My Trip To China

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Home Sweet Home

Our long journey has officially ended. I am back home. This trip was one I will never forget. I have gone to China, have done a number of exciting things there including climbing the Great Wall and visiting the Forbidden City, got a new younger brother, and experienced some strange food. As much fun as we were having, I was ready to leave.

At 12:00 PM (China time), I stepped on to the airplane that was going to take me home. I was happy to finally be on the plane. Not everyone in my family felt that way. My mother was having a panic attack. The night before we had left, we were checking our seats. While doing so we discovered that we had two window seats and two middle seats. My mom has to have an aisle seat or she will literally get off the plane. She was devastated by the news. Luckily, one of the passengers with an aisle seat was a very nice old man who let my mom have the aisle seat next to my dad and Emmett. She was nearly jumping for joy. I, on the other hand, was horrified. Much to my distaste, I had ended up sitting in between two old men for 14 hours.

As bad as it sounds, the flight really wasn't all that bad. I was able to read and listen to my Ipod without disturbances. My parents didn't get off so easily. Emmett would cry and want to stand up. I was glad not to be with them. I actually giggled to myself whenever he screamed. Even though it was kind of mean of me to think so, I thought of vengeance. They left me alone, so they got the screaming baby.

When we finally landed, I was so happy to be back in America. I missed my friends. I missed my own bed. I missed all my clothes and posters. I learned to appreciate what I have. And I was so happy to be going home.

Confessions of an American Shopaholic

Shopping in China is a whole new experience. It is nothing like shopping in America.

Today we went shopping here in Gaungzough. Near our hotel there are many little shops. These shops sell things like traditional Chinese clothing, jade, pearls, and many other souvenirs. When we walk by these shops all the workers are talking to us and telling us to come buy something. We were starting to get a headache from all the calls. When we finally decided to go into a shop the workers followed us everywhere. When we start to look at something, they would come to us and give us a history of the object and tell us that the quality is very good. At first I found this very annoying, but then it started to become very useful. We were able to ask questions about the product. They always had a good answer.

My mommy and I went into this one store and we just fell in love with the shop keeper. She was this Chinese lady who was so sweet. She had these books that were about learning Chinese. We read the books out loud together. We talked for about an hour and she helped us with our pronunciation of Chinese words. She told my mom that she speaks Chinese very well. We were just having so much fun. She talked to us about where we were from, how long we were here, and about adopting. We all talked joyfully until it was time to check out. We then ended up buying the books and a few other things.

One more thing about shopping here. There are no fixed prices. So we have to bargain for everything. At first we were kind of scared, but now we just think it is so much fun. My mommy and I first bartered this morning. Basically you pick out what you want. Then the sales person will write a price on a calculator. It is then our turn to make the price lower. We say about half the original price. Then we just go back and forth until we meet in the middle. I think bartering is lots of fun.

The Wonderful World Of China

Chopsticks, roast duck, and cars having the right of way are some of the many things that are different between the Chinese culture and ours.

To start off the food is very different. Like polar opposite different. They eat things that we would not even imagine tasting. At one restaurant we went to, guinea pig was on the menu. The menu included pictures, so there was a picture of a happy guinea pig and one of fried guinea pig with corn and a side salad. We were all daring each other to try it, but no one stepped up to the challenge. Today in the airport we saw a package with a turtle on it. Jokingly we said it was turtle soup. Surprisingly, further inspection proved us correct. It was a turtle paste that could be used to make drinks and soups. I was kind of grossed out.

I have also learned what it is like to be a minority while here in China. In Gaungxi our travel group and the other adopting families in our hotel were the only Caucasians in the whole city. Everybody just loved us. Where ever we went we were getting stares from the locals. Everyone was asking for pictures. Some people would just whip out their cell phones and start taking pictures of us while we talked or walked around. We also met some school children who practiced their English with us. They were all so cute. They asked us questions like "how are you?" and "where are you from?" I just love how special I feel here. This would never happen in America because we have such a variety of people.

I learned really quick that if you want to walk through the streets of China, then you better be extra careful. In China the drivers have the right of way - meaning that pedestrians have to be very skilled to cross the street and make it to the other side alive. Surprisingly very few people actually get hit by cars. Our guides have told us that when we have to cross the road we always stay with the locals because they know just what to do. So far it has worked. But we still get an adrenalin rush when we want to go across the street.

