FAMILY OF 4EVER: Last two days in Guangzhou!

I didn’t post last night. I was feeling pretty sick. Had a sore throat, headache, a little stuffy, and tired, all day. I’m still feeling about the same today, although Excedrin helps. So yesterday started out with some more shopping. This time, we hit the jade market. It’s row upon row of little booths, selling jade jewelry, trinkets, etc. It was very crowded, and there are little stools everywhere, so it’s difficult to navigate with a stroller and sleeping child. Due to the language barrier, bargaining on an item goes something like this - You ask "How much?" The dealer takes out a calculator and punches in a number (in yuan – 100 yuan is about $15 dollars), you say “Too much”, and he or she hands you the calculator and you punch what you’re willing to pay. Back and forth until you agree.

Later in the afternoon, our guide took us to the U.S. Consulate for the swearing in ceremony, and we received Hope’s visa. Hope will now be a U.S. citizen as soon as she enters a U.S. port. There were about 10 other families present, and we had plenty of time to chat prior to the swearing in. It’s interesting to see the other children, witness how they are interacting with their new parents, hear the parents experience, etc. It’s especially nice after visiting a city like Wuchang, where we felt very much alone at times.

We then had to stop at the local Delta office, and the China Southern office, to purchase lap tickets for Hope. Why this can’t be done at the airport, I don’t know. Our guide was very accommodating, though, and we appreciate it.

Today, we did a little bit more shopping. That was pretty much it. We did see a few more interesting, and disturbing, things, though. As you walk through the local market, people have various things for sale, some spread out on blankets. One gentleman had two giant paws for sale, with claws attached, obviously real. My guess would be tiger paws based on the size of the claws. Very disturbing. I also saw what looked like a pile of deer legs (or a deer like animal), and buckets of live scorpions. I have no idea what any of these things are used for. I’ll have to do some Googling when I get home. No animal part seems to go to waste here. Chicken feet are featured prominently in store windows. Even in our hotel, “braised pigeon kidney” is featured prominently in an advertisement for one of the restaurants.

Fortunately, we’ve been lucky at meal time. The hotels have had breakfast and lunch buffets, and I’ve been able to eat French toast, waffles, pancakes, fruit, etc. for breakfast, and there’s usually a few things that I consider to be edible for lunch. When venturing out, I can usually find something to eat on the menu, although it can be difficult. I’ve eaten scallops and shrimp a few times, tuna, noodles, and rice. I won’t touch the chicken – It’s not the pretty white meat that you see in the U.S. Jen has eaten spare ribs a few times. Oh, and of course, the fast food has been there – McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.

So tomorrow morning, at 7:00 am our time, we head to the airport. We have a long day ahead of us, and I’m extremely anxious about flying with Hope for so long. My original concern was that she would cry a lot and disturb the other passengers, but I think she’ll be ok there. I’m just concerned about having to entertain her for 20 or so hours in the air. I know that she’s going to want to move about when she’s not sleeping, and I envision hours of our having to walk her up and down the aisle. I’m praying that she sleeps – a lot. Hopefully, Jen and I will be able to share the load. She’s been a lot better with Jen these past couple days. Still prefers me, but she doesn’t freak put when I’m out of sight, so it’s getting better. It’s fun to watch her. She loves to go up and down stairs, pick up leaves, blow kisses, and when she hears music, she either bounces up and down or sways from side to side, and waves her hands. Very cute.

So tomorrow, we'll be home. Can't wait to see everyone, but especially Bella, and introduce her to her sister. See everyone soon.