A bad day...but we survived!

On Sunday, we decided to eat breakfast at McDonald's, around the corner from our hotel. We promised ourselves that we wouldn't do such a thing while we were here, but the breakfast buffett at the hotel was getting to be rather expensive.
We then went back to the hotel to finish packing up, as we were soon to meet Helen to head to the Beijing train station. We had plans to take the train from Beijing to Tianjin (about an hour train ride). Now, this experience was extremely chaotic and nerve-racking! We had 4 big bags of luggage, along with our carry-on items, like backpacks and purses, as well as a double-stroller. We came to find out that this was not normal luggage for train-travel. The trains here were not like trains at home, where cargo is stored underneath the passengers. So, not only because we are Caucasian, but because we had so much more luggage than everyone else, we felt very out of place. It didn't help that Cackie also decided to throw her 3-year-old daily temper tantrum as we were trying to make our way through the station. This drew even more attention to us. With all of this, it was very difficult to fight the crowd to get to where we needed to be! There really was no rhyme or reason, with no lines...just people pushing to get to where they needed to be. We almost didn't make it...we did just before the doors closed!
So, we finally made it to our seats, with our luggage scattered throughout the train car we were on. Cackie sat next to me, had her blanket and some Cheerios to calm down and we watched the scenery of more rural China go by. One hour later, we were in Tianjin, the home of my new nephew, Owen!
Once we arrived, it was another fiasco! Helen got two men to help carry luggage, but it was still difficult because we had to climb up & down 2 flights of stairs (no elevators)!! And, everybody had to be moving in the same direction. Deanna had it right when she said that she now knows what cattle must feel like! Not only did we have to make our way thru the crowd, we also had to keep up with Cackie and our luggage. We passed several taxi drivers trying to offer us rides and people trying to sell cheap souvenirs. We finally made it to our van and driver there! When we got settled, I told Deanna that I felt like I was in Mexico! Deanna explained to Helen that we were sorry for the amount of luggage, but we were packed for air travel, not train travel. We packed as light as possible, but a lot of luggage should be expected for a family of 4, for 3 weeks away from their native country! Thankfully, we will be taking a plane to Guangzhou. No more trains! Sorry, I did not get any pictures of all of this, as it was way too chaotic!

After that was behind us, we went to our new hotel, Holiday Inn Tianjin. As we checked in, we got some pictures of a BIG chair in the lobby...it was quite comfortable!

A view of Tianjin from our window...a bit hazy from all of the pollution, but a pretty skyline.


We then took our things up to the room, and Helen took us to a late lunch at a restaurant down the street. Again, more dishes...the lamb was awesome! With the seasonings, Deanna & I said it almost tasted like taco meat! They also served steamed bread at this restaurant...very interesting, but very good!
We then went back to the hotel...Cackie & I took a nap. It was the first real nap Cackie has had since out very first day here! I really think she needed it. We then got up and got our laundry together! Time to find a laundromat and get some clean clothes! These laundromats are not like those at home...they are actually more like a dry-cleaners & they do it for you to pick up later. Deanna only had 1 clean outfit left (I had 2). We found out that they would not clean underwear or socks. Deanna was not aware of this, because this was not a problem on their last visit. We also found out that we would have to wait to pick up the clean laundry 2 days later. Deanna was not happy to hear this, since she didn't have any more clean clothes! We decided at this point that they couldn't base everything off of their last visit.

It was after 7:00 p.m. and we decided that we were not that hungry because of the late lunch, so we just went to a small grocery store for some water, Diet Cokes (or Coca-Cola Light, as they call it here), and some snacks.

When we got back to our rooms, we had to wash our underwear and socks in the bathtub...another first for me! We also changed into our PJ's and washed the clothes we were wearing, just in case. Good thing we had a clothesline in the bathrooms, and good thing we thought to buy sample detergent to bring along.
Cackie even decided to help out by stomping on the laundry!







We then chilled out and watched some TV. Cackie & I went to bed about 9:30...The next day was a big one...It's Gotcha Day for Owen! More to post on that later! Stay tuned...

The Great Wall!

Our guide & my new friend, Helen.

So, I'm a little late posting this, but as you can imagine, things have been busy busy!

