Back on Schedule

We finally have returned to the Land of the Living!

The past week has been a difficult one as we struggled with the time difference and recovering from being sick. Robin went to work this morning for his first full day back and Amy and I have, so far, been able to have a routine day.

These are a few pictures of what we've been up to the past week.

Playing with the Teddy from Grampa Asher

Trying out the new hat

Warming up for the big game on Saturday

Making muffins

Home

The last few days have not have not been quite as much fun. All four of us have been quite sick, with the adults lacking in energy, and everyone has had very runny noses great difficulty adjusting to the 13 hour time difference. Amy seems to think it quite odd that we might go to bed at 9:00 or 10:00 at night, given that is 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning in China. After a short "nap" she awakes at 2 am, ready for another day - unfortunately, the rest of us aren't!

Amy has had some outings - to her Auntie Carol's, Safeway, the local mall and to Aunty Marilyn's. Much to our surprise, she has not expressed any objection at all to the car seat, a device which is not in use in China. Apart from that, we have spent our time sleeping in shifts and trying to recover.

Kris has made sure that Amy is prepared for the Blue Bomber game on Saturday by outfitting her in an appropriate sweatshirt while enjoying one of Linda M's great cookies.

Back to Canada

Saturday was a very long day, with a very happy ending.

Amy woke up a little earlier than her usual schedule in Beijing, a little before 6:00. After breakfast we headed to the pool, with Megan. Although Megan was an enthusiastic and skillful swimmer, Amy remains bashful about getting into that huge (and cold) tub.

We finished our packing and heard about Sean and Kristin's extended shopping trip on Friday night (which was extended longer than they wanted by their cab driver's inability to find the hotel). Finally, at 12:30, we left for the airport. We made it through the masses of people in good time and settled in to await our flight.

The trip from Beijing to Vancouver is 10 and 1/2 hours. That is a long flight by any standard; however, although there were a few moments when Amy expressed her displeasure, she handled it well. She slept intermittently, usually while sitting or lying on me. Sleep for the grownups was not possible - she is a squirmy sleeper.

In Vancouver we were very quickly processed by the Immigration people and then were met by for a quick visit between flights by my Dad Asher, his wife Bobbi and my Aunt Gaye, where Amy received a large teddy bear. We also said goodbye to Sean, who was catching a later flight back to Toronto.

Aunt Gaye, Dad (Asher), and his wife Bobbi

The flight to Winnipeg from Vancouver was a snap compared to the previous flight. I had a bit of a nap and Amy was so tired she actually slept in Robin's arms, much to his delight.

Arriving home was wonderful, in several ways. Amy was finally home! At the airport, we were met by a large group. The cheer when we came down the escalator was absolutely thrilling. Thank you to everyone - my Dad (John), sister Carol, Aunty Marilyn, Della and Cora, Arlene, Denny and Eryl with Liam and Emma, Rob and Maureen with Julia and Jenna,Dinh and Wade with Sophie, Peter with Ben, Adrian and Kerra with Isabelle, Maria and Brett with Stefano, Heather with Lily,and Linda M. (with some really yummy cookies). It was wonderful to see all of you (and my apologies if I have missed anyone - it was a bit of a blur).

My sister Carol, Cora, Aunty Marilyn and my Dad

Not that anyone could ever replace my wonderful and dearly missed Mom, especially at this time, but Aunty Marilyn has done a wonderful job of standing by my side when I need her the most.

We were ferried home and joined for a while by Dad, Carol, Aunty Marilyn, Arlene and Denny and Eryl. Much to our surprise, notwithstanding the lack of sleep, Amy perked up and played with everyone.

Dad stayed over and had an extended play session on Sunday morning. Grandpa and granddaughter hit it off right away and quite enjoyed each other's company.

Thank You China

A very, very pleasant day in Beijing with Amy; however,before describing today, I should mention last night - Robin and I went out for dinner!

