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| Sally does Kung Fu moves on the Great Wall |
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| Sally with Madame Wang |
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| Sally eats street food- roasted Hawthorne apples |
Sunday, November 27, 2011
More pictures
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving day
Today we had free time before we head back to the orphanage to make
dumplings and feed babies and have a farewell dinner. I admit I'm ready
to go home. I think we all are. We took sally to her finding spot
and, if possible, it was more depressing today. She was confused,
where's the policeman who found me? And while I'd prepared her for the
disrepair of the place, her eyes got all wide and she gave me one of her
looks like, "you weren't kidding." A group of girls about her age
approached us, just out of school, running and laughing and when they
saw us they stopped. Stared at Sally which made her uncomfortable. I
couldn't help but think had she stayed in this area these would be her
school friends. I kept looking around for her birth mother. Had a
whole fantasy about her and sally locking eyes and in an instant
recognizing one another. Yeah, that didn't happen.
We went and got my most favorite dessert of all time, it's a chocolate, whipped cream roll cake, like a hostess thing but wayy better. I've also found these butterscotch candies that have given me a reason to live.
It was Thanksgiving at home today and we talked to Maggie who sounded happy, thanks to Dan and Don and company. That was nice to hear. And on this day of giving thanks I'm grateful for that. And her. And friends who will love your child while you're away. I'm grateful for Sally's birth mom for having the courage to give her up. I'm assuming it took courage and I'm assuming it was a very difficult thing for her to do. i wish I could let her know sally is fine. I'm grateful for my parents for agreeing to travel with us and for Tony for agreeing to have them travel with us.
I have thought of each and every one of our family members while we've been here and hope everyone has had a nice holiday. Including our newest family member Maya and our niece to be Baby X.
Joan
We went and got my most favorite dessert of all time, it's a chocolate, whipped cream roll cake, like a hostess thing but wayy better. I've also found these butterscotch candies that have given me a reason to live.
It was Thanksgiving at home today and we talked to Maggie who sounded happy, thanks to Dan and Don and company. That was nice to hear. And on this day of giving thanks I'm grateful for that. And her. And friends who will love your child while you're away. I'm grateful for Sally's birth mom for having the courage to give her up. I'm assuming it took courage and I'm assuming it was a very difficult thing for her to do. i wish I could let her know sally is fine. I'm grateful for my parents for agreeing to travel with us and for Tony for agreeing to have them travel with us.
I have thought of each and every one of our family members while we've been here and hope everyone has had a nice holiday. Including our newest family member Maya and our niece to be Baby X.
Joan
The Pickle Factory!
Today we drove hours to a pickle factory. Where we spent 5 minutes.
watching a room full of women(think of the women in veruca salt's
father's factory unwrapping wonka bars). We marveled over their speed
at shoving the pickled brussel sprouty things into bags. We wondered to
ourselves and aloud how many they pack in a day(5000) and then we left.
Checked pickle factory off bucket list. Next we stopped at a farm
along the roadside where a family allowed us into their house to see how
they live. Big house, cool kitchen, they got a tv 5 years ago and a
refrigerator last year. they grow the pickle things that we saw get
packed. So that was fun, then back on the bus to lunch, yum, the food
has been outstanding, even for a picky eater like me. Tony can't get
enough chicken feet and pig blood stir fry, my parents are pretty
adventurous eaters and Sally's happy as long as she has rice and soy
sauce, so everyone's happy.