On Saturday, we continued our plan to the Great Wall of China! Before heading there, we went to a Jade factory, where we saw how the stone, Jade, is made into different things. From small things, like jewelry, to large things, such as sculptures. So much detail goes into this! We even found out that because Jade is such a symbolic stone in China, they are including it on part of the Olympic medals for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

I bought myself a beautiful jade pendant of a sheep, which represents the year I was born. No mom, I don't think they had any loose stones here to make jewelry...I believe that comes later when we make it to Guangzhou.

We then made our way to the Great Wall. Of course, by this time, it was storming pretty bad...raining & very windy! Just our luck! We had a little ways to get there and were hoping that the rain would die down before we got there. No such luck! However, that didn't stop me! I was not about to miss the chance to hike the Great Wall after traveling all this way...rain or shine! It was incredible! Of course, my legs have been very sore since! The steps are very unique, as one step might be short and the next might be very high. You definitely have to watch your step! The rain and wind made this more difficult.

Because of the rain, Michael carried Cackie on a carrier on his back, with Deanna following behind. At one point, I got quite ahead of them and decided to treck up further. When I looked down at them, they waved and told me they were headed back. So, I was on my own! I made it up to the point labeled "Certificate for Climbing the Great Wall", so decided to rest before heading back. Thankfully, I ran into Jim & Austin from our travel group, so we walked back down together. Because it was so steep, rainy & windy, we had to look out for one another. We've been joking that we will not let anybody have to visit the hospital in China! Here are some pictures from the trip up & down....

Cackie is ready to go!

A view from the bottom

Deanna & me...1/3 of the way up

Cackie's thirsty (what else is new?!) so I told her to drink the rain!

I made it to the top...and I'm soaked!

Boy were my legs tired!

A view from the top.

Another great view...of course, a little hazy because of the rain. But, in person, it was really breathtaking!

When I got back to the van, Deanna, Cackie, Michael, Helen, and Kris (from the travel group) were all warm & dry. I went into the store beside where we were parked and got a sweatshirt that says "I Climbed The Great Wall". Deanna & I were laughing because Chinese sizes are so much smaller than American sizes. Also, the sweatshirts were made of 100% cotton. I got a Large and Deanna got an X-Large. We said that after we washed them, Cackie & Owen will be able to wear them! Hey, as long as it kept me warm and dry at that time, I was happy!

We then went on to a Cloisonne factory, where we saw how Cloisonne is made. Cloisonne is an ancient metalworking technique, a multi-step enamel process used to produce jewelry, vases, and other decorative items. We got to see the extreme detail the Chinese use to make this kind of artwork...absolutely amazing! We then went upstairs in the factory for a break and some lunch, or as they say here, Dim Sum. Again, we sampled several different Chinese dishes, all of which were absolutely delicious! We even tried a Chinese wine, which they drink from a glass like the one I am holding in the pic below...

Kinda funny, huh? But, I definitely see why. I wish we got a picture of my face after one sip! It is very strong!! Deanna, Kris & I thought it tasted like a strong tequila. We actually said it reminded us of something we used to drink in college!

After Dim Sum, we went back downstairs and got to visit the Cloisonne shop. There were some loose beads here, so guess what mom?? Some jewelry to make for me & Deanna! :)

As we made our way back to the hotel, we passed many of the buildings and stadiums of the Olympic village. Of course, everything is not finished, so we were not allowed to stop and get still pictures. We were able to take some pictures & get some video from the van though, but they didn't come out that great. It was pretty cool though to see all of the things they've been showing on TV! Deanna & I also took this time to try to video some of the crazy traffic in Beijing, because we were both in the very back of the van. Of course, when we were actually recording, people were driving normal! Go figure! Nothing like the craziness we have experienced at other times!

On Saturday night, we decided to do dinner on our own, at a restaurant as the same block as our hotel. It was absolutely delicious, so of course, we scarfed it down! Again, with all of the excitement from the day and full bellies, it was time to crash again. The next day, we pack everything up & head to Tianjin. Just a day away from getting to meet Owen!

May 2, 2008

I realize I have a lot of catching up to do. We have been so busy, doing so many great things that I haven't had much time to post. So, I will do my best to update on what we did yesterday (Friday).

After getting ready, we had breakfast delivered to our room. We met our guide, Helen, downstairs and got on the van to meet the other family in our travel group. We could not have a better fit and have gotten along great with them! They have a 9-year-old boy, Austin, that has gotten along great with Cackie. They are also adopting a 4-year-old boy. You'll never guess what his name is going to be...Owen! How weird!

