Last of the red tape

Actullay today it's red white and blue tape as we go to the US counsulate and take an oath..It's either our oath for the webelos or to make L an american citizen..one or the other. It's the last step in this insane buearocratic parade we've been on for the last 2 years. When I look at our stinky pants, squeeler with delight and demands, laugher, crier pooper baby it's all worth it. WE took a dinner cruise on one of the neon guangzhou party boats two nights ago.I couldn't help feeling like we were in the bridge scene in apochalypse now...adopt with extreme predjudise...are you in chare? I thought you were in charge.

I was happy to finally lay to rest one of the mis-conceptions I had coming to china. China is bloating it'self on capatialism. Compared to china, the miller hill mall is a refined tea party. Guangzhou (and the rest of china) has the giddy fever of new found consumerist frenzy..like a sugared up kid in a candy store this is "C"aptialism like we couldn't muster in our most wild back to school/last minute xmas orgy. No coupons, no sale prices...just barter and buy, buy, buy! To endulge, P, L and I went to another toy/ trinket market deep in Guangzhou central...OMG!We got some stuff at insanley tiny prices..and yet we still bartered.
Well we fly out of here tomorrow...thats friday the 9th. Flight leaves at 8am so we have to be up and out by 5a. It's going to be a long day -- we'll dodge typhoons, mechanics strikes and god knows what else with our plane full of babies (20 or so families)...I do not envy the people stuck with us on the tokyo to mpls ride. We leave Guanzhou at 8am on the 9th and get into Dululth(wheres that?) at 2:18p onthe 9th...fly backwards through time and forward to our future. THis'll be the last post from china, thanks for all the comments -- even though we havent been able to read them, just knowing that you've posted means alot. We cant wait to get home and melt into our lives again.

Guangzhou Days

Okay here's a stab at another post.
Guangzhou used to be called Canton by the whiteys who "discoverd" the place. They called it that because they split them selves up into "cantons" ala switzerland as they set up shop here...and boy did they. We're staying in a Huge hotel on Shamian Island (seprated from the busy streets by a green canal) this place feels like Chicago...only BIGGER! As we drove from the brand new airport into town we passed miles and miles (really) of apartment buildings...some newer most older and all with trees and laundry growing out of the balconies and roofs and the plmbing on the outside. There must have been housng for 7 million (really) that we saw...lots more we didn't. The highways are up on overpasses which weave between buildings and we could have reached out and grabbed us some chinese skivies if we wanted. We get to the White Swan Hotel. I guess nixon styed here...good choice on his part, he always had a nose for the buffet. This is USA ADOPTION CENTRAL in china every time ou turn around, theres a mommy and daddy and chinese baby...so much so that the consulate until last month was actually here in the hotel. Now they moved it to a seedy part of Guangzhou so it could be more secure. Anyway right off the bus, I check in and P goes with L to get here american passport photo taken..she's just woken up..bus puts her to sleep like nobodies business...and she has a grumpy and pissed off look. Unlike her chinese passport pic in which she's a happy fun ball ...hmmm..I'd be p.o.'d to be going to dubbya's america right now to. ANy way soon she'll have dual citizenship.

THe white swan sits on the bank of the pearl river. On L and my morning walks (@6:45a) we walk the perimittier of the island. The Shamian Island Vistors and Convention Beaureau's slogan is "Shamian Island, the romantic style of european falvor buildings" and it's true..this is where most of the consulates and emabassies were built during the late quing and republican periods (late 1880's) and the architecture reflects this..old colonial type..kind of makes me think of new orleans (old new orleans) alot right now. Any way when we walk in the morning the place is crawling with elders and school kids. There must me a couple of grade schools on the island and most of the elders are out doing morning exersises (tai chi or badmitton) I got a cappaccino this morning at "blenz" and was walking past a group of guys kicking a hacky sack type of badmitton birdie thing. I had L on my back in my trusty super-sherpa rig and the hackysack-shuttlecock thing flew at us..the chinese guys all gasped as I deftly, capp in hand and baby on back, kicked the thing back to them..they all gave out a resounding "Heng Hao!" (very good) ..I said "How's it Hanging!" back and kept on to P sleeping at the hotel...gotta keep these chinese guessing.

The river outside is wild! lots of low slung sanpans and river barges and neon enrusted vista-emporer tourist boats tooling around. this is a busy SEZ (special economic zone) and there is a HUGE trade fair here each year. I keep thinking what Duluth needs is a Guangzhou party boat with huge chinese characters saying "loose your coat and expose your figure to a night of romantic dreams yet wonderful music!" in neon on the side to float around the harbor and pounding out caprmeter's disco remixes at ultra high volume.
Here's a shot of a mama and papa and baby on the family vehical. We wish we could do that at home, probably the only way L would go to sleep on time. Guangzhou has been a commerce center for ...well...since it began...It's also the epicenter of cantonese cooking. The symbol of the city is 5 goats or something...it must be because guangzhou-ian-ites-ers will eat ANYTHING! There's the famous qingping market just three blocks away where you can buy eels as pets and dogs as an appitizer. Yesterday, as P was in bed, L and I and a couple of other families walked off the island into the town a bit to the Toy Wholesale district. Knock-off central..I bought a set of imitation teletuby squeek toys (tinky is still winky in china) In the midst of the worst urban industrial chaos din and deisel exhaust throng of chinese people, my daughter took her afternoon nap on my back. Your staunchest most capible nascar lovin, 12 guage totin' northland guy would find the nearest melon merchant and hide under his cart whimpering but my daughter looks, yawns and dozes off. She's an odd duck. She loves every type of food I do, all the ones P cant stand. She also loves to go through reciepts...examine them in intense detail like her mom (and grandmom joan). What a kid.

