Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Leaving the White Swan and on to Beijing!! Today marked the end of the major paperwork. Wenyan is now in the eyes of both the U.S. and China what she had already been in our hearts for the last ten months: an important part of the Snider family.
 
We left the White Swan and also some good friends; especially Gavin, the second floor buffet restaurant manager. Wenyan is such a good and well mannered girl that we were allowed to eat upstairs with the businessmen. I loved those quiet breakfasts looking out at the Pearl River and coaxing English out of my new daughter. She knows much more than she will say at this point. When it comes to the mechanics of eating, when we use them, most of the time Wenyan uses a fork - even when I tell her she should go ahead and use chopsticks if she wants. (I think she likes the fact that she has learned to handle a fork and knife better inside of a week than Mommy can handle chopsticks after lots of time trying! Daddy on the other hand can do the three-peanut pick-up. Wenyan and I are tied on that one...but I will do four one day no matter what anyone says!!)

We then took Wenyan's red couch picture. It was a bit different from the average red couch affair, but age is irrelevant...Wenyan richly deserves to take her place along with all the other children that have passed through Shamian Island. She especially liked the indoor waterfall at the White Swan and we had to have her picture in front of that too.

We checked out and then took care of business at the U.S. Consulate. I couldn't have been prouder when Wenyan raised her arm to take the oath administered by the official. Normally just the moms and dads take the oath since the babies are too young, but in this case all three of us stood togeteher and repeated the words of the oath. Susan and I could not be more pleased and honored that this brave soul is willing to go to a strange land, become a citizen, and teach us, learn from us, and learn with us.

We are happy to be in Beijing now as the weather is a lot like Castle Rock, Colorado - a dry cold. Weather-wise, Guangzhou is too much like where we moved from in Houston. We would rather be cold than humid!!

Finally, another thank-you to all who have posted to our guest book. We tell Wenyan about some of the things you write and it brings a smile to her face. Those who haven't been to our guest book might want to check it out. So many have written so many caring and kind things. Also to read the entry from our guide in Changsha, Hunan Province: Jacky Wang...one of the best friends we have made on this journey. He was also a good friend to Wenyan and we treasure the occasions when we could take time in those first precious days to explain to her about some of the things we do and why we do them. As we did so, Jacky would patiently *interpret, and then wait for us to add clarifying statements clarify until Faith smiled in understanding. (We'll post a picture of Jacky with this writing.) Getting to know her has been such an adventure.

*When words are spoken, the transfer of meaning between two languages is properly referred to as "interpreting" or "interpretation." Translation occurs in the written word.