After lunch we came back to the hotel and my parents watched Sally while Tony and I went to her finding spot. You know, the place she was abandoned. We had our guide with us and got a cab and were off. it was no easy place to find as the city has changed so much since 2003, the address isn't actually there anymore. But we found the building next door and think that probably her location was a house that has since been demolished. Along with just about everything else in the neighborhood. It's tough to describe what it looks like, but I'll try while my memories are still fresh. It's a busy street that for some reason reminded me of 125th street in New York. On one side it's developed, very similar to 125 street, shops, bright lights, also some fruit and vegetable vendors, but the place is definitely a business thoroughfare. Then, across the street, sally's side, is like a bombed out village. Debris and bricks and dirt in piles. Buildings half falling down. A group of old men squatting on the ground playing cards. So strange. Around the area where sally was found(by a policeman, we learned) I found a piece of broken tile that I brought to her. She and I might go back tomorrow because she really wants to see it, but frankly, it's depressing. tony said he kept looking for a tree or something nearby that we could photograph the could represent where her birth mother placed her.
Based on the location of the spot, we believe her birth mother is not from far away. It would be a real trek from the rural areas and not an easy or central place to get to. So, That's something. It's all guesswork, wishful thinking, but that's what we've got for her.
Tonight we went to a hot pot restaurant but I was not in the mood, so Sally and I came back and did our usual game of charades with the waitress in the hotel restaurant here trying to communicate french fries. First i drew them, little stick like things on a piece of paper. She brought me a fork. Next i took a few toothpicks and mimed eating them. She just looked at us strangely. Finally we found someone who spoke English and was able to communicate. This waitress is my bff. We had to do charades to get red wine yesterday and when we walked in tonight she smiled at me and said in perfect English, "Red wine?"
After lunch we came back to the hotel and my parents watched Sally while Tony and I went to her finding spot. You know, the place she was abandoned. We had our guide with us and got a cab and were off. it was no easy place to find as the city has changed so much since 2003, the address isn't actually there anymore. But we found the building next door and think that probably her location was a house that has since been demolished. Along with just about everything else in the neighborhood. It's tough to describe what it looks like, but I'll try while my memories are still fresh. It's a busy street that for some reason reminded me of 125th street in New York. On one side it's developed, very similar to 125 street, shops, bright lights, also some fruit and vegetable vendors, but the place is definitely a business thoroughfare. Then, across the street, sally's side, is like a bombed out village. Debris and bricks and dirt in piles. Buildings half falling down. A group of old men squatting on the ground playing cards. So strange. Around the area where sally was found(by a policeman, we learned) I found a piece of broken tile that I brought to her. She and I might go back tomorrow because she really wants to see it, but frankly, it's depressing. tony said he kept looking for a tree or something nearby that we could photograph the could represent where her birth mother placed her.
Based on the location of the spot, we believe her birth mother is not from far away. It would be a real trek from the rural areas and not an easy or central place to get to. So, That's something. It's all guesswork, wishful thinking, but that's what we've got for her.
Tonight we went to a hot pot restaurant but I was not in the mood, so Sally and I came back and did our usual game of charades with the waitress in the hotel restaurant here trying to communicate french fries. First i drew them, little stick like things on a piece of paper. She brought me a fork. Next i took a few toothpicks and mimed eating them. She just looked at us strangely. Finally we found someone who spoke English and was able to communicate. This waitress is my bff. We had to do charades to get red wine yesterday and when we walked in tonight she smiled at me and said in perfect English, "Red wine?"
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Babies Babies Everywhere
Today we went to the orphanage where we were greeted like celebrities.
Seriously. they had local ...um ... celebrities there to sing and
dance for us, performing a welcome ceremony to rival the academy awards.
there were locals there gawking at us all, taking pictures. My parents
were particularly sought after by the paparazzi. My dad said, sounding
like a seasoned network executive, "it's the grandparent thing. It
makes a good story."
