August 1st Square and Bayi Park

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Another good night's sleep. Lea woke up just before 8:00am. We took our time this morning since we didn't have any early morning obligations. We had a nice leisurely breakfast and played in the room for a while. Lea played with Daddy on the bed until she fell asleep for her morning nap.

She took a good long nap and then we ate lunch in the room. Afterward, we met the other families in the lobby and went for a long stroller ride to see a few more of the local tourist attractions of Nanchang. We left the hotel right after lunch and headed to Bayi Square.

Bayi Guangchang, literally August 1st Square or People's Square, in Nanchang was built from August 1, 1977 to January 8, 1979, in memory of the Nanchang Uprising (aka. August 1st Uprising). The size of this square is 840,000 ft² now after reconstruction that took place beginning in 2002. It is the second largest square in China, after Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

Ever since it was constructed, this square has been the main site for most of the big-scale ceremonies and marches. To ordinary residents, due to the extremely hot and humid climate in Nanchang, the square was a popular place to hang out during hot summer nights until recent years when more and more families are able to afford air-conditioning.

A musical water fountain, which was built in the south of the square has become a favorite destination for people especially in the evening. The water "dances" to the music played through a P.A. system and if the wind is right...everybody gets wet. After the show, there are many men with brooms that sweep up all the water. It's quite impressive.

After a stroll through the Square we took a scenic tour through a neighborhood and into another beautiful park. Bayi Park was again decorated for the anniversary celebrations and was just beautiful.

The park is free to enter and the landscape is typical of all great Chinese parks - walkways, pagodas, bridges and beautiful willow trees sweeping down into the water. The park is set around a central lake, in the middle of which is an island covered in shady trees. We actually caused quite the scene here as there were four American families with Chinese daughters and everyone in the park wanted to have their picture taken with us. We were the only Americans in the park. Our guide, Echo, had stopped to buy some oranges from a vendor and we discovered that Lea loves oranges. She almost ate the whole orange by herself. They were very good and sweet.

After the park, we headed back toward the August 1st Square and went to Wal-Mart for more supplies. We bought some more baby bottles for Lea and a piece of luggage since we've maxed-out our carry-ons. I had planned on checking a bag on the way home assuming we would have lots of souvenirs (I was right).

Randy had to stop and take more pictures of the meat section in Wal-Mart. We really couldn't identify most of the selections. Speaks volumes for being vegetarian, I keep telling him!

On the walk back to the hotel it had begun to get dark and the sidewalks were very crowded with people. Our group stayed together as best we could, dodging cars, bicycles, scooters and other people. We were all together in a group at the point where one of the other moms just about stepped right on a dead rat laying in the street. She must have come up two feet off the ground when she realized what it was. She screamed, jumped, danced and screamed again. She was pushing an empty stroller at the time (her husband was carrying the baby) and I swear she and the stroller levitated right off the ground. After the horror was over, we all laughed until we cried. Then Randy wondered aloud, "How long do you think it'll be before that's an entree?" (he's a little bitter about his food experiences here).

As we got to the hotel, the wedding party that took place earlier today was still celebrating the ceremony with more firecrackers right in front of the hotel. It must have gone on for 5 minutes. It was easily a 4-5 foot string of firecrackers and really, really loud. We said our goodbyes to the other families and decided to stay in for dinner tonight. We'll give room service a third try (fingers-crossed for Randy). I got a great vegetarian pizza. It was actually better than most that I've had at home in the states. I actually ate the whole 10" pizza by myself. Randy decided to give the filet another try, this time ordering medium-well...hockey puck mean anything to you?!? Oh well, at least he's losing the weight his been trying to lose for years now :)

Lea went right to sleep tonight. It was a long day for her.

On our own today...

Friday, October 16, 2009

We were on our own today. We had to wait for Lea's passport and the tailors were going to deliver the girl's dresses today so we hung out in the room this morning. After another good breakfast, Daddy went to the gym and then got a massage (he's getting more comfortable with this now that he's figured out where to go to get a legitimate massage). Lea and I went for a walk and then she took a nap. I spent the day trying to catch up on the journals and get organized. We'll spend the weekend here in Nanchang and then head out for Guangzhou on Monday.

This afternoon we took a walk to RT Mart for more bottled water and some snacks. On the way we passed a store that had a band of drummers playing so we stopped and watched for a while.


