Thursday, 30 August 2007
As expected, today began much like the other days. Kate woke around 7:15am and we all casually got ready before heading down to breakfast. After breakfast we were going to run a few errands but I wanted to exchange a little money first. Minor mistake. A nice man helped us get a number to wait in line and when we realized it would be a while (like Dan at work warned), mommy, Gram, and Kate headed back to check out the play room in the hotel. An hour later, I finally accomplished that item on the to-do list and went back to the hotel to retrieve our three ladies. They had a good time playing and meeting other adopted parents/children. Elizabeth even met up with another Greenville native. They had both heard about each other through a mutual friend at Furman and as luck would have it, they ran into each other right outside the Swan Room. A little bit of home when you are half way around the world never hurts.
We eventually went out and stopped at a few shops to pick up a few items and leave laundry and film to develop. Little Kate was falling asleep in her stroller so we went back up to the room to let her nap some.
After her nap, we went back out and walked around the island a bit. The first place we headed towards was the Catholic Church that was about 4 blocks away. It was a small church built/founded by the French in 1892. Unfortunately, all the signs were in Chinese except for one so it was hard to tell if it was still serving as a church. Just then, it began to rain so we turned to head back after a quick stop at the supermarket.
Upon arriving back to the hotel we decided to get an early dinner for a change and ate at the White Swan River Café. Not exactly the place to go to eat every day because they really thing highly of their food. It was good, but not THAT good. Either way, we knew what to expect and wanted to have a relaxing meal close to home base. During dinner, they came a draped small cloths (that match the table covers) over the purse and bags that we carried into the café. Oh such high class and me sitting there in my Crocs! Whatever.
Today was another good day for Kate. Eliz and Gram said that she did some things in the play room that she has not done yet. She reached for another baby and stood a little more on her own. Also, in the evening after dinner she was very chatty. She was babbling different sounds like “ma-ma-ma-ma-ma” and of course “dah”. She laughed good bit today and each day another layer of the onion is pealed away to reveal a remarkable little girl.
On Friday morning I hope the local ESPN channel will broadcast the first college football game of the year. My guess is they will not. I’ve seen more Australian rules football than anything. I also watched the USA basketball team destroy Puerto Rico (in Chinese) the other night. Oh yeah, they have HBO but most of the movies are about 10 years old. It is really bizarre, but good nonetheless.
KEG.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Another day, another solid night of sleep for our little princess. Just like yesterday, she woke after a good night’s sleep and we headed down to the hotel buffet. If you have not noticed, this is where we usually load up on calories that carry us through the day. We are still getting used to things around here and are not yet actively seeking the local cuisine.
This morning we could see a noticeable change in Kate’s demeanor. She appeared much more alert and engaging with our attempts to entertain her. She would smile at some of the silly things we tried and once food started hitting the table she starting saying “DAH!”. Now, whenever she sees something she likes or (I guess) is funny, she turns to one of us and says real clearly “DAH!. Now if I could only string two of those together then I could claim she is saying “dada”. Well, thinking about it some more, she could be saying “dada” or she could be seeing something very funny when she looks at me. I’ll take the former if it comes down to it.
Still at breakfast, Gram played patty cake with her and she started to clap her hands.
It was quite a moment to see her try to clap herself. Again, the difference in her Wednesday morning versus Tuesday morning is really an encouraging sign. After breakfast we strolled to the Swan Room to play. This is a room set up in the hotel where you can bring you kids to play. It has little tables, stuffed animals, balls, and a few other items to use. Kate was able to push a ball back and forth and did partially stand next to a small table. Most of her weight was on her legs and I only gave her a little bracing behind her to keep her upright. It was not much, but it was better than what she had done so far.
