June 16 Adoption day day 9

Today was paperwar day! Today was the day that Alice became our daughter and that we promised the Chinese Government that we would never abandon or abuse her! We also were privileged enough to watch around 15 families receive their new family members! It was truly amazing! I also caught up with 4 woman who I have emailed on and off now for almost 3 years! It was truly amazing one of them received twins! It sis great watching all these families walking around in a daze!
Alice was a trouper and we finally got back around 12 after visiting the notary public and police station for passport! So we are set for the waiting game! Tuesday was meant to be for paperwork but end up being free so we asked to go and visit the park we will see what happens. Alice slept through the night and has been an angel has a huge amount of fog there we also asked our guide to organize dresses and that was sorted out late Monday pm! we ordered two sets of clothes a size 2 and 7 for now and 4 and 9 for later Keith got a tie and Aiden designed himself a vest! $1390 yuan later! They will arrive on Thursday in the afternoon!
Dinner again at the restaurant! It was a buzz with babies which is quite a different feel!
We meet a couple here adopting a special needs boy but there really isn’t any major need obvious and you feel like you can only ask so many questions they are opposite the hall from us so you never know!
Amazing also to observe the different family style to forming attachment and some families just don’t get it!
Hopefully in time they will!

Nanchang! Day 8-9

Saturday we went to get the supplies for the coming days and took plenty of cash so that we had enough money to pay for everything as China still is mainly a cash society however we noticed much more cash machines which we can access cash from home!
We did mental planning for the day ahead and wrapped gifts and sorted out my head! It was amazing to have a complete day free before Alice came it allowed us to re claim each other after Emily’s SWI visit we also organized laundry to be collected and processed. A bit disappointing considering the cost and that it wasn’t in a whiker basket like last time! The hotel is so well appointed and is about 15 mins from walmart and 6 yuan in a taxi! We meet up with the group for dinner and then an early night we also looked for a room to receive the girls in as we didn’t want to met them in the hotel room and that was great! We found one but since it was a restaurant they wouldn’t hire it out so in the end we used a room in the business centre it was like a huge board room! We also meet a lovely family from Santa Monica Marcia and Cris who were adopting their second child a 4 year old and they have a 4.5 year old their new daughter was a special needs child and they still had waited almost 2 years to receive her!

Day 9 Sunday



We checked out the board room and agreed to meet there at 4 pm as the girls weren’t scheduled to arrive until about 4. we also went for a walk and Aiden got some dvd’s and so did Emily still looking for Dora the explorer!
Will check out Walmart!
Then we went back and sorted out clothes and tried to get sorted and waited and waited! It was all a bit surreal in the end we went down with all the stuff but we had left heaps of stuff behind so in the end we had to get more passport photos done at the civil affairs building on Monday! When they asked us for our passports and money for formula I just about cried as I had left that upstairs! So a mercy dash was made even though I had photocopies etc!
Well it wouldn’t be our family with out it!
Alice was quiet and came easily to us she smelt hot and musty she had just been picked up from her foster mother’s house at 1pm and then bought to the city with 3 other children. 1 went to another hotel and then the two girls came to the Gloria and we were united forever at 4:30 just as we had set up the video camera and still needed another 10 minutes to prepare!
But I was so shocked to see Alice as she had grown so much! She looks like a little girl not the baby in the referral photos! She is very long and has the finest of fingers. Aiden and Emily were so excited that they forgot and fought over her! I suppose it is very great to be loved! She was in shock and never cried at all!
She did once we got to the room only because I picked her up to change her nappy and she peed all over me and I popped her onto the potty and as soon as she had finished she screamed!
Well at handover we did most of the paperwork we would normally have done at the Civil affairs building which was great as it meant that the next day there would be less!
We all went back to our rooms and I removed Alice’s clothes after about an hour and we went down to dinner! I didn’t wash her or her clothes and popped her clothes into a snap lock bag to help retain the smell!
We went down to dinner there were a number of new families there and more coming in over the next day to receive their new children it has been a really emotional day finding out some small information about our latest daughter!
She co sleeps we were told and we popped her into her cot at 9 pm and she is still asleep!
We rang Sandra and Sergio after we received Alice and told them all about her!
She is such a sweetie!

