Saturday, November 24, 2012
We woke this morning in Guangzhou to lots and lots of rain, but
the temperature was about 70, so it was still a lot warmer than
where have been, but not nearly as warm as we were hoping for.
Our breakfast, especially the coffee, is not quite as delicious
as it has been in the previous hotels, but we still found a
great selection of fruit. Shy has been loving having fried rice
every morning. I think she'll miss it when we're home. There is
a Starbucks right around the corner that will be a definite stop
in the morning. There is a great veranda off of the room that
will make a great spot for coffee.
We met our guide early and went to the clinic for a check up.
Everything went well, although I'm not sure how thorough the
doctors were. It seemed more of just a formality. We did find
out that she weighs about 26 pounds. It's been a while since
I've had a two year old, but I'm guessing she's up there in the
percentile range! Our new guide Lee (who is amazing) took one
look at her and told us we needed to give her a bit more
exercise. She said the kids are pretty sedentary in the
orphanages. We assured she would get a proper diet and lots of
exercise when we get home.
We really enjoyed our ride to the clinic. Although the
population of Guangzhou is about 14 million, the city is clean
and beautiful. Such a difference from where we have been. The
wide brick side walks in the city are lined with rows of trees,
bushes and beautiful flowers. There are wide medians between the
lanes of roads with grass and trees. The traffic in the city it
pretty bad, but the drivers are not allowed to honk their horns
here or they will be fined. The city has banned the use of motor
scooters to cut down on pollution. There is a lot of new
construction, but even the older buildings are kept up and not
nearly as run down as other places we've seen. The language
spoken here is mainly Cantonese, as apposed to the Mandarin
spoken up north, but Lee told us that many people here speak
Mandarin and well as English.
The rained slowed down enough for us to walk around the island
and get some lunch. It is such a beautiful and relaxing place to
be. It's almost easy to forget your in China here. It looks very
similar to the French Quarter in New Orleans. The architecture
is beautiful, and very different than in Beijing. Here's a bit
of a history lesson about Shamian Island. It is really a sandbar
(which is what Shamian means) in the Liwan District of Guangzhou
in the Guangdong Province, near the southern tip of China. Years
ago it served as a port for Guangzhou's foreign trade. After the
Opium wars, the territory was divided into two concessions given
to France and the United Kingdom. It is a reminder of
Guangzhou's colonial history. Many of the original buildings
have been restored and are now being used as offices or
apartments. The Island is traffic controlled, free of pollution,
has many great little shops and restaurants, and is a beautiful
place to get away from the busy city for a relaxing day.
We stopped at Lucy's for lunch. Its a popular place for adoptive
families because the staff speaks English and the menu is
readable. The tables are covered with checkered table cloths,
the chairs have wicker backs, and American movie posters and
license plates decorate the walls. There are 80's ballads
playing in the background. It's really quite amusing. The food
was pretty good, but the best part...huge iced teas!
The girls and I shopped while the boys stayed back at the hotel
during nap time. Every shop had a little bit of everything, from
traditional Chinese clothing and shoes to Northface coats and
Coach purses. In every shop is a laundry service too. I've been
rinsing out some of our clothes in the sink (probably too much
info for most of you, but great memories for adoptive
families!), but we decided to drop off our jeans to have
laundered. She didn't take my name or give me a ticket, just
told me to come back tomorrow. I guess we'll just have to wait
and see if we get them back....
We had every intention of going into the city and having dinner,
but now Shyla's not feeling good (just a cold), and she slept
through dinner time. :) John took the other kids to a play area
in the hotel and then went to Subway for dinner.
We've been having such a great time chatting with other adoptive
families. Everyone's story is so different. Shyla's convinced we
are spry enough to have another. Hmm, thanks, I guess. One of
the ladies we talked with today told us our dossier was good for
a year. That really got her wheels turning. She's already
talking about how next time we can do this and that. I told her
that if it was in God's plan He would make it happen. I'm not
making plans anymore, He just laughs at them anyway! ;)
We're off to the zoo tomorrow. Hoping the weather gets a little
better! |
A Park in Shamian Island
A Beautiful Building on Shamian Island
Mom and CP at Lucy's
Stacking cups with Big Brother
Reading Stories
Tower Complete! |
