In China
All Days  |  Previous Day  |  Next Day

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 The time switch is getting slightly better. Today it was 5am instead of 3:30am. That still gave me enough time to take advantage of the morning without having to wake up too early. This morning's plan was to head out at 9:30 back to the Civil Affairs office in order to finish the adoption registration and notarization. We gorged on breakfast again and had enough time to straighten up the room before jumping back on the bus. We really enjoy the drives through the city streets of Guangzhou as there is always something interesting happening. We pulled up near the Civil Affairs office again and took the remaining block or so by foot. Once again it was time to cram into the little elevator. We were very much looking forward to getting yet another step of the adoption process checked off the list. We passed the time sitting on the leather couches in the hallway. One by one they called us in, first for the registration, then the notarization. The interviews are nearly identical and we remember being perplexed by them the last time because we didn't realize what the difference was between the two. They ask questions like "are you satisfied with her?" and "do you promise never to abuse or discriminate against her?". The interviews are pretty straightforward and last just a few minutes. The officials this time were very kind and outgoing, even possessing a sense of humor. Last time I think they were stalwart members of the Communist Party because they didn't crack so much as a smile. We wrapped up within an hour or so and then it was time to stop at the Carrefour market. This is a quintessential Guangzhou experience - ordinary shopping alongside the locals without being in a district that caters to Westerners. Carrefour is a little like a Walmart. You can get cheap clothes, toys, and electronics, but still get your groceries and booze too. The first department you run across is of course the toys. The girls went straight to the Barbie dolls. Actually I should say they went straight to the cheap plastic, not-so-good imitation Barbie dolls. They were very inexpensive so we caved and so did the Perrys. Gemma loves it though; she's been dressing her and combing her hair whenever we have free time. We brought an old Mulan doll that April had stashed away in her closet for years and Gemma's been playing with it nonstop as well. The next stop was to get her new shoes. Even though she liked her bling with those red sparkly shoes, they kinda needed to go in favor of something a little more subdued. We found her some nice light pink shoes. Gavin wanted some lighter shoes to play hacky-bird with and he liked some of the styles he's seen on the guys around here so we picked some up. It was probably less than $40 USD for both pairs. Rounding the corner we took the inclined people mover down to the lower level for the grocery section. This thing freaked me out the last time because you're pushing a cart and suddenly realizing you have to go down with it on this elevator-belt-thingy. Turns out it is actually magnetic and sticks to it as you go down. Genius. Arriving at the bottom floor we started shopping in earnest. Gemma immediately honed in on the Pringles. I can't blame her. If they weren't so bad for you I could eat like four cans of those things in a sitting. We then picked up a few more things to drink and some treats, like Pocky. Gotta have the Pocky. Now it was time for the excursion through the bizarre world of the Chinese meat and produce market. The Chinese are careful to consume every part of the animals they eat whether it's the head of a fish, the intestines of a cow, the feet of a chicken, or the skin of a snake. For us it's all just fodder for the camera and we love it. As much as these things were under my microscope as I wandered around taking pictures, I was definitely under the microscope of the workers and patrons of the store - probably wondering why this six foot tall brazen American was taking pictures of their everyday staples. In the U.S. the grocery stores are sort of at a crossroads. They're starting to make the switch from providing bags for your groceries to not providing bags for your groceries. Some don't even provide bags but will provide boxes should you forget your bags at home. Nevertheless they won't charge you. At the Carrefour, if you didn't bring your own, you will be charged a nominal fee for bags. The trip back to the hotel was uneventful save for the 3-point turn our driver did with the tour bus amidst the busy traffic. In the U.S. he probably would have been shot due to the impatience of others but here people just seemed to watch him do it and accept it as normal. Don't get me wrong, I've never been to a place with more useless horn-honking than Guangzhou, but there's never too much animosity behind it. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. I did some writing for the blog while April drew pictures with Gemma. Gemma actually wrote out the name of here mei mei Ava in perfect English and then wrote the Chinese characters underneath. It was nice to just sit for the afternoon. For dinner it was back to the Cow and Bridge to meet April's friend Lisa and Marla. You might know Lisa Furey from the Black and White Wednesday blog. They had just come from another province with Lisa's new daughter and were staying at the Victory while they waited for her visa. We had a very pleasant visit and said goodnight around 7:30. True to form we were starting to fade. We got the kids settled in as soon as possible and then crashed out at about 9pm.

Scenic byways on the way to the Civil Affairs office A curious look Waiting for our turn Comparing notes about iPod games The family photo we forgot the day prior No smile, it's a Chinese thing - definitely NOT indicative of her disposition The "play room" which serves as the holding room for the children before they go to their parents All tuckered out The Carrefour

The magnetic people mover


Really appetizing dishes at the Carrefour


Quail eggs


Relaxing in the afternoon with some paper and markers


Buddies already


April, Lisa, and Marla


Website by myadoptionwebsite.com