There are also scooters and bikes everywhere. On all of the roads there are just as many scooters as there are cars. The people rarely wear helmets and do not take many safety precautions. The other day, we saw a lady on a scooter and on the flat part where you put your feet, she had her infant there lying down sleeping. We were all freaking out and thinking the baby would fall off. Another time we saw an entire family of four or five packed onto a scooter. They were not even wearing helmets. We learned before we came that we should not bring a car seat for Emmett because they do not use them in China. In the U.S. we always take so many precautions. And seeing what people in China do is so different! I think it is a bit crazy!

Adventures In Yiling Village

We have been staying in Nanning, the capital of Gaungxi. This city is very urban, but most people in China live in rural villages. Most of the villages in Guangxi are of the Zhaung ethnicity. There are actually 56 Chinese ethnic groups. The majority of people in China are of the Han ethnicity, but in Gaungxi most people are Zhaung. The Zhaung villages are very rural. We were given the chance to visit one of these villages. We took a trip to Yiling Villgage and it is something that I will never forget.

We took an hour long bus ride from Nanning to Yiling Village. When we entered the village we were all just like "Oh my gosh! Wow!" with a tone that suggested we were in shock that people were living in these conditions. There was trash everywhere. The homes were very old and cluttered looking. When we first stepped off the bus, we were bombarded by an assortment of smells. And they weren't the good kind. It smelled like dead things and rotten things. There were also flies everywhere! Thankfully, we were all wearing bug spray. But that still didn't stop flies from landing on our backs. Yiling Village was not the most sanitary place we have visited here in China.

Our guide, Jane, had told us to bring candy for the village children. And sure enough, when we started walking, bunches of children came up to us saying the only English word they knew: "Hello", and sticking out their hands. So, we started dishing out candy. Emmett was absolutely adorable, handing lolly pops and gummies to the kids. They would say "thank-you", and then some would scamper off to munch on their tasty treats, but a little group of boys and two girls followed us the entire trip, pestering us for more. I was almost positive that those kids would not sleep that night because of all the candy they ate!

We walked through the entrance of the village, making sure to stay close to our guide. Jane then told us to follow her into the market. There, much to our distaste, we watched as chickens were killed, placed in hot water, de-feathered, placed in water again, and then finally gutted. It made us all lose our appetites. This procedure was also used with geese. It was like torture because there was a cage of geese, and on top of it was all the dead geese - and all the living geese kept looking up at the dead ones. Also in the market (thank goodness) were many things that did not make you want to puke including: grains, rolls, and an assortment of fruits and vegetables.

After taking a look around the market area, we walked on a path through the fields that led to the other part of town. The path passed through the washing area where we saw the women doing their laundry. They were doing it all by hand in the water. It was very fascinating to watch them scrub clothes on the rocks. I don't think we could ever do that. Jane told us that usually only Zhaung women do the household chores and the men go off to work outside the village. When the men come home they just sit around, hanging out with their buddies and playing games. So, of course when we reached the other part of town, we saw a bunch of men sitting around playing board games. They laughed at my dad when he took a picture of them. We think it's because he was holding Emmett on his shoulders. And that is "women's work". Or so they would say.

Everybody in the village was very friendly. There was one lady who let us come inside her home. She was the rich lady of the village. Her home was two stories high. When we first went inside she showed the downstairs. Her bedroom was downstairs, but she didn't let us inside. She also had the pig pen on the bottom level. The lady was rich because she would raise the pigs until they were nice and plump then she would sell them. This apparently helped her make a small fortune. She then took us upstairs. The top floor was very nice. There was a living room, kitchen, and three bedrooms. There was a different room for each of her children and their spouse. She also had a television and a computer. She even had running water. So much for being a village person without technology!

Right outside of the lady's house there was a big truck that was just coated in flies. I was just absolutely disgusted. None of the villagers seem phased by the huge swarm of flies. Even though the villagers had been very kind to us, we were ready to leave. We all wanted to get away from some of the sights and smells of village life.

On the bus ride home, my mom and I were talking. She mentioned that Emmett probably was born in a village like Yiling Village. This made us both glad that we had him. But, then we realized that the villagers have a happy life. They trust and love each other. The people all leave their doors unlocked because they know no one will come in. The children are all happy, loved, and are able to roam the village freely. We decided that it is sad that we think we need stuff to make us happy. All we need is our family and friends to love us! That is true happiness.

Our Little Fu Man

Qi Fu is absolutely crazy! We used to say "I hope we get a kid who is nice and calm to even out with Lilly." Yeah right! He is just as hyper as she is. But luckily, he's not picky like her. That little boy eats like a full grown man. When we get him food, he slurps it up and asks for more. Surprisingly, he loves fruits and vegetables. He especially likes watermelon and broccoli. He eats them for any meal possible!