Randy had to break up a "fight" between three school boys who were wrestling on the sidewalk. It appeared to be two against one and the two were winning. I think he shocked them when he walked over and started saying "Boo-ya" (means "no" in Mandarin). I don't know if he was pronouncing it right or not, but the boys got up and ran off.

Four school girls, about 9 or 10-years-old, I guess, started walking with us. They were speaking English as best they could. They said, "Hello, how are you, nice to meet you." (All in one breath, of course.) Then they would giggle. They asked how old Lea was and smiled at her. They were very nice. School days are different in China. The children go to school in the morning from 7:00 to 11:00 and then have a couple hours break for lunch and naps (although, we didn't see much napping...mostly playing) and then they go back to school until 5:00pm.

For dinner tonight we decided to brave the restaurant downstairs in the hotel. Randy ordered some type of scallop dish and I had spaghetti with tomatoes and garlic. Mine, once again, was wonderful. Randy's, well, he doesn't have the best of luck when it comes to food. While we were eating dinner, Echo, our guide came in and delivered all of the paperwork for the US Consulate to us. She was going to bring it earlier in the day but she had to take one of the other families to the airport. They have to go to Guangzhou a few days earlier than we do because their daughter is over 2-years-old and had to have a TB test before leaving China.

After dinner we called it an early night and got some much needed rest. Tomorrow will be another busy day.

Nanchang's Tengwang Pavilion

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Again, another great night! Lea is definitely a good sleeper. After another big breakfast, we were headed out for our tour of one of Nanchang's great temples.

The Pavilion of Prince Teng or Tengwang Pavilion is in the north west of the city on the east bank of the Gan River and is one of the Four Great Towers of China. It has been destroyed and rebuilt a total of 29 times since it was first built in 653 AD. It was last rebuilt in 1989 on the original site.


The Tengwang Pavilion was built by Li Yuanying, the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Tang and uncle of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. In 652, he was assigned the governorship of Nanchang where the pavilion served as his townhouse. Twenty years later, the building was rebuilt by the new governor. Upon its completion, a group of local scholars gathered to write prose and poetry about the building. The most famous of these is the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng by Wang Bo. This piece made the Tengwang Pavilion a household name in China. The building itself changed shape and function many times. The second to last reconstruction was in the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. That building was destroyed in October 1926 during the chaotic warlords era. The present Pavilion was completed on October 8, 1989, and is now a landmark of Nanchang.

The building is a reinforced concrete structure, but decorated in faux-Song Dynasty style. It is 57.5 meters tall and has nine stories. The building has a total floor area of 13,000 square meters (140,000 square feet). The building sits on a 39-foot tall concrete platform, which is supposed to symbolize the now-destroyed ancient city wall. A stainless steel tablet at the entrance is engraved with the calligraphy work of Mao Zedong. The building mainly serves as a tourist attraction now. Apart from beautiful decoration, inside the Pavilion there is a theater with period musical performances which we were able to watch while we were there. Thanks to my brothers for the Flip video camera, we can watch it again at home! There were also displays of reconstructed ancient instruments, furniture, restaurants and souvenir shops. The area has now become the center of Nanchang's antiques trade.

When we got back to the room, a tailor from one of Nanchang's clothiers came to our room and we picked out custom tailored traditional Chinese dresses for the girls. The dresses were beautiful and it was quite difficult to pick just one. They will make the dresses and have them ready for us on Friday.Today was also laundry day...and not a day too late. We had just run out of clean clothes this morning so at breakfast I was a bit self-conscious about wearing the same clothes I had on the day before. Whatcha gonna do? The clothes were all freshly laundered and individually packaged in cellophane bags. However, they were not pressed...so now I'm clean, but wrinkled. Oh well. The baby's clothes were laundered for no charge. That was nice.

Randy decided to give room service another shot tonight and ordered a burger. I'm not sure what it was that he got, but after two bites, he turned a slight shade of green and said, "I'm not sure what kind of animal this is, but I'm not eating it." The fries were good. I ordered the Cesar Salad...another winner. Sorry honey. Lea ate her dinner and then went off to sleep quite contently. I'm so diggin' this!

Nanchang's People's Park

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Lea slept through the night last night. She went to sleep at about 6:45 and didn't wake up until almost 8:00 this morning. I'm really liking this!!

Today was Mommy-Daughter Day. Daddy was not feeling so well today. I think it was a combination of things...the food and his stomach, the hard bed and his back, and the fact that we were going shopping today may have done him in. So, we all had breakfast together and again Lea ate everything that came near her, including some off of my plate. After breakfast, Daddy retired to the room and Mommy and Lea headed out for the park.


