Today we wore everyone out at the Chime-Long Safari Park. First we took a thoroughly uneventful subway ride with one transfer. The Guangzhou subways are amazing: air conditioned, not stuffy, bright, and reasonably fast. All of the maps are logical and the announcements for the stops are made in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English. The only trouble we had was figuring out their token system for a couple of minutes. It took about an hour each way, but the people were really nice and gave seats to whichever parent had a small and/or sleeping child. A delightful experience as subways go.
The Chime-Long complex is like Disneyworld. There's the Safari Park, which is basically a zoo, a Crocodile Park, an amusement park, a water park, an international circus, and a big swanky hotel to see it all from. We just went to the Safari Park.
We took a shuttle bus from the Metro stop and wandered our way through, seeing apes (if it doesn't have a tail, it's not a monkey), pelicans, etc. Jim stopped to have his picture taken with a python (mouth taped shut). I helped Gus touch the snake to learn about him a bit. Once we reached the other end, we ate a quick lunch and got in a little train to see the Safari on Wheels part (which is about half the park). It was lunchtime for most of the animals, which was good b/c it was also really hot and the ones not eating were almost all snoozing. We saw lions and tigers and bears, and also giraffes and camels and run-of-the-mill American red deer (a guy actually got out of his car, which is against the rules, to take a picture of a DEER). Lots of animals, great safari. Jed fell asleep right at the end and was installed on my chest in the mei tai.
We then wandered back through the park and found the hold-a-baby-tiger area, which I really wanted to do, but since Jed and the baby tiger were napping it seemed unfair to wake them both up so we didn't. We did go to the giraffe area, and did the coolest thing. The zookeepers sell leafy branches for 10 yuan to feed the giraffes (I used to feed crackers to the giraffes as a kid, and the branches are much healthier for them and more fun). There are around 20 giraffes in the area, and whichever is hungry wanders over to the feeding area and looks for munchies. You pull off a bit of branch and offer it to the giraffe, and they wrap that huge tongue around it and pull it in. It was so much fun. Gus loved it, and Jed woke up in time to help too (he dealt really well with the fact that he woke up to a big giraffe tongue right near his face). One giraffe got the last bit of branch that just had a couple of leaves on each end, and he rolled that stick around and got every last bit of leaf off it and then spat out the stick. Apparently a giraffe's tongue is around 0.5 meters long. What a blast. The title of the area was "Feeding Giraffes with Joy". It was true!
Then Gus really wanted to see koalas, so we saw a bunch of sleeping koalas in the koala house. They only spend around 4 hours a day awake because their food is so un-nutritious. They don't have energy for anything else. And they wedge themselves into crooks of trees that look really uncomfortable, but snooze away anyhow.
Then we went by the giant panda house and saw some pandas eating, some playing, and some asleep in more uncomfortable-looking positions (seriously, I was afraid one of them was dead because no one living would want to wake up from that position). And then it was time to head back. At one point Gus looked at me very seriously and said, "Mommy, I think I'm going to fall asleep on the way back to the hotel." And he did, through about half the Metro ride.
We got back around 4 p.m., picked up the laundry and had a snack, played for a little while in the Swan Room and then started packing. Dinner was pizza delivery and some Chinese dishes from the deli. Jed is warming to pizza. So now that you are all informed, I will finish packing. Tomorrow after breakfast we head to the airport, and arrive at Incheon in South Korea at around 4 p.m. We'll spend the night at Incheon, then start the long trip home on Sunday.
O'Donnell Olio
olio
\ˈō-lē-ˌō\
- Olla Podrida
- a miscellaneous mixture : hodgepodge
- a miscellaneous collection (as of literary or musical selections)
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The visa has landed
Yesterday was a much better day. We had breakfast, then took the boys outside to an actual kids playground (unlike the one in Shenyang, which was an adult's playground plus a slide. We like the idea of an adult playground, just not to the exclusion of munchkin ones). We saw the playground a few days ago but it was roped off; the day before yesterday we saw kids on it, though, so off we went! Just an hour of morning climbing made such a difference for the day. The playground is in Shamian Park, and we saw around a hundred people playing hacky sack, doing tai chi, and that game that we bought in Beijing that looks like tai chi with a racquet.