He also absolutely loves the water. We have to drag him away kicking and screaming from the fountain in our hotel lobby because he wants to splash water everywhere. When he washes his hands, he always tries to make the water squirt. And today we went outside in the rain and he was just having a blast. There were many puddles that he would jump in. By the end of the day he was soaking. When we were finally ready to come in, there was only one dry spot on his entire body - his back! That was the only part of him where his rain jacket succeeded in keeping him dry.

Emmett just loves laughing too! He is the class clown who loves to have people looking at him. When we have group activities everybody always loves watching. He makes everybody laugh by smiling, running, and slurping his noodles. He even got one of the less happy children to smile at him!

He also seems to be very intelligent. If we ask him to go get something, somehow he knows what we want. He also is very deceptive at times. If we are in a restaurant he will say "i yow!!!" and hold himself. In Chinese that means "I gotta go potty" and you better get him to the bathroom fast. But he usually just wants to go to the bathroom to wash his hands and play in the sink.

Yesterday we went to Walmart. Even though none of us were proud to admit it, we were just so excited to go. The Walmart in China is very different. There were many items that aren't sold in our Walmarts. There was an assortment of food items that I would never in my life even think about eating - including fully intact poultry; eyeballs and everything. It was very disgusting to look at. Because Emmett is so tiny he is wearing size 18-24 months, eventhough he is almost 3. So, we were hoping to buy him some more clothes at Walmart. But, there was only 1 rack of boy clothes and about 10 racks of girl clothes. We ended up buying the same outfit in two different colors. All the clothes here have some kind of cartoon character in them - there is nothing that is just plain. We don't like that too much.

After Walmart we went to eat at Pizza Hut. This is the third time I have eaten there since we have been in China. The Pizza Huts here are really nice and clean. There are also pizzas that are so unappealing looking that you just can't help but wonder what they taste like. Emmett was loving the pepperoni pizza we bought. It was his first pizza ever. I think he will eat anything we give him!

Gotcha Day!

Gotcha Day was just a whirlwind of emotions for most people. I do not like to express my emotions with crying, but for the parents on Gotcha Day, there was crying, and laughing, and joking. The whole thing was just very exciting.

On Tuesday morning we woke up extremely early. But it didn't matter because no one slept well anyways. We and the other 4 families in our group met in the lobby of our hotel in Beijing. At 5:30am we were picked up by a bus and we drove to the Beijing Airport. We took a flight from Beijing to Gaungxi - the province where Emmett lives. That flight was like none I have ever been on before (and trust me I have been on a lot).

To start off, during the plane ride, we were all extremely anxious and kept thinking about the next few hours. We soon saw that we were the only non-Asian people on the plane and felt quite excited to be in the minority. We were also the only Caucasians in the entire Nanning, Gaungxi airport. As we walked by, people would stare at us and then tap their friends. It was very interesting.

The plane ride was havoc. It was nothing like an American Flight. There were people yelling across the plane to their friends, children screeching, and people were walking when the seat belt sign was on. When we landed half of the plane's occupants were standing up before we had stopped moving at 100 mph. I couldn't help but laugh!

Once we reached Nanning we were met by our guide, Jane. Jane has been working with our adoption agency for 9 years. She is great. She led us to our bus that took us to our hotel in Nanning. By then we were all extremely nervous. We had about two hours of preparation before we would go get our children.

At 2:40 we met in the lobby and got in the bus. My mother was freaking out along with all the other soon-to-be mothers. She was feeling sick and nervous and excited all at once. My dad on the other hand was as calm as could be.

When we reached the building where we would receive our children, we went up to the fourth floor and in the hallway we briefly saw the kids. By then my mother was in tears. We went into a room and we could hear the children outside screaming. We were told that one of them was screaming "I don't want to go in there". That just broke every body's heart.

To begin, we heard a brief intro and then each child was called out and brought into the room. Qi Fu (Emmett) was the third one brought in. He ran in excitedly and we handed him a car. At first he seemed happy, but soon broke into tears. It was dreadful. All the children were crying; it was a mad house. Eventually Qi Fu stopped crying, but he kept on whimpering. On the ride home he just looked out the window and whimpered more.

But when we got back to the hotel and into our room, he was just a big ball of happiness. We colored with him and he just had a blast. He would take out a marker, draw with it, and then carefully place it back where it belonged. We have learned that he loves everything to be in its proper place.