It's called the People's Park and it was absolutely beautiful. It's right in the middle of the city with buildings and high-rises everywhere, but when you enter the gates to the park, it's like you're in another world. There were beautiful flowers everywhere you looked and the decorations were just stunning.


The decorations from the 60th Anniversary Celebrations were still up and they were very elaborate. I took 60 photos at the park in about 2 hours. We met quite a few people in the park. Everyone likes to "practice" their English when they see Americans. They also love to have their pictures taken with Americans. We definitely attract a lot of attention here.

The park is intended as a place for people to exercise. Lots of people walking and doing tai chi. They have exercise equipment that resembles the "jungle gyms" that we see in parks and playgrounds for children, but these are for adults to exercise on. It was fascinating to watch. There were mostly older, retired people and grandparents with grandchildren or younger women with their children. Lea slept most of the time again. I think 10:00am is her naptime. She woke up happy and hungry as usual. I gave her a bottle and then we were off to the shopping district.

We drove through what I would call China's 5th Avenue with lots of high-end shops, shoe stores, bridal boutiques, and clothing stores. Then we parked the tour bus and walked through the "flee market" section. They were smaller shops with really good prices...10 Yuan for a shirt (that's about $1.47). I bought Lea a cute pair of shoes for about $7. They are way too big for her now, but they were the smallest size she had in that style. She'll grow into them one day.

We decided to head back to the hotel to check in on Daddy after our shopping trip so we opted out of lunch and just ate in the room. After we ate, Lea took her afternoon nap and Randy walked up to the store with one of the other mom's in our group. He just went for more water and to take pictures of the grocery store. We just had to document the inside of the store. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.

Later that night Randy was craving a good ole American meal so he decided to try the Tenderloin Steak on the room service menu...

"Now the price for a room-service steak in Nanchang is about the same as your average Western Sizzler in the US. So I decided to go in, for 98 Yuan (about 15 bucks), a "New Zealand Tenderloin" sounded down right mouth-watering good. I couldn't wait. I called room service, the waitress answered the phone in mandarin and immediately handed it to the "English-speaking" waiter after hearing my English babble. His English wasn't bad and he asked how I liked the steak cooked - a pleasant surprise - to which I responded without thinking, "medium rare." I'm thinking this is going to be great.

About a half-hour later the doorbell rings and a small Chinese woman is there with not one but 2 pretty good-looking steaks on a platter with fries and steamed broccoli. In a separate dish is some mushroom sauce. Not bad. I cut into the steak and it's so rare it's actually cold in the middle. The very outside is brown, everything else is raw. Not rare, but raw. Now I have a decision to make: do I try to eat it, which wouldn't be easy - even if you like steak rare, or do I throw the dice and call room service to see if I can get them to keep it on the burner a little longer? I came down somewhere in the middle.

First, I tried just sucking it up and eating the steak as is. After about three bites I decided I wasn't going to be able to eat both filets in this condition. Next, I called room service and explained my problem. The waiter was extremely apologetic and someone came to the room immediately and took the whole plate back down to the kitchen. Problem solved? Not so much. After about another 30 minutes the young lady returned with a whole new plate (I had already eaten the steamed broccoli from the first plate) with what appeared to be an extra couple of pieces of maki role, but with ham in the middle. I've eaten a fair amount of sushi in my day and have never seen *ham* in the middle of any role, anywhere. I pushed those off to the side, ate the new steamed broccoli, a couple of the fries - which weren't bad - and cut open one of the new steaks. Raw...just like before. This begs the question of what the waiter thought he was fixing when I called to complain. Apparently, he didn't get that I wanted the same steak cooked a little longer, so he took the shotgun approach to trouble-shooting and rebooted the meal hoping to get lucky and fix whatever I was jabbering about. I ate both steaks. I felt a little queasy, but at least I was full."

My meal, on the other hand, was wonderful. I had asparagus and orange salad. Moral of the story...go vegetarian and you never have to worry about undercooked meat!

A Day at the Nanchang Zoo

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Lea only woke up once last night in need of a diaper change but went right back to sleep afterward. She slept well and ate a good breakfast. Well, actually, she ate everything. No matter what I put on her plate she ate it. She drank her bottle of formula and then ate banana bread, congee (a rice-based porridge), scrambled eggs, watermelon, and cherry tomatoes. She also loves the Gerber Banana Puffs that I brought with us. She definitely has a healthy appetite.