In the afternoon we were again escorted to the CAB to receive our official adoption certificate (“Red Book”). Once we had this in our hands, she was legally ours in the eyes of the Chinese government. One country down, one more to go (U.S.). We then headed down to the security bureau to apply for Kate’s passport. There must have been 40 adoptive families in the waiting area when we arrived and I was worried we would be there for quite a while. [In this waiting area there is a sign that says “Please be Quiet” but you turn around and there are 40 babies and families milling around. Yeah, good luch enforcing that rule.] Fortunately, Peter our local helper in this paperwork maze, had us up at the counter in about 10 minutes. We sat down across the desk from the lovely Dong Fang (Security Bureau worker) and after a few strokes on her keyboard and a snapshot of Kate with a computer camera, we were off back to the bus. I must give Peter credit, he has kept us on track and seemingly minimized our waits where possible.
Once we were away from the Security Bureau, we stopped at the local Carref
our (Walmart-ish type store) to say we have been there. It was a multi-level maze of merchandise. I’m sure there was some system to the layout, but we did not have enough time to study it to figure it out. We hit the stream of humanity that was the checkout lanes and eventually got back outside to wait for the rest of our group and bus. Luckily, we ran into Peter near the checkout and had him close by in case we had any questions.
We returned to our hotel after a long, warm afternoon and little Kate was just tuckered out. After a little dinner for her, she was cleaned up and put to bed and asleep in a minute or two. We branched out and ordered from Danny’s Bagels tonight. Hey, at least they have locals working and doing the cooking so you could say it is sort of Chinese food.
We capped our evening by calling Grandpa (Gordon) at 7:15 to wish his a happy birthday. I hope you played well for your 11:40 tee time. By then, we were fast asleep.
Thursday is a free day for us to do whatever we desire. I’m sure it will begin with a visit to the breakfast buffet followed by some shopping and perhaps a laundry run. On Friday, there is a planned outing to the Guangzhou Zoo for our travel group. Saturday and Sunday are open as well.
Talk more later,
KEG.
Another day, another solid night of sleep for our little princess. Just like yesterday, she woke after a good night’s sleep and we headed down to the hotel buffet. If you have not noticed, this is where we usually load up on calories that carry us through the day. We are still getting used to things around here and are not yet actively seeking the local cuisine.
This morning we could see a noticeable change in Kate’s demeanor. She appeared much more alert and engaging with our attempts to entertain her. She would smile at some of the silly things we tried and once food started hitting the table she starting saying “DAH!”. Now, whenever she sees something she likes or (I guess) is funny, she turns to one of us and says real clearly “DAH!. Now if I could only string two of those together then I could claim she is saying “dada”. Well, thinking about it some more, she could be saying “dada” or she could be seeing something very funny when she looks at me. I’ll take the former if it comes down to it.
Still at breakfast, Gram played patty cake with her and she started to clap her hands.
It was quite a moment to see her try to clap herself. Again, the difference in her Wednesday morning versus Tuesday morning is really an encouraging sign. After breakfast we strolled to the Swan Room to play. This is a room set up in the hotel where you can bring you kids to play. It has little tables, stuffed animals, balls, and a few other items to use. Kate was able to push a ball back and forth and did partially stand next to a small table. Most of her weight was on her legs and I only gave her a little bracing behind her to keep her upright. It was not much, but it was better than what she had done so far.In the afternoon we were again escorted to the CAB to receive our official adoption certificate (“Red Book”). Once we had this in our hands, she was legally ours in the eyes of the Chinese government. One country down, one more to go (U.S.). We then headed down to the security bureau to apply for Kate’s passport. There must have been 40 adoptive families in the waiting area when we arrived and I was worried we would be there for quite a while. [In this waiting area there is a sign that says “Please be Quiet” but you turn around and there are 40 babies and families milling around. Yeah, good luch enforcing that rule.] Fortunately, Peter our local helper in this paperwork maze, had us up at the counter in about 10 minutes. We sat down across the desk from the lovely Dong Fang (Security Bureau worker) and after a few strokes on her keyboard and a snapshot of Kate with a computer camera, we were off back to the bus. I must give Peter credit, he has kept us on track and seemingly minimized our waits where possible.
