J    O    U    R    N    A    L The following are the e-mails that we sent while we were in China. June 8, 2002 We arrived in Hong Kong today at approx. 4pm local time (that's 4am for you folks). The flight wasn't as bad as we thought, Steven managed to get about 7 hours of sleep, Karen got about 3-5. The food was good and it didn't feel too crowded. Our path took us up over the North Pole and we could watch the progress of the plane on the LCD screens on the back of the seats in front of us. The LCD screens also provided entertainment in the form of movies, tv shows, video games and music channels. It was nice to get up and stretch out a bit too. Future travelers, remember to bring slippers or something. I took my sneakers off but my feet were very cold. The attendents were very friendly and helpful. At the airport we were separated into 2 groups, Wuhan and Nanning, and we boarded buses to take us to our hotel. Mary was our tour guide and the other bus had Ben. They're both really nice. On the drive to the hotel, we went over the worlds longest two-tier suspension bridge (3.7 km) and we saw one of the most incredible skylines ever. It's a sea of buildings on the water I can't really describe it, you'll definitely have to see the pictures! We're still a bit jet lagged but we got to our rooms, took a quick shower and met everyone in the lobby of the hotel. We managed to walk right by Linda Golden and Michelle Destra's room, so we've been hanging out! Everyone here has world cup fever (the internet cafe wanted more cash because they knew they'd have more of a crowd) so we're here at the business center. Next we're going to get some dinner (or breakfast depending on how you look at it!) Then I have a massage scheduled for 8:30 (woo hoo!) We'll probably call it a night after that. We have a 6:30am tour tomorrow of Hong Kong and then it's off to the airport to fly to Wuhan (when the real adventure begins!) So basically we're here, we're safe and tired but happy! This place is amazing. The streets of Hong Kong are like nothing we've ever seen (think upbeat Bladerunner!). We'll probably post again from Wuhan but we're not sure when. We're schedule to get Anya on Monday morning but we were told that sometimes they'll surprise you and you'll meet your daughters the day before. We'll let you know what happens. We miss everyone and hope you're all well. Thanks for the good wishes and thoughts. June 9, 2002 Our day got started very early - at 6:30am. We had a tour of Hong Kong, road the peak tram up to the highest point and saw a spectacular view. We also visited a jewelry factory and saw the workshop as well as the showcase. Afterwards we were dropped off at the airport (and a bit it late it turns out). We had to make a run to catch our plane to Wuhan, but thankfully we made it in time. The flight was only an hour and 1/2 but we were glad to be back on the ground. At the Wuhan airport we met the famous "Der" (our facilitator in China that everyone raves about). And he is pretty amazing. His translator is named Kathy. Before we boarded the bus in the 97 degree heat were were told that we would be meeting our daughters a day early at 4:30 (it was 2:30pm at the time!) Needless to say it was a nervous but exicited bus ride for everyone. We got to the hotel, handed some paperwork into Der and then raced back to our rooms to pack diaper bags. We then boarded the same bus and were taken to the Cival Affairs office. As we climbed the stairs we heard the babies crying, it was almost as if all of us stopped breathing! We were taken into a conference room and spoken to by the head of the Cival affairs office. Then one by one the girls were brought in, your family's number was called (ours was #4) and you were handed your daughter. It was one of the most surreal events of my life. Anya was very good, she started to cry a few times and then stopped. She was also pretty good on the bus ride back to the hotel. Then basically she had a melt down. She didn't want to hang out with us scary caucasions anymore and cried herself to sleep. Unfortunately we had to wake her to have a "family photo" taken for the court appoointment. More crying and crying. Der and Kathy came to our room and calmed her down and helped to give her a bottle. She then was very calm and as she was falling asleep she kept looking at us as if to ask "who are you people" The poor kid doesn't know what's she's in for! Tomorrow is our appointment at the cival affairs office and I believe we finalize the adoption. I'm just hoping all goes smoothly. Well, it's late and the young girl running the business center here at the White Rose Hotel in Wuhan seems to want to go home so I better get going. We're here in Wuhan until Sat. June 15 when we fly to Guilin. We'll keep you posted. Anya is a beauty! Just as cute as in her pictures and that pout melts our hearts - we can't wait for everyone to meet her. June 10, 2002 Hi Everyone. I'm here at the business center with Anya on my lap so I don't know how long this will be. She seems to have an interest in the computer - just like Mom and Dad! Today we went to the Civil Affairs office