random thoughts 4th set of photos

1836 - shoes
1839 - tea cups
3796 - scorpions

Random thoughts 3rd set of photos

Fancy shoes

Chinese baby

Random thoughts - more photos

Little girl's dress

Fancy shoes

Fancy shoes

Random thoughts

We have talked about all the way through China and wanted to share: The girls wear such beautiful dresses even for everyday activities, both young and older. For example a girl mopping a sidewalk wearing a black lace dress. The fabrics are so lightweight we think because of the warmth and humidity. There is lots of very sheer fabric and always flowing parts, ruffles, pearls, embroidery, or sparkles. The shoes are also amazing. If they were not so expensive and we had tons of room we would have all been tempted by the shoes. Very high heels, bangles, sparkles, and all kinds of straps. We felt a little like Goliaths in our sneakers!

Another thing that has been tons of fun is noticing faulty translations. We should have kept writing as we saw them but here are a few we have seen this past few days: Slip carefully
Travelers troop together this way>
Internet assecc
Musical dry fountain!
There are always someone blessing you wherever you are.
T-shirt which read Coco is my good no good moing. (Cami bought this one because she loves cocoa.)
Bancon(bacon)
Saussage (sausage)


Things we loved:
Polite sayings:
Captain of airplane: we cherish the opportunity to serve you.
Everyone always wishes you a pleasant journey and a happy family.
Our guides always say Yah after each sentence...meaning like you understand?
One guide could not say R sound. Every time he wanted to gather our group (daisy group) he would say very loudly DAISY GLOOP! We loved it!
The guides also would say, breakfirst instead of breakfast
Big puffy down comforters

Some foods we will not miss:
Pork organs or tongues
anything slimy we cannot recognize
Brown rubbery egg preserved in soy brine
Any noodles for a while
Airplane food in general
Lip-numbing spicy food
Anything with eyes looking at you
Dumplings with unknown contents
Fishy things
Snakes and little bugs(Lynea only)

Foods we will miss:
Chinese yogurt
Coconut palm juice
Lemon soda
Roasted crunchy salty peanuts

Things we will not miss:
Crazy traffic and streets
Smells of the streets
Chinese breath
70% plus humidity
Airplanes

Things we will miss:
Chinese children and babies
Nice 5 star hotels
Not having to prepare breakfast

Lora's Orphanage Visit

Another wonderful visit! We drove out of Zhanjiang to Lora's orphanage in Dianbai, which took a little less than two hours. Her orphanage is in a much smaller place , so I expected they might not be as organized and prepared as the larger places we had been and at first it seemed colder and less friendly but as we continued the visit things got better. First she handed us a little picture which we don't believe is Lora but she assured us is. We will have to study it further.

Babies in Lora's orphanage

We asked our questions and then she took us to the babies' room. We took a few pictures before they told us not to take pictures, so we have just a few. The babies were cute, and it is always kind of difficult to think of them lying there without much interaction. In this orphanage and Cami's it felt like there was just not enough attention . . they seemed to be just a spending their first year lying in a crib. I asked how long they are in the infant room and the answer both times seemed to be when they are able to get around or "take care of themselves". Then they go to a toddler room. When we went to that room several of the children wanted to play and interact so we stayed for quite a while and just played. Most of the children in orphanages in China now are special needs. It seems that they are allowing enough domestic adoption and foster care that most of what we have seen is only special needs children in orphanages. They are also allowing families to have two children if they are financially well enough off. We did get quite a few pictures and video in this room. One little child, we thought a boy, was so very friendly. Brought us a doll and wanted to touch the girls' hair. We later were told it was a girl, which really was interesting because she had noticed my earrings, the girls nail polish, barrettes, etc. Her little hands were so dainty and she would touch our fingernails and then put her little finger out. We taught her patty cake and she really seemed to like that. We gave her a little sparkly flower pin from Lora's hair but she kept taking it out and trying to put it in my hair. We even tried putting it in her doll's hair but she always put it back in my hair. I hugged her a couple of times and she liked that and hugged back. We all would have liked to take her home and give her a better life.