Emmett is the most adorable little boy (I'm not biased). He has a happy personality, but I don't think he has sat still for longer than 10 seconds. He is also very smart. My mom picked up a phone and said "hello", and then 2 seconds later, he picked up the phone and said "hello". He has also learned to say "more" with sign language when he wants more food.

That little boy is just a big ball of energy and we all love him!

The Forbidden City

When I see pictures of The Forbidden City, I never really think of it as being very large. Boy, was I wrong! The Forbidden City is quite actually a city. There are rooms everywhere and it is absolutely huge. The Emperor's throne was very majestic. There were five stair cases just to reach the part where he would sit. There were beautiful paintings everywhere. The whole place was just gorgeous.

Visiting The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square was very exciting. It was very crowded and full of tourists. I was asked to take photos with Chinese People twice today. I was feeling like a celebrity. Also, when we took a group photo with our tour group, other people were taking pictures of us. We could not stop laughing. Besides feeling famous, we toured The Forbidden City and learned the history of Tiananmen Square.

Before the touring part of our day, we had an orientation with Holt, our adoption agency. During the orientation I didn't pay very much attention, but apparently my parents learned a lot about the excitement that awaits us tomorrow on Gotcha Day. As part of the orientation we recieved updated information and photos of our little Emmett. And let me just say he is the most adorable little boy on the face of the planet. We are so excited that we are going to pick him up tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will have a little brother.

I'm Now A Real Hero

There is an old Chinese saying:
"You're not a true hero until you climb The Great Wall". Now I have done just that.

We spent our first day in China visiting the legendary Great Wall. Trekking up the Great Wall was no walk in the park. At some points we were at a 60 degree angle. It felt like a ladder. We climbed to the highest point possible from the section of the wall we were at - about 850 meters above sea level. We were exhausted when we finally reached the top, but so excited to be there. It was one of my dreams come true! I can't imagine what it would have been like to climb the Wall everyday with battle armor like so many soldiers from the past. By the time we made it to the top, our time was running short - we were the only people from our group to climb to the top and we didn't want to be late returning and keep everyone waiting. So, instead of walking down the entire wall we took the easy way out and rode a cable car back down. I don't think the Chinese soldiers were able to ride cable cars down.

I had an interesting experience on the wall. I didn't think Americans were so exotic looking, but I don't know, maybe we are. I was walking along the wall when a Chinese girl gestured to me. At first, I thought that she wanted me to take a picture of her and her father, but I soon realized that she wanted to take a picture with me. So, we posed together and the dad took the picture. I thought it was very strange, but I couldn't help feeling a little bit like a celebrity!

We Are Finally Here!

I can't believe that we have finally made it to China. It has been my dream ever since I was really little. And now I'm finally here. And I will be leaving with a brother!

Our flight was supposed to leave Friday at 12:29, but our airplane broke so we had to get a new plane and didn't end up leaving until 3. The flight itself was extremily long. We flew in enonomy plus so we were a little spread out, but not a bunch. As much as I tried I couldn't sleep during the 15 hour ride. I ended up watching Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa four times. I think I have the movie just about memorized. I also did homework until I realized that I needed to get extra paper because I had forgotten some.

Yesterday when we landed here, the sky was covered in a thick gray smog that stunk. But this morning the sky is clear! From our hotel room we can seee the Forbidden City. And today we are going to go to the Great Wall of China. That has always been my dream too. My mom and I are just giddy with excitment!

PACKING!

I never knew that a person needed so much stuff. We have been preparing for our trip to China, and I can't believe all the little things we have to pack. We have to pack baby toys, diapers, presents for orphanage workers, and numerous other items that I would never imagine bringing. One of the many items that we need is medicines that we probably won't even use. On Saturday we went to Target and came home with a box the size of a suitcase full of medicines. Some of these medicines include: scabies treatment (GROSS), lice shampoo (again GROSS), NyQuil, and Benadryl (for the airplane ride to and from China). Of course we aren't taking the entire box of medicine, but we will be divvying out the contents into our three little suitcases.

And speaking of little suitcases, our suitcases can only be 40lbs each and we can only bring one per person. I have been rolling all my clothes into balls to make more room for more clothes. We also have to make room in our suitcases for Emmett's toys, clothes, and toiletries. I can only bring 5 pairs of pants and nine or so shirts for 2 weeks. Everything will have to be worn more than one time. Should be lots of fun!

First Post Ever Posted On This Blog!!!

Hey ya'll hey! this is my first post!