and handled our adoption registration and notarization. We basically just sat as they called us up one family at a time (by our number) and asked us why we wanted to adopt from China and various other things about us. We signed the forms and added our index finger print and Anya's right foot print and we were basically finished. Der did all the hard work for us! We also got to meet with Anya's orphanage director (Mr. Hu - that's where Anya gets her Chinese surname from) He's a very nice man and recognized her immediately. She perked up when he called her name. We took a photo with him and he presented us with a photo album of Anya in her orphanage, some of them are pretty young photos. They're wonderful. We then piled back onto the bus and back to the hotel. As we were driving we were passed by the bus full of the caregivers from the various orphanages. They smiled and waved enthusiastically, some of them were crying, you could see how much they loved these little girls. We waved back and blew kisses to them. I wish there was a better way to thank then for taking such great care of Anya. I think the rest of the week is just waiting for our paperwork to be finished. We have to go back to the civil affairs office to pick up her adoption certificate and her passport on Friday. Tomorrow we're going to a department store where we can hopefully buy a stroller! Anya's been attached to either one of us whenever she's awake. I went for a walk with her on the streets of Wuhan today. Many people stared, some smiled and an older woman came up to me to play with Anya. I could actually hold a conversation with her in Mandarin! She told me "too hot for socks!" Oh well, so much for the "clothing police" we're always told about. If any of you are posting to the groups page that's great. However we can't get to the groups page from this internet connection (maybe on Sat. in Gulin) so sorry if we're not responding to your questions/comments. Got to get going, Anya keeps throwing her toy keys on the floor for me to pick up and she's getting bored! She's really fantastic. We got a bunch of smiles out of her today. Now if I can just get her to bed! We miss everyone and hope you're well. We'll post again as soon as we can. June 11, 2002 In the morning we went to a local attraction called "Yellow Crane Tower" It was built hundreds of years ago as a military lookout. It's a pagoda tower that is on the top of the hill and you can see just about all of Wuhan from the top. The views were fantastic. Anya did well in the carrier we brought but I couldn't keep a hat on her and the sun was beating down so I bought a little fan to shade her. As we walked around the tower we were greeted by our usual stares from the locals. Many people smiled and played with the girls. Some stopped and tried to ask questions. Future travelers I think the phrase is ling yang nuer (new-ar) which means adopted daughter. The people nod and understand what that means. They were very curious to see if the children were girls or boys. I think many people in China are unaware of how many girls there are in the orphanages. A couple of people stopped to take our picture. The Chinese people were especially interested in one dad in our group who is about 6ft 5inches and weighs well over 300lbs. I guess they don't grow them that big in China! The most emotional moment came for me when a woman who seemed to be in her 60s or so took Anya's hand very gently, looked into her eyes and said "China". She wanted her to always remember where she came from. I stared to tear up at that one. I then told her that we will always teach her of China, the woman smiled and then said "heng hao" (very good). After the tour we stopped at a department store. Yet again we were the local attraction. We wanted to get a stroller but they were sold out of the umbrella type. So we're renting from the hotel ($2 a day). There was a grocery store in the basement so we were able to buy some diapers and more Chinese formula as well as sodas, bottled water and some snacks. Then it was back to the hotel for the rest of the day. We took Anya to the pool that afternoon and she loved it! She was splashing around and having a great time, so Nanie & Poppa's pool here we come! We had dinner at the hotel restaurant and she fell asleep in her high chair. Then a group of use took a walk and went across the street to the park/town square. There were lots of people out. Our guide Kathy told us that the people of Wuhan come to the square at night to relax and let their kids play since it's so hot during the day. Lots of cute little kids running around in split pants! (many Chinese can't afford/don't use diapers) Anya sucked down a bottle and conked out and Mom and Dad were right behind her! June 12, 2002 Today we had the day to ourselves so a group of us walked back to the department store we had been to the day before to do some more shopping. We bought Anya some "squeaky shoes" which are basically shoes that squeak as the kids step. They're very cute but I'm sure we'll be happy when she outgrows them! We also picked up a little purse for her that had some Chinese