Ganzhou to Nanchang day 7

Well meeting the director and staff of Ganzhou SWI has been one of the most memorable parts of our trip and how Emily dealt with it! She really loved seeing the director when she realized it was him she ran into his arms and gave a huge hug! She really enjoyed seeing her place in this world and the staff all seem really happy to see her and that was really special for all of us and now it seems so long ago! We were received like royality and the day was amazing first of all we went shopping and bought items for the children of the orphanage and then some shoes and Aiden Keith Emily and I all choose a toy for the children to use all educational and easy clean!
Then Director Ding meet us outside the department store and escorted us to the orphanage. It was one of my most moving experiences for me and for Emily we have done loads of talking but I am not sure how much has sunk in and how much more will and I think because it was part of an adoption it has been really interesting to watch!
She is so happy to talk about with others and what happened!
After the official part of the visit, tour of the institute , then lunch and then finding spot that was incredibly moving for me as a parent to this child and I can see whoever left the child slipping into the crowds and watching from a distance!
We are so fortunate to be her parents and us to be endowed with such a little treasure who has never thrown as many tantrums as she has here in China!
We spent the rest of the day in the van on the way back to Nanchang a 5 hour drive we arrived in late and I threw a tantrum of my own when Aiden and Emily were allocated a room 2 doors down! GRRR! Aiden has spent 1 night alone in it and Keith has slept there every other night!
We then went down for dinner and meet Eva and her friend Sylvia and Jean head of adoptions for China for CYF head office! Jean is a hoot!

Ganugzhou to Ganzhou via train day 6

Train to Ganzhou was an amazing experience the tickets we got were just the worst seats for first time travelers! But we survived and for it saw a very different side of China one which images will be forever burnt into our minds. It is a country of great differences and that in it self makes it incredibly valuable they are currently under an amazing building phase and that is another issue! Particularly since the major Earthquakes last month!
Also along with that goes the farmers leaving the farms and heading for factory work which means who will grow the produce?
Life here seems to changing at great pace and not necessary for the best! The openness however has been interesting the people seem to be more open and accepting!

Hong Kong and Guangzhou day 5

Day 5

Up early and a taxi with our entire luggage in it too Guangzhou. We had to go to the train station in Hong Kong the kids had had breakfast but saw McD’s and decided that would be good! Emily asked for chips oh well she didn’t last long!
The train was quiet and clean we didn’t get seats facing each other which was sad but we ended up okay in the end and then it was on to the White Swan got ripped off by a scam artist at the Train station but Keith just wanted to head to the hotel!
The day had been stressful and he wanted to know all was well!
We got to the hotel and then we went for a walk and ended up at Lucy’s for lunch! We can get money out via the eftpos card so that was a positive.
Then the kids had bugged Keith to take them to the pool as he did but Aiden saw bugs so there was no way he was getting in! we all got eaten by bugs over the 24 hour period which wasn’t nice!
I did a little retail therapy while Keith had the kids at the pool!
We had such a short time there so had so much we wanted to fit in! we were up graded to a suite which the kids thought was fantastic! So did we! We went back to Lucy’s as Aiden was feeling a bit out of his depths!

Hong Kong Day 3&4 Better late than never

Monday day 3 we went to the peak instead of Disney due to Emily’s Eye giving us some concern!
Emily loves the trains and really is into it! We have worked them out and it is such a cheap option for traveling!
We went up the peak on a public holiday no matter what we would have done it would have been the same long cues and hot!
The views were amazing and Aiden wanted to look at the shops! Keith wanted the view and Emily wanted to eat! I just was there trying to reason! Didn’t work! Oh well I did try!
The views are amazing and Emily found McD’s and a playground she was happy! I found a store that sold soda water I was happy!
I also got some supplies in which means we can eat again!
I know that the NZ dollar compares to Hong Kong dollar is about 1 to 6 but still the thought of putting a $40 hamburger in my mouth makes me shudder!
We had Room service for Dinner Californian Burger and Fish and Chips Both yum!

Day 4
We had a day at Disney so we were up and at the train station we had 3 changes to get there bought our tickets for the train and we were off!
I don’t know what brought me to tears more watching Emily fall in love with the princesses or watch Aiden grizzle that he didn’t get to do much! Next time in Hong Kong we stay at Disney and do a few days!
The age gap was so apparent today and that is why Aiden grizzled we hardly did any rides as it was for Emily about seeing the princesses and taking the lead!
Aiden and Keith did do some exciting rides together and that worked well!
Aiden fussed about food! And is scared to try anything! Good thing is that we didn’t know about the avian scare or Aiden wouldn’t have eaten anything!
We got home about 10 and had a late dinner!
Fish and Chips and burger and steak sandwich! Emily looked at us and said I don’t want any chips how long will that last?