We saw a few older children up to age 16 but just said hello to them as they watched TV. They let us look at Lora's file and take pictures of any papers we did not have. Only thing I did not recognize was a medical record which might tell us how much she weighed when found and some growth record. Will have to get it translated. Went to a favorite local restaurant with the director which again was a ton of food and some different things. Duck soup with lychee nuts was one of the different things as well as some kind of fish steaks. This area is very near the ocean so lots of seafood. We knew we were going to Lora's finding spot in a very small town next and asked if it was big enough for us to be able to buy some kind of keepsake from her birth place. They said maybe some shells. Then the director said she had a shell at the orphanage she would like to give Lora. She gave each of us a pretty peach-colored shell necklace and one to take to another girl who lives in Meridian that we traveled with to adopt Lora. They were adopted the same day from the same orphanage. She welcomed Lora back and said to bring her future family back when she is married.

Longhsan Town market place, Lora's finding place.

Next drove to Long Shan town about another half hour. Lora was left at the market place of this town. Wow, what a fun and amazing experience to see this place. There were aisle after aisle of vegetables, meats, live chickens being butchered, shells, fish, you name it. Lora just wandered for a while getting a feel for this place which has only been a word on a paper until now. Smells were interesting and just the throngs of people were fun to see. 

Fruit common in Dianbai area

We were surprised at so many people in the middle of the day on a Thursday. At first our driver was not sure how to even get to this town so we were so grateful to have found it and actually get to see the market place! We decided to look through the market for some lasting keepsake of her actual birthplace. We were thinking of something like rice bowls. Our guide and driver asked around and kept searching, and sure enough they found a little shop with lots of rice bowls. Lora was able to get a set of 6 for her future family and we were so delighted to have found them...a perfect end to a great visit!! I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed with gratitude for this whole experience in China. I think it has been all we wanted the girls to have and more!

Beach near our hotel

After driving back to Zhanjiang the guide took us to the beach, just a mile from our Hotel. I knew we were close to the ocean when we went there before but did not realize it was that close. We walked along the beach and the girls collected some shells we hope customs lets them bring home. Very beautiful plants in park there at the beach. The girls even got to see a Chinese wedding taking place on the beach. Off to Guangzhou tomorrow.

Park near our hotel

Going home

Bittersweet departure!

Crowded bus terminal

Airplane we are about to board

Leaving Victory Hotel

More pictures room the 27th

Rich Shanae

Amazing rain

Real flowers

843 - rich Shanae
3827 - amazing rain
856 - beautiful real flowers

Re: 2nd set of photos for the 24th

Girls in Guanzhou Airport waiting for flight

Arriving ZhanJiang Airport

Kay, our guide in ZhanJiang

Fuzhou City Tour

Shanae, Warren, and Lynea in Old Town

Ivory carving in museum celebrating the Chinese revolution

Lynea and Shanae at the museum

The day after the visit to Shanae's orphanage, we went on a city tour of Fuzhou. We started off visiting a part of Nanping that has been preserved/restored to old style buildings about 2000 yrs old. There were lots of shops for souvenirs and museums, too. However, we didn't stay long, Shanae started getting sick - upset stomach so we went back to the Hotel until she started feeling better.  

Shanae and Lynea at Panda World

In the afternoon, we visited Panda World, a small zoo with Giant Pandas, red pandas and watched a performance by trained Malaysian Bears. A short day, but had a good time.