cartoon characters and a little outfit for this trip. We wanted to buy Chinese football jersey's for ourselves as souvenirs but it was a real challenge trying to explain what we were looking for to the sales people. Not too many of them spoke any English so we settled for a "World Cup" t-shirt. We had a quick lunch at the local McDonalds (yep we go half way around the world and we eat at McDonalds!) But I have to say it's sort of comforting to see the golden arches, at least it's a sign I understand! Anya was getting really fussy and was refusing to take a bottle so we took her swimming when we got back. She had a great time and didn't want to get out of the pool. She only took a small nap so were were afraid that she'd melt down that evening. At 5:50pm we met in the lobby and all walked as a group to a restaurant near the hotel where Der had made reservations for us. It was by far the best Chinese food I've ever had (duh!). Anya was loving the tofu and rice as well as an egg custard that they prepared especially for the girls. It was a blast feeding her with chop sticks. We took our nightly walk through the park on the way back and there was a "fountain show" while we were there. Bascially the fountain in the square works to music and lights. If any of you have been to Epcot, it's just like that just a bit smaller. We got home and Anya was not a happy camper. She didnt' want a bottle and she didn't want to go to bed. Der had given us some Chinese tea to help her go the bathroom (we thought that may be the problem) However she wouldn't take the bottle so I had to give it to her via a medicine dropper. I'm hoping she's just overtired and that tomorrow will be better. I feel initiated into the motherhood club. My clothes are stained with snot and formula and it's a pleasure just to take a shower!! Anya's become velcro baby with me. She loves to look at Steven and she follows him wherever he goes but she gets upset if he holds her. We were told this is very common, the girls normally bond to one parent first because this is what they're used to. Also she probably hasn't been used to seeing many men before. Steven's been fantastic, he's a super bottle maker and he's there for everything we've needed. I hope she snaps out of this phase soon because my back is killing me because she wants to be carried everywhere! (thank goodness for the stoller though) We'll I better get some sleep myself. Tomorrow we're off to a museum and Friday we go back to the civil affairs office to pick up Anya's adoption certificate and her passport. Saturday we leave for Guilin. June 13, 2002 Today we were supposed to go to a museum in the morning, but when we got on the bus we were surprised (once again) by our facilitator Der that we were going to the Civil Affairs office first. Our babys' passports were ready and we were officially about to become parents. At least in the eyes of China. We went to the same room where we were given our babies. Everybody was much less nervous and much happier. After a very touching speech by the head of the Civil Affairs office, about how she knew we would be good parents, she thanked us for our love for the children. I have to say that the waterworks started on Karen at that point. We were informed that our status as a family officially began on Monday, June 10. We couldn't agree more. One by one, each family was called up and handed a passport for their child, an adoption certificate that included a photo of the family (in ours, one very stressed little baby!) and a certificate notating and thanking us for the donation made to the orphanage (thanks to all who contributed to that!). We left the Civil Affairs office and went to the museum. Everybody was floating on cloud nine. We had a good time and got to see some very interesting artifacts; the displays were all of items found in a Chinese nobleman's tomb that was nearly 2500 years old. One of the highlights was a set of orchestral bells and chimes that filled a huge room. We returned to the hotel and the families split: one parent went to fill out paperwork with De and Kathi while the other stayed back with the baby. Karen stayed with Anya and many of the parents formed a impromptu playgroup on the floor of the hotel near the elevator doors. Lots of toys and Cheerios. One side note: the paperwork took almost 2 hours and was the most difficult to complete. It was for the US Conselate. Let me put on my surprised face. The Chinese side of things was much simpler and easier to prepare than the American side has been so far. But wait; there's more -- we still have the medical exam and conselate interview next week. Joy. June 14, 2002 Today, we went to the department store in the morning (as a group - 6 couples this time!) We're getting pretty comfortable dealing with the salespeople - even learning some new vocabulary in the process (Fa Piao is a receipt - those Chinese have a different word for everything!) We picked up another outfit for Anya, blocks, a toy car and a couple of other baby things. OK - we have to confess; we had lunch at the McDonalds again. But - Chinese McDonalds are much more fun -- they have