After breakfast, we all loaded up on the tour bus with our strollers, diaper bags, and our guide, Echo, and headed off to the Nanchang Zoo.



It was a small zoo compared to some that I have been to, but I must say, it was quite interesting. Entering the zoo, the first thing we saw were a couple of elephants. They were quite active. The bigger one would come over to the rail and put it's head over toward us. Then it would walk forward across the front of the habitat and then stop and walk backwards. It was quite funny. As we were looking at them a zoo keeper brought a baby elephant down the sidewalk right behind us. After the elephants we saw some horses and camels and then the baby Panda. He was eating though and wouldn't turn around so I got pictures of his backside only. Then there were the penguins. They were very active. The girls really enjoyed watching them.



Unfortunately, it was Lea's nap time and she slept almost the whole time.

Next was the monkey cage with some small "gold-faced" monkeys running all around and playing. We wandered through the reptile house and saw a few alligators and a couple of crocodiles, all in separate cages. There was one large python doing what all pythons do - nothing. Although it had recently shed it skin because there was a rather large pile of snakeskin in one corner. Around past the reptiles were a bunch of ostriches that would reach out and bite you if you got close enough - clearly, that cage could use a redesign. Past the ostriches were a pair of lions sharing a cage - one male and one female. We passed some more monkeys and a chimp, a couple of wolves, two bears, more camels, a large coi pond and then the pentacle of the entire Nanchang Zoo experience: Dogs! That's right, dogs. There was a large area with a single medium cage in the center and several smaller cages along one side. The center cage housed a pair of Dobermans and the end cages contained, one each, a Rottweiler, a German Sheppard, a Husky and a couple of others that I couldn't make out. There were a couple of what looked like Chows running around in the main area. Basically, it looked like our street on any weekend except they were in cages. Our guide told us that they rarely keep dogs as pets here.

After the zoo we had another traditional Chinese lunch at a very nice four-story restaurant. We were on the fourth floor and had our own private room with one large round table with the same lazy-susan in the center for sharing each dish. There was also a sitting area with couches and a coffee table along one side of the room, which was nice as 3 of the 4 girls were ready for diaper changes. Lunch was great. We had noodles, rice, stir-fried spicy green beans, shrimp with cashews, and some other meat things that didn't appeal to me, but everyone else liked them. Randy did bite into one of the red peppers that flavor the green beans and I thought his head was going to explode. He drank all of his water, the rest of my water, and then order 5 more bottles of water for the table. I thought it was very good, and very spicy, but Randy's palate was not quite ready for it.

We finished lunch and got back in the tour bus. Now, it's off to Nanchang's Wal-Mart. Most of the clothes I brought for Lea were too big. I was told that she weighed 18 pounds, but after weighing her on the scale in the hotel room, she's barely 14 pounds. It's also very warm here so I wanted to look for something light-weight that might fit better. All the clothes in the Wal-Mart were long sleeve and winter-weight clothes. Apparently, they go by time-of-year rather than temperature when they dress here. Most everyone is in long sleeves and sweaters. I'm in short sleeves and sweating!

For dinner tonight, we decided to try the buffet in the hotel restaurant. It was very good, I thought. Randy was very happy with the fried cod fillets. There were lots of vegetables for me and Lea, once again, got plenty to eat. After dinner we decided to turn in. It was a long day with lots of walking and tomorrow is a shopping trip!

Good night from Nanchang!

Gotcha Day!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Today's the big day! We didn't sleep much last night...way too excited and a bit nervous too. This morning at breakfast we saw the little girl who arrived last night and she was doing great. She was smiling and eating a good breakfast. It was very comforting to see that much change in her over night.

After breakfast we went to RT Mart for some groceries. RT Mart looks from a distance like any other department store. They have two floors, the upper floor was standard clothes, electronics, baby supplies, etc. The bottom floor - fresh produce - was the grocery part. As in Beijing, when they say "fresh" they mean still alive. And when they say produce, they include live fish, crabs, and frogs. Yes, frogs. Additionally they have a section I like to refer to as the "wall of death" with a bunch of dead animals turned into some sort of jerky item. They have whole chickens - head on - and other as yet to be identified animals. Suffice it to say it was different. After a nice walk back to the hotel, we could hardly wait for 1:30 to get here.

