Finally...it is 9pm Saturday night China time (9am Saturday morning for you!) and we are settling in for bed after a very long day. The flight over was a tad bit eventful. We were scheduled to leave Dulles at 12:30, but after sitting on the runway for about an hour, the pilot announced that we would all have to leave the plane due to mechanical difficulties (some technical thing about a tracker that is used when you fly over the North Pole not working...don't ask me!) So, we were all told to go to another terminal and wait...after about an hour of waiting, we boarded another plane. After that it was business as usual. We were really luck because the plane was not full, so we could spread out a bit. Trust me, it helped a lot!
Beijing is interesting. It was 4pm when we arrived and the city was covered in a gray fog...um, actually pollution haze, I guess (gross!). And it is HUGE! One block takes about 15 minutes to walk! We didn't venture too far from the hotel tonight because we were all so tired. But we did have a fab dinner at the hotel. You won't believe it, but it was a French buffet! Yes, that's right. We couldn't resist the lure of chocolate mousse and crepes. And besides, we'll have 2 weeks to experience authentic Chinese cuisine.
So, tomorrow we meet our tour guide at 8 am to go to the Great Wall. It is a dream come true. Can't wait to tell you all about it! And on Monday we were told we will get new pictures of Emmett (Qi Fu). Seriously can't wait!!!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Itinerary
For all of you out there who are curious about what we will be doing in China, here is our schedule. Just Remember, we will be doing everything 12 hours before you!
Day 1 Depart for China (15 hour plane ride to look forward to!)
Day 2 Arrive in Beijing (Finally!!!) and go directly to hotel to pass out.
Day 3 Take a tour of the Great Wall (HAnnah's dream come true)
Day 4 Meet other adopting families and have group orientation
Group tour of Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
Day 5 Travel to Nanning
Meet Emmett at the Civil Affairs Office at 3:30pm!!!
Paperwork
Day 6 Adoption registration and notorization
Group dinner
Day 7 Shop
Day 8 Touring
Day 9 Visit Yiling Village
Day 10 Touring
Day 11 Touring
Day 12 Get Emmet's passport
Travel to Guangzhou and stay at the world famous White Swan Hotel!
Day 13 Paperwork check and Visa medical check
Day 14 Visa Appointment
Day 15 Oath Taking Ceremony
Travel to Hong Kong
Day 16 Go Home!!! (Just a mere 19 hour trip!)
And there you have it. This is what we need to do in order to bring Qi Fu home as our very own. By the time we leave China, his adoption is final and he will become a legal US citizen when we enter the US. Seems so easy, doesn't it?
Day 1 Depart for China (15 hour plane ride to look forward to!)
Day 2 Arrive in Beijing (Finally!!!) and go directly to hotel to pass out.
Day 3 Take a tour of the Great Wall (HAnnah's dream come true)
Day 4 Meet other adopting families and have group orientation
Group tour of Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
Day 5 Travel to Nanning
Meet Emmett at the Civil Affairs Office at 3:30pm!!!
Paperwork
Day 6 Adoption registration and notorization
Group dinner
Day 7 Shop
Day 8 Touring
Day 9 Visit Yiling Village
Day 10 Touring
Day 11 Touring
Day 12 Get Emmet's passport
Travel to Guangzhou and stay at the world famous White Swan Hotel!
Day 13 Paperwork check and Visa medical check
Day 14 Visa Appointment
Day 15 Oath Taking Ceremony
Travel to Hong Kong
Day 16 Go Home!!! (Just a mere 19 hour trip!)
And there you have it. This is what we need to do in order to bring Qi Fu home as our very own. By the time we leave China, his adoption is final and he will become a legal US citizen when we enter the US. Seems so easy, doesn't it?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Packing
Dilemma:
How to fit enough clothes for 4 people for 2 weeks into 3 bags 40 pounds or lighter, plus add in a mini-pharmacy, daycare, and toy store.
Solution:
Still working on it.
As our final days come upon me, I find myself struggling with the age old problem of packing. Not only does it require so much work to prepare for it - laundry, shopping, lists, etc. - but it also requires super human strength of will as I decide what I can't possibly go half way around the world without, and what I can sacrifice and leave behind. Throw in all the unknowns of Emmett, and it is a pretty daunting task.
But perhaps my biggest complaint is that while I have been working on packing for DAYS, Eric will come home, throw some things in the bag for himself and be done in about 15 minutes. So, unfair! This is one of those division of labors that I am pretty sure I got the short stick. But, it has to be this way. What women/mother in her right mind would leave such a sacred responsibility to a man? Not this one and not any one I know!
I am sure he would not roll the shirts together tight enough to prevent wrinkles and maximize space. I know he would forget the essentials like make-up and hair straightener. And let's not even imagine the nightmare of opening the suitcases and discovering that there is only 1 toothbrush for 4 people!
So, alas, you see my point. The burden must rest solely on my capable shoulders.
So, off I go back to the packing slave pits, mumbling under my breath and basking in my own self-depricating, OCD glory...
(Note from author: This was meant to be a humorous rant on my own foibles and not a man-hating/girls-are-better-than-boys rampage. Hope you got that.)
As our final days come upon me, I find myself struggling with the age old problem of packing. Not only does it require so much work to prepare for it - laundry, shopping, lists, etc. - but it also requires super human strength of will as I decide what I can't possibly go half way around the world without, and what I can sacrifice and leave behind. Throw in all the unknowns of Emmett, and it is a pretty daunting task.
But perhaps my biggest complaint is that while I have been working on packing for DAYS, Eric will come home, throw some things in the bag for himself and be done in about 15 minutes. So, unfair! This is one of those division of labors that I am pretty sure I got the short stick. But, it has to be this way. What women/mother in her right mind would leave such a sacred responsibility to a man? Not this one and not any one I know!
I am sure he would not roll the shirts together tight enough to prevent wrinkles and maximize space. I know he would forget the essentials like make-up and hair straightener. And let's not even imagine the nightmare of opening the suitcases and discovering that there is only 1 toothbrush for 4 people!
So, alas, you see my point. The burden must rest solely on my capable shoulders.
So, off I go back to the packing slave pits, mumbling under my breath and basking in my own self-depricating, OCD glory...
(Note from author: This was meant to be a humorous rant on my own foibles and not a man-hating/girls-are-better-than-boys rampage. Hope you got that.)
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