These last two days have already flown by... with our first full day in Guangzhou being our medical appointment for Mia. Our guide, Wensi, made sure we were ready to rock-n-roll promptly at 8:40am in order for us to go over to the Guangzhou International Medical Offices - which has an adoption clinic in there to provide the necessary medical tests for our daughter to obtain her US visa.
We became very thankful for our guide being so persistent at going early, since we were rewarded with being the first family there. We were in and out in less than 15 minutes!!! Wow! Mia also had to have a TB test done, which she did FANTASTIC in... no flinching or crying!! By the time we left, there were at least 4 other families already starting to wait. Apparently, by 9:30-10am, the office becomes so backlogged that it often takes about 1-2 hours to complete the testing. We will head back there tomorrow morning (Monday) to have the results of the TB test read... after that's done, we're in limbo mode until our official consulate appointment time on Thursday.
After the medical test was done, our guide brought us back to the hotel and we were done for the day (~ 10am). So, we decided to head out and do some local exploring... which included stops by Starbucks (haha), McDonalds, and JusCo - a 5 story department store that also contains a supermarket. We bought a few small items there - water, ramen noodles, etc. - and headed back to the hotel.
Let me also just say that the hotel where we're staying (the Garden Hotel) is by far the nicest place we've ever stayed in. I think staying in a 2 room suite - which cost us only $140 US to upgrade to for the entire week... I think after our overcrowded accommodations last week in both Beijing and Guiyang... this feels almost like a vacation! :)
Last night, we ventured out to have dinner at a local Mexican restaurant called Tekila - which was a nice change of pace from the Chinese food. The dinner was fine - and they accepted Visa credit cards, so that helped me to conserve alittle cash. After dinner was over and we were walking back --- it happened... the dreaded meltdown. We were walking along a very busy road when our daughter Ashlyn wanted a piggyback ride on Mommy. When she got up on Ginny - that meant that Mia had to hold my hand... which she was NOT going to do. She was pulling away from me towards the busy road. Unfortunately, I did what I had to do... pick her up and carry her back to the hotel... which was about a 10 minute walk.
... SHE SCREAMED AT ME THE ENTIRE WAY BACK...
Oh well... I made a comment on Facebook afterwards about how I should have chosen another place to stand my ground as a parent instead of a busy street in Guangzhou, China at night when she's screaming at me in Chinese... probably would have gone over alittle better in the US since no one would understand her...
Anyways, once we got back to the hotel room - the crying stopped, I dried her tears, got her bath going, and within a few minutes - she was back to being my friend. I think that we'll avoid circumstances like that for the near future (i.e. until we get home), but thankfully, this meltdown was mild compared to others I've read about...
Today, we got up and went down to the best meal of the day - breakfast!! :) These breakfast buffets are, by far, the absolute best in the world... it makes the free breakfast buffet at hotels like Homewood Suites or Courtyards seem disgusting... I mean... when a hotel offers both crispy and fried bacon choices... I think we have a winner!
During breakfast both yesterday and this morning, we've been sat near other adoptive families staying here at the hotel. One funny story was yesterday's couple - I overheard them saying they were from New York. I turned around and asked them from where in NY... they said it was a town I wouldn't have heard of... Painted Post. :) I told them I grew up in Corning, worked at Corning Inc. for 5 years, and that my parents still live in the area and so we're up there constantly. Talk about a small world!!
Then this morning, we met another couple who were here adopting 2 boys from China - they live in Washington state, and have 5 biological kiddos, along with 2 other adopted kids at home!! They seriously impressed us!! They've already been here 11 days and have gotten one of their boys - with tomorrow being their Gotcha Day for their other son. So, please be praying for them, if you can :)
After breakfast, we headed over to Shamian Island for alittle sightseeing, which included shopping for girl's traditional Chinese dresses, as well as having lunch over at Lucy's. Lucy's restaurant was a mainstay for adoptive families back when there were so many American families adopting children from China (2000-2008). The restaurant is located just down the street from the White Swan hotel, which is where all the families would come stay since it was across the street from the old US consulate offices. In the last two years, the hotel has been shut down for complete renovations, and the consulate offices have been moved across the city. But, back in it's hayday - Lucy's offered families one of the closest options for eating Western foods near the hotel. The menu had items like steaks, burgers, pizza, and such...