About 1:00 we got a call from one of the other fathers in our group to let us know that the girls were here early. Randy was just getting out of the shower. We quickly grabbed the camera and diaper bag and ran to the elevator. We were so nervous and so excited. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

Trying to maintain my composure and not sprint across the lobby of the hotel, I broke into a sort of speed-walk when the elevator doors opened. Having short legs put me at a disadvantage, though, and Randy beat me to her. Lea sat on the knee of one of the caretakers from the orphanage, who was sitting on one of the lobby's couches. She was just looking around. So tiny. So beautiful. I was overcome with an incredible sense of urgency to hold her and let her know we were here - finally. While I can't imagine what she's been through during her short life, I knew, above all else, that her life was about to get a whole lot better. When Randy picked her up, we noticed the cuts on her legs from the ligatures they use to hold them while they are eating or sleeping or whatever. I will never understand what she's been through, but I know this is the last she would ever have to see of those injuries. She weighed next to nothing. Her only possessions were the clothes she had on, the photo album from the orphanage, and a cherry tomato which she held tightly in her little hand. It took everything I had to fight back the tears - sadness for what she's had to endure and absolute joy at the prospect of what lies ahead.

She went right to Randy without a problem...not a single tear. Randy held her long enough for me to snap a few photos and then I couldn't take it anymore. "Okay, okay, it's my turn. Give her to me!" She came right to me also. She was so quiet. All the babies were quiet. I'm guessing that they were all a bit overwhelmed with the whole situation. There were 3 babies received today and the one older girl last night. The fifth family in our group was going to a different orphanage and will meet up with us later in Guangzhou. After a few minutes of photos and group pictures, all of the families headed back upstairs to our room for the paperwork meeting. (Somehow, we ended up with the largest room :)



We all signed and put our red thumbprint in the appropriate places and then it was off to the official government offices to file our papers. First, we went to the adoption registrar and had our family photo taken. We had a short interview and then filed our papers. I must have been a little nervous because I couldn't remember the year we got married. But, apparently, we passed the interview because the Chinese portion of the adoption is now final.

Next, we were off to the notary office to register for her passport. That went just as well...I forgot how old I was when he asked me in the interview. I'm not sure if it is lack of sleep or just nerves, but I did remember my name and Lea's name when I was asked. We should receive her passport on Friday. Until then we are finished with the official paperwork and we just hang out here until we leave for Guangzhou on Monday.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at RT Mart again to pick up some formula, rice cereal and diapers. Once we got back to the hotel, we decided to stay in and eat sandwiches in our room. Lea was wonderful. She drank her formula and ate her cereal with no complaints. She even went to sleep without a tear. I didn't sleep much that night as I couldn't stop staring at Lea.

What a beautiful baby girl! What a great day!!

Tienanmen Square - Forbidden City - Hu Tong Village

Sunday, October 11, 2009

After another great breakfast...you see, breakfast is the only meal so far that Randy is 100% comfortable with. I do have to give him credit though, for as picky an eater as he is, he has tried a few new things and actually liked them! I, on the other hand, have absolutely loved every meal! The fruit and vegetables here are delicious!

So, after breakfast we all got in the tour van and headed out to Tienanmen Square. It was the 60th anniversary of the PRC. Huge crowds of people everywhere. Cindy showed us plates in the sidewalk that were opened up and used as toilets at the height of the celebration. She said they put a curtain around them, but basically you are squatting over a hole in the sidewalk. Pretty gross.


At the center of Tienanmen Square were about a dozen floats from different provinces throughout China. They were very opulent, as was everything given the nature of the celebration. Everything was decorated with flowers, which were quite beautiful even on the final day of the celebration.

After passing through Tienanmen Square, we went underneath one of the main roads in a tunnel that led to the gates of the Forbidden City. A very large red building with 3 huge arches served as the gate. I can see why it would be extremely intimidating to anyone approaching in ancient times. At the gate we were approached by several "vendors" selling post cards or maps of the Forbidden City. There were also a couple of beggars, one missing a hand and another missing a foot. These were the first beggar's we had seen since arriving on Friday evening. The Forbidden City consisted of a series of courtyards and walls into more inner, and exclusive, areas for receiving foreign dignitaries and eventually the Emperor's own dwelling where only the Emperor, concubines and unics were allowed to enter. Leaving the city, there was a beggar on a cart with terribly deformed legs. Randy gave him a 100 Yuan note and was immediately approached by a woman with a baby on her back. She didn't seem to have any outward problems like the other gentleman, so he kept telling her no. She was very persistent but eventually gave up. Very sad.