Once we were away from the Security Bureau, we stopped at the local Carref
our (Walmart-ish type store) to say we have been there. It was a multi-level maze of merchandise. I’m sure there was some system to the layout, but we did not have enough time to study it to figure it out. We hit the stream of humanity that was the checkout lanes and eventually got back outside to wait for the rest of our group and bus. Luckily, we ran into Peter near the checkout and had him close by in case we had any questions.We returned to our hotel after a long, warm afternoon and little Kate was just tuckered out. After a little dinner for her, she was cleaned up and put to bed and asleep in a minute or two. We branched out and ordered from Danny’s Bagels tonight. Hey, at least they have locals working and doing the cooking so you could say it is sort of Chinese food.
We capped our evening by calling Grandpa (Gordon) at 7:15 to wish his a happy birthday. I hope you played well for your 11:40 tee time. By then, we were fast asleep.
Thursday is a free day for us to do whatever we desire. I’m sure it will begin with a visit to the breakfast buffet followed by some shopping and perhaps a laundry run. On Friday, there is a planned outing to the Guangzhou Zoo for our travel group. Saturday and Sunday are open as well.
Talk more later,
KEG.
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
Tuesday, 28 August 2007
On Tuesday, August 28, little Kate woke up at around 6:45am after a really solid nights sleep. She was tired and we were tired, so it served us all to have a good bit of rest that first night. Thank you God for looking out for us in that regard. We had a quiet morning that included a trip to the breakfast bar where we found out that she will eat just about anything you put in front of her. While she may not be standing and walking well, here fine motor skills in her hands are pretty good. She will take a piece of food between her thumb and index finger and put it up to her mouth and take a dainty little bite of her food. It is too cute! She really comes alive when you sit down at the table and start eating. She will watch as every bite goes to your mouth and to hers. This is the time where she really likes to reach out and grab what she sees. Other than during meals, she is still very reserved and appears somewhat wary of what is happening around her.
In the afternoon of Tuesday, the group assembled in the lobby of the White Swan so that we could head back to the CAB (Civil Affairs Bureau) to submit the paperwork that we filled out the night before.
We submitted our Application for Adoption, our Adoption Notarization Application, and took our first “official” family photo for our adoption certificate (got it on the first take, thank you very much). This is also the time we were formerly “interviewed” by the CAB staffer responsible for that task. It was a very routine session where they verified our name, age, and made sure we would not abandon or abuse our new child (sarcastic remark omitted). After that interview we moved upstairs to the 9th floor for our notary interview. She asked basically the same questions, filled out a very similar form, and said thank you. It is amazing how even though we have filled out forms with all this info on it (in triplicate), these steps are also required. I presume that it is a form of checks and balances (and employment generation) to ensure a “thorough” process.
Once we were finished with our official business, it was back to the hotel for us. We freshened up a bit and then headed out to get a bite to eat. This night we visited the nearby Lucy’s Restaurant. It caters to the western palate with hamburgers, grilled cheese, French fries, etc. Kate loved her congee with chicken pieces in it. So much so, that she lunged for it when they put it on the table. Just a minor spill cleanup and we proceeded to “enjoy” the rest of our meal.*** After dinner we visited some of the shops nearby where Gram finally got to buy something: some squeaky shoes for Kate and some other things I won’t mention in case she wants them to be a surprise to those back home. Once back in the hotel, we cleaned Kate up and put her down for bed where she fell asleep in about 1 minute. She’s one amazing little girl.
With everything she has been through over the last two days, she is very calm and content (as long as you hold her). She seems to be getting more comfortable with us and has made a few utterances as she slowly starts to come out of her shell.
On Tuesday, August 28, little Kate woke up at around 6:45am after a really solid nights sleep. She was tired and we were tired, so it served us all to have a good bit of rest that first night. Thank you God for looking out for us in that regard. We had a quiet morning that included a trip to the breakfast bar where we found out that she will eat just about anything you put in front of her. While she may not be standing and walking well, here fine motor skills in her hands are pretty good. She will take a piece of food between her thumb and index finger and put it up to her mouth and take a dainty little bite of her food. It is too cute! She really comes alive when you sit down at the table and start eating. She will watch as every bite goes to your mouth and to hers. This is the time where she really likes to reach out and grab what she sees. Other than during meals, she is still very reserved and appears somewhat wary of what is happening around her.