Then we came back to the hotel and changed the boys into traditional Chinese dress for the obligatory "red couch" picture (now posted on flickr). They both looked great, but it's pretty clear that they'll both outgrow their outfits by Chinese New Year so we bought another one in a bigger size.
Then we spent an hour destroying the playroom and had lunch. While the boys were napping, Jim and I took a quick excursion to case the subway (how far to the Safari Park? How many transfers? Are the signs in English?). All indications were good and a nice subway attendant practiced her English on us so it looks pretty good for today. Then we walked through the QingPing market, an open air market that is what Whole Foods wishes it could be except for the pig knuckles. I have never seen so many mushrooms in one place, and no idea what most of the stuff was. It was the same principle as the Electronics City and the Wholesale Pearl Market; 100 vendors selling exactly the same thing. I don't understand it, but it works.
After nap we went to the pool for a while, where the boys have a love/hate relationship with the waterfall, and then Jim went to pick up Jed's visa (no misprints this time). Then I foisted off the other half of my tablecloth rebozo on another family and we went out to the French place for dinner with them. The boys enjoyed their food, I had some really good fish, and Jim ate the peppers that were served with his quail and instantly decided it was a mistake. They burned for almost an hour.
Bedtime was much easier, but the boys woke up with me at 6:30 this morning so we've already had one timeout, one dirty diaper, and a couple spurts of whining. Today the big plan is for the Safari Park. Tonight I will be doing some serious packing, and then tomorrow we head to Korea.
Then we came back to the hotel and changed the boys into traditional Chinese dress for the obligatory "red couch" picture (now posted on flickr). They both looked great, but it's pretty clear that they'll both outgrow their outfits by Chinese New Year so we bought another one in a bigger size.
Then we spent an hour destroying the playroom and had lunch. While the boys were napping, Jim and I took a quick excursion to case the subway (how far to the Safari Park? How many transfers? Are the signs in English?). All indications were good and a nice subway attendant practiced her English on us so it looks pretty good for today. Then we walked through the QingPing market, an open air market that is what Whole Foods wishes it could be except for the pig knuckles. I have never seen so many mushrooms in one place, and no idea what most of the stuff was. It was the same principle as the Electronics City and the Wholesale Pearl Market; 100 vendors selling exactly the same thing. I don't understand it, but it works.
After nap we went to the pool for a while, where the boys have a love/hate relationship with the waterfall, and then Jim went to pick up Jed's visa (no misprints this time). Then I foisted off the other half of my tablecloth rebozo on another family and we went out to the French place for dinner with them. The boys enjoyed their food, I had some really good fish, and Jim ate the peppers that were served with his quail and instantly decided it was a mistake. They burned for almost an hour.
Bedtime was much easier, but the boys woke up with me at 6:30 this morning so we've already had one timeout, one dirty diaper, and a couple spurts of whining. Today the big plan is for the Safari Park. Tonight I will be doing some serious packing, and then tomorrow we head to Korea.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Are we there yet?
Despite all the well wishes on my Facebook page yesterday (thanks, everyone), yesterday was a rough day. The morning was fine, but we had to wake up Jed early from his nap to go to the Consulate, and Gus woke up too and never completely recovered. Bedtime was a nightmare. I want to be home again, where the schedule is predictable, my kids don't have to be on their best behavior to eat three times a day, there are apples in the fridge that I can slice to take the edge off their hunger while we're waiting for dinner, and everyone sits in chairs so that I don't get bumped while I'm eating. Frustrating day.
The Consulate visit was fine. Very anticlimactic. The staff doublechecked the passports of parents and children to make sure the right kids were there with the right parents, and then we all swore that we had not lied on our kids immigration forms. We spent most of the wait chasing Jed around the room. He is learning from his big brother that just sitting around is a waste of time!
Jed loves his new squeaky shoes. He got up yesterday, and the first thing he did was bring me his shoes. And then whined about them for an hour b/c no one was dressed yet. I thought the squeaking would be cute but annoying, but it's actually very helpful. It's like radar; I know just where he is (and he walked right into the street the other day, so that's a very good thing).