After the welcome ceremony that included the girls singing a song (twinkle twinkle little star being the only one most of them knew except for the girls from Brussels who just stood there like, "it's always the English that wins out") we went to the orphanage and spent the whole afternoon with the kids. Oh my God. First of all, let me reassure you, we did not slip one in our pocket. Only because out pockets weren't big enough. Sally was very popular and there was one little girl who wouldn't stop following her around. She was blind in one eye but liked the badge Sally wears around her neck and just wanted to chew it. Tony did a whole "wheels on the bus" thing much to the delight of a whole room of babies. I saw a couple of nannies looking at him like, "get a load of the guy with all the energy" My heart was stolen by a little girl in a red checked coat. I got jealous if anyone else even approached her. I honestly began having thoughts of getting my paperwork ready to try to adopt this girl, she was mine, it was meant to be. Then I found out that she actually has a family, they just dropped her at the orphanage for a month or two while they go through some 'difficulties'. My heart was sad. She seemed sad too when I left, giving me a look that suggested you are my mother!
We opted out of the group dinner and decided to try our luck at the western style restaurant in the hotel. It was seriously like a game of charades ordering the simplest thing - water. here if you order water (we know the Chinese word for it thanks to sally) they bring you hot water. So my dad started to point to the hot water and then begin to act out 'cold' then he tried acting out 'opening a bottle' then he settled for coke. Everyone here knows the word for coke. And beer. easy to get coke and beer.
I'll try to post pictures later. We're having a great time and our day at the orphanage was a highlight none of us are going to forget for a long time.
After the welcome ceremony that included the girls singing a song (twinkle twinkle little star being the only one most of them knew except for the girls from Brussels who just stood there like, "it's always the English that wins out") we went to the orphanage and spent the whole afternoon with the kids. Oh my God. First of all, let me reassure you, we did not slip one in our pocket. Only because out pockets weren't big enough. Sally was very popular and there was one little girl who wouldn't stop following her around. She was blind in one eye but liked the badge Sally wears around her neck and just wanted to chew it. Tony did a whole "wheels on the bus" thing much to the delight of a whole room of babies. I saw a couple of nannies looking at him like, "get a load of the guy with all the energy" My heart was stolen by a little girl in a red checked coat. I got jealous if anyone else even approached her. I honestly began having thoughts of getting my paperwork ready to try to adopt this girl, she was mine, it was meant to be. Then I found out that she actually has a family, they just dropped her at the orphanage for a month or two while they go through some 'difficulties'. My heart was sad. She seemed sad too when I left, giving me a look that suggested you are my mother!
We opted out of the group dinner and decided to try our luck at the western style restaurant in the hotel. It was seriously like a game of charades ordering the simplest thing - water. here if you order water (we know the Chinese word for it thanks to sally) they bring you hot water. So my dad started to point to the hot water and then begin to act out 'cold' then he tried acting out 'opening a bottle' then he settled for coke. Everyone here knows the word for coke. And beer. easy to get coke and beer.
I'll try to post pictures later. We're having a great time and our day at the orphanage was a highlight none of us are going to forget for a long time.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Day Three - Chongqing
Today we had an early morning flight to Chongqing. About 2 1/2 hours.
Enough time to finish the Diane Keaton book and start the Carrie Fisher
book. One side note to talk about in therapy - why can't I read
fiction anymore? I definitely see it as a failing of mine, something to
be ashamed about. I take one look at Like Water For Elephants and I'm
like, come on Amanda Knox, write your damn story already! Anyway, I
digress.
We were herded like cats through the airport, one woman on the trip flipped out because the security people opened her suitcase and found her maple syrup and opened it up, she could be heard screaming to a Chinese guy who clearly spoke no English, "Don't you know that once it's opened it's got to be refrigerated right away?" Um. Anyway, I was curious. Why bring maple syrup to china? And why lose your mind when it is opened? I decided to investigate. i sidled up to her, "Hey, too bad about your maple syrup." tears in her eyes, "Yeah, it's New York State maple Syrup." Me - "Oh man, that's really good stuff. Are you on that maple syrup fast?" She looked at me like I was a two headed monster, like I just said, "I like to eat kittens" and replied, "no, it was a gift for the orphanage." Boy did I feel stupid. Regular people don't drink maple syrup and cayenne pepper for weeks on end to lose weight they will gain back immediately. Regular people bring gifts for their children's orphanage. thoughtful gifts. Gifts from their local region. I wondered if I could perhaps tell the orphanage director our thoughts for where season 8 is heading as a gracious gift from our group. sigh. Perhaps cash will represent the Phelan delegation.
