We were thrilled last night to find out that we didn’t need to meet up with our group this morning until 10:20am, so despite our long day yesterday, we all got some great sleep. The breakfast buffet here at the Victory is not as fancy as the previous hotels, but it has got all the staples that we’ve been eating every day. Being in Guangzhou is a lot of fun because all the US adoptive families have to stop here on the way back home, so there are families and children everywhere. It started at breakfast, where we were already chatting with a father who was here completing his fourth adoption, and then in the lobby, where we met a mom who has an older son with albinism back home. It’s going to be fun meeting new people over this next week while I am here.
The group of families staying at the White Swan ventured up to our hotel, and then we were all off for visa photos. All the kids did great, and the photographer moved us in and out quickly. It was very efficient. Then we all headed over to get the medical examination, required by the US in order for a visa to be issued. The clinic is a complete madhouse… there are dozens of families, multiple ‘stations’ to visit and the ‘technology’ they use is hilarious… they test hearing by squeezing a squeaky toy in a child’s ears, they look in ears with a standard flashlight, the ‘exam’ lasts about 30 seconds during which how much could they possibly even see. But Zhilu passed with flying colors, and then we just had to get the required TB test placed. Poor guy did not like that at all, but recovered quickly. We then had the day free.
We ate lunch at Lucy’s with a couple of folks from our travel group. Lucy’s serves western style food, and is like the quintessential adoptive family experience. You can’t visit Shamian Island (which is the part of Guangzhou on which all the hotels, shops, and medical clinic is) and not go to Lucy’s. Adam had a burger, which looked amazing, but later he said he wasn’t sure it really was hamburger meat. He’s hoping that it was maybe a soy-burger, but given that the Guangdong provincial cuisine is famous for using ALL sorts of animals, I’m thinking maybe it was something else. But we’ll say it was a soy-burger, and I’ll make a mental note to not order a hamburger later this week.
Zhilu was getting tired during lunch, so Adam took him over to a nearby playground once they had finished eating. Supposedly, they had a nice time playing, but the temper tantrum on the way over was a doozy and Adam’s got a scratch to show for it. The temper tantrums are becoming more frequent now, which I keep reminding myself is a really good thing. The first few days, Zhilu wouldn’t even leave our side in the room… he was petrified. Then he started getting comfortable enough to venture around the room. Now, he’s comfortable enough to share his feelings and test some boundaries… just typical toddler stuff, but good progress in our relationship. And the fact that we continue to love him and care for him after these tantrums reinforces the bond that we are building. It’s funny, because I can actually see that happening... skipping ahead a bit, he threw a tantrum tonight for some reason I can’t even remember and during it, he kept swatting my hand away and turning his back to me. But once he was done, he was reaching out and wanting to snuggle again… like he’s asking, do you still love me after I showed you that? It’s very neat to watch it unfold. And the tantrums are amusing, too, because he likes to give this little grump face, and stomp his feet to make his point, all coming from this tiny little smiley sweet boy… it’s hard not to laugh at how cute he is, even in the middle of the tantrum.
Anyways… back to our day… after lunch, we headed back to the hotel to let Zhilu (and mama!) get a nap. I sent Adam off to tour Shamian Island, since he was going to be leaving this evening. The island is truly gorgeous… it a locale similar to Florida, so the weather is sunny and warm. And the island was once owned by the British, so the building have this colonial feel to them. Adam says it reminds him of walking through Epcot center… you can tell how cultured we are! Adam had a great time wandering, he spent half an hour talking with one of the shop owners (the true Shamian experience!), and came home with a sword and a feathered hacky sack. I wish he had been able to have more time here to enjoy it, but I’m so glad that he’ll be home with the girls soon.
After nap-time, we got Adam all set to go to the airport and then dropped off laundry with Adam’s new best bud, Judy, a shop owner. Hopefully, everything comes back fresh and clean… there are numerous places here on the island which will do laundry, and it’s hard to know exactly which to use. It’s getting old wearing the same few outfits, but at least I’m not washing things in the tub anymore.
We headed back to the hotel and Zhilu and daddy had some last minute playtime. Then we had to say goodbye… I didn’t expect it to be so hard, but we are really going to miss him and its going to be a long week alone here. I’m so thankful to my parents and my sister for holding down the fort with our girls so Adam could be here for this much of the trip… he missed the entire trip last time, and never felt that special bond to China that we all did after the experience. Now, he’s been here, he’s seen China’s beauty, he’s interacted with her people, and he will be a better parent to our Chinese children because of it. We can’t thank you enough!!!
Zhilu and I joined our travel group for a dinner at the nearby Thai restaurant. The food was good, and he ate like a champ. Notice the photo of the dish at the end… its tofu and broccoli. He loved it! Then it was back to the room for bath-time… this time, he didn’t want to get out… the boy loves the water! What a change from his very first bath where he was terrified. He raided the mini-bar drawer while I was occupied getting pictures off the camera, and then had another temper tantrum when I had to pry the bottle of Jack Daniels out of his hand. LOL… making his Uncle Colin proud! At bed-time, he didn’t want to lay down, and kept peeking his head out the doors into the living area. He didn’t say anything, but I’m convinced he was looking for Adam since he had been the one to lie with him at bed-time. Poor little guy… he doesn’t understand what happened to Adam, and I have no way of telling him that he will see him again. Hopefully, seeing Adam on skype in a few days will help.
I just heard from Adam that he has arrived safely in Hong Kong, so that’s my cue to give up on the blogging and get some sleep. We are joining the group for some touring of Guangzhou and have a pretty early meeting time (well, early for us anyways). Again, I’m just throwing in the photos at the end… tomorrow, I’ll get them inserted properly in the entry.
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