Today is a quiet day. We take the famous "red couch" picture this morning, and then this afternoon Connie will bring Jed's visa. Hopefully it's correctly printed this time. Tomorrow we're planning to go to a big safari park outside of Guangzhou, and then do the epic pack to get all of our children and souvenirs back home.
The Consulate visit was fine. Very anticlimactic. The staff doublechecked the passports of parents and children to make sure the right kids were there with the right parents, and then we all swore that we had not lied on our kids immigration forms. We spent most of the wait chasing Jed around the room. He is learning from his big brother that just sitting around is a waste of time!
Jed loves his new squeaky shoes. He got up yesterday, and the first thing he did was bring me his shoes. And then whined about them for an hour b/c no one was dressed yet. I thought the squeaking would be cute but annoying, but it's actually very helpful. It's like radar; I know just where he is (and he walked right into the street the other day, so that's a very good thing).
Today is a quiet day. We take the famous "red couch" picture this morning, and then this afternoon Connie will bring Jed's visa. Hopefully it's correctly printed this time. Tomorrow we're planning to go to a big safari park outside of Guangzhou, and then do the epic pack to get all of our children and souvenirs back home.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
It's my birthday...
...but I still can't sleep as late as I want to. Six-fifteen, no matter how late I stay up. Woke up this morning to a very foggy day. I can barely see any boats on the river. Last night we had our first real thunderstorm, although we've had lots of misty rain before.
Yesterday morning was the visa appointment we didn't have to go to. We did, however, have to stay in the room in case Connie needed any information from us. Good days do not start with 2.5 hours of 2 wiggly boys in a hotel room. As soon as we got the all clear from Connie we took them outside to wiggle across the island on a quick walk. I was looking for a silk comforter, which are pretty much impossible to find in the States, and there is a nearby "Department Store and Electronics City" about 4 blocks off the Island. So we walked there to discover that the "Department Store" part is very outdated, and instead it's 5 floors of cell phones, USB sticks, etc. I couldn't believe that there were more electronics every set of stairs we climbed. On the way down we found the escalators.
We had lunch in the "American" restaurant. I ordered chicken congee for Jed, and he poohpoohed the entire notion, now knowing there was much more interesting food in the world. He loves potatoes, and so his lunch ended up being apple juice and French fries. Oh well. Gus polished off an entire adult-sized grilled cheese sandwich. Dad ordered chili con carne and enjoyed it, despite talking trash about it the entire time we were waiting. As much as I would like a hamburger, it just isn't the same without lettuce on that bun (and we're not supposed to eat lettuce here, too many crannies for dirty water to cling to when it gets re-washed). Sigh.
During naptime Dad and I left for a trip to the wholesale pearl market. We are seeing a big difference in shopping philosophy: in the US, a mall has a lot of stores, with very few types of stores being repeated (and therefore not much competition). In China, a mall has a lot of stores selling exactly the same thing (like big bags of pearls, or cell phone cases) and a lot of competition. The Pearl Market is a six story mall full of jewelry wholesalers, and a lot of the stores look the same. Yet they stay in business. I found the simple freshwater pearl necklace I'd been looking for, and then wandered into the amber store to see pendants as big as my fist (beautiful, but probably awfully heavy to breathe under). Then Connie took us to a pedestrian shopping area (which stands on the original commercial center of Guangzhou, proven by a glass enclosure inside the main square that shows a piece of an old and an older city gate). There was an enormous department store where I found my silk comforter.
Dad and I both noticed something creepy, though, about the department store. All of the mannequins and practically all of the models on posters were white (and most of them were blonde). It's as if the brands we see in the US don't even change marketing for China (although they must, right?). What kind of body image issues are going to come up when the girls are pushed to achieve a look that is really physically impossible for them?
We arrived back at the hotel to find the boys happily destroying the playroom, and I ran to pick up the laundry before dinner. If we lived here, Jim would never do laundry again. I picked up 5 days of laundry for 5 people, washed, pressed, and folded, for $30. Wow.