Following the visit to the Forbidden City, we went to yet another "traditional" Chinese restaurant. This one was very good, given the nature of the food. All the staff were in traditional dress. The room was decorated with traditional Chinese lamps and other red and gold (formal) decor including hand-painted tiles on the wall. Still had the "traditional" Chinese toilets - not good. Basically, a porcelain hole in the floor with a stall around it. So far, I've avoided them. Randy has too as it is impossible to read a newspaper and keep from falling over.

After lunch, it was off for a tour, via rickshaw, of a typical Hu Tong Village in the old section of Beijing. Some of the dwellings were as much as 400 years old. A sort of Ghent in Beijing. Most of the homes had no toilets and owners had to use public toilets installed by the city at various locations. We were invited into one woman's home. It was pretty small, with a little courtyard in the center with a couple of trees and what looked like 2 finches, each in their own cage. It was quaint, but dirty. There was a woman doing laundry on a washboard in the corner of the courtyard. She was very quick to smile and didn't seem the least bit worse for the wear. I have noticed there seem to be people who look like they haven't lived as hard - straight teeth, fairer skin that doesn't look as weathered, dressed more western, etc. Then there are those who would be considered peasants in the old times who are still functionally peasants now. They look like they have lived a harder life, do more menial jobs and seem less educated. The woman who allowed us into her house said, through the interpreter, that she had been laid off work a while back and had taken to allowing tours of her home to help earn money. She had some homemade liquor that was beyond disgusting. It consisted of a semi-clear liquid with snakes and other dead animals in it. Apparently, they add to the potency somehow. I'll never know.

After leaving the home we rode by rickshaw through a series of small alleyways called Hu Tong that run between the older homes. It was all very dusty and dirty due to a major push to upgrade all the old homes to electric heat instead of coal. They were digging up the dirt streets everywhere to bury the new cables. Cindy explained that all construction had been halted during last-years Olympic Games and now they were playing catch-up to complete the work.

Following the rickshaw ride it was off the the Beijing Airport. Clean, western toilets were a breath of fresh air if you can imagine that. There was a heavy fog (or smog) engulfing the airport. So much so that I asked Cindy if she thought the flights would be delayed. She laughed and said they fly when it's much worse. Our plane departed on time - China Air - and the flight was mostly uneventful. The colors inside the plane were, you guessed it, red and yellow, just like most everything. It was pretty full and we seemed to be the only Westerners there.

Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province. It has 1.11 million citizens and an area of 70 square kilometers. One of the ancient cultural cities in China, Nanchang was built as early as 201 B.C, and became a famous metropolis in the Tang and Song (618-1279) dynasties. Its geographical location made Nanchang strategically important. It was the birthplace of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

There are many tourist attractions in Nanchang, such as the Memorial Hall of the August 1st Nanchang Uprising, the People's Square, the August 1st Park, and Tengwang Tower. We should get to see most of these while we are here.

Nanchang means 'a prosperous south part of China'. Being over 2,200 years old, Nanchang is a city with significant historical relevance. As the capital city, it is undoubtedly the political, economic and cultural center of Jiangxi Province.

Nanchang belongs to the sub-tropical monsoon climate; therefore it will bring you mild and pleasant weather for almost all the year round. The annual average temperature of Nanchang is 64F. The spring is warm an rainy; the summer is hot. the autumn is dry; and the winter is snowy.

As described by the locals, "Nanchang is a beautiful city with the Gan River, the mother river of local people, traversing through the whole city. Water is her soul or in other words water carries all her beauty. Lakes and rivers in or around Nanchang bring a special kind of charm to the city. Nanchang is honored as 'a green pearl in the southern part of China' thanks to its clear water, fresh air and great inner city."

We arrived in Nanchang in a little less than an hour and were met at the airport by our next guide, Echo. She made a comment that she loved her American name and the fact that we (Americans) can pick any name we want. We went straight to the hotel because one of the girls arrived a day early. She was from a different orphanage than Lea that was only an hour away from the hotel. She is almost 3 years old and it was quite difficult for her. She cried for her "Aye" (pronounced Ah-yee) which is what the girls call the caretakers. She had been with a foster family since she was an infant and was very attached to them. Her new mom did very well, although I can't say I could have been that stoic. She has an older daughter from China so she was prepared for what to expect, but I imagine it was very hard for both of them.

