Saturday, January 29, 2011

We boarded our Hong Kong-Detroit flight on time and zipped back over Taiwan and Japan, then the Russian coast, south of Anchorage and down across Canada into Detroit.  Haifeng was probably "lost" in her own mind, but she did admirably and caused no problems.  This was especially commendable because we had found out she had some motion sickness, not being used to even riding in cars.  The pilot got us to Detroit 10 minutes early.  After 15 hours, you appreciate every minute.  

We could see the difference versus Chicago in 2007.  We had immigration to ourselves.  A few minutes later we heard the announcement for the flight from Tokyo to come to baggage claim.  Maybe that 10 minutes did it and got us ahead of them.   We remembered hustling nonstop in 2007 and barely making our Jacksonville flight.  This time we had an easier time of it.  In Jacksonville our daughter Jenicka picked us up, even though she had a bad cold.  

It's so nice to be home!

Thursday and Friday Update

Thursday, January 27, 2011

 

We departed the Victory Hotel in Guangzhou at 7am.  Helen and Mr Chu, our driver, took us to the airport and got us checked in.  We hated to say goodbye to them, but we are looking forward to a couple days in Hong Kong where enough people speak english you can do your own thing like in europe much easier.  

We flew Dragonair, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific, to Hong Kong, with an Australian pilot.  We were glad we had already gotten flights over the fast train, because Chinese New Year or Spring Festival travel has already began big time in China, resulting in a extremely packed Guangzhou train station as many workers leave there for other parts of China.  Even our flight was slow to take off.  

Zoe meant to sit by mom but we had two pairs of seats in front of each other and Haifeng sit by her.  Zoe dropped an instant tear, but by takeoff, she was encouraging Haifeng, who was on her first flight, with "I love you" in Chinese.  

When we got to Hong Kong, we knew where to go to catch the hotel shuttle from our experience on the 16th, so it was a quick transit.  Both of them watched cartoons together Thursday night after we had dinner.

 

Friday, January 28, 2011

 

We started out the day apprehensive that Haifeng would go anywhere and I can't think of a city I would hate staying in the hotel room more than Hong Kong.  

Well, we first strolled into the Citygate Outlet Mall, adjacent to the Novotel Hotel and they got a few things.  There was a big grocery store there called 'Taste'.   Haifeng and Zoe picked out some snacks they wanted and that seemed to pave the way for going to the cable car for a neat excursion just outside the mall.   We didn't plan it that way but it worked out great.  

It's called "Ngong Ping 360".  It's a cable car ride across the bay and up over the very steep mountains above Lantau island.  We took the cable car and she rode it just fine.  Meanwhile, Zoe's mouth is nonstop, she jaws about the incredible scenery with her classic, "oh my God" and the chinese family with us in the cable car, laughed and repeated her phrase "oh my God", just like Helen our Guangzhou guide did for the last 10 days.  

When we got off the cable car, we walked through Ngong Ping Village, the souvenir shops, and on to the Tian Tan Buddha, supposedly the largest free standing buddha in the world.  Both girls got cotton candy walking back through the village.  Yes they had cotton candy.  

Back at the hotel, we got Zoe her McDonalds and Haifeng got wonton soup from room service.  I had a nice hour run around the bay by the hotel.  

Tonight we'll make one more trip into the outlet mall.  We are ecstatic our "guideless time" in Hong Kong has went off so well.  Hong Kong is such a neat, international city.  We had for tv the BBC, France24, russian, chinese, portuguese, espn asia, just about everything.  There were hong kong school kids in plad skirts, perhaps residual evidence of the British system. 

Tomorrow we endure the long flight to Detroit, then the more reasonable flight to Jacksonville.  

We'll get pictures posted in the next few days.  We have plenty.

Wednesday Update

I did my last workout in the Victory exercise room this morning and crossed the highway one more time up to the shopping area to get Zoe one more order of chicken nuggets.

In the afternoon we went on one more tour to a park and to a museum. The museum was about the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, an emperor of the small Nanyue kingdom around Guangzhou that was eventually overrun by the Han Chinese, the majority. The website is http://www.gznywmuseum.com. I think it roughly covered the period around 200 BC. It was very educational and Haifeng started asking a lot of questions about if from the guide Helen, so maybe she's a future history major.

When we returned to Shamian Island, we received the brown envelope at the White Swan, which we must deliver unopened to US Immigration in Detroit. We go to the Guangzhou airport early tomorrow to fly to Hong Kong where we will be Thursday and Friday, before we fly out on Saturday.

We're going to miss our guide Helen who has been such a great support and escort.