Then Connie took us to her favorite local Cantonese restaurant (which is right across the street). We'd gone as a group a couple of days ago without her and enjoyed it, but this time she ordered for us and it was fantastic. Everything was delicious, even the mushrooms, which Jim and I always hate. The tea was fabulous, and the boys were diverted by the enormous live prawns and fish waiting in tanks in the front to be chosen for dinner. There's a saying that the Cantonese eat everything with four legs except the table; I saw a box of water beetles skittering around out front too. No thank you. But dinner was excellent.
Then bed for the boys, Jim did an ice cream run for the grownups, and we chatted until we were about to fall over. Today will be a calmer day.
Yesterday morning was the visa appointment we didn't have to go to. We did, however, have to stay in the room in case Connie needed any information from us. Good days do not start with 2.5 hours of 2 wiggly boys in a hotel room. As soon as we got the all clear from Connie we took them outside to wiggle across the island on a quick walk. I was looking for a silk comforter, which are pretty much impossible to find in the States, and there is a nearby "Department Store and Electronics City" about 4 blocks off the Island. So we walked there to discover that the "Department Store" part is very outdated, and instead it's 5 floors of cell phones, USB sticks, etc. I couldn't believe that there were more electronics every set of stairs we climbed. On the way down we found the escalators.
We had lunch in the "American" restaurant. I ordered chicken congee for Jed, and he poohpoohed the entire notion, now knowing there was much more interesting food in the world. He loves potatoes, and so his lunch ended up being apple juice and French fries. Oh well. Gus polished off an entire adult-sized grilled cheese sandwich. Dad ordered chili con carne and enjoyed it, despite talking trash about it the entire time we were waiting. As much as I would like a hamburger, it just isn't the same without lettuce on that bun (and we're not supposed to eat lettuce here, too many crannies for dirty water to cling to when it gets re-washed). Sigh.
During naptime Dad and I left for a trip to the wholesale pearl market. We are seeing a big difference in shopping philosophy: in the US, a mall has a lot of stores, with very few types of stores being repeated (and therefore not much competition). In China, a mall has a lot of stores selling exactly the same thing (like big bags of pearls, or cell phone cases) and a lot of competition. The Pearl Market is a six story mall full of jewelry wholesalers, and a lot of the stores look the same. Yet they stay in business. I found the simple freshwater pearl necklace I'd been looking for, and then wandered into the amber store to see pendants as big as my fist (beautiful, but probably awfully heavy to breathe under). Then Connie took us to a pedestrian shopping area (which stands on the original commercial center of Guangzhou, proven by a glass enclosure inside the main square that shows a piece of an old and an older city gate). There was an enormous department store where I found my silk comforter.
Dad and I both noticed something creepy, though, about the department store. All of the mannequins and practically all of the models on posters were white (and most of them were blonde). It's as if the brands we see in the US don't even change marketing for China (although they must, right?). What kind of body image issues are going to come up when the girls are pushed to achieve a look that is really physically impossible for them?
We arrived back at the hotel to find the boys happily destroying the playroom, and I ran to pick up the laundry before dinner. If we lived here, Jim would never do laundry again. I picked up 5 days of laundry for 5 people, washed, pressed, and folded, for $30. Wow.
Then Connie took us to her favorite local Cantonese restaurant (which is right across the street). We'd gone as a group a couple of days ago without her and enjoyed it, but this time she ordered for us and it was fantastic. Everything was delicious, even the mushrooms, which Jim and I always hate. The tea was fabulous, and the boys were diverted by the enormous live prawns and fish waiting in tanks in the front to be chosen for dinner. There's a saying that the Cantonese eat everything with four legs except the table; I saw a box of water beetles skittering around out front too. No thank you. But dinner was excellent.
Then bed for the boys, Jim did an ice cream run for the grownups, and we chatted until we were about to fall over. Today will be a calmer day.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day
We had barbecued beef for breakfast yesterday in its honor. The rest of the day was not particularly restful. I am now writing with two wiggly boys on my lap, so please excuse any typos.
Yesterday we took a group tour to Six Banyan Temple, a Buddhist Temple named by a famous calligrapher around 1500 years ago for the six beautiful trees in front of it. The temple has now been absorbed by urban Guangzhou and the trees have burned down, but the temple area is still very peaceful and the boys got to wander around and explore it a bit. We saw a procession of monks (male and female) doing their rounds.