After putting our stuff in our room, Randy and I went out to stock up on water and sodas for the room and then decided to call it a night......tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!

The Great Wall of China - Ming Tombs

Saturday, October 10, 2009

We had a great breakfast at the hotel this morning. The coffee was great...but then again, I'm used to the strong, French-style coffee. Afterward, we all met in the lobby and headed out to the Great Wall. On the way to the Great Wall we decided to make a stop at China's Largest Jade Gallery. It was very interesting and impressive to say the least to watch them making the jade pieces. I have to agree, it was the largest Jade Gallery that I have ever seen. Of course, we bought a few souvenirs. After that, it was on to the Wall.

It was incredibly beautiful! We walked all the way to the 4th tower which took about an hour to do. Some of the steps were so steep, I literally had to crawl up to the next step. I have short legs, but still, I don't know how some people who are much shorter than I am can do it. At one point, it felt like we were going straight up. I took lots of photos but I don't think they will do it justice. It's one of those things you just have to experience to fully comprehend the greatness! Once we got to the top, Randy bought us the obligatory "I climbed the Great Wall" t-shirts that they sell at the top.


On the way down from the top of the mountain it was a much faster trip although more difficult to keep hold of the rail as it was about knee-high. It had the effect of making you lean backwards in a partial limbo just to get a grip. Beijing moves from a plain to sharp mountains in the course of about a mile. The mountains were where the Great Wall began, so you can imagine the difficulty of climbing it. Of course, this was easy compared to hauling all the granite up those same mountains when they built it with no real technology. Truly a marvel of construction.

After the Great Wall we had all worked up quite the appetites and headed off to lunch at traditional Chinese restaurant. Our guide, Cindy, ordered for us. She said this restaurant was famous for its "home-style" cooking. Everyone sat at a large round table, family-style, with a glass top lazy Susan so the food could be spun around to whomever needed it. We had shrimp, chicken, pork and beef in larger quantities, and of course, tofu for me. We had stir-fried green beans and stir-fried julienne potatoes that were great. Randy said the peanut chicken was beyond spicy. In all, the food was really good, but definitely different.

After lunch we visited the tombs of the Ming Emperors. Instead of walking more stairs down into the tombs we decided to walk the Sacred Road with hand-carved stone statues protecting the emperors in the next life. One huge carved elephant, who was in a resting pose, had his front legs bent the wrong way, but they went with it anyhow - 700-year-old civil service.



We then returned back to the hotel completely exhausted. Randy had to lay down in the back seat of the bus. There were those - okay, everybody - who told him that he was snoring pretty loud. He said, "I find that hard to believe. The whole thing wreaks of conspiracy." We should have gotten it on film!

After we got to the room Randy decided to check out the massage thing...here's his story. Definitely one to remember:

"I heard about these great Chinese therapeutic massages and my back was sore from climbing up a mountain on the Great Wall. Bare in mind, this is in a Marriott Courtyard in Beijing - a very nice hotel. I go to the fourth floor gym, up to the service desk and ask for a massage in English. The young woman at the service desk calls over this guy who can barely speak English and is dressed in a medical-looking smock. Well, for the next 45 minutes he proceeds to loosen my back up through a series of pressure points and chiropractic moves. It's fantastic! I'm thinking, this is the bomb. They do all this with your clothes on, which I already knew was the custom as explained by our interpreter earlier in the day. Everything is going fine. I'm at peace with the world. Life is truly good. After lying down, he has me sitting on a little stool to crack a certain spot in my back that he correctly identified as a pain point (keep in mind he spoke very little English, so he found all the problems I had with little if any input from me - really knew his stuff) when he called out to someone. This is where things get weird. An attractive young woman appears at the door. She is *not* dressed in a medical smock. She looks more like she's heading out clubbing. The gentleman manages to get out that she's going to finish the massage. So, naively, I'm thinking maybe she was on break and he was just helping her out while she was gone. I had about 15 minutes of the massage left, so this made sense to me. The first indication of problems arose when the gentleman said he was done and she pulled out a new price list. I'm still not catching on. I think to myself, why would a need another massage? She asked for my room number, so I figured she was going to have the previous massage charged to my room. It started to become clear when the gentleman left the room and she asked me - with a broad smile to "get undressed now?" Crap! She's a hooker. Or at least a specialist in happy endings. I tried to explain that I was done, at which point she offered to meet me in my room. After insisting several times that I was good to go, she looked (falsely) sad and walked out. Then the original masseur entered the room and asked one more time if I wanted her to "take care" of me. I said one final no. I pulled out the yuan to pay the man and he said I only should tip him, but have to give the fee to his "boss." This is on the fourth floor of the Marriott Courtyard mind you. Outside of the room was a gym with a service desk and what looked like a few tables and couches for people to relax after a workout. At one of these tables in a darker corner was the "Boss." We'll just call him "Moose." Sitting across from Moose is the young lady who I had previously met and another who looked to be about the same "rank." I cough up the yuan for the massage and Moose points to the women one last time, they smile, and I do my best to say no thanks (boo-yao shi-shi) in Mandarin. He looks a little put out but sits back down at the table and starts back typing on his laptop. Now I'm in a really weird space - from peaceful to confused to scared to, "What just happened?" I got back to the room and Renee asked what was wrong - apparently my eyes were still a little bugged-out from the sudden increase in metabolism. I told the whole story to her and said if a hooker knocks on the door in the next hour or so, I'm not here. She said, jokingly, we should never speak of this again. I agreed. My silence lasted until breakfast the next day."Well, off to sleep........tomorrow is another big day!