Visit to the Zoo

Today we went to the Guangzhou Zoo in the morning, another chilly, cloudy day. Haifeng saw her first zoo animals because there is no zoo in Zhuhai. Ha. Zoe campaigned until she rode the merry go round. We saw the pandas, tibetan yaks and camels and the rest. There was also a gator pool with a water ride that circled the gators and plunged off into the splash at the bottom.

Would you believe the old dude running the ride was hawking loudly for us to take the ride just to make a yuan even though we would have froze once we hit the bottom of the slide and got drenched in the water.

After that we went to a tea house for some tea, dim sum, etc. It was another enjoyable time learning about the way the Chinese enjoy their tea time. Haifeng and I both enjoyed the chili sauce but I let her take care of the chicken feet again. More power to her.

When we got back, I trudged through the herbal market to the pedestrian street by Holiday Inn to get Zoe some more McDonalds chicken nuggets. They are both happy campers now.

We have an afternoon tour tomorrow and Helen our guide picks up the visa packet at the Consulate.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Today we took the 45 minute ride to the US Consulate. The lady from the consulate made a speech at the beginning, telling how she was transferring to Helsinki, Finland soon and how many adoptions they processed last year and this year. She also said the consulate is also moving into it's own building in March 2012. The room was packed and I could imagine some mother with a restless baby muttering, "Who cares lady if you're transferring to Helsinki, just get on with it." Ha.

Haifeng sat there nicely and when we went to the window to sign the DS 230 for her visa, instead of us signing as we did for Zoe, she signed with the chinese characters. It was a neat sight! The consulate officer complemented her on her neatness. While we were on the way there, Zoe yells to the guide in the front of the van that she knows everything. Helen (the guide) asked Zoe, "OK Zoe, how do we get to the Consulate?" Zoe replied, " Well, I know everything except how to get to the Consulate."

We went to Lucy's tonight and when we came back through the lobby of the Victory, they were hanging up the Chinese New Year decorations for the Year of the Rabbit. It makes it feel like it's still Christmas. Tomorrow, we go to the Guangzhou Zoo.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Today we went to the Chen Ancestral Hall in Guangzhou built during the Qing Dynasty (1888-1894).  I remember thinking it was another Buddhist temple like the one in Changsha when Michelle, our previous guide, brought us to it in 2007, but although it is an ancient structure, it is for the worship of ancestors, the form of religion most common among the chinese people.  Since it was only us and our guide Helen, we spent more time there and learned more about it.  

After that, we walked through some side streets where some very poor people lived.  It was such a contrast to the main thoroughfares with the high rises.  

When we got back to the Victory, Zoe wanted some McDonald's chicken nuggets.  Luckily, I knew where I could find one off the island near the Holiday Inn.  She was a 'happy camper'.  

Tomorrow is our trip to the US Consulate.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday Update

Thursday, January 20, 2011

 

Today we went to the clinic on Shamian Island for Haifeng's physical.  We saw the "Keep Quiet" sign and remembered sitting there 3 1/2 years ago with Zoe and our friends.  With the new Hague agreement requiring vaccinations and the exemption applying only to kids under 11 yrs, we were apprehensive about how many shots Haifeng would have to get.  She got only four and we got her first smile when she was measured for her height and weight.  We got some more to go food from Lucy's because Haifeng is not big on public appearances, which was not a surprise as we knew she was an introvert.  Ha.

 

Friday, January 21, 2011

 

Today, after getting permission, we traveled with the guide down to Zhuhai to see the orphanage at Haifeng's request, so she could see her friends one more time and bring them some gifts.  This is one way a trip for an older child is different.  You just embrace it and go with the flow and you get rewarded too.  The director, staff and her teacher were all glad to see her again and we got some pictures which we will get posted at least by the time we get back. 

 

Saturday, January 22, 2011

 

Halfway through our time in China.  Today we went back to the clinic to pick up Haifeng's sealed physical which the guide will turn in to the US Consulate for our appointment on Monday, January 24th.  The guide then took us shopping off the island.  We took the bridge over the city street in front of the Victory, winding through some narrow streets mostly selling herbs in small shops.  It looked like it might have looked for many years, even centuries, because selling herbs is something the chinese have always done.  We then walked through an open area under the Holiday Inn into a nice pedestrian street of shops.  We were on a mission to "arm" the new american Haifeng with her choice of clothes, shoes, watch, suitcase, etc.  Thankfully, the shops were open to bargaining and had some good deals becaus you can't leave out the Zoe Zoe either.  We got her some good things, got the internet fixed and our instant teen is a happy camper.  We finished up by hitting McDonalds, a favorite of Zoe and we discovered, also a favorite with Haifeng.  Sunday, the guide is taking us on a tour.