Then we went to the Jade Market. The Chinese believe that wearing jade makes women stronger and more beautiful. Traditionally a mother will give her daughter a jade bracelet when she turns marriageable age, and often the lady will never take off that bracelet. Well, when I tried on bracelets I discovered the differing philosophies. It would be possible to get the bracelet onto my arm, but because of the positions of the bones in my hands it would hurt a lot. Perhaps not.
After lunch I took Jim out to do some shopping. We decided on a beautiful water dragon tea set, a couple of silk jackets (I am size XXL-XXXL over here), a scroll of the Great Wall for Jed's room and a simple scroll of koi for us. Sent Jim back to be there for the end of naptime and did a bit more shopping.
After nap we hit the pool, and then went shoe shopping for the boys. Much to our dismay Gus's feet have passed the size at which they make squeaky shoes. But he was outgrowing his old pair and so we got him some non-squeaky shoes anyhow. We also picked up a couple of outfits for the boys to wear on Chinese New Year.
Gotta change the baby and get ready for breakfast!
Yesterday we took a group tour to Six Banyan Temple, a Buddhist Temple named by a famous calligrapher around 1500 years ago for the six beautiful trees in front of it. The temple has now been absorbed by urban Guangzhou and the trees have burned down, but the temple area is still very peaceful and the boys got to wander around and explore it a bit. We saw a procession of monks (male and female) doing their rounds.
Then we went to the Jade Market. The Chinese believe that wearing jade makes women stronger and more beautiful. Traditionally a mother will give her daughter a jade bracelet when she turns marriageable age, and often the lady will never take off that bracelet. Well, when I tried on bracelets I discovered the differing philosophies. It would be possible to get the bracelet onto my arm, but because of the positions of the bones in my hands it would hurt a lot. Perhaps not.
After lunch I took Jim out to do some shopping. We decided on a beautiful water dragon tea set, a couple of silk jackets (I am size XXL-XXXL over here), a scroll of the Great Wall for Jed's room and a simple scroll of koi for us. Sent Jim back to be there for the end of naptime and did a bit more shopping.
After nap we hit the pool, and then went shoe shopping for the boys. Much to our dismay Gus's feet have passed the size at which they make squeaky shoes. But he was outgrowing his old pair and so we got him some non-squeaky shoes anyhow. We also picked up a couple of outfits for the boys to wear on Chinese New Year.
Gotta change the baby and get ready for breakfast!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Attachment Update
For all those of you wondering how the family is getting on, it's going extremely well. Jed is attaching great. Lots of eye contact. I feed him, he feeds me, lots of smiles. He is now so used to my being there that when he needs help to climb a tall stair, he holds his hand out for mine without even looking. He still prefers me to Jim, but has no problem with Jim taking care of him or being there when he wakes up. The three guys were in the playroom yesterday and Jed was so excited when I walked in and toddled right over for a hug, but it's not that he minded being with Daddy at all.
We had our first bath a couple of days ago (another thing I can't imagine going well without Gus around), and then played in the pool yesterday. At one point Jed just tipped over face first into the pool. We hauled him right out before he breathed in any water, and the look on his face was priceless.
The boys are in general getting along well. Gus loves having an audience, and we've given him lots of extra snuggles. He does get distracted by having Jed in bed with him, though, and sometimes tries to keep Jed awake to play. Jed, who only wants to sleep, scratches him and then rolls over, while Gus freaks out. Jed can sleep through (to date) half an hour of Gus howling right next to him (we guess an orphanage is probably a good place to learn to sleep through anything). Today we're going to try putting them in separate rooms for naps, since nighttime is usually much better. The trip is starting to wear on Gus, but he takes out his frustrations on us instead of Jed, which is brilliant. What an amazing little boy, who is so ready to be back home.
