Walking Street
Ou Gways, longevity.
The beach on Gu Lang Yu.
Awesome hotel in Xiamen! Finally cooled down with real air conditioning. Ahhh.
The view out our window. Lili was sad I wouldn't let her swim. Not a good idea be in clohrine while she has a sniffle and we're visiting kids in a SWI.
Our flight from Beijing left three hours late. Two of those hours in the plane on the run way, with no air conditioning. Oh my. It was so hot and stuffy that almost everyone on the plane slept.
When we arrived in Xiamen, Fujian, we got our luggage and went to arrivals looking for our guide Penny. Straight ahead I see Jack!!! Waving his hands, yelling out SHELLEY!! What a surprise to say the very least! He was full of more surprises too.
I had to try and catch Lili up quickly, she was really surprised to see Mom hugging a strange guy. Jack was our first guide, he was with us for Lili's adoption in Fuzhou.
Jack is now the Director of Adoption Affairs for Fujian Province! In the same building we completed Lili's adoption. When Michael sent our formal request to Fujian Province to visit Changting, it was Jack who approved our request. Jack knows Miachael and they are working together to get more homeland visits and camps funded for families because he believes it is so important for the kids. He also said Chinese families never want to take their kids back and they really like how we foreign families embrace the kids past because it is healthier for them.
So Jack knew we were coming. Then a few days ago he was dealing with quides and found out when we were coming and decided to surprise us and take us to Changting himself. I've been talking to Lili trying to get her to understand the importance and signifigance of what is happening. It's huge. She is starting to understand that something amazing is happening.
So cool. Sooo very, very cool.
Eric he wondered right away where you were and was happy to hear we have two more girls from China.
Catherine, he still swaggers.
He's happy. He loves his job. I think he looks the same. He kindly said the same of me.
He says Lili IS Hakka and she looks Hakka and he's going to give us a history lesson tomorrow in the car about the Hakka people. Oh and he will take us to the Hakka village but he thinks we should stay overnight somewhere nicer. I don't think he'd 'get' camping.
He has one son with his first wife, another son with wife #2 and they just adopted a baby girl and named her Angel.
So, there are 65 SWI's in Fujian. Only 20 submit for international adoptions. He hasn't been to Changting in five years so he is happy to be going. New Director there but staff that remember Lili. Jack says they are VERY excited that we are coming. He also says the orphanage staff make a big deal when he comes. Hmmm. He is very aware of our purpose of the visit and is very respectful with his words. His English is amazing.He speaks several languages from this area, plus a few foreign.
With the plane arriving late, we missed hearing piano on Gu Lang Yu, we did take the ferry over after walking some of the walking street. Once there we took an electric cart around the island so we saw most of it. Very crowded and extremely interesting.
Lili saw a Pizza Hut when we drove to the hotel, so Jack said he'd get her one. We came back to the hotel and he delivered pizza and spaghetti to our room. Pizza was awesome. Pizza is just so much better in China. No idea why. The spaghetti was loaded in seafood, seafood we can't identify, but Lili ate the noodles anyway.
We've only been in Fujian a few hours and I already know I'm going to be hungry. Everywhere we look there are venders with live stuff in bowls. Meat of all kinds on a stick. You have to see baby octopus on a stick to really appreciate what that looks like as a snack. Will try for photos, because I know you all want to see that now. My tummy turns just thinking about all that we've seen so far. Vastly different being in Fujian in the summer.
Can't get the internet working, stuck on the phone. No photos.