In the afternoon of Tuesday, the group assembled in the lobby of the White Swan so that we could head back to the CAB (Civil Affairs Bureau) to submit the paperwork that we filled out the night before.
We submitted our Application for Adoption, our Adoption Notarization Application, and took our first “official” family photo for our adoption certificate (got it on the first take, thank you very much). This is also the time we were formerly “interviewed” by the CAB staffer responsible for that task. It was a very routine session where they verified our name, age, and made sure we would not abandon or abuse our new child (sarcastic remark omitted). After that interview we moved upstairs to the 9th floor for our notary interview. She asked basically the same questions, filled out a very similar form, and said thank you. It is amazing how even though we have filled out forms with all this info on it (in triplicate), these steps are also required. I presume that it is a form of checks and balances (and employment generation) to ensure a “thorough” process.Once we were finished with our official business, it was back to the hotel for us. We freshened up a bit and then headed out to get a bite to eat. This night we visited the nearby Lucy’s Restaurant. It caters to the western palate with hamburgers, grilled cheese, French fries, etc. Kate loved her congee with chicken pieces in it. So much so, that she lunged for it when they put it on the table. Just a minor spill cleanup and we proceeded to “enjoy” the rest of our meal.*** After dinner we visited some of the shops nearby where Gram finally got to buy something: some squeaky shoes for Kate and some other things I won’t mention in case she wants them to be a surprise to those back home. Once back in the hotel, we cleaned Kate up and put her down for bed where she fell asleep in about 1 minute. She’s one amazing little girl.
With everything she has been through over the last two days, she is very calm and content (as long as you hold her). She seems to be getting more comfortable with us and has made a few utterances as she slowly starts to come out of her shell.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Summary Part 4 - Guangzhou & Gotcha
27 August 2007 10:20pm Guangzhou (10:20am EST)
Guangzhou:
Okay, we landed at about 11:15pm Sunday and met our local contact (Li Ping) who escorted us to our hotel, the White Swan. They only had us in one room with third bed/cot added and we knew pretty quickly that this was not going to cut it for two weeks. We made due for the night and after all the events finished this afternoon, we got a second room two doors down to help alleviate the congestion. So picture this if you will………you enter a hotel room and as you walk past the bathroom you have the first bed, then in the space between the two beds you have a crib then the second bed, then a third bed/cot next to it, then the wall. Needless to say, navigating around the luggage and beds/crib/cot was not something we wanted to do for two weeks, thus the change.
But all that is useless fodder compared to the real events of the day that occurred around 2pm. At 1:15pm, we met Liping in the lobby and finally met the other families in our travel group. Two are from Oregon, one from Wisconsin, and one from Florida. The couple from Florida (Pale and Kate) are adopting their second daughter so they are the veterans of the group. We piled into a small bus and headed to the CAB (Civil Affairs Bureau) to meet our daughters for the first time. We rode the elevator to the ninth floor and were all led into a small office room about 15’ x 15’. It was not long before they called Paul and Kate to the door and led their daughter in. Seeing that for another family really started to drive it home for us. After all the waiting, after all the frustrations, after all the anticipation, it was finally about to happen. Next were the Wheelers from Oregon and then they called out Yi Qing and we knew it was our turn at the door. As we squatted down to receive her she was led in by one of the ladies at the CAB. She was not walking, but rather was being held up trying to get her to walk in. Elizabeth took her in her arms and we both stood and walked to a corner where we could soak in the moment a bit more. She did not really fuss and although she is a bit tentative, she was not screaming as though she was in hot oil. She likes to be held and has not shown much interest in being put down yet.