After Amy went to sleep, Sean and Kris came down to our room and sat in the living room while their sister slept in the bedroom. We strolled down the street to the Red Lantern, where the kids and Robin had eaten the night before. Since the main part of the restaurant was full, we were escorted our own private room. Many of the restaurants in China have a main area and a number of private rooms. This one had only one table for four and spared us from the smokers and the din of the main area, although the din would have been fun too. We had some of Robin's favourites from the night before and tried some new items. It was all delicious, although way too much for two people to eat. With two very large beers, the total tab came to $14. As usual, there was a stunned reaction and an initial refusal of the tip, since tipping is not the norm in China.

It was good to get out, although it did feel very odd not to have someone on my knee or in the Baby Bjorn.

Amy had her usual long sleep. Bathtime in the morning is becoming better and better. Last week it was an ordeal, but this week she can be distracted into playing with the toys in the tub, with the only unpleasantness being the rinsing of the shampoo. That usually prompts screams (from Amy, not Robin) but all is immediately well when she is rescued into a big towel.

After breakfast, we left in a cab to return to the Yashow Market for the final time. We chatted with Jessy and Linda, the two young saleswomen who we have had long discussions with on our previous visits, and collected our new clothes. We then launched into shopping. Given that some purchases may become Christmas presents, I cannot disclose in this blog what was purchased; however, I can mention that we bought a sufficient number of items so as to require the acquisition of a very large new suitcase to enable us to transport all the purchases. Upon leaving the store we were accosted by the usual vendors offering watches, socks, hats, etc. On this occasion, Robin relented because he wanted a Beijing 2008 Olympics hat. Thinking why buy one hat when you can get 8 for less than $10, Robin is now the proud owner of 8 hats. He will wear them proudly next August.

To go to and from the market means a total of almost an hour in the cabs. Yesterday's trip was a bit of an ordeal, but, Amy was better today. Robin's hat collection helped.

After playing with Sean and Kris upon our return, Amy had a very late nap (as did her Mom). We then went for our daily walk to the WuMart, where Robin received quizzical looks and outright laughter as he purchased the store's entire supply of lavendar scented wet wipes (only 20 small packages) and a particular kind of yogurt that Amy adores (35 small bottles) along with various other goodies to try to make the trip home and the initial days at home a little easier. Upon returning, we played with Megan and Jillian (and Margaret and Greg) and prepared to go out for dinner.

The kids had launched into their own late afternoon and evening shopping expedition, so the remaining 7 of us headed back to the Red Lantern. In addition to
a few of our favourites, we ordered Peking Duck. Although I have never been a duck fan, this was very good. The best part of dinner was that Amy was out for dinner for almost 90 minutes without too much difficulty, although the fish in the various tanks - all waiting to be ordered for dinner - helped as entertainment. We also discovered that she likes shrimp and peas. Robin was holding her as she looked at the fish (a very exciting event for Robin - not looking at the fish, holding her - as this was the first time that Amy had really let him hold her for an extended period) and realized that she was opening up a pea pod and gobbling up the peas. It was obvious that fresh peas must have been on the menu at the orphanage from time to time.

We had a delightful time with Amy after our return and we have realized that a proper nap makes all the difference in her outlook. She is now fast asleep and we have started to pack. Tomorrow we have to head for the airport at 12:30, although our flight is not until 4:20 p.m. We are in the air for 11 hours on the way to Vancouver and are hoping that Amy will sleep for a chunk of the flight. We arrive in Vancouver at 12:20 in the afternoon and have only an hour and 50 minutes to accomplish what we need to accomplish with Amy's immigration. Fortunately, all the families from Quebec who were in Nanchang with us and have also been in this hotel left today, so it may be only Amy and Jillian in that line. If we are able to make our flight to Winnipeg, we will land before 7:00 p.m., after only 20 hours of travelling. I expect Amy will be fine, but Robin may be a little cranky.

Although eager to return home, we are sad to leave the country of Amy's birth. Of course, we will be forever grateful for the priceless gift that China has given to us. In addition, the people have been very warm and kind to us. Although we have seen only the tiniest glimpse of the country, it is obvious that China is a fascinating, beautiful and very impressive land. In Beijing, signs of the coming Olympics are everywhere, with the people of this city bursting with pride and eager to show the world that this city is, at least, the equal of all the great cities of the world. It certainly is.