Okay, the next day after we got here (sunday) we all got in the bus and went to a buddhist temple. It was the beginning of the month so the tiny 6 banyon tree temple
was packed. After making the sweaty rounds, leaving incense at the many statues, our entire group was invited in to a shirne and we all knelt and got the babies blessed. It was a very moving experience. Now after we've had taosit blessings and buddhist blessings, she just needs a catholic baptism and a unitarian...er...whatever they do and we'll have ALL the bases covered...hehe actually it's us that are blessed to have such a individualist for a baby..you all just wait. Any way we then went to a jade and pearl wholesaler/factory and well we succumbed and spent 700 yuan (87.50 usd) on a pearl necklace that will be her 16th birthday present. We also bought a cool vase for our mantle. L has been a tough baby to get to go to sleep when she's supposed to. When we get home we'll be more firm (watch out Aryn and Darin..I'll buy you some ear plugs) but here we feel uncomfortable about towing the strict line in a hotel with other families so close so..we've taken to trying to keep her on a schedule...morning walks from me at 6:45..nap 1 at 10:30 nap 2 at 3:30 and bed by 8-9:30p it's tough. She's a smart cookie and already knows many toys by name, including the border collie (murphy) that we brought for her. Tonignt (09/06 for us) we go as a group on a cruise/dinner on the pearl river. That should be fun!

more later

quick post

Ni Hao Dear readers,

Just a quick post to say that we're in Guangzhou at the white swan. As always there is much to tell and as P is feeling sick again I am taking over primary entertanment duties for Lydia.

Our daughter is funny, cute, strong willed, loud, bouncy, doesn't like to go to sleep, loves chinese noodles and chicken and is a treasure...she fits right in our family! But as I'm being the minister of papaganda for now as P moan's in bed, this means no posts. We're okay but P WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE HOME! I agree it'll be much better when we can establish a schedule in our own home. I'll try to post more later today.

Adopted by Aliens

We've decided to write a book for adoptive parents called "Adopted by Aliens". It'll be a humours take on this process..because frankly laughter is one of the rays of light we all share in this. And from what I've read in credible sources ( at the checkout line) the play by play bears more than a striking similarity. Baby is living the only life that it's ever known and then get whisked away and handed to odd smelling pale people with piercing blue eyes and put on a large machine and flown to a space staion and whisked up the lift tube to a berthing pod. you are fed strange food from tubes, forced to wear strange alien space suits -- including bottom encasing- vapor trapping undies. They flash strage lights at you and watching for responces. Test you with orbs. They record the results with strange decives and speak to each other in alien hisses and grunts. They pay undue attention to your bottom and pooping..as a matter of fact, the final sharing your most private moment, defication, with them is your last hold out. Things go better when you get them laughing...the only defence you have is your powerful cute beam...which stuns them long enough for you to horde more toasted protien kibbles to eat after you make your escape. At least the got you those cute scooter pants and red checked shoes.


Current news: It's friday and we're packing for the move to Guangzhou now. Rough night last night and also a big day..I also want to do a musical called Wuhan Nights..but that's totally un-related. Lydia had a melt down last night. It was a big day because her and I bonded a bit more...mainly through me carrying her around...but also the dropping of stuff game and the ripping up of important documents game...good times...she also used a sippy cup and got oooo so much closer to walking. THen we all hit the wall and P and I started to try and lay some ground rules and well it all got ugly...up late with a screaming baby throwing a tantrum...in your own home you fell more comfortable holding the line against that stuff but in a hotel it's hard. So not much sleep. Tonight we pick our battles and go for the small steps...she's down with only medium fussyness levels. She sure is cute when she's not trying to get her way....which by the way we know she's entitled to a bit of as she's never had much to say about her life. But we have to start communicating our rythms and expectations...like get papa a beer and do mama's taxes...hehe.

Wuhan and our baby.

we had 1 day before the rest of the families caught up with us and we sppent it doubled over in bed...One of the effects of TD is malaise...I like that word but not when it is accompanied by queazy, sick, sweating, diareaha and no sleep. Luckily we had come with a full course of cipro and we bombed it as soon as we knew what was hitting us. COnsider the 28th a waist -- maybe a wee bit of rest. Next morning we meet the other families in the lobby , after the bfast buffet (which includes a FULL SUSHI BAR!) I wish I cld eat it (as I'm writing this it's friday and I've had my fill on nori), Anyway we meet up with the other families in the lobby and board our chartered coach for the ministry of giving babies to forigeners. All the families are tense , probably having just had a near divirce fight the night before, excited - a 2 year dream is unfolding, and terrified -- will I get the baby I've seen in the pictures?