The first stop we made on this day was to Tiananmen Square.

This is when I started to notice that we were the center of attention to the locals, because we are the ones that look different. There were many Chinese taking pictures of us. Deanna also reminded me that they are fascinated by my blonde hair. That never crossed my mind until now! They are also fascinated by the children...we kept telling Austin that he was a rock star! They are also fascinated when they see Cackie, a Chinese English-speaking girl, with Caucasian parents.

After looking around at Tiananmen Square, we went into the Forbidden City. Here are some pictures from our adventure there....

After our walk around the Forbidden City, we went to a local restaurant and tried various Chinese foods. Everything I tried was delicious!

When we finished eating, we had our first experience with squat toilets. Of course, Cackie & I were lucky and got a Western toilet in the bathroom this time. Deanna got to experience it though....I got my turn later! It wasn't so bad...just something I'm not used to.

Then, we were off to a silk factory. They showed us how silk is made and the strength of it. I bought Chinese silk blanket that is inserted to a beautiful, traditional cover. I guess it can kind of be compared to a duvet cover. Hey, maybe it's an excuse to finally redecorate my bedroom!

From the silk factory, we went on a tour of the Hutong area where we rode a rickshaw! Basically, that is a cart pulled by a man on bike. (I'll have pictures of this later...not downloaded yet) That was definitely one of the highlights and Cackie really enjoyed it! "Hutong" means a small street or a lane between two courtyards. It consisted of very narrow roads and was a great experience of a totally different culture. Part of our tour consisted of meeting a family and seeing their home. They were both in their 70's...the husband worked with airplanes, the wife kept house. They were both very nice and we felt very honored to be in their home.

After the Hutong tour, we went on to an acrobatics show! This was fabulous! Lots of loud music, crazy stunts and bright costumes. We had tickets on the second row, so we didn't miss a thing! Cackie was beat by this time, and fell asleep just before the show ended.

We then went on to a restaurant for dinner and sampled several different dishes. One of them was Peking duck and tasted fabulous! We all enjoyed it! Well, everyone besides Cackie...she slept thru dinner.

After stuffing our faces and the ride back to the hotel, we were all ready to crash! So, we did. We needed to get plenty of rest for the Great Wall the next day! Great Wall here we come!

May 1, 2008

So, today we went to the Temple of Heaven. The Temple was built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. As Chinese emperors called themselves 'The Son of Heaven' ,they dared not to build their own dwelling, 'Forbidden City' bigger than a dwelling for Heaven. If you are interested in reading more about the Temple of Heaven, you may visit the site listed under "Other Sites I Like". Here are some pictures I took today of the Temple.

Another interesting and famous place is called Echo Wall. This wall encloses the Imperial Vault of Heaven. If you and your friend stand at the east and the west roots of the wall respectively and you whisper a word, then your friend will hear clearly what you say. Isn't it interesting? The phenomenon utilizes the theory of sound wave. Here is a picture of the Echo Wall.

At the Temple, we also visited the Art School within the park and bought some beautiful Chinese art.

After our visit to the Temple of Heaven, we took the van back to the hotel. Deanna and Cackie took a nap, Michael ran to the store, and I went to a shopping mall across the street. They had every big name designer you could think of...Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Dior...you name it. Although things there were WAY out of my price range, it was nice to get out & walk around. Here's some pictures of the street around our hotel...

Crossing the street was quite interesting...you have to pay close attention and walk fast to avoid getting hit by a car!

After everyone woke up from naps, we went for a walk around the block. There is a strip, somewhat like Beale Street in Memphis, where the actual road is closed off to cars. This strip is all shops and restaurants as opposed to bars. Cackie enjoyed all of the bright lights. As we came back to the hotel we visited a Tea Culture Shop next door to our hotel, where we bought different flavors of tea. Here is me & Cackie beside the tea kettle water fountain outside.

We then returned to the hotel, ordered room service and relaxed. Off to Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City tomorrow.

Stay tuned...

After a Looooonnng day, we made it!

Cackie, Deanna, Daddy, Mom & Me before heading thru security at the Memphis airport.

Walking to our gate at the Memphis airport.

