Waiting for Hari

Beijing -- Day 1 -- We made it!

Yes, indeed, we made it. Not that we did much more than get up early and get on a plane and sit for a very long time. Still, we are in China!!

Marcia and Matthew picked us up at 4:15 on Thursady morning and got us and our luggage to the airpost. Once we were checked in, we started meeting out travel group. When we arrived in Newark, we met more. Suddenly, from being one of a very few people who you might know personally who are getting ready to adopt, there is a mob of adopters who are all carrying bottles and diapers -- even though we are not carrying those things.

David, Ches, and I were able to sit together on the plane but because we bought tickets so late the only possibliity for seats was a row that had no window. We had no touch with what was going on outside which was pretty bizaar. Cheshire slept for most of the flights, I slept some (Exhausted now), and David dozed slightly. Hopefully, we will all get a good sleep tonight to start our touring tomorrow.

We are staying at a very posh hotel -- good bathtub. Tomorrow we tour Beijing sights with the 6 other famlies who will travel to JiangXi province with us for our kids.

So far Beijing does not feel foreign -- okay, we don't speak any Chinese -- but we came in from the airport to the hotel on very recognizable high ways. There are lots of tall buildings and an incredible amount of building in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

We landed just before 2 in the afternoon (on Friday) and finished our preliminaries very quickly. Our guides -- Jeannie & Catherine -- were waiting for us and put us on a bus. As we traveled into the city, they gave us the lay of the land. Sounded very much like a Sycamore School Band trip. We have very few decisions to make.

The sky is grey, the very air is grey. Lots of polution, but the temperature is not bad.

We were free tonight and ate in our first Chinese restaurant. After they seated us, we had three of the wait staff hover above us as we examined the single menu. It had pictures of the dishes and translations, but we were not interesed in much of the food -- pig snout, cow elbow, and fish intestines. The tofu dish was very spicy and very good, and a greens dish with peanut sauce was also great. Still, it was very strange having them stand over us until we made our choices.

We received some information about ZhiKuang but the only new information was that she is an active child, but sometimes pushes kids or takes toys from others. Our work may be cut out for us.

I feel like I am just babbling, trying to say something but not really articulate at all. I expect it will be better after a night's sleep.

From what I see of China, the people have generous hearts and good minds.

Suzanne

posted by Suz @ 6:57 AM