Thanks to Gram, 
we have the moment caught on video an also have good pictures of our short time at the CAB. I say short because we had to get out of the office by 2:30pm so that another group could come in to received their children. Peter (our leader for this expedition) said there were over 40 families who were supposed to be receiving children today at the CAB. I believed him because when we stepped out of the office, the reception area was packed (40+ people) with other couples waiting their turn.
The families all went back to the White Swan where the dads met in Liping’s room to fill out paperwork that would be need for the appointments on Tuesday. Once that was completed, a few of us had to run the local supermarket and pick up some formula and cereal so that we would have something to feed our beautiful new daughters. I was also able to pick up some coke and a few celebratory beers to enjoy with our Papa John’s pizza we had later that night (after not having a real meal for over 24 hours). Little Kate has been mostly quiet so far. She had a brief time where she was fussy and cried a little but eventually she settled down and fell asleep around 7:30pm. We could tell when we received her that she was one tired little princess. As I write this she is asleep behind me and I can hear her as she inhales and exhales.
We got to talk to Zach and the gang back home to share the wonderful news that we have a new addition. Although it is not official until about 2:00pm tomorrow, it is a done deal in our hearts.
Tomorrow we will be free in the morning and have another appointment at the CAB to submit our Adoption Application and Notarization of Adoption Application.
Say a prayer for us. The most important thing we have to do is learn more about Kate and give her as much love and attention that we can Again, we also want to thank our family and friend back home for the support we have received and are still receiving as we work to bring Kate back home.
God Bless,
Kyle.
And finally...
Guangzhou:
Okay, we landed at about 11:15pm Sunday and met our local contact (Li Ping) who escorted us to our hotel, the White Swan. They only had us in one room with third bed/cot added and we knew pretty quickly that this was not going to cut it for two weeks. We made due for the night and after all the events finished this afternoon, we got a second room two doors down to help alleviate the congestion. So picture this if you will………you enter a hotel room and as you walk past the bathroom you have the first bed, then in the space between the two beds you have a crib then the second bed, then a third bed/cot next to it, then the wall. Needless to say, navigating around the luggage and beds/crib/cot was not something we wanted to do for two weeks, thus the change.
But all that is useless fodder compared to the real events of the day that occurred around 2pm. At 1:15pm, we met Liping in the lobby and finally met the other families in our travel group. Two are from Oregon, one from Wisconsin, and one from Florida. The couple from Florida (Pale and Kate) are adopting their second daughter so they are the veterans of the group. We piled into a small bus and headed to the CAB (Civil Affairs Bureau) to meet our daughters for the first time. We rode the elevator to the ninth floor and were all led into a small office room about 15’ x 15’. It was not long before they called Paul and Kate to the door and led their daughter in. Seeing that for another family really started to drive it home for us. After all the waiting, after all the frustrations, after all the anticipation, it was finally about to happen. Next were the Wheelers from Oregon and then they called out Yi Qing and we knew it was our turn at the door. As we squatted down to receive her she was led in by one of the ladies at the CAB. She was not walking, but rather was being held up trying to get her to walk in. Elizabeth took her in her arms and we both stood and walked to a corner where we could soak in the moment a bit more. She did not really fuss and although she is a bit tentative, she was not screaming as though she was in hot oil. She likes to be held and has not shown much interest in being put down yet.
Thanks to Gram, 
we have the moment caught on video an also have good pictures of our short time at the CAB. I say short because we had to get out of the office by 2:30pm so that another group could come in to received their children. Peter (our leader for this expedition) said there were over 40 families who were supposed to be receiving children today at the CAB. I believed him because when we stepped out of the office, the reception area was packed (40+ people) with other couples waiting their turn.The families all went back to the White Swan where the dads met in Liping’s room to fill out paperwork that would be need for the appointments on Tuesday. Once that was completed, a few of us had to run the local supermarket and pick up some formula and cereal so that we would have something to feed our beautiful new daughters. I was also able to pick up some coke and a few celebratory beers to enjoy with our Papa John’s pizza we had later that night (after not having a real meal for over 24 hours). Little Kate has been mostly quiet so far. She had a brief time where she was fussy and cried a little but eventually she settled down and fell asleep around 7:30pm. We could tell when we received her that she was one tired little princess. As I write this she is asleep behind me and I can hear her as she inhales and exhales.