Today was not much of a picture day; however, Robin did take this shot - Amy pooping in the lobby of this very nice hotel ...
In closing this part of the blog, we say to China a huge and heartfelt "xie xie" (thank you) and look forward to seeing friends and family back home.

Sleep

Amy slept until almost 7:00 today. Sometimes it is difficult, waiting for her to wake up. Although I am a very proficient sleeper, even I can only handle so much sleep. I have heard about parents having problems with sleep, but this is ridiculous! (All parents may feel free to slap me now).

The kids and Robin went to a restaurant down the street last night. Not surprisingly, no one at the restaurant spoke any English. Servers here have the disconcerting habit of standing at your table until you order - they do not leave you alone with the menu. Kris finds this particularly troublesome, because she likes to thoroughly review menus before ordering. Last night, it was impossible to convince the server to leave; however, after studying the pictures on the menu, food was successfully ordered. It was all delicious.

Today we went back to the Ya Show Market for our fittings and to do a bit of shopping. The new clothes will look great. Robin's office-mates are sure to be
dazzled by his dramatic Chinese jacket.

As a result of that outing, Amy missed her nap, only catching some sleep in the car ride to the market. Such lack of sleep makes life a little difficult later in the day, as she is now comfortable enough with us to express her crabbiness. Kristin is usually a guaranteed source of amusement, but even she was having a hard time this afternoon.

Another source of amusement for Amy is the pigeon coop on the rooftop on the apartment block across the street. There is a lady who lives on the top floor of the apartment and has a ladder going from her balcony to the roof. Twice a day, she and her little white dog, climb the ladder to tend to the flock of pigeons. Before the pigeons are about to land on the coop, they do many loops of the apartment building which causes squeals of glee from Amy.

Amy watching the pigeons land.

A close up of the lady and her coop.

Amy is already asleep, at a little after 6:00. The kids have been talking about going to the bar area, but we will have some dinner here and have a (what else?) early night.

We did not take any pictures on our outing to Ya Show, but here is one from the elevator lobby on our floor - the three kids, enjoying each other's company.

Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City

I know this sounds like a broken record, but we had another uneventful night; asleep by 8:00 and up at 7:00, with hardly a peep in between.

After breakfast with Sean, we loaded on the bus to head to Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. Thomas had thought that the Square might be closed due to the current Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, an event which happens only once every five years (and occupies most of the daily newspaper), but we did not have any problems. Although Thomas' bag was searched prior to entry to the Square, the bags of foreigners were untouched. We had, in any event, left our inappropriate banners at home.

The Square is the largest public square in the world, with Mao's mausoleum on one side, the Great Hall of the People (where the Congress is taking place) on another and the gate to the Forbidden City on another - the 4th side is a very busy avenue, with a huge museum across the road. Like the rest of Beijing, there are beautifully creative displays of flowers and plants everywhere. Vendors try to sell you Olympic hats, postcards and watches, with Mao's face on the face and his arm waving each second. Two people in our group were unable to resist.
As per usual, we were the subject of much attention. Two young women fluttered over her, wanting to have their pictures taken and then giving Amy kisses. The same scene was repeated a number of times with people either wanting their picture taken with Amy or giving me a thumbs up once they discover she's a "China baby". The women all ignored Robin, although he did enjoy being a second assistant to a celebrity.

Amy and I having our picture taken by a few admirers.

There are no words to adequately describe the Forbidden City. The legend is that it has 9,999.5 rooms. Apparently, the home of the King of Heaven has 10,000 rooms and the Emperor did not wish to tempt fate. There are huge courtyards throughout and magnificent building after magnificent building. Amy was a good tourist, although we were sightseeing through her usual nap time.

One person who seemed to be following us during our tour was Keanu Reaves. Although it may be that all the tours proceed on the same route, he sure seemed to be staying close. He was either fascinated with Amy or he wanted Robin for his next movie. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was obvious that everyone needed some downtime. We played and then went downstairs for a snack. That was followed by more playing and a walk to our local WuMart, where we re-stocked.

The other exciting event today was that Amy received her Canadian visa. We have now done everything for her to come home on Saturday!

Amy has been sleeping since 6:30. Robin is going to go out with Sean and Kris, so I can have some peace and quiet. Tomorrow is a "free" day, but we have to get to the Ya Show Market for fittings for the garments we ordered last week.

The Summer Palace

This morning Amy ate her usual big breakfast - today it was an adult size portion of scrambled eggs (most of which went into her, although some hit the floor, as usual), a boiled egg and a blueberry muffin. We then joined up with Sean and Kris and Margaret, Greg, Megan and Jillian as Thomas escorted us to the Summer Palace in the large van we have had all week in Beijing.

The original constructon of the Summer Palace commenced approximately 800 years ago. The total area is 760 acres, with a lake occupying roughly 3/4 of that. In addition to touring the grounds and hearing some of the history from Thomas, we took a short boat ride from one side of the lake to the other. After a few hours, we headed off for lunch and then back to the hotel.

Although today is a Tuesday in mid-October and the Summer Palace is an extremely big place, the congestion was incredible. As usual, Amy was a focus of attention. Although we had been warned about how curious many Chinese people would be about us and Amy, the degree of interest is amazing. Although Thomas has told us that there are 56 different ethnic minorities living in Beijing, the reality is that the spectrum of physical differences is not nearly as great as in Winnipeg. As a result, we stand out. It is definitely not considered to be rude in China to stare; however, all the interactions we have had have been very friendly.

En route to the hotel. Thomas told us that he had been successful in obtaining tickets for the Acrobatic show so, after a brief stop at the hotel, we journeyed through Beijing again to see the 5:15 show at the Chaoyang Theatre. The acrobats were amazing! We have seen several Cirque de Soleil shows and it was apparent how much Cirque has borrowed from the Chinese acrobats. Amy was content to watch for a while, but grew a little restless, so she and I watched at the back of the theatre and then visited the lobby.

The long ride home was punctuated by another impressive poop. The other occupants of our van were almost overcome, but we eventually made it back to the hotel. Once home, which was after 7:30, Amy promptly went to bed. We had
room service and are about to call it a night (it is almost 9:30!).

Unfortunately, although we took some pictures at the Summer Palace, the website is having a problem tonight and won't let me download (sorry Maureen). I will try again in the morning.

Tomorrow is the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We promise not to create an international incident by unfurling any inappropriate banners.

The Medical

Another great sleep. We do realize how lucky we have been. Amy has been sleeping for uninterrupted 11 hour stretches, which makes this experience much easier on the parents than it might have been otherwise.

This morning we left the hotel at 8:30 and spent a long time in the van, going for Amy's medical. There was a scheduling mixup which required us to go to a different clinic than the one to which we initially travelled; however, the upside was that we saw another area of Beijing. The more we see of this city, the more impressed we are. It has a great combination of imposing modern buildings (with a new one completed almost every day), almost of which have creative touches not often seen in North America, combined with historically significant structures many 100's of years older than anything in Canada.

We have both been very anxious about the medical appointment, wanting to receive a further assessment of Amy's Ventricular Septal Defect. The great news is that the murmur is relatively loud, which is, according to the physician who saw her, a good sign - apparently, the louder the noise, the smaller the hole in the heart. We have
been carefully observing Amy and have not seen any of the usual signs of concern, being blue lips or extremities or excessive fatigue; however, it was beyond fantastic to receive confirmation that our amateur diagnosis was correct. Amy will see her pediatric cardiologist upon our return to Winnipeg, but the check-up today was a great relief.

By the time we arrived back from the medical it was 12:30. Sean and Kris had looked after Megan so that she did have to go to the clinic. To our surprise, they had found an energetic 6 year old to be less exhausting than Amy.