I did the recon on shopping yesterday and will start some of it today. Even in the tourist trap that is Shamian Island, everything is really cheap. Shamian reminds us a lot of Antigua, where we stayed with Gus for a weekend on his family trip; it's an old European-style city that has been turned into a lovely tourist trap with lots of foreigners. My two favorite things: 1) the deli next door, where the four of us ate for under $10 yesterday, and which also has ice cream; and 2) the fact that the Chinese don't seem at all to be bothered by chaos. There's still a lot of construction on the island for the upcoming Asian/Para-Asian Games, and lots of noise and dust, but the many brides having their pictures taken in the main park still look quite serene. And am I glad that I brought capris and skirts--to date I have seen exactly one Chinese lady wearing shorts. Not that I don't stick out, but at least I stick out appropriately.
We had our first bath a couple of days ago (another thing I can't imagine going well without Gus around), and then played in the pool yesterday. At one point Jed just tipped over face first into the pool. We hauled him right out before he breathed in any water, and the look on his face was priceless.
The boys are in general getting along well. Gus loves having an audience, and we've given him lots of extra snuggles. He does get distracted by having Jed in bed with him, though, and sometimes tries to keep Jed awake to play. Jed, who only wants to sleep, scratches him and then rolls over, while Gus freaks out. Jed can sleep through (to date) half an hour of Gus howling right next to him (we guess an orphanage is probably a good place to learn to sleep through anything). Today we're going to try putting them in separate rooms for naps, since nighttime is usually much better. The trip is starting to wear on Gus, but he takes out his frustrations on us instead of Jed, which is brilliant. What an amazing little boy, who is so ready to be back home.
I did the recon on shopping yesterday and will start some of it today. Even in the tourist trap that is Shamian Island, everything is really cheap. Shamian reminds us a lot of Antigua, where we stayed with Gus for a weekend on his family trip; it's an old European-style city that has been turned into a lovely tourist trap with lots of foreigners. My two favorite things: 1) the deli next door, where the four of us ate for under $10 yesterday, and which also has ice cream; and 2) the fact that the Chinese don't seem at all to be bothered by chaos. There's still a lot of construction on the island for the upcoming Asian/Para-Asian Games, and lots of noise and dust, but the many brides having their pictures taken in the main park still look quite serene. And am I glad that I brought capris and skirts--to date I have seen exactly one Chinese lady wearing shorts. Not that I don't stick out, but at least I stick out appropriately.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The sun came out
It's a quiet day in Guangzhou today. I had a meeting this morning with Connie to get all my paperwork ducks in a row for our visa appointment on Tuesday morning (embassy workers get Labor Day off too); no problems there. Currently naptime. There's a deli next door to the hotel that serves what are essentially kolaches, and we've started having them for lunch. We're probably going to go take a swim after nap today. Rebekah is out scouring the shops on a reconnaissance mission.
Yesterday afternoon we went out and explored Shamian Island, which is about as large as a decent-sized shopping mall. The island seems to be completely dedicated to the noble task of taking money off of adoptive parents. Everybody seems to speak English at least a little here. One particularly enterprising shopkeeper named Jordan tried to ply me with everything from scrolls to tote bags to laundry service to a cute little traditional Chinese outfit for Jed, which he'd probably outgrow in about 2 days.
There are two famous restaurants on Shamian Island, neither of them serving Chinese food. We tried one of them yesterday: the Cow and Bridge. It's a Thai restaurant, not an English pub. Word to the wise: stay away from the ostrich curry. I haven't felt quite right all day today. Tonight we have a date with the rest of the CAWLI families to go eat at the other famous place, an American food place called Lucy's. We'll try to find some real food tomorrow.
Yesterday afternoon we went out and explored Shamian Island, which is about as large as a decent-sized shopping mall. The island seems to be completely dedicated to the noble task of taking money off of adoptive parents. Everybody seems to speak English at least a little here. One particularly enterprising shopkeeper named Jordan tried to ply me with everything from scrolls to tote bags to laundry service to a cute little traditional Chinese outfit for Jed, which he'd probably outgrow in about 2 days.
There are two famous restaurants on Shamian Island, neither of them serving Chinese food. We tried one of them yesterday: the Cow and Bridge. It's a Thai restaurant, not an English pub. Word to the wise: stay away from the ostrich curry. I haven't felt quite right all day today. Tonight we have a date with the rest of the CAWLI families to go eat at the other famous place, an American food place called Lucy's. We'll try to find some real food tomorrow.
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