So we're now back at the hotel... ready to take the girls down to play at the hotel's playground... have I mentioned how nice this place is?? :)
We became very thankful for our guide being so persistent at going early, since we were rewarded with being the first family there. We were in and out in less than 15 minutes!!! Wow! Mia also had to have a TB test done, which she did FANTASTIC in... no flinching or crying!! By the time we left, there were at least 4 other families already starting to wait. Apparently, by 9:30-10am, the office becomes so backlogged that it often takes about 1-2 hours to complete the testing. We will head back there tomorrow morning (Monday) to have the results of the TB test read... after that's done, we're in limbo mode until our official consulate appointment time on Thursday.
After the medical test was done, our guide brought us back to the hotel and we were done for the day (~ 10am). So, we decided to head out and do some local exploring... which included stops by Starbucks (haha), McDonalds, and JusCo - a 5 story department store that also contains a supermarket. We bought a few small items there - water, ramen noodles, etc. - and headed back to the hotel.
Let me also just say that the hotel where we're staying (the Garden Hotel) is by far the nicest place we've ever stayed in. I think staying in a 2 room suite - which cost us only $140 US to upgrade to for the entire week... I think after our overcrowded accommodations last week in both Beijing and Guiyang... this feels almost like a vacation! :)
Last night, we ventured out to have dinner at a local Mexican restaurant called Tekila - which was a nice change of pace from the Chinese food. The dinner was fine - and they accepted Visa credit cards, so that helped me to conserve alittle cash. After dinner was over and we were walking back --- it happened... the dreaded meltdown. We were walking along a very busy road when our daughter Ashlyn wanted a piggyback ride on Mommy. When she got up on Ginny - that meant that Mia had to hold my hand... which she was NOT going to do. She was pulling away from me towards the busy road. Unfortunately, I did what I had to do... pick her up and carry her back to the hotel... which was about a 10 minute walk.
... SHE SCREAMED AT ME THE ENTIRE WAY BACK...
Oh well... I made a comment on Facebook afterwards about how I should have chosen another place to stand my ground as a parent instead of a busy street in Guangzhou, China at night when she's screaming at me in Chinese... probably would have gone over alittle better in the US since no one would understand her...
Anyways, once we got back to the hotel room - the crying stopped, I dried her tears, got her bath going, and within a few minutes - she was back to being my friend. I think that we'll avoid circumstances like that for the near future (i.e. until we get home), but thankfully, this meltdown was mild compared to others I've read about...
Today, we got up and went down to the best meal of the day - breakfast!! :) These breakfast buffets are, by far, the absolute best in the world... it makes the free breakfast buffet at hotels like Homewood Suites or Courtyards seem disgusting... I mean... when a hotel offers both crispy and fried bacon choices... I think we have a winner!
During breakfast both yesterday and this morning, we've been sat near other adoptive families staying here at the hotel. One funny story was yesterday's couple - I overheard them saying they were from New York. I turned around and asked them from where in NY... they said it was a town I wouldn't have heard of... Painted Post. :) I told them I grew up in Corning, worked at Corning Inc. for 5 years, and that my parents still live in the area and so we're up there constantly. Talk about a small world!!
Then this morning, we met another couple who were here adopting 2 boys from China - they live in Washington state, and have 5 biological kiddos, along with 2 other adopted kids at home!! They seriously impressed us!! They've already been here 11 days and have gotten one of their boys - with tomorrow being their Gotcha Day for their other son. So, please be praying for them, if you can :)
After breakfast, we headed over to Shamian Island for alittle sightseeing, which included shopping for girl's traditional Chinese dresses, as well as having lunch over at Lucy's. Lucy's restaurant was a mainstay for adoptive families back when there were so many American families adopting children from China (2000-2008). The restaurant is located just down the street from the White Swan hotel, which is where all the families would come stay since it was across the street from the old US consulate offices. In the last two years, the hotel has been shut down for complete renovations, and the consulate offices have been moved across the city. But, back in it's hayday - Lucy's offered families one of the closest options for eating Western foods near the hotel. The menu had items like steaks, burgers, pizza, and such...
So we're now back at the hotel... ready to take the girls down to play at the hotel's playground... have I mentioned how nice this place is?? :)
Inside the Guangzhou medical clinic
Mia getting her eyesight tested
Inside another examination room
This is the hotel gardens - I think the waterfall is about 6-7 stories tall
Our girls blowing bubbles along the sidewalk
View of the hotel pool on the 4th floor - I took the photo also because of the Chinese flag in the background
Family photo on Shamian Island
This statue is a photo-op must for adoptive families in Guangzhou
The Chinese paparazzi found Ashlyn again
Apparently, couples flock to Shamian Island to have their wedding photos done a few weeks before the actual ceremony. This was one of 3 couples we saw out and about having photos taken.
Our girls :)
Beautiful!!
Sisters!!
Laughing at the funny daddy
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