Sightseeing in the rain ...

The Six Banyan Pagoda

The children being blessed

An artist at the Chen Academy ... fingerpainting!

Noodle Restaurant - you can see the noodle flying through the air ...

Today's adventure was a very soggy one ... stay tuned ... pics and story on their way!

So, we set out for a great day of sightseeing ... We began our journey at the Six Banyan Temple where we saw a huge pagoda and many monks. Here is where the Chinese children were blessed in a ceremony performed by the monks of this temple. There were quite a few people there praying at each of the Buddhas and also having various things blessed. We managed to dodge the rain at this first stop, just a few sprinkles here and there. The sky was looking might angry ...

Next, we headed out to the Chen Family Academy. At one this was one of the residences of the Chen family. It is now a museum that contains family artifacts and works of art. As we were standing outside of the buildings, the sky turned a pea green and got very dark. Then it opened up and poured. Fortunately, we were inside enjoying all there was to see. Just as it was time to go, the sky opened up again and it poured buckets as we were heading back to the bus. It was about a block walk back to where we had parked. We all were soaked from head to toe by the time we got on. Of course the driver had the air blasting and we were freezing!

After our tour we went to a really cool noodle restaurant where they made the noodles and cooked them right in front of you. It is a good thing we always have our guide with us ... not many of these eating establishments have an English speaking wait staff!

Where's are the Webster's?

See if you can find out where we are by using the longitude and latitude I have given you! Google Earth is a great place to start! Leave me a comment if you want to make a guess ... be sure to put the date!

March 4, 2009
23*06'31.49"N 113*14'15.19" E White Swan Hotel - where we are staying ...

March 5, 2009
23*07'51.17"N, 113*15'17.15"E

23*07'47.35N, 113*14'24.92"E

March 6, 2009
22*32'37.21"N, 114*03'29.15E

March 7, 2009
23*06'57.58"N, 113*19'14.74"E (hint: we can see this body of water from our hotel room ...)

March 8, 2009
23*09'40.60"N, 113*17'18.02E

March 10, 2009
23*08'35.51"N, 113*18'02.21"E

March 11, 2009
39*54'27.46N 116*23'57.72E

March 12, 2009
41*58'53.83"N 87*54'30.55"W

March 13,2009
43*38'53.00"N, 70*18'35.43"W

China VS. USA

Here are some REALLY big differences between China and the United States ...


Smoking ...

China : many, many people smoke. It doesn't matter where you are, inside or out, people are smoking. We accidentally sat in the smoking section of one restaurant ... it was bad!

USA : smelling smoke everywhere is becoming a thing of the past, especially in restaurants and hotels ... in Maine you can't smoke in any place that serves food, can you??


Driving ... even though there are lanes painted in the road, thy may as well be invisible! Cars, buses, trucks and bicycles are all over the streets! Each time we go for a tour, we sit in the front so that we don't miss any of the action. Someone in Beijing told us that the drivers in Guangzhou were crazy ... they were right!

Water ... You can not drink the water from the faucets here. It will give you the worst stomach issues ever. It is really hard to remember when you are brushing your teeth not to rinse your brush with the tap water. Bottled water is ont only drinkable water. When we are out to eat we have to remember to order out drinks with out ice as some places use the non-drinking water to make ice cubes ... it is the little things that we are really missing about the USA and Canada!
Foods ...
Public Toilets ...

Stay Tuned!

Passports and Shopping

A Random Chicken Man Blowing a horn ... he was outside the store where we shopped.

The calm before the storm ... isn't she cute!??

The street where the tantrum took place ...

Just a few people to watch me wrestle the screaming Chinese baby with the skirt up at her neck!

Today was a fairly easy day ... just visiting the passport office for Luo's picture at 3:30. We have now completed all of the paperwork for the Chinese government. Now we wait for processing and then head to the American Consulate for her visa to travel home to the United States.

After visiting the passport office (and taking one wild bus ride through Guangzhou), Luo, myself and Lauren joined some of the other families for a shopping outing in one of the main shopping areas in Guangzhou. We were warned to hang onto our purses and wallets ... cameras too! We didn't have the stroller with us, so Lauren and I took turns holding Luo ... don't forget, she has never been shopping before! Within 5 minutes of being in the store she decided that being held was not the thing to do ... screaming and squirming, we gave in and let her go on the floor. For someone with 1 3/4 legs ... SHE IS FAST !!! While I tried to shop, Lauren chased her. At one point Luo came by pushing a footstool she had found ... a few minutes later she had a plastic bag and was laughing and squealing with delight! Boy did we get some looks. When we got there she was picture perfect - cute skirt and pink sweater and a bow in her hair ... by the time we left her knees were black from scooting around, hands grubby, face a mess and bow crooked. We walked down the very crowded street ... Lauren holding the bags and the American mom holding a filthy screaming Chinese baby with her skirt around her chest, screaming and legs flailing! We had to wait for 10 minutes or so for our bus in the middle of a very crowded square among a sea of Chinese people. We caused a major scene!

One very positive happening today ... Luo pooped in the potty!!

Eating with Chopsticks and other Food Fun!

Breakfast at the White Swan

Chopsticks anyone?

She loves to eat!

Here we are at our first family breakfast. Mom helped her eat ... and here we are at the Cantonese restaurant. Check out the chopstick girl! No one helped her, she grabbed the chopsticks and off she went!

Official Adoption Day

Nap time with Dylan ... sure thing!

Sisters riding the bus to shopping

The kids enjoying the sights of Guangzhou

Waiting our turn to interview ... Luo has a bit of a cold

We are obsessed with wiping our hands!

Today we were up and out early to go back to the Civil Affairs office to complete the official adoption procedures. It began with a family photo and then two interviews. There were many families there along with our group completing the process. As of 11:00 Guangzhou tome Luolin became officially ours.

After our appointment, we went on a bit of a shopping spree at a very Walmart-like store. I have to say that WM is actually nicer ! We had to get the necessary things like diapers and such ... we headed back to the hotel for lunch and a nap (not so much) ... this afternoon we are going out for a walk, then meeting our group for a Cantonese dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Here are some pictures from today ...

Today Is The Day - FINALLY !

Sleeping on mom back at the hotel

Reading books with dad after dinner and a whole lot of apple juice !

We have lounged around this morning getting ready to meet Luolin this afternoon. We had a fantastic buffet breakfast in a room full of new parents with their kids. We couldn't help but stare at all of the cute kids surrounding us. Tomorrow we will have our daughter too.

The weather is cool and overcast. The weather doesn't look too promising for the next few days. Of course low 70's with clouds is far better than a foot of snow!! Good luck to you all with that ... snow day perhaps ?

Here she is !

Will be back tomorrow with pictures from the Civil Affair office.