We got to talk to Zach and the gang back home to share the wonderful news that we have a new addition. Although it is not official until about 2:00pm tomorrow, it is a done deal in our hearts.
Tomorrow we will be free in the morning and have another appointment at the CAB to submit our Adoption Application and Notarization of Adoption Application.
Say a prayer for us. The most important thing we have to do is learn more about Kate and give her as much love and attention that we can Again, we also want to thank our family and friend back home for the support we have received and are still receiving as we work to bring Kate back home.
God Bless,
Kyle.
Summay Part 3 - Beijing
27 August 2007 7:50pm Guangzhou (7:50am EST)
What a day (or two)! The last two days have been quite a blur. We spent all day Sunday the 26th touring Beijing. After sleeping for a few hours we woke up and experience our first breakfast buffet in China. It had the usual items you would see in the states (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, rolls) and some things that are common here in China (noodles, coddled(?hard boiled?) eggs, some type of wonton soup (it appeared)).
Beijing:
After getting some sustenance, we met our guide for the day (Belinda) and proceeded with our driver (Master Li) to Tiananmen Square. Our Honda Accord stopped right at the edge of the square and we hopped out into a light drizzle. As we walked across the massive layout we passed the large memorial to soldiers that fought in the wars. It is a large square pillar type structure near the center of the square. Next we swung by the Olympic countdown clock located on the east side of the square and then headed to the south entrance of the Forbidden City.
The former city of the emperors is quite an imposing complex. There was much renovation underway because of the Olympics next year. Everyone is VERY excited and proud that they are hosting the games in 2008. The motto (One World, One Dream) can be found everywhere, including on the side of the mountain at the Great Wall. You could tell that in its prime the Forbidden City must have been a spectacular site. We walked all the way through the city and took at good picture at the “Couples Tree”. This is two trees that have grown together and appear to have interlocking arms. Once we came out the north entrance, our trusty Master Li delivered us to a jade market. The young lady there gave us a brief overview of the jade refining/carving process and helped give us clues on how to determine the quality of different jades. They had an excellent array of choices, but I just could not pull the trigger to bring home the 4’ tall tiger. I think it may have been over the weight limit for checked baggage.
After an “authentic” Chinese lunch at the Friendship Store, we were off to see the Great Wall. It is quite amazing that as you enter the mountain range north of Beijing you almost immediately start seeing parts of the wall. It was wet and cool when we arrived but we know it sure beat being 100 degrees and muggy. Gram and Belinda (our guide) were able to make it to one tower, while Elizabeth and I skipped on to the second. Let it be known here that I was ready to keep going even though the next stretch looked pretty darn brutal, however, I could tell that I would have to pull Eliz up the last bit. Since I was not sure I would make it all the way, we decided discretion was the better part of valor and just soaked in what we could at the tower we made it too. Again, I found it remarkable to look over the ranges and see the wall and towers as far as you could see. It was just a really cool thing to see. I would love to hike more just for the experience, but that will have to wait for another time, if ever.
Well, Beijing is almost done. After the Great Wall, we were dropped off at the airport where Miranda (local volunteer who picked us up at the airport Sat. night) brought us our checked baggage. We spent an hour or so waiting to check in and had a chance to talk to both Belinda and Miranda more. They both expressed and interest to come to the US, but said that it is very hard to obtain a visa for entry. It appears the best chance it to find a school that you can attend for graduate studies and go on a student visa. We eventually said our goodbyes and went past security to wait at our gate for the flight to Guangzhou. The flight to Guangzhou was very smooth and the flight attendants were some of the nicest we’ve had this trip (right up there with the Tokyo to Beijing crew).
One more to go....