We landed in Chongqing and met up with our new guide, American name Jeff and headed to see the pandas at the Chongqing zoo. It was a beautiful day, 65 degrees and the pandas were about 20 feet away, just chowing down on apples and rolling around like pandas will do. Next we were taken to an art gallery within the zoo where a weird Ichabod Crane dude explained Chinese painting to us and then gave us the opportunity to walk around and buy. Our trip is apparently subsidized by these places - art gallery, jade factory, silk market - so we're always given time to shop.
Sally has made a bff, Lizzie. Lizzie was adopted in may, Sally in march so they were definitely in the orphanage together. They are inseparable and hold hands constantly. The two of them strolling through the zoo hand in hand, whispering, brought tears to my eyes. There's something very powerful about the fact that there are all these Chinese girls. They sit in the back of the bus and certainly aren't marveling over their shared Chineseness, they're just hanging out, but we parents sit up front and marvel.
We went to the Adoption Affairs Bureau and were given the opportunity to look into Sally's file. I was hoping there would be a note from her birth mother, but there wasn't. We did discover that she was found by a policeman. And we got her finding ad (newspaper where abandoned girls are publicized before they able to be put up for adoption). Lizzie, Sally's new friend, is about 4 mug shots down from Sally on the same row.
After a quick trip to McDonald's (yum) we got on the bus for the 2 hour trip to Fuling, the town the orphanage is in. Long day, but a good one. My parents, as usual, troopers, i think they're having a good time. My poor mom had to use a squat potty and kept her dignity intact.
We were herded like cats through the airport, one woman on the trip flipped out because the security people opened her suitcase and found her maple syrup and opened it up, she could be heard screaming to a Chinese guy who clearly spoke no English, "Don't you know that once it's opened it's got to be refrigerated right away?" Um. Anyway, I was curious. Why bring maple syrup to china? And why lose your mind when it is opened? I decided to investigate. i sidled up to her, "Hey, too bad about your maple syrup." tears in her eyes, "Yeah, it's New York State maple Syrup." Me - "Oh man, that's really good stuff. Are you on that maple syrup fast?" She looked at me like I was a two headed monster, like I just said, "I like to eat kittens" and replied, "no, it was a gift for the orphanage." Boy did I feel stupid. Regular people don't drink maple syrup and cayenne pepper for weeks on end to lose weight they will gain back immediately. Regular people bring gifts for their children's orphanage. thoughtful gifts. Gifts from their local region. I wondered if I could perhaps tell the orphanage director our thoughts for where season 8 is heading as a gracious gift from our group. sigh. Perhaps cash will represent the Phelan delegation.
We landed in Chongqing and met up with our new guide, American name Jeff and headed to see the pandas at the Chongqing zoo. It was a beautiful day, 65 degrees and the pandas were about 20 feet away, just chowing down on apples and rolling around like pandas will do. Next we were taken to an art gallery within the zoo where a weird Ichabod Crane dude explained Chinese painting to us and then gave us the opportunity to walk around and buy. Our trip is apparently subsidized by these places - art gallery, jade factory, silk market - so we're always given time to shop.
Sally has made a bff, Lizzie. Lizzie was adopted in may, Sally in march so they were definitely in the orphanage together. They are inseparable and hold hands constantly. The two of them strolling through the zoo hand in hand, whispering, brought tears to my eyes. There's something very powerful about the fact that there are all these Chinese girls. They sit in the back of the bus and certainly aren't marveling over their shared Chineseness, they're just hanging out, but we parents sit up front and marvel.
