Ready to Take Flight

Today is our last day before leaving for good ol' US of A. You really don't appreciate home until you're away from it for a while. We really have enjoyed China and look forward to a return trip, but we are so VERY ready to go home. It feels like we've been gone for a long time.

Yesterday we had Ian's swearing in. It doesn't make him a US Citizen, but we did raise our right hands and promise that he will be a good boy forever, say no to drugs, and will pay taxes on time. It was an even more chaotic room than the medical exam with about 100 families all being sworn in at the same time. We also received his important brown envelope, which must remain sealed until we pass through customs in the US. Once we do, he will automatically become a US Citizen, which is pretty cool.

He really didn't like this part of the day. I noticed that when we're in a big room of noisy people, he holds his "good" ear and gets whiny. I think it's a lot of noise coming at him and he can't really sort out where it's all coming from. Once we were back on the shuttle and on our way back to the hotel, he was fine.

Despite my last rantings about the annoying shop owners, etc., for which I'm sure I received a bunch of flaming comments (I don't know since I can't read comments on my blog while in China), we did find a couple of shops that we were able to find a good selection with only moderate sales pressure. We bought more souvenirs and borrowed a stroller, which Ian really likes.

Yesterday, we were up and out before 9am and found that it's the best time to experience the local flavor of Shamian Island. We were the only Westerners out, and it's when the school kids are out marching and the military trainees are doing their drills. It is also when the older Chinese men and women come out to the parks and exercise. They do a combination of Tai Chi, dance, stretches, and circuit training on machines that look like they came from a 1980's Gold's Gym, painted in juvinile colors and placed outside in the park. There are also big groups of people of all ages that meet in the parks and alleys to play a version of hackey sack using a flight similar to a badmitton birdie. They go on for hours and then sit and chat, dance some more, smoke, play cards, maj jong or dice, dance some more...and then go about their day of shopping, laundry, cooking, etc. It was like this in the AM in each city in China that we've been to, and it's nice to see that their seniors are active.

We did the same thing this morning and then walked around trying to kill time until lunch, which was really difficult. I stand behind my statement that this place is really pretty boring and anyone staying here for their entire stay in China has my sympathies. We ate lunch at Lucy's, the Western diner type restaurant on the island, and where Ian has embraced mashed potatoes.

Afterward, we crossed a pedestrian bridge off the island and walked around a market that appears to be dedicated to bulk foods of all kinds from dried sea horses to roots, to mushrooms, to turtles. It didn't make much for a shopping experience, but was great for human interest photos.

We are no finalizing our packing and have a couple of things to pick up from shops here before we head out for dinner and call it a night. We are literally counting down the hours until we fly out and we leave the hotel here tomorrow at 6am, for a 8-something flight from Guangzhou to Tokyo...then on to Seattle for a 7ish arrival.

Thanks again for the support of our friends, family, coworkers, and those we've met along the way. Although we havn't been able to answer everyone's emails or read the comments posted, we know your spirits have been with us.

We can't wait to update on how Ian does at home and hope that our experiences help others to realize their dreams of adoption, and especially adopting a child with a special need. It was scary at first, but now we can't imagine not making this decision.

I do give a few last words of advice for anyone still preparing to travel: Research how POW's stiffle coughs. It's not easy to be sick when a baby is sleeping a few feet away...and even harder trying to get through the coughing phase of a cold. Also, get a prescription for Azithomycin for your baby. It was a godsend in helping Ian get over his cold, which he kindly passed on to me. Sadly, a baby dose of antibiotics does not work on adults, trust me I know. Lastly, don't forget to pack adult cold medicine. Anything you will be lucky enough to find here won't have English directions...and might be expired....you'll never know!

Love and best wishes to you all! Stay tuned for future updates on The Boy and The Bulldog...and the story of their first meeting...That alone should be worth following along!

A few pics from the past couple of days: