Waiting for Hari

Hong Kong -- 7 Sept -- Beware Spicy Dragon!

I am in an internet cafe and not sitting cosy with my laptop, but I am too cheap to pay for the hotel internet. I have a theory that the more expensive the hotel the more they charge for stuff like internet service. Shouldn't it be free when the room are primuim rate? And most everything in Hong Kong is primium.

Yesterday, we cleaned up our stuff in Guangzhou -- last minute shopping, packing, red couch pictures, and checking under beds to make sure nothing was left in the room. We left home with loose bags; now they are stuffed with China chochkas!

Our red couch pictures and our group pictures were chaotic and I probably didn't get everyone. But here we are -- a very happy and glorious group that I am missing already!










In the afternoon, we did the last American part of the adoption. Our guide and agency representative, Catherine (a wonderful person doing our agency proud), did the leg work of getting all our papers to the American counsulet so all that was left for us to do was to prove we were us, pick up Julia's Chinese passport with an American visa, and take an oath that all the forms we filled out were true to the best of our knowledge. The American official in charge was an officious little man who spoke about the difference between the IR-3 and IR-4 to a room full of parents jiggling cranky babies and a few wild children like ours running about the place. If you didn't know the difference before his talk, his speech was not enlightening. He did not seem to be aware of his surroundings and continued talking amidst screams, tears, etc. I was rather embarassed for him. I've seen our judges swear in new immigrants and they do it with such graciousness and pride. I'd like to see the same tone set for the adoption oath. Handing out little American flags would help and a sincere welcome to the newest Americans would be a nice touch.

When we finished with the government process, we bade a very quick good bye to our group of Jiangxi families, who we are alreadying missing, and boarded a bus for the train to Hong Kong. We reached our hotel room at about 10 last night -- a bit frazzeled but none the worse for wear.

Today we saw a little bit of Hong Kong -- a very little bit. Traveling with a 5 year old who has decided to see if we really mean it when we say we are her forever family doesn't promote much tourism. Julia is pretty impossible right now. She insists on being carried everywhere and scratches, pinches and pulls hair whenever she doesn't like the direction we go, the weather, or the noise level. She has spilled water, juice, soda, and David's coffee on every available surface that should not be wet. Does this mean that she trusts us?

We limit ourselves to some outing in the morning after breakfast, followed by lunch, followed by time in the pool, a little bit of "quiet" time, dinner, a bath, a book, and bed. This plus numerous mini-tantrums makes up our day. Our Julia goes to the ground and lays flat when she is angry at us, and I've let her do it time after time anywhere she wants to unless it is unsafe. Needless to say, we get lots of looks and comments (but most in Chinese so I have no idea what they are saying), but I think it is working somewhat. The laying down will continue I am sure, but it is shorter than it was a few days ago. Poor kid is so very angry at all this change and we are the only ones she can take it out on.

When she is not laying on the ground, or screaming in our arms, Julia Bye-Bye is incredibly charming and lovable! She sings all the time and does these funny dances with fancy arm movements. And when this kid throws her arms around any one of us and says Mama, Baba (Daddy), or JeiJei (big sister) we all melt.

Her new word today is "Okay." She is counting to 4 in English and I think to at least 10 in Chinese. She has also enjoyed snuggling in bedwith us the last two mornings, and she loved the big king sized bed we have in our Hong Kong hotel. Last night, after her bath, she laid in the very middle with two pillows at her head and a soft white coverlet over her body. What perfection!

We hope that all is well at home. We miss home and can't wait to see familiar faces. One more day and then we get on the plane for the USA!

posted by Suz @ 7:59 AM