We went to the Adoption Affairs Bureau and were given the opportunity to look into Sally's file. I was hoping there would be a note from her birth mother, but there wasn't. We did discover that she was found by a policeman. And we got her finding ad (newspaper where abandoned girls are publicized before they able to be put up for adoption). Lizzie, Sally's new friend, is about 4 mug shots down from Sally on the same row.
After a quick trip to McDonald's (yum) we got on the bus for the 2 hour trip to Fuling, the town the orphanage is in. Long day, but a good one. My parents, as usual, troopers, i think they're having a good time. My poor mom had to use a squat potty and kept her dignity intact.
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| Sally and her new BFF |
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| Sally and a panda |
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| At the Adoption Affairs office. Being given a ceremonial pencil box and comb. We were greeted very warmly by the adoption people. |
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| Some Chinglish-- "I'll pay back you warm spring for your caring" aka please keep off the grass |
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Forbidden Palace, Tiananmen Square
Yesterday we were up bright and early and on the bus to see the
Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. They are both huge. The forbidden
city is outrageous, palace after palace all for the emperor. This palace
is where he changes into his ceremonial outfits, this palace is where
he entertains his bride for the first 3 days after marriage, this palace
is where he plays x box, this palace is where he watches the real
housewives of Beverly hills. Sally liked seeing it all and is taking
tons of pictures for her class, but did end up getting a little 'palaced
out'. She did say she was happy we didn't live there because I'd always
be redecorating. And believe me, I've got some ideas.
In the afternoon there was a calligraphy class and a tea ceremony that my mom and I decided to skip in lieu of some shopping. You know how it is when a girl's got a couple hundred yuan burning a hole in her pocket. We went to district 798 which is the Soho of Beijing. It was cool and I saw a painting I loved for a mere 25,000 yuan(4000 dollars). Did I buy it? I'll keep you all guessing!!!!
My mom and I had an adventure in the cab where the fastidious cab driver yelled at me and swatted at my feet when I crossed my legs. Apparently in his cab the rule is both feet firmly on the ground lest dirt fall off your foot onto his sparkling white seat cover.
Later at dinner we had an opportunity to meet Madame Wang who was the director of Sally's orphanage until last year. She walked right up to Sally and said "Fu Xin pei" Sally's Chinese name. It was pretty cool. She gave each girl a silk scarf.
Today we head to Fuling for the rest of our trip. This is the part we've most been looking forward to, seeing Sally's orphanage and the area she's from.
Sally's holding up well although the trip itself is hard. Being on a tour, keeping a group schedule, not much down time. Sally's held up better than I have to be honest. Having my parents here has been a godsend. They are easy going and up for trying everything.
The other families are from all over the world- US, Brussels, Ireland, Beijing. Sally is the most beautiful, in case you were wondering. And NO I did not spend 4000 dollars on a painting, and shame on those of you who thought I had. I'm not that out of control. Plus they didn't take credit cards.
Here are a few pictures (more later):
In the afternoon there was a calligraphy class and a tea ceremony that my mom and I decided to skip in lieu of some shopping. You know how it is when a girl's got a couple hundred yuan burning a hole in her pocket. We went to district 798 which is the Soho of Beijing. It was cool and I saw a painting I loved for a mere 25,000 yuan(4000 dollars). Did I buy it? I'll keep you all guessing!!!!
My mom and I had an adventure in the cab where the fastidious cab driver yelled at me and swatted at my feet when I crossed my legs. Apparently in his cab the rule is both feet firmly on the ground lest dirt fall off your foot onto his sparkling white seat cover.
Later at dinner we had an opportunity to meet Madame Wang who was the director of Sally's orphanage until last year. She walked right up to Sally and said "Fu Xin pei" Sally's Chinese name. It was pretty cool. She gave each girl a silk scarf.
Today we head to Fuling for the rest of our trip. This is the part we've most been looking forward to, seeing Sally's orphanage and the area she's from.