The afternoon was very lazy, with Amy, Kris, Robin and I playing in the room and then going for a walk to a store to obtain some provisions. Sean joined us for a rousing game of football (hope you're proud, Arlene) in the hall and we then had room service. Amy had some rice and tasted everyone else's food. She was fast asleep before 7:00.

Tomorrow, we are off to the Summer Palace.

Friends

The highlight of today was supposed to be the Great Wall; however, for Amy (and us) the real highlight was her making a new friend - Jillian.

But, before describing that excitement, I must report on Amy's first ever flight in an airplane. Airplanes will always be important in Robin's family, as his Dad was a test pilot and his brother Ron worked in aircraft manufacturing in his younger days. Amy did not demonstrate an immediate affinity for flying, but having to sit on someone's lap in confined quarters for two hours would not be much fun for anyone. Fortunately, the in-flight meal featured noodles, which were good for both eating and entertainment. We hope the lady in the seat in front of us has now managed to remove those noodles from her hair.


Of course, for some people, two hours is a long time to go without a poop. With about 20 minutes before landing, Amy delivered an extraordinarily smelly and equally runny pile o' poop. We were already descending, so a quick change was not an option. Sadly, before I could make it to a washroom, I received an initiation into one of the joys of motherhood - poop everywhere. Kris came to assist in the ladies room in the airport and promptly gagged. The boys reported that the washroom attendant emerged from the bathroom with her arms outstretched, holding tongs, at the end of which was the bag containing the offending diaper - Thomas described her as looking like someone from the bomb disposal unit.

Due to the flight, we had a very late night. Amy was not in bed until after 9:00 and the grownups were up well after 10:30. Luckily, Amy slept until 6:15.

This morning, we met up with Margaret and Greg and their daughters Megan (6) and Jillian (19 months), the latter of whom they adopted in Hunan province on Monday. Along with Thomas, we all loaded into a van and headed for the Great Wall; however, we made one detour along the way to drive by the Olympic sites - the "Bird's Nest" (the Olympic Stadium) and the "Wave" (the Olympic aquatic centre).

After driving for an hour or so we stopped at a very large pearl centre. Kris and Amy bought matching pearl necklaces and Sean bought something that we are not quite sure what it is.

A short drive later, we were at the Great Wall. The term fits - although we could only see a few kilometres of its 6,000 kilometre length, the Wall is simply magnificent.

The stairs are more than a little difficult, in that they are steep and very uneven, varying from a rise of a few inches to over a foot. I am not used to climbing with a 20 pound weight attached to my front, but Amy and I went a long way up. Sean and Kristin went all the way to the top of the section we were climbing.

There was a weapon port just at the right height so that Amy could have her very own window. You can see the feet of the old man who stood watching, amused by Amy's antics.

After the Wall, we had lunch and then joined millions of people making their way back to Beijing on a Sunday late afternoon, arriving back at the hotel a little after 6:00. That's when the real fun began. Jillian and Amy played and played and played, with very little arguing.

The highlight was them sharing a plate of spaghetti (CAUTION - the pictures below should not be viewed by anyone who is adverse to tomato sauce on all parts of the body and the carpet).

Margaret in the background.

Amy loves this runny yogurt drink, so we gave one to her and Gillian. The girls are in the bathroom because our fridge in the room is not working, so we are keeping amy's yogurts in a sink full of ice.

We have had another late night. Amy has been asleep since 8:30 and we have to get up tomorrow and hit the rush hour traffic at 8:30 to hit Amy's medical appointment at 10:00.

Last Day in Nanchang

Today has been a low key day so far. Amy slept very well last night, got up this morning in a great mood, ate an enormous breakfast (2 scrambled eggs, watermelon, noodles and a container of yogurt). Back in the room, she played with her brother and sister while we packed. She went for her nap at her regular time at 10:30 and is still sleeping.

This afternoon, Robin and I will take her to get her visa pictures done and, after a bit of shopping in the neighbourhood, we'll be off to the airport to head to Beijing. We should arrive there by 9 pm and are hoping Amy sleeps through the majority of the flight.

Here are a few pictures from yesterday.

Amy with her Chinese Passport.

