Trip to China
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Tuesday, June 3, 2014 Thanks for all of the messages. We are winding down our trip and starting to miss home. We have been able to Skype our family and we can't wait to see them in person. Today we had our Consulate appointment. Qian was sworn in as a US citizen. It was brief and informal. We were not allowed to bring in cameras or any personal belongings. Security is very tight here in Guangzhou and we have seen soldiers. We carry our passports outside of the hotel. After the consulate appointment we ate at McDonald's and did some light shopping. Qian had to go to the bathroom and I had to ask a storekeeper where it was. It turned into a game of charades. I squatted, made the pssss sound, grunted, and finally said, "toilet." The storekeeper said, " oh, toilet." Yes, toilet. Why didn't I think of that word first! We came back to the hotel and went swimming for about fifteen minutes. It began to thunder and Qian jumped out of the pool. She was terrified and wanted me to hold her. For dinner we went to a traditional Cantonese restaurant. The food was delicious. We were not too adventurous. No eel, chicken head, or intestines. John, our guide ordered for us. There were 11 of us and our dinner bill was equivalent to 60 US dollars. We are now getting ready for bed and I have to admit, this is my least favorite time of day. Qian does not like nap time or bedtime. We start by brushing her teeth, getting tucked in and then story time. I give her the sleep sign and then IT begins. She gets out of the bed at least 10 times. Qian runs to the food drawer and looks for the candy, teases Sam, picks up the phone that isn't unplugged, goes back and forth to the bathroom, rolls onto the floor, speaks mandarin really loud, snatches the remote and turns the tv volume on full blast.......this list goes on and on. When I tell her "boo, no" she laughs and sometimes kisses me. I've had to change my facial expression. Needless to say, she has cried the last three nights when I have set firm limits. It's so hard for me to see her cry and the language doesn't help. After a few minutes, I show her the appropriate behavior (tucked in bed) and say "good girl." My heart reminds me that this child has never had the choice to be " free." Our bedtime routine is so different from the orphanages. Qian has a lot to learn and I know things will get better with time. On our walk home from dinner our guide said, "You know, I have never seen a Chinese child or adoptive child act like Qian. (I thought, oh, dear. This isn't good) She has so much personality and confidence for being so young. We don't see this." Qian's paperwork described her as a timid, quiet child who doesn't talk much. They underestimated this resilient little girl. She is spreading her wings and we can't wait to see how far she flies! This is our last night in Guangzhou. We travel to Hong Kong tomorrow. Goodnight from Guangzhou, Betty, Sam, and Qian

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