maya’s passport, and then on to the airport.  It was time to tell our sweet guide, Shirley, and our very brave driver, Mr. Wang, goodbye.  [I don’t think we ever  mentioned driving in Wuhan, or China in general – we went the wrong way down a 6 lane highway to get to our hotel (intentionally).  We taught Shirley and Mr. Wang the American term ‘playing chicken’.  Mr. Wang was very good at that game!  We are happy to be alive and in one piece.]

 

We are in Guangzhou!  Maya Mei did amazingly well on her first airplane ride.  I could tell she was a little frightened, but she put on a brave face, closed the shade, wore a seat belt for probably the first time in her life (even though she was NOT happy about it and I had to continuously prevent her from unbuckling), and went on a plane ride.  She clapped and cheered when the attendant came on the intercom to say they would be serving food.  Did I mention that our daughter likes to EAT???  Eliana slept peacefully next to Grandma Bonnie (Wai Po).  Ben and Adam took the aisle seats so they could stretch their legs and chat, the girls were on the window seats, and mama and Grandma were in the middle seats.  We met our next guide, Connie, at the airport and rode back to our hotel, both girls sleeping (or at least attempting sleep). 

 

I just finished unpacking and settling into our new temporary home for the next week – The China Hotel by Marriott in Guangzhou.  The hotel is very nice and seems to have a very good location.  For Eliana’s adoption we stayed on the very isolated Shamian Island, where most adoptive families stay.  We are being a bit more adventurous this go around.  We have a Starbucks in the lobby and both 7-11 and McDonald’s next door, as well as two large parks that we will be able to explore with the girls.  If we feel brave enough to try the subway, it is very close by.

 

Today was a turning point.  No attempted phone calls to the foster family.  Only one huge temper tantrum.  Did I mention our daughter likes to throw temper tantrums when she doesn’t get her way?  She is figuring out that this doesn’t work on us –especially when she peeks out from the screaming and tears to see if it is having the desired effect.  She really tries hard with Adam with the tears and screaming  (baBA!!!!!) – it seems that foster father must have had a big soft spot for his little girl!  Lots of happy skipping, hopping on both  one foot and two feet  (maybe coordination isn’t as bad as we thought!), hand holding, snuggling up to me in the van and on the plane and falling asleep on me.  She was very excited about our new hotel, which has a very flashy lobby with a red VW convertible bug parked in it, filled with heart shaped balloons and an enormous teddy bear.  Not quite sure what that is about – looks like Valentine’s Day, but Chinese New Year should be trumping that event this year!

 

The camera is still packed, so no pics today.  We do have some of the museum artifacts to post later, but not really of us.  We have had requests for more family photos, and will try to accommodate. :o)  Ben is doing a great job as our unofficial photographer.  He has an artist’s eye and is drawn more to composition that posed  family photos, but I will make sure that we get some of both from this point forward.

 

Tomorrow is the dreaded medical examination, TB testing, and vaccinations.  I think I owe everyone part 2 of our itinerary as well.  So, that will be on my ‘to do’ list.  We are looking forward to seeing our friends David and Melanie here in Guangzhou with their daughter and new son as well.  We may well see them on the island tomorrow at the medical appointment.

 

Nighty night – it’s one the morning here – my usual bedtime.  :o)

 

Hugs, Laura Beth