Fisherman's Buddha

Offering to Fisherman's Buddah

Thursday arriving in Zhanjiang

Spent most of the day traveling today. Warren, Shanae and Lynea left Fuzhou to travel to Guangzhou then Zhanjiang. Lora, Cami,and I were leaving Nanchang to travel to Guangzhou then Zhanjiang also. Our flight was delayed leaving Nanchang. When we finally boarded we had to sit on the tarmac another hour so we left about 2 hours late. When we arrived we only had 15 minutes to get clear to the other side of the airport. We asked directions and were told to jump on a little cart and they speeded us through the airport to the right terminal. When we got there we had to go up an escalator which connected to a hallway with an escalator we had to go down to finally find Warren and the other girls. We were relieved we made it and then found this next flight was delayed too! We have had lots of delayed flights. . . not sure if this is typical for China or because it is the rainy season. We sat an hour in the airport then boarded and sat again about an hour. Really interesting to look out and see a line of about 8 aircraft all lined up waiting for permission to leave. We were in the middle of that line. Funny in the airport waiting to get on, several Chinese people lined up to board so we lined up as well. Then they went and sat in our chairs. The airport was very crowded because of the delays so we joked with the other Americans that they played a trick on us to get our chairs. . . maybe!

Lora speeding through the airport to catch next flight

Arrived in Zhanjiang finally about 7:30 at night. As we arrived our guide was a 22-year-old college student majoring in English studies. He was very nice and quite handsome and was holding a sign with Lora's name in English and Chinese. We said this is Lora, and he said kind of under his breath, "Oh, pretty girl." So this started Lora's city visit off very well! Our guides (one other family also coming to this town)took us immediately to dinner as we were so late - then to hotel to check in. Hotel is very beautiful 5-star hotel with water fall and huge coy pond. . . very pretty with large rooms! So glad after long day traveling to be here.

Cami asleep waiting for delayed flight

Tuesday city tours continued

I thought they looked pretty cute and were very cheap but the girls insisted they would never wear them. We bought a few small things but had seen some beautiful dresses at a small shop near our hotel we wanted to go back to later which were better priced. After shopping we went to ride what used to be the tallest ferris wheel in the world. Singapore now has one a little larger. Only the girls were going t ride, but Fiona told the person putting people on the cars that I was the English teacher for this group of girls on an excursion and they let us all on the the price of the two tickets we had purchased. it seemed like each time she bargained for us all day she would come back to us giggling and say ""I tell a lie"n tell them I will bring many customers back to you" and she probably will, but she surely enjoys this kind of bargaining!
I had not planned to get on because I am so afraid of heights but was just sort of ushered in because of the circumstance. It was really not too bad because nit goes so slowly that they never stop it even when people get off and on. The car was all enclosed and the views were so beautiful. It was just very hot The windows of the tiny car amplified the sun so we were really melting by the time the ride ended, which was abut half an hour. Cami says to tell you I never let them near the door of the car just nervous about it all! But I really did pretty well for me!

After that 'Fiona suggested dinner. I told her I did not want to spend much on dinner. 'she did her little bargaining routine on us and said this was our last night in Cami's city and we may never come there again. She said she wanted us to experience a different local dinner.. We said OK okay but I told her again just something light, did not want to spend much money. She said she understood. We went again to a little local restaurant. I told her this was the end of a very long expensive trip and I could not afford much for this dinner...think i was getting prompting I didn't act on...she said "I know, I know" We had a potato dish in kind of curry sauce chicken wings and a fish stewed in spices, whole fish on plate, eyes and all. Cami says to let you know the fish was so spicy her lips burned for quite a while. We also tasted coconut milk, which we loved. After dinner she told me it was 585 RMB which is about $98. Needless to say I was not happy with her or myself and slept little that night. I asked for the travel agency's address from our next day guide and told her we were very unhappy the prior gue ignored my requests, and they refunded a little, but I am sure that is the most expensive fish we will ever eat!!