Sally's holding up well although the trip itself is hard. Being on a tour, keeping a group schedule, not much down time. Sally's held up better than I have to be honest. Having my parents here has been a godsend. They are easy going and up for trying everything.
The other families are from all over the world- US, Brussels, Ireland, Beijing. Sally is the most beautiful, in case you were wondering. And NO I did not spend 4000 dollars on a painting, and shame on those of you who thought I had. I'm not that out of control. Plus they didn't take credit cards.
Here are a few pictures (more later):
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| Sally and Tony at Forbidden City |
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| Sally at Imperial Palace |
Sunday, November 20, 2011
We made it!
hi everyone,
By the way, the water Cube and the Bird's Nest lit up at night are SPECTACULAR.
Joan here from China. It's Monday
morning here(Sunday afternoon for you). We've experienced some
technical difficulties, like China is blocking Blogspot, but we're
trying to work it out. And we don't have pictures yet, but we'll work
that out too in the next couple of days I hope. Anyway ...
The
plane! Business class! I was so sad to land in China. I hadn't used
all my seat positions or watched all the shows available to me. I had
only called for the flight attendant once! There was so much more
living to be done on that plane, but ... we arrived. We were met and
met up with all the other families in our group - 19 families in all, 60
ish people. We've been broken up into two groups, the happiness group
and the panda group. We are in the happiness group. But after
yesterdays 12 hours on the tour bus, it's clear that for us at least,
that the sad, tired and cranky group might be a better fit. But I get
ahead of myself...
We dined the first night at
the Texas BBQ restaurant in the hotel. The waiters look ridiculous in
cowboy garb and the three piece band was playing taylor swift. I order
steak and am happy. The next morning we're up bright and early and on
the happiness bus to see the Great Wall, with a quick stop at a Jade
Factory. My mom kept saying she wasn't going to buy anything which
lasted all of one minute. She was like a kid in a candy store, jade
everywhere! Where to begin? My dad hates shopping more that anything
and mostly stood around looking pained and hoping my mom was going to
try to bargain and at least get a good price. She did.
The
Great Wall is Beautiful and quite a work out. Tony was in heaven. he
and Sally did the whole thing, about 1/2 hour straight up and back. My
parents and I did about half of it and stopped to rest on this bridge
section. Pretty soon people started to come up to us with their camera.
We assumed they wanted us to take their picture, but no, they wanted a
picture with us in it. As soon as I'd agree, whole families of chinese
would be surrounding me, arms around me, smiling. That lasted until a
black woman arrived, then we were long forgotten and she was the star of
the moment.
Next we went to a big banquet
hall for lunch and then spent the afternoon at the Summer Palace. It's
beautiful, but mostly what I'll remember from the summer palace was the
vendors selling panda hats. At first we refused, but they were so persistent. pretty soon just about every kid in our group had a panda
hat.
Sally was shy for the first couple of
hours, but what finally turned things around for her was this teen beat
magazine that Tony had bought her. Someone spotted that in her bag and
after some initial confusion,
You like Justin Bieber?
Sally(horrified) - No, I don't like him.
It was the ice breaker they needed. Now all the kids sit in the back of the bus and laugh.
At
the end of the day as we were driving back to the hotel, our tour guide
Amber(her American name) said she could see we were all tired, tonight
we should, "go back to room, relax with nice activity, perhaps you shave
your leg and armpit" Perhaps.
Today we're off
to the Forbidden City and Tiananman square. This afternoon is slated
as a "cultural activity" like learning to fold paper, that my mom and I
are going to skip and practice our own cultural activity - shopping.
I hope I can get my pictures up cause they're pretty great.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
China on Friday!
Hi everyone-
This is Joan. We leave for China this Friday and while we're there I'll be updating this blog with tales of our adventures and pictures too. Sally is soooo excited ....
This is Joan. We leave for China this Friday and while we're there I'll be updating this blog with tales of our adventures and pictures too. Sally is soooo excited ....
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