We drive through downtown Wuhan...SUUUUPER Sticky, hot, 85 if not 95 and the air is yellow. I have a glimpse that the rest of the world could be like Wuhan in about 40 years if our petro-chemical lust goes unfettered. Guys driving muotuochua (motorcycles) and women on scooters, I'm going to call Wuhan small engine city as I didnt see a bike over 300cc. There is a building craze in china now..no wonder they needed a mine in hibbingshan. Huge skyscrapers towering over 300 year old shantys all the scaffolding is bamboo..really , even the tallest building project is scaffolded with bamboo. People, People people. The chinese business man uniform is black pleated pants, poloshirt tucked in, black leather belt with a cel phone hoster (turned sideways) and the most un-sensable shoes...like cheap loafers with blocky heals, and a cig (with a blue filter?) THe women are either old or trying to look western "hot". I've seen a few handsome and truly beautiful people but most are really trying to look a part to varying degrees of success. We pull up to a non-discript office building and enter the lobby. Several SWI(Social welfare institues) are there to give us MN families the babies. All told we have a large group (13 families or so) and one by one we are called up to a door and our baby is brought out to us. The directors from each of the SWI's are there and a few caregivers. We can tell that there are other caregivers outside walking around the front of the building. We sign a 24hour try out certificiate as we'll be back the next day to confirm we really want our little bugger....once we see Lydia there is NO QUESTION (the questions all came after the 24 hour period...hehehe). She is brought out and P and I are balling...she is balling ..we're just a fountain of happy/scared tears. Right away Lydia, who is in shock ( and still is several days later to some degree) clamps onto P. Thus emerges a theme..it's friday now and she still starts to cry everyother time P leaves the room. Oh, we've bonded over games and that song from that insurance commercial with home video of people doing stupid stuff...she loves to hear me sing that when she's happy bouncing like a pogo stick...anyway...after the most emotional 2 hours of all the families getting babies (BTW I have lots on video dont worry and buy kleenex stock now) we all pile on the bus and back to the Wuhan BestWestern Mayflower. P and L get to the room while I got to the meeting room to finish paper work. One item of which is the formal adoption declaration form. On it I heve to triple check that the info for P and I matches the info on our passport..otherwise when we're in Guangzhou next week and it's wrong, we have to come back to Wuhan...and that would suck. Also there we have to put Lydia's full new US name. Now we've talked alot about the middle name but hadn't really decided..and it's now......hehe you'll have to wait..hahaha!!

Now begins a fun new game...figure out what a 1 year old eats...and once you are playing that one, then start the other one...figure out how they like to poop. It's friday now and we're still trying this or that...One thing we DO know is that she likes to eat savory adult food..a girl taking after her papa! She like them noodles and she likes those other noodles and she like TEETHING BISCUITS!! cuz she has 6 pearly whites and more on the way. IF you are in this situation ever, BRING THE BARLEY BISCUITS..boxes and boxes..cuz the other families wont have and you'll be everybodies best friend.

We had to go back the next day to make it officialSuffice to say we kept the little beaner.

Wuhan Highlights.

Carrefore -- french walmart with a squid monger. THey brought us there so we cld get supplies and gave us an hour to blaze through a chinese grocery store...it was like one of those TV survivor/reality shows...here's 1 hour, buy stuff for a kid that you dont know and guess what all the packaging is in chinese...btw divied all the prics by 8.019 to stay on budget...GO! Our friend karen started a fight between store employees (theres 3 for evry shopper) about a cow on the packaging on the formula bag...we moved on quickly...I got alot of fluids including two big budwiesers for P. We'll be going back there again today.

Yellow Crane Tower -- This is Wuhans Enger Tower only er bigger and er older..actually it's realy new cuz it burned in 1884 and was rebuilt in the 50's. It's lovely and we got some great pics there. We also bought a replica set of the worlds oldest musical instrument, A set of bells that are here in Wuhan. We may go to hear them played later today. And a VCD of chairman mao propaganda for papa (papaganda?)

Rug Fractory -- While not big on our list, we went along anyway becuse the bus was going. I stayed in the bus as Lydia slept on my lap. P went on the tour. They make em' by hand and well short story, we bought one. A really nice rug too...nope it aint fer the back door Jethro, it's for the wall. The wall you say? Hows a person fixin to walk on the wall? Well we're in china right? Anyway this rug is factory direct (handmade over 10 mo.s) and er...very nice to say the least ... will be a present later in life for Lydia (after it hangs on out wall a spell).

ER...Marshall Feilds...or it's chinese equiv. -- Around the corner from the hotel is this department store. Go in the Mcdonalds and take the elevator to the 8th floor. YOu are greeted with a chinese buffet. Charge up a little card with yuan and point and eat. Here's where we found out the L is a little noodle hound...and she like's em with garlic and stuff...daddy's girl! Then take the escalator down after dinner and shop for baby clothes and stuff. P bought a pair of commie red converse with the number 08 on the side...$23.. China only olympic bumber tennys...collectable i'm sure.

So thats wuhan for now.