I get to be the one updating the blog by default . . . because I'm apparently they only one able to stay awake past 8PM, when the internet signal is strong again. Guangzhou is really hopping out there tonight. There's a fancy event with fancy music and fancy folks in their fancy clothes in the hotel tonight, and about a gazillion cars going in and out of the Friendship Stores. I'm hearing near constant traffic whistles, and the hum of cars . . . although I don't know if any of this is related to it being Christmas Eve. Christmas is not really a holiday here in China, and nothing shuts down here even on Christmas Day. But there are Christmas decorations everywhere, Christmas music 24/7, and even the Pizza Hut across the street was serving a special set menu for Christmas. Our guide says that it is gaining momentum as a holiday, because the young people are determined to celebrate it. Those crazy kids.
Speaking of Pizza Hut, we went there for lunch, and Calliope need to use the squatty potty and it went pretty much as you might expect. She peed in her shoe. *sigh*
Anyway, the Guangzhou branch of the Schnurbusch family is pretty much ignoring the fact that it is Christmas entirely. Hoping Calliope forgets what day Saturday is, because we have no presents or anything planned. At this stage in every adoption trip (halfway through!), it's mostly just about survival. The trip to Longgang was so arduous and fraught with tribulation, that Aaron (!!!??!!) came back sick, and slept through most of today. Aaron never gets sick, so this was a shocker. Had to wake him up and drag him out today to do the only really touristy things we had planned for the whole trip. We went to Yun Tai Gardens (but in order to get Calliope to leave the hotel room we had to call them "Chinese Princess Gardens") and the Chen Family Temple. Yun Tai was one of our favorite spots when we were here with Baby Calliope, so it was super duper special to see her running around the gardens as a big kid. So cool to see roses and tons of other flowers blooming in December. Guangzhou is known as the City of Flowers, and Yun Tai is "The Pearl in The City of Flowers". They also have a Dutch windmill, and Santas playing saxophones. And as a waterfall aficionado, Calliope was ecstatic. Quinn was stoic, as per usual.
In 2007, we had to skip the Chen Family Temple, because Calliope had been so ill with her ear infection. So it was nice to see . . . a truly spectacular example of Temple architecture from the Qing Dynasty. I could have stayed there a whole lot longer, but after 25 minutes, Calliope was fretful, Quinn was hungry, and Aaron was near comatose. So we left, and I didn't even get to peek into the gift shop. I have a family of killjoys.
The camera we brought is officially dead, but supposedly the video camera can take still shots. So I used that . . . but I have no clue how to upload them to the computer, and I am doubtful as to their quality. Keep y'all's collective fingers crossed that it worked, because otherwise we will have no more pics from the second half of this trip.
You can see more about the Temple here: http://www.chinatour360.com/guangdong/guangzhou/chen-ancestral-temple.htm
And in lieu of my pictures of Yun Tai, you can jump to this other family's blog who were there a few weeks ago . . . they have a way awesomer camera than we have anyway, and probably far more cooperative kids: http://simply-family.blogspot.com/2010/12/visit-to-yun-tai-garden.html
Tomorrow is Christmas! . . . . and we are going to be at Quinn's medical exam and spend a bunch of time doing paperwork. And it's going to rain all day long. So . . . hope it's a merry one for everyone!
-starla
P.S. Wanted to include my favorite Quinn memory for today. He really loves the photo album we sent him in one of care packages, and he dragged it to me this evening and put his fingers on a picture of me, Aaron and Calliope. When I said "Baba", he put his finger on Aaron, when I said "mama", he put his finger on me. When I said "jie jie", well, you get the idea. Then he grinned at me the biggest smile I have seen yet. We only met him Monday, you know. And he's already getting a handle on this whole family thing. Amazing kid.
1 comment:
Loved this whole post as it reminded me of how constantly things go a little differently from how I have them planned in my head! Your post script though, has me in tears once again...that is beautiful....simply beautiful! :)
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