What a day (or two)! The last two days have been quite a blur. We spent all day Sunday the 26th touring Beijing. After sleeping for a few hours we woke up and experience our first breakfast buffet in China. It had the usual items you would see in the states (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, rolls) and some things that are common here in China (noodles, coddled(?hard boiled?) eggs, some type of wonton soup (it appeared)).
Beijing:
After getting some sustenance, we met our guide for the day (Belinda) and proceeded with our driver (Master Li) to Tiananmen Square. Our Honda Accord stopped right at the edge of the square and we hopped out into a light drizzle. As we walked across the massive layout we passed the large memorial to soldiers that fought in the wars. It is a large square pillar type structure near the center of the square. Next we swung by the Olympic countdown clock located on the east side of the square and then headed to the south entrance of the Forbidden City.
The former city of the emperors is quite an imposing complex. There was much renovation underway because of the Olympics next year. Everyone is VERY excited and proud that they are hosting the games in 2008. The motto (One World, One Dream) can be found everywhere, including on the side of the mountain at the Great Wall. You could tell that in its prime the Forbidden City must have been a spectacular site. We walked all the way through the city and took at good picture at the “Couples Tree”. This is two trees that have grown together and appear to have interlocking arms. Once we came out the north entrance, our trusty Master Li delivered us to a jade market. The young lady there gave us a brief overview of the jade refining/carving process and helped give us clues on how to determine the quality of different jades. They had an excellent array of choices, but I just could not pull the trigger to bring home the 4’ tall tiger. I think it may have been over the weight limit for checked baggage.
After an “authentic” Chinese lunch at the Friendship Store, we were off to see the Great Wall. It is quite amazing that as you enter the mountain range north of Beijing you almost immediately start seeing parts of the wall. It was wet and cool when we arrived but we know it sure beat being 100 degrees and muggy. Gram and Belinda (our guide) were able to make it to one tower, while Elizabeth and I skipped on to the second. Let it be known here that I was ready to keep going even though the next stretch looked pretty darn brutal, however, I could tell that I would have to pull Eliz up the last bit. Since I was not sure I would make it all the way, we decided discretion was the better part of valor and just soaked in what we could at the tower we made it too. Again, I found it remarkable to look over the ranges and see the wall and towers as far as you could see. It was just a really cool thing to see. I would love to hike more just for the experience, but that will have to wait for another time, if ever.
Well, Beijing is almost done. After the Great Wall, we were dropped off at the airport where Miranda (local volunteer who picked us up at the airport Sat. night) brought us our checked baggage. We spent an hour or so waiting to check in and had a chance to talk to both Belinda and Miranda more. They both expressed and interest to come to the US, but said that it is very hard to obtain a visa for entry. It appears the best chance it to find a school that you can attend for graduate studies and go on a student visa. We eventually said our goodbyes and went past security to wait at our gate for the flight to Guangzhou. The flight to Guangzhou was very smooth and the flight attendants were some of the nicest we’ve had this trip (right up there with the Tokyo to Beijing crew).
One more to go....
Summary Part 2
25 August 2007 11:50pm Beijing (11:50am EST)
Alas, the weary travelers have arrived in Beijing. They checked into their hotel and all had a good scrubbing to wash away the grime of 28+ hours in transit (18+ of those in the flying tubes). All of the flights went off without a hitch and their baggage was already at the conveyor by the time they got through the first two checkpoints and, boy, was that a relief. After a brief wait once through customs, their local rep (Miranda) found them outside baggage claim and escorted them to their hotel and gave them a brief rundown of Sunday’s events.
The Haudu Hotel where we are staying for the one night in Beijing is nice. We have a double bed that is the size of our king beds in thestates and one small cot that they added once we checked-in. Tomorrow we will be doing a whirlwind tour of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall which will be followed by a late departure to Guangzhou (7:15pm). That puts us in Guangzhou around 10:15pm and hopefully resting in our hotel (White Swan) by midnight. Monday morning is the biggest day of the trip as it is the moment we get to meet our daughter, Kate. After a long journey as this, we wish it were tomorrow.
