NANCHANG

With the advent of technology in communication, Aldous Huxley lamented that people in America would be instantly apprised of a member of the Royal familys' whooping cough and other minutiae. With that in mind, we did today all the things a parent does for a baby and we will leave it at that.
We went to a local park for a couple of hours. Other than people practising kung fu with swords - almost in a slow dance - the park was like any you might see in the United States. With no visible government presence, people went about their business, playing with their children and lounging in the grass on a hot and humid day. The local people were generally warm and friendly, often stopping to say hello to the adopting families and their children, and good-natured about having their photographs taken.
We then returned to the hotel for the afternoon. It must be remarked that on the drive back, our bus driver nearly ran over countless pedestrians and persons on scooters. This was not all his fault. In a country obsessed with certifying everything, traffic lights and directional lanes are, as one person in our group put it, merely suggestions. Pedestrians cross anywhere and do not increase their pace as vehicles approach. What is strange is that the vehicles don't really slow down either. A scooter driver literally made a left turn without signalling across multiple lanes, whisking just in front of our bus. There are countless examples which would be redundant, but it was incredible when an old woman with a cane sauntered across the street in front of our bus and the bus driver did not perceptibly slow down. Nonetheless noone was hit and we saw no accidents.
After dinner we took Claudia for a walk through some of the back streets by the hotel. Again, people were friendly and receptive. They walked up to us and spoke to Claudia. One woman and her daughter offered her two cookies. Even for people from the New York area, the population and crowds of China take one aback. People will cut in front of you to get into a doorway, up a stairway or into an escalator without so much as an "excuse me" or a "pardon." Even carrying a baby gets one no special treatment. However, there is no malice or rudeness in these actions, it is simply the way it is and after the first few times one simply acknowledges that reality.

Claudia's 1st Shopping Trip and Birthday Party

After we completed our final paperwork at the local notary we took a shopping trip to the local Wal Mart. This Wal Mart was the most hectic and crowded we had ever seen. Claudia's hair bow was a big hit with the locals who seemed more interested in it than the four policemen who ran into the Wal Mart - two of them carrying sawed-off shotguns. We finished our shopping soon thereafter.
We went to dinner at a local restaurant, where we celebrated the birthday of one of our party, Jim. Jim is married to Kathy and there new one is Kajsa, a Swedish name. Those of us with older children were reminded why we tended not to go out to dinner for the first two years of our children's lives. The first time parents concurred. Nonetheless, the food was excellent and in spite of crying and spilling babies, Claudia - unfazed - blew through a bottle, two bowls of vegetable congee, egg soup and all of our napkins. Grace organized the dinner and again showed her contrast to the now legendary Jerry. Somehow the group started repeating Jerry tales again, and Grace revealed that she is in fact certified and showed us her card.
We took Claudia home and gave her her first bath, with mixed results. She cried but she is clean. She promptly went to bed - unlike a certain little guy who knows who he is. We now count the days until we can get Claudia home and stay up late watching dvds with the child who is not so easy to get to bed.

Certified Parents

Today our little Mohawk dumpling awoke promptly at 6 am. She went to bed at 8:30 and slept through the night. I am told one benefit of orphanage life is a strict schedule, not true for life at 86 Lessing Road just ask Colton.

So after a bottle and breakfast all six families boarded the bus and headed to the Civil Affairs Office yet again for an interview and approval. After it was completed we became certified parents. The Chinese seem to love adjectives especially the word certified and authentic.

At the interview we meet Director Ling again. She is the woman in the picture below. Ms. Ling was very grateful for the fruit, cakes and other gifts we had sent to the orphanage over the past month or so. Cha-Lian as they call her was the only baby of the six that lived at the orphanage her entire life. The rest of the babies had been in foster care. Director Ling saw Cha-Lian nearly every day. Director Ling brought her two children a boy and a girl.
The children are actually the two older children pictured with her and the fruit basket in my earlier post. Director Ling adopted her daughter and we really could see the love she had for Cha-Lian in her eyes. The Director had presented each baby with bell bracelets which Cha-Lian proudly is wearing. And after the paper work was complete we received our certified certificate and a porcelain gift.


At this meeting we also presented the Director with gifts from our family. We also gave her the many blankets and hats made by the angles in Vermont. The Director was so moved she actually took pictures of our family. As I am writing this I have tears swelling up in my eyes....as we were leaving the office we traveled with Director Ling and one of Cha-Lian's care takers in the elevator. When they saw her they held her hand so tightly and tears streamed down their cheeks. While I am so happy for our family I feel the sadness that these women are experiencing. It appeared giving Cha-Lian to us was a genuine loss. They cared for our little one since she was 2 days old. She has been with them almost a year. It was very hard for them. To know that she was loved fills my heart with joy.
After civil affairs we went to the police station to be photographed (slightly intimidating) then back to the hotel for a short break. Next we will are going to see a notary and off to the super Wal-Mart to get baby stuff. By the way I had ordered a baby backback filled with everything I would need from my agency, but somehow they did not get me one so I am here without much other then meds. A very generous family has given me many of the items they purchased because they did not need them their daughter is nine. They are life saviors because without them we would be bottle-less. After the Wal-mart we are going to send our laundry to be done and then off to a special Chinese dinner. One of our new friends, new dad and travel companion , Jim is celebrating his birthday today.

I hope all of you are well and will keep the updates coming... I have put more slide show phots below....

Wo Ai Ni (I love you}