a hostess who walks around with a microphone and does games and gives out prizes. The Chinese Happy Meal toy is way better than the American toys. There was a piece for a mini-foosball table! The menu is also a little weird. Pork nuggets anyone? (seriously!) Anya had her first french fry and loved it (duh!) In the afternoon, Karen was feeling a little sick so Der gave her some Chinese medicine which made her feel much better, but also knocked her out so it was Dad's turn to be caregiver. After dinner, Steven danced with Anya in the hotel lobby (pianist and violinist playing) and then changed, fed and put her to bed. Anya must have known that her 'Mama' wasn't feeling well and hardly peeped at all when 'Baba' put her to bed. After Steven layed her down, she looked at him for a while and then slowly closed her eyes. Her hand was sticking out the side of the crib; Steven put his finger in her hand and she gently fell to sleep. Side note: Karen's feeling much better this morning, so everything's fine. To the list of 'things you can count on' of death and taxes, we'd like to add Chinese medicine. Pretty freaking amazing. We're all dreading the plane ride this afternoon, but we figure it should be over quickly and will be a good dry-run (figuratively speaking) for the big flight back to the US. We'll post again when we get to Guilin if we can. We're looking forward to it - the scenery is supposed to be the stuff out of storybooks and movies. June 15 & 16, 2002 Greetings from a very rainy and flooded Guilin city. The multiple rivers here have risen and flooded and closed many roads. The locals who are obviously used to flooding are fishing in the streets (I guess that's a whole new take on "taking work home") We arrived last night at the Guilin airport after our flight was delayed by about an hour and a half. Anya did great on the plane, she slept the whole way. We were tired and very hot by the time the whole group arrived at our hotel so we were all very cranky. Dinner was good but this hotel isn't used to all the adoptive parents like the last hotel we stayed in and they didn't have many high chairs. Also we were one of the lucky few who actually got a crib in our room. Most people got a matress for the floor. Today we were supposed to go on a cruise of the Li river but it was cancelled due to flooding. So we hopped on a bus and went to a department store (we seem to be doing a lot of that). It was a good thing because Steven was able to get his China world cup shirt and we were able to pick up some more bottled water. Ok, I also talked Steven into buying some more cute outfits for Anya and a stroller for her. I'm really glad we got the stoller because she's asleep in it right now next to me. After the department store we went to a pearl factor and did some shopping. We had trouble moving through the city due to the road closures so we took a lot of back roads and I do mean "back roads" The people weren't used to seeing tour buses so we were sort of an oddity but it was great to see so much of the country side and to see how the people live. Guilin is more cosmopolitan than Wuhan when you're in the city center but where we were today was very rural, lily pads, rice paddies and water buffalo. The people were very friendly. We weren't sure if we were going to make it through the various streets and we all cheered as the bus made it through the various flodded areas. We joked that maybe we were taking a river cruise after all. It was good to see that everyone was in better spirits than last night. We're here with the 10 other families that had gone to Nanning. It was great to meet up with the friends we had made on that first 15 hour plane ride and to see their daughters. I have to say all of these girls are beautiful and are doing really well. We also got to meet our facilitator's (Der) wife Helen, she was with the Nanning group. Tonight we're meeting for dinner and if it's not raining we're going for a walk around the lake. If it is raining we'll do another bus ride around the city - it's supposed to be very pretty at night. The hotel we're staying in is beautiful. It's probably one of the nicest hotels I've seen. We feel a bit strange being here though. Our group was laughing about whether they'd mind us having a play group in the middle of the fancy lobby. There are a lot of tourists here from all different countries. Steven was excited that he got to speak Spanish with a family from Columbia. I think that everyone is anxious to get home. Although we're looking forward to seeing Guangzhou, we just hope we get enough time to site see and shop! We unfortunately had one Mom that had to go to the hospital this morning - she didn't look too good as she was leaving. We haven't had an update on her yet. Anya is doing better and better every day. She's a real talker and she's rolling over by herself and is trying to crawl. I don't know if it was in honor of Father's Day, but she keeps saying 'Da'. It's getting harder and harder to get her out of the bathtub. We still have to work on the screaming tantrums when we change her diaper, but all things in good time. China is a