KEG.
Alas, the weary travelers have arrived in Beijing. They checked into their hotel and all had a good scrubbing to wash away the grime of 28+ hours in transit (18+ of those in the flying tubes). All of the flights went off without a hitch and their baggage was already at the conveyor by the time they got through the first two checkpoints and, boy, was that a relief. After a brief wait once through customs, their local rep (Miranda) found them outside baggage claim and escorted them to their hotel and gave them a brief rundown of Sunday’s events.
The Haudu Hotel where we are staying for the one night in Beijing is nice. We have a double bed that is the size of our king beds in thestates and one small cot that they added once we checked-in. Tomorrow we will be doing a whirlwind tour of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall which will be followed by a late departure to Guangzhou (7:15pm). That puts us in Guangzhou around 10:15pm and hopefully resting in our hotel (White Swan) by midnight. Monday morning is the biggest day of the trip as it is the moment we get to meet our daughter, Kate. After a long journey as this, we wish it were tomorrow.
KEG.
The summary of all summaries Part 1
I finally have established an internet connection and will publish a few updates to get everyone up to speed. Luckily, I have been writing each night in MSWord, so hopefully this is just a matter of cutting and pasting. Here it goes.....
25 August 2007 5:10pm Tokyo time (4:10am EST; 4:10pm China time)
So far so good. We have made it to Tokyo and are awaiting the final leg across to Beijing. The flight from Detroit to Tokyo was about 11.5 hours long and very smooth thankfully. No major issues to report other than swollen ankles. A neat feature of the restrooms here in Tokyo are the bedets. Even if I wanted to use it, I’m not sure I could follow the instruction for how it works. It had cleaning cycles, rinsing cycles, perfuming cycles…..who thought “it” could be so darn complicated.
Later,
KEG.
25 August 2007 5:10pm Tokyo time (4:10am EST; 4:10pm China time)
So far so good. We have made it to Tokyo and are awaiting the final leg across to Beijing. The flight from Detroit to Tokyo was about 11.5 hours long and very smooth thankfully. No major issues to report other than swollen ankles. A neat feature of the restrooms here in Tokyo are the bedets. Even if I wanted to use it, I’m not sure I could follow the instruction for how it works. It had cleaning cycles, rinsing cycles, perfuming cycles…..who thought “it” could be so darn complicated.
Later,
KEG.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Travel Approval and Plans at last!
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!
We finally have travel approval and the flights are booked. Our departure is set for Friday August 24 (at 6:05am). We do not know where we are staying yet, but maybe we will find out Monday. We are all ready to "go with the flow" as is often mentioned when preparing for this grand adventure. To say we are excited is the mother of all understatements. If you ask me, we cannot get there soon enough and hold our Kate soon enough either. After so many months waiting, it is finally becoming a reality. Our family is so ready to welcome its newest member and the support we have received from our family and friends has been something that we will always cherish.
As we travel, we will update the blog periodically and share as much as we can during this joyous process. Please keep us in your prayers and keep those that we leave behind (little Z-money ie. Zach) especially. It will be a long two weeks without my best little buddy, but when we return it will be a great event.
God bless to all.
Kyle.
We finally have travel approval and the flights are booked. Our departure is set for Friday August 24 (at 6:05am). We do not know where we are staying yet, but maybe we will find out Monday. We are all ready to "go with the flow" as is often mentioned when preparing for this grand adventure. To say we are excited is the mother of all understatements. If you ask me, we cannot get there soon enough and hold our Kate soon enough either. After so many months waiting, it is finally becoming a reality. Our family is so ready to welcome its newest member and the support we have received from our family and friends has been something that we will always cherish.
As we travel, we will update the blog periodically and share as much as we can during this joyous process. Please keep us in your prayers and keep those that we leave behind (little Z-money ie. Zach) especially. It will be a long two weeks without my best little buddy, but when we return it will be a great event.
God bless to all.
Kyle.
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