Tuesday in China

Buddhist Temple

Today we all had city tours. Cami, Lora, and I went first to visit a Buddhist temple. It had three courtyards each leading to an ornate pavilion with a different Buddha. One Buddha was as tall as the ceiling and others were very ornate with carved figures all around them. Each Buddha had fierce looking guards near him to protect him. People were buying incense and burning that and candles and bowing to Buddha. It was very interesting but very sad to think that they hoped for these golden statues to bless their lives

Lora and Cami in Buddhist Temple

We went from there to a porcelain store. Camis area is famous for making porcelain. It seemed so very expensive. We wanted Cami to have one piece for a keepsake. Our guide said she was a good bargainer so we finally ended up with one small vase, which cost $25.00. We went upstairs to see the very large vases, some of which cost in the thousands of dollars but were so beautiful. We then went to a street which sold musical instruments looking for a porcelain ocarina-type instrument Lora wanted to et. We went in many stores and saw different types of musical instruments. Our guide had minored in music at University and she played an instrument called a Gu zheng. It looked kind of like a rectangular harp lying horizontally on legs Fiona played a song for us and the the girls played a piano song for her. Later she stopped and got some sheet music for her song for the girls to play on piano. 'After many stores we found what Lora wanted, called a xun, pronounced schwin.

We then went to lunch at a tiny local restaurant just 3 or 4 tables wih plastic stools. We had cold bean soup because it was so hot, very common when it is so hot out. We also ate deep fried eggs, spicy noodles both rice and wheat, and a little bowl of dumplings we ate very little of because theere miniscule shrimp in it and Cami siaid the little eyes were too much for her even though shehas been very adventuresome so far. Always we eat wth chopsticks, which is challenging but we ontinue t get better. For the rest of our "citty tour" she took us shopping.

Lora & Cami with Fiona

Our guide is very young girl just out of college, ad to begin the day she said "we are all girls,, we can do anything we want - even our driver was a girl today which i have not seen before. We saw lots of pretty things...te girls here wear such soft and feminine clothes even fro every day Lora an cami got a q - see picures with bangs. The girls tried on fake bangs attached to headbands which I thought was very cute.

Shanae's Orphanage Visit in Nanping City

Shanae's orphanage

We left Fuzhou at 9am for a 2-3 hour trip to Shanae's orphanage in Nanping City. We travelled along a very modern freeway which follows the Minjiang River. 

Fuzhou from Hotel room

Lakeside hotel in Fuzhou

Minjian River

This is a large river which flows through the province and provides culinary water to Fuzhou. Tried to take pictures of the country side, but didn't get many good ones through the window of the van. Most of the freeway had vegetation or barriers that kept the views to a minimum as well.

Flower bushes that were planted along the freeway

Nanping City

Nanping is a relatively small city built along both sides of the river. Relatively small and not nearly as modern as the others we have been in. Also lots of apartments hear newly built but empty or only part finished with people living in a few finished floors. Very strange. Our guide said it was because they were not conveniently located. Strange???

Nanping Apartments

Met with the orphanage vice director, Huang Minyan. She was there when Shanae was and seemed to remember her. Said Shanae was the 57th orphan in the institute since it opened in 1992. Gave her a small silver bracelet with no. 57 engraved on it that they used to identify her in the orphanage.

Shanae's orphanage in Nanping City

 The institute houses elderly, kids with physical and mental problems and orphans. Currently has 57 orphans and another 20 that are out with foster families.

Group photo with the orphanage staff

Outside of Shanae's orphanage

Playroom in the orphanage

We were able to see the play rooms, rooms with 1-2 year olds taking naps after there lunch, etc. They were very open with showing us their facility and letting us take pictures and video. Not as modern as the orphanage in HohHot for Lynea, but well taken care of and clean.

Bedroom for the 1-2 yr olds

They have adopted out over 600 kids to foreign families since 1992 . Said this has provided a lot of needed money to upgrade the Institute. So they were catering to an important income source. After the tour, they took us to lunch where we met the director and facility manager. They were very interested in the girls and we talked a lot about customs and foods, etc. for our countries.