Finally in the air headed to Beijing. We just ate our first meal!

Me & Cackie, about 5:30 a.m., waiting for our plane to Chicago in the Memphis airport. (By the end of the trip, we don't look quite as good!)

We made it to Chicago about 7:30 a.m., and got to spend our layover burning off some energy, eating breakfast and spending time with our Uncle Donald that came to visit us. He lives outside of Chicago. After making it through security again and check-in, we boarded the plane to Beijing at about noon. Unfortunately, after the plane left the gate, we were informed of a mechanical problem that we had to return to the gate for. This took about an hour & a half to fix and was extra time that we were on the airrcraft. So, our flight was delayed, causing us to have additional time in the air of about 13 hours. There's also a first time for everything...not only the first time for me to fly that long, but also the first time to use the bathroom on an airplane! It wasn't so bad. We also took many opporunities to get up and walk around because our legs were cramped when sitting down for such long periods. I also have to say that the horseshoe-shaped travel pillows we bought for the flight were probably the BEST investment so far!
When we arrived to the Beijing airport, it was 4:30 p.m. local time and 86 degrees! HOT! After we claimed our luggage, Helen, the CCAI (Chinese Children Adoption International) guide met us and a driver took us back to a hotel. Beijing traffic is by far the worst I've seen...I guess I shouldn't say Memphis is so bad anymore! And I probably shouldn't criticize daddy's driving, because the driving is just crazy here! I probably paid more attention to that than other things when we were driving into the city to our hotel.
We arrived at the hotel about 7:00 p.m., checked in and Michael got us some bottled water at a store around the corner (we can't drink the tap water here). After the long day and being in the same clothes for more than 24 hours, we were each ready for showers, ordered room service (Chinese dumplings and fried rice) and called it a night. Cackie & I slept in one room, and Deanna & Michael were across the hall. Cackie & I woke up about 3:00 a.m. (2:00 p.m. to us/central time), but had to try to go back to sleep to make sure we had energy and got adjusted to the time difference.


Our hotel lobby...isn't it beautiful!


My & Cackie's beds.

This morning, we went downstairs for a HUGE breakfast buffett that was delicious. Our plan is to meet Helen downstairs and go to the Temple of Heaven. Then, we are going to relax close to the hotel for the rest of the day.
Stay tuned...

It's about that time!

All of the packing is done and we're ready to go! As the last link says (that Cackie is holding in this pic) "I leave today". We've gotta get to bed EARLY because we have to be up around 2:30 a.m. We will have about a 5 hour layover in Chicago, so we'll get to meet our Uncle Donald at the airport for some breakfast and down time before getting on the flight to Beijing.

I can't believe it's really here! Now, the real fun begins! Until next time....

1 Week!

Well, folks...only 1 week left and I will be on my way to Beijing! For those of you who might not know that much about what's done on these adoption trips, here's our trip itinerary: 4/29 - Fly to Chicago, then on to Beijing 4/30 - Arrive in Beijing 5/1 - Rest day & explore on our own 5/2 & 5/3 - Beijing tours 5/4 - Depart for Tianjin 5/5 - Gotcha Owen! 5/6 - Adoption Registration & Notarization 5/7 - 5/9 - Free time in Tianjin 5/10 - Depart for Guangzhou (White Swan... here we come!) 5/11 - Free day in Guangzhou 5/12 - Owen's visa photo & physical 5/13 - Consulate Appointment 5/14 - Oath at the U.S. Consulate 5/15 - Fly to Hong Kong, then on to Chicago and HOME So much to do between now & then! Thankfully I am caught up with most of my work stuff. At home, I have already taken care of organizing my bills that need to be paid while I'm gone, I've got most of my toiletries already purchased, and I have an idea of all the clothes I am going to take. So, all I need to do is pack! Really, that's easier said than done, because I have to pack for my time in Memphis (before & after the China trip) and for work, as I will start back to work with a 2-day meeting in Nashville. I won't actually make it back to Knoxville until May 23rd. This Thursday night, I'm going to have a "packing party" with one of my dearest friends, Erica, since she is so sad to see me leave Knoxville for a month (I am actually leaving this Friday to spend the weekend in Memphis before we fly out). I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for her, because she is going to watch my house, get my mail and manage some of my bills for me while I'm gone. Is that a great friend or what??