Sean cuddling his baby sister.

Brushing Kristin's hair.

As well, here is some video from yesterday.

Amy playing.

Trying to cheer a sleepy baby up.

Sightseeing in Nanchang

Another blissful night of sleep. Amy went to bed at 7:00, woke up for a while at 3:30, had some yogurt (her favourite food or drink, by far) and went back to sleep until 6:00. Her parents had stayed up until after 9:00, but were still sufficently rested after almost 9 hours of sleep.

After playtime we went downstairs for breakfast. We were surrounded by babies, as most of the couples here from Quebec were at breakfast at the same time as us this morning. Robin then left with Thomas to do the last offical job in Nanchang, being the pick up of Amy's passport. I was pleased to be able to report to Robin later that Amy was upset that he had left. He was surprised and pleased, given that she usually treats him as, at best, a minor annoyance.

The passport was not ready when Thomas and Robin arrived at the Public Security office, so they went for a walk. The street around the corner from the Public Security office contained store after store after store, all selling flooring and doors - over 30 different stores, on a typical two lane downtown street. Stores in Nanchang seem to follow this pattern, with all the florist shops together, all the paint stores together, etc.

The passport was finally ready. The passport and the official Adoption document we received give Amy status as a citizen of China. As a result, she will be able to apply for her Canadian visa on Monday in Beijing.

After Amy's nap and some more playtime all five of us took cabs across Nanchang (another death-defying ride) to visit a Taoist temple on a lake. The surroundings were in sharp contrast to the constant noise of Nanchang. Here the sounds were of beautiful music. In three separate halls we watched and listened as monks played ancient instruments. To our amazement, Amy was a very good listener.


Amy, Kris and Sean all drew lots and had their futures foretold. We also saw the world's largest incense sticks. According to Taoism, the incense reaches up to heaven, carrying your prayers with it. These sticks were not your tiny little incense burner size, but were, in some cases, 5 or 6 feet high.

When we left the temple, we walked through a park and discovered a stand that sold drinks and ice cream. Amy had her usual chocolate ice cream, along with Mommy's neapolitan and the popsicle that Thomas had - pea flavour.By the time we got home, Amy was napping. When she woke up, she was not as cheery as usual. We have decided she does not do particularly well with afternoon naps. As a result, we ordered room service and she enthusiastically dug into spaghetti and an omelette. Mom needed a bath after that experience.

Tomorrow is our last day in the province of Amy's birth, as we catch a late afternoon flight to Beijing.

Some Real Chinese Stuff!

Yes, I know it's cheesy, but we couldn't resist. You can expect great things from your Sander/Kersey Christmas Card family picture this year!

This short clip was the very end of the Chinese musical we saw at the pagoda the other day.

Olympics 2024 Here I Come!

This afternoon, we took Amy to the pool for her first swimming lesson. She wasn't that keen just yet, but managed to stay in the pool for fifteen minutes.
Tonight we had a brief dinner and then went for a long walk down the main street. This is always an adventure due to the number of people, and motorcycles, and bicycles, and vendors on the sidewalk.

Amy is now sleeping and, given that it is 8:20, it is time for us to retire as well.

The Kersey/Sander Travelling Show!

Today we have to do ... absolutely nothing - no appointments, no trips, so today is just a relaxing day in Nanchang.

This morning we played and then the five of us went down for a lengthy breakfast. In addition to a multitude of foods that she seems to enjoy, we discovered that Amy loves scrambled eggs! She enjoys feeding herself, but she is quite good at feeding big brother and sister as well.

Sean went off for a walk with Amy and she showed him how to travel down (and up) the big staircase.

After we were all done, the five of us headed out for a walk. We stopped at a store across the street, where Amy acquired her first ice cream. Of course, it needed to be consumed immediately and she was up to to the task, with help from everyone that she fed. As usual, this prompted a small gathering, as everyone enjoys looking at (and no one is bashful about staring!) the Canadians with the cute little girl (I mean "girls" - sorry Kris).

Now is nap time. After lunch, we may introduce Amy to the pool ...