very interesting country. When we were in Wuhan, we saw soldiers standing under umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun. The umbrellas had McDonalds logos on them. It was as if to say 'Communism, meet Capitalism.' Steven's going to post photos now; maybe Anya will let us take a nap. We'll talk to everybody soon! June 17, 2002 The floods in Guilin have basically put a damper on our touring here. We keep trying to get to different places but we're not successful because we can't get through the flooded roads. The people are all out on the streets as if it's a big party. Everyone is busy catching fish! This morning we made it to "Shan Yao" the tallest mountain in Guilin. We road a ski lift to the very top. It was quite a beautiful yet frightening experience. I was glad that Anya was strapped to me via a carrier. We got some great pictures and walked around on the top of the mountain before heading back down. Our faciliator Der (have we mentioned a million times that this man is the BEST!?) gave everyone umbrellas for the way back down and it's a good thing too - we really needed them! After lunch at a local hotel we headed back to our hotel for a nap (oh yeah a nap for Anya too!) Then in the afternoon Steven stayed behind and Karen and Anya headed out for the tour of one of the local caves. It was really beautiful and due to the flooding we basically had the place to ourselves! It was a much smaller group in the afternoon since most people were really tired. We had a wonderful time joking around - the people we traveled with are great and I hope that we can keep in touch in the future. After we returned to the hotel, we ventured out on our own (a few of us) in search of cookies and diet coke! We walked down a side street where there was a market. I'm so very glad we did this, it was a real "slice of life" kind of scene. Vendors were selling everything from chickens to shoes. On our walk we saw a kindergarten class. They stood up when they saw us and started to yell "Hello" in the cutest little voices so we went in and introduced our daughters to them and took some pictures. They were so sweet. The all wanted to shake our hands and it was adorable as they yelled "Goodbye". It was a wonderful moment that I'll always remember. That evening Anya was an angel and slept in her stroller so that Steven and I could eat dinner at the same time! And it was hot - wow, simple pleasures. We had to pack and have our luggage outside our room door at 9pm. The next day we would leave for the airport at 7am. June 18, 2002 We left for the airport at 7am and Anya was great on the flight! I really hope this is a sign of what the flight home will be like! We arrived in Guangzhou around 10:30am. And then it was a whirlwind of activity. One parent had to take the baby for the required medical exam and the other parent went to the hotel to check in. I took Anya and we headed into a local clinic. I was very impressed at how clean it was. Der in his usual superman fashion managed to get 20 families in and out of there in under 30 min.! Basically they weighed her (17.6 pounds) and measured her (missed that one) and checked her ears, throat and made sure she responded to sounds on either side of her head. She was great through the whole thing and even made one of the doctors laugh. Next it was a quick run in the rain to go and get her visa photo taken. She was pretty tired at this point and had no interest in sitting on the chair by herself so I had to hold her and lean really far to the right. Then on to the hotel where Steven was waiting in our room. Wow - what a great room with a really nice view. I wish we had more time here in Guangzhou and it seems like there's a lot to do here. Anya had a bottle and a very brief nap and then Steven and I grabbed some lunch. Next it was off to Jennifers (a famous local store here) to buy stuff! We got some really cute outfits for Anya for now and for when she's older. We also had her "chops" made which is basically a stamp that has her English and Chinese names on it. It has a carving of a snake on top (that's the year she was born). We're sitting at a place called Michaels which has amazingly cheap internet access. He has a digital camera so we're going to try and get a picture of the 3 of us and post it for you to see. We're having pizza for dinner! Everyone was really excited about that. I can't wait to explore more of this city. This hotel has a "Swan Room" that is sponsored by Mattel - it's a baby paradise! Ok - that paragraph was rambling! (most of my posts are rambling!) Anya is doing really well - she's quite the talker! She's finally figuring out how to put food in her mouth. Now she has cookie all over her hair! Oh well - her aim needs improvement. Our consulate appointment is tomorrow at 4pm. Please keep your fingers crossed. Everything has been very easy up to now so we don't want the US to blow it! We pick up Anya's passport on Thursday. When our plane touches the ground on Friday at 3:15pm - Anya will offically be an American citizen! That's all for now. Thanks again to everyone for the good wishes. June 19, 2002 We ventured