Eating at the Jiangs house

Here we are eating Real Chinese food (as opposed to what we call Chinese in America). As you can see, Jerry and I are the only ones with plates, everyone else eats from the common dishes (which are abundant and filled with things we don't recognize). They are quick to refill our plates with their chopsticks whenever ours get low. Notice also that except for shotglasses there are no beverages on the table. (as a concession to us, Ric and I are given pepsi this year..hooray...the last time we were here we couldn't figure out how Chinese got enough liquid in their diets until we noticed them drinking the soup broth with their china spoons). The floor in the downstairs rooms is cement which makes it easy to sweep up and throw everything out in the front alley (where the children play, watching out for the occasional car or motorcycle that drives through) - as opposed to the back alley which you walk through to get to the kitchen and bathroom, which has a western toilet that flushes by pouring water into it (of course, at the moment that is how the one in our hotel works also....but I am not complaining , it is a zillion degrees here and at least the hotel is air conditioned !!)

From China

We have made it safely to Fuzhou,Fujian where Rics family lives. Our flight from Atlanta to Shanghai was lovely because since it wasn't nearly full, we had six seats to ourselves with me facing the bulkhead(I do Not like to look out) and having tons of legroom and play room for Ric. Today was a day of the remarkable contrasts that are China. This morning we ate a delicious breakfast in the atrium garden of the Shanghai Hilton. It felt like something out of a novel -perhaps F Scott Fitzgerald,
without the hats. This afternoon we flew to Fuzhou and were welcomed by Ric's aunt,cousin,and grandfather. They took us to drop our things off at our hotel and then we all got in two bicycle taxis for the drive to their home for dinner. I love bicycle taxis except when confronted by cars or buses. Rics cousin turned 20 today and speaks some English which helps alot. I am so glad we get to see this part of China because I believe it is the Real China, unlike the westernized version we will see in the two other cities we visit.

Packing

One of the problems with having two years to think about this adoption is that I now have two years worth of things purchased to take for the boys to wear/play with and I can't fit it all in our suitcases....So tonight after going to Laura and Michael's very lovely wedding I am home facing the stack of things that I had intended to take. Some of them are going to have to remain. I hope I choose the right things ( and I wonder - why are so many people in my yahoo groups talking about needing more wet wipes and hand sanitizer in China? Don't they sell those there? Wet wipes take up room that I could put another toy or outfit in.) Tomorrow we move Ariel and Amber to Camila's, drive to Atlanta and fly out Monday morning....I'd better get re-packing!!

In China Schedule

We now have our planes flights reserved. The key to understanding the time in China is that they are 12 hours ahead of us no matter where we are in China. All Chinese clocks are set to Beijing time, there are no time zones. So imagine Cheryl living in the equivalent of San Diego (with no Ocean) and her kids having to get to school at 8:00 Eastern time (in other words, in the dark).
August 11, we leave Atlanta on Delta, fly approx 16 hrs direct to Shanghai (think Washington DC), and arrive August 12 about 2:00 pm (it will be 2 in the morning for our bodies). We will take an unknown mode of transportation 40 or so miles to another Shanghai airport, where, thanks to Jerry's frequent stays at the Hampton Inn, we will stay in a Hilton and have executive privileges (which we hope means free breakfast).
August 13 we will fly to Fuzhou (think Savannah, Georgia), where Ric's grandparents live. We expect to be picked up at the airport but beyond that have no idea what the next three days will hold. I have requested no adventuresome sightseeing like our last ferry ride in the East China Sea, but the Chinese have their own ideas of fun so there's no telling what we may be in for(we may get another chance to hike to a grandfather's gravesite and sprinkle holy water). Fuzhou will probably be our only chance to ride on bicycle taxis because the other places we are going will be "adoption travel" with a tad less local color. Ric's uncle Chu, who we know from America, will be there to help with communication. We also bought a translator that talks in Chinese when we type in English words. However, it speaks Mandarin ( as we Andy will) and Ric's family speaks Fujianese. If they can read that won't matter since tha written words are the same all over China (imagine we see a cat, I say cat you say pickle but we both write it'+=+'.
On August 17 we fly to Tianjin (think Newark,NJ) where Andy's orphanage is. I think we will be met by someone from our agency and taken to our hotel. The next day is what is called in adoption-speak 'gotcha day'. We get Andy!! Please pray that God will prepare his heart to meet his new family and leave behind everything he has ever known. The next 5 days we spend in Tianjin getting to know each other while China is preparing his Chinese passport. At this point, from the Chinese perpective, Andy is ours.
On August 22 we fly to Guangzhou (think Louisiana). Here we have various appts (ie medical) leading to approval by the US Consulate for a visa for Andy to acompany us home. We will be staying at the famous (in adoption circles) White Swan where all new children get their picture taken on the red couch. We hope there to meet some of the people whose stories we have followed online. We REALLY MOST hope that Cheryl (who is responsible for getting us into this in the first place) will be able to meet us there.
On August 27 we fly back to Shanghai and then to Atlanta arriving the evening of the 28th.
For those who haven't heard, we were able to use frequent flyer miles for 3 round trip tickets - Atlanta to Shanghai...we Never expected this and consider it a great miracle and another assurance that 'everything is as it should be'.
Katrina is here this week helping me get ready. Yesterday she made a huge dent in the disaster we call our library. The back of my car is stuffed with things for the thrift store. After we empty we'll try again. Then I'll start packing.... Eight more days!!!

We have TA !!!!!!!

We got the call from our agency today - we have been given travel approval by the Chinese government!!!! Technically that means we could leave tomorrow. However we also have to work with the US consulate in China. The last thing we do before we leave China is get permission from them to bring him home(a US visa). We have heard that the earliest available appt with them is August 25. So, counting backwards the days we need in Guangzhou, Tianjin (where we get Andy), and Fuzhou (where we visit Rics grandparents) we now expect to leave around August 11th and return the 26th, exactly the time table I have been searching flights for the last three days. There has been, about this trip, such a strong feeling of being clearly led by God. So many things are different from what we originally expected when we began to adopt 2 other boys two years ago (when we thought only Jerry would go to get them) but everything about this feels soooo right. Which helps my Very Fearful self to be at peace. (I'm not saying I'd turn down an offer of someones antianxiety medecine for those plane flights however..8>) I'm writing from Lindsay and Travis's where I just found the sheet I have been looking for for Andy's bed (red, the last thing I needed, I think)

Fire Dept Picnic

Ric sat in the front seat with Jay and got to blow the sirens. Jerry and Ariel rode in the back seat and Amber rode on top!!

Rumors of TA

Today is Jerry's birthday (yesterday was Jay's, last week was Everett's and as you know, Andy's). I got an email from our agency today that they expect to receive 6 TAs next week and ours should be among them!!!! I am having a hard time breathing. That means we could leave a few short weeks from now. I think there are still a million things to do but at the moment I can't remember any of them. We could possibly be back before school starts for Ariel and Amber , which would be wonderful. Camila and maybe Katrina and Amanda will be managing them while we are gone. I am so excited!!
Tonight is the Fire Dept picnic when the kids get to ride around town on the back of the trucks. I can't watch ( I am a wreck seeing my kids up there. Ric will be INSIDE a truck) but I'l try to post a pix before they leave.