P.S. The massage therapist never showed up at the room :)

We made it!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Well, we finally made it to China. After a very long day of flying, we are now comfortably in our hotel room. We left home this morning at 4:45am and flew out of Norfolk at 6:53am. With a short layover in Chicago, it was on to Toronto, Canada. We had a much longer layover in Toronto and then the flight was delayed because of a medical issue with one of the passengers from the flight before ours. We finally boarded and took off for Beijing. After 12.5 hours of flying, we finally landed in Beijing at 4:45pm (Beijing time). Which means from start to finish, it took a full 24 hours to get here!

We were met at the airport by Cindy (that's her "American" name) who will be our guide while we are in Beijing. We were driven to our hotel and checked in. There are a total of five families in our travel group. We actually flew from Toronto to Beijing sitting in the seats right behind Linda and her sister who are here adopting Linda's second daughter from China. Karen and her mother arrived yesterday, but we haven't seen them yet. Karen is also here for her second adoption. Lori & Eric arrived on an earlier flight today and were already checked in when we arrived. Hank & Gail won't arrive until Sunday.



After about 10 minutes or so of getting our stuff in our rooms, we all met back downstairs in the lobby and walked around to a local grocery store to stock up on water and snacks for our rooms. This was the most interesting, by far, of any grocery store I've ever been had the pleasure of touring. Apparently, in China, they prefer their food to be fresh. I'm not talking about freshly frozen, or fresh packed...I mean "still alive" fresh! Most all of the seafood was still swimming and if it wasn't it was laid over a bed of ice, completely in tact. Chickens still had their heads and even a feather or two. Crabs were crawling around everywhere, frogs hopping around this plastic bin they were kept in, and some things I couldn't even identify. The cut meats were not wrapped like we do, they were also laid over a bed of ice. Being vegetarian, I opted out on anything in that section. We did get some water and chips for the room. Randy decided that he needed a peanut butter sandwich since the airplane food left much to be desired.

He actually told me when we landed that after we get back home, he was never going to set foot on an airplane again! Although, I think that promise is much similar to the ones we make to ourselves when we wake up with a killer hangover and say, "I'm never drinking again!!" At the time, there was no doubt in my mind that he meant it. But we survived and we are looking forward to an all day tour of Beijing and the Great Wall tomorrow.

In less than a week..........

I'll be on the way to my baby girl!! We leave this Thursday for Beijing, then on to Nanchang on Sunday, and then Monday is FOREVER FAMILY DAY!! We'll meet Lea in the morning and spend the week there. We'll fly out Sunday for Guangzhou for almost a week then land back home the following Saturday, just in time for the last coach-pitch baseball game of the season!

We got updated information and a new photo this week......
She's 18 pounds and 27 inches now at 11 months old.

Finally...

It's a GIRL!

We finally got the long awaited phone call today... Jonathan is a BIG brother!!

Here's what we know about Lea Mae so far:

Chinese name: Cen, Si Xin
Born: 10/31/08
Province: Jiangxi
Weight: 14.5 lbs (at 8 months)
Length: 25 inches (at 8 months)
SWI: She is with a Foster Family in Heng Feng

And here she is............