out as a group this morning to take a look a market that was a walk from the hotel. It was amazinging. There were vendors out selling all kinds of dried everything. We never really figured out what most of it was but there were a few stalls that caught our attention. For example a herbalist selling snake juice. We took a picture of that one! Also there were tons of dried seahorses but we couldn't figure out what they were for. We met some wonderful people and took some amazing photos (at least they were for us). This is the real China, at least that's our opinion. We had lunch at Lucy's which is right in the park and then headed back to the hotel for a nap. In the afternoon at 4pm was the ever dreaded "Consulate appointment". In typical De fashion we breezed right in and the whole thing took about 30 min. total. The most time was spent going through security. We had to laugh though - here we all were going through metal detectors and having bags searched and 2 little kids just walked right in the side entrance. Once were were in (and after we took photos in front of the consulate seals, we were called up family by family and and given a photo copy of our passports (we still have no idea why). Then a the head of the orphan immigration division spoke to us about when our daughters become US citizens (as soon as the plane wheels hit the ground!). We'll still have some paperwork to do to get her her US passport and a US birth certificate (that way if she needs copies of her birth certificate later in life she won't have to send to China for them). The gentleman asked one parent to raise their hand and take the oath. It happend so fast that I have no idea what he said. But whatever it was - we promised to do it! At the end he said "congratulations" and the whole crowd gave out quite a cheer! I think we were happy and relieved that just about everything was finished. On the way out of the consulate we got a great group photo. De had a bunch of them printed for us - he's amazing, we're really going to miss him. That night we ordered Italian food from "Danny's Pizza and Bagels." He's an American (I think from NJ) that moved to Guangzhou and decided to open up a deli style restaurant because there wasn't anything like it around. We ordered as a group and the girls all played together while we waited for the order to be delievered. Then we headed out to the park and ate our dinner - we're really going to miss our travel group from Wuhan. We picked up some last minute things from some of the shops and then headed home to bed. June 20, 2002 This morning after breakfast a few of the families got together and took cabs to the Banyan Tree Budhist Temple. It was amazing. We saw the monks chanting and watched as the people offered incense and offerings at the various makeshift alters. Then we saw that a group from another adoption agency had asked the monks for a blessing. So we asked if we could join in. We went into one section of the temple that had 3 20 feet tall Budhas (the Budha of the past, the present and the future) We were asked to kneel and bow our heads - I went in and Steven stayed back to take pictures. Then the guide of the other agency offered incense on behalf of the adopted children and he and the monks chanted while we kept our heads bowed and hands folded. It was amazing and I'm so glad that we got a chance to do it. We then had to get back to the hotel for a meeting with De to settle our bill. After that we packed and Anya took a great 2 hours nap (and Mommy took a 1 hour nap!). Our bags were put outside our door at 2pm and we went down for a quick lunch afterwards. Then we all met in the "Swan room" this amazing room in the hotel sponsored by Mattel that has a ton of toys and is a great place for the kids to play. De and Helen passed our the final paperwork we'll need for the US - Anya's visa. Then it was onto the bus and on to Hong Kong. We had to stop at 2 different border stops along the way - one for leaving the PRC and one for entering Hong Kong - we wished they could have combined it but what can you do. Last night we stayed at our least favorite hotel of the whole trip. It's called the Regal Airport Hotel. Beside for having tacky 80s decor and people all over who think that they're trendy, everything was extremely expensive and not very good. Last night in the middle of the night (3:30am) Anya's crib collapsed with her in it. She was fine but needless to say, Mom and Dad were completely freaked out. The hotel staff seemed really ambivalent about it with an "ok we won't charge you for the crib" I wanted to punch someone. We complained to our tour guide and she's going to lodge a formal complaint. We tried to have breakfast this morning and couldn't get anyone to wait on us so we walked to the airport next door and ate at McDonalds. We're all checked in and after I post this we're headed to our gate for our flight to Newark. Thanks to everyone for being a part of this journey with us. It really was the trip of a lifetime! We can't wait for you all to meet Anya. See you soon! Karen, Steven and Anya

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