Another leisurely breakfast at the Dongfang Hotel in Guangzhou. Right after breakfast we hopped on the tour bus and took a trip to Shamian Island. We went inside the White Swan hotel for the traditional group baby picture on the red couch in the lobby. All eight babies did very well with very few tears. I think that the group got some great pictures. We also took some photos by the indoor water fall in the very large lobby.
We then went to a little photo shop to get passport photos for all of the babies. Julie cooperated nicely!
After that we went to the medical clinic for a physical of all of the babies to make sure that all of the children are healthy as they leave China. Every baby passed the physical. We confirmed that Julie has gained about 2.5 to 3 pounds since we got her 8 days ago! She certainly has not lacked an appetite, but she still is not interested in any solid foods. Her bottle is all she needs, thank you very much!
I am struck by the magnitude of the business being generated with the adoption of Chinese orphans. It would not surprise me if this is a multi-billion dollar a year business. Airfare, hotels, tour buses, taxis, meals in restaurants, medical exams, passports, fees to the orphanage, gifts to caregivers, shopping at the markets, etc. It is hard to remain positive about the process when it seems to be driven by money. With the lifelong commitment that these adoptive parents are making to care for these children, you would think that they should be getting paid for doing so, not the other way around. Oh well, we focus on the goal - bringing a little girl home to nurture, love, teach and guide. What a blessing (Psalm 127).
We then went to a very nice Starbucks on the island. While everything else seems to be a bargain compared to US prices, Starbuck is as much or more than the US. Imagine that … Maybe a few Starbucks franchises in China would be a good investment.
We have noticed that there are a lot of people living in very substandard housing, but then there are those living in luxury. It appears that the Chinese government is allowing people to earn whatever the free market will allow. However, it appears that the gap between rich and poor I widening. It will be interesting to see if that is allowed to continue.
We bought a few pieces of art work at a shop on Shamian. We hope to hang them in a remodeled stairway someday.
We had a nice lunch at a Chinese restaurant by the Guangzhou airport. We have enjoyed the Chinese food and have not gotten ill from any of it. However, we are longing for a nice home coked meal with ingredients that are familiar to the palate.
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