We love the Chinese hardware stores. Everything from scoop to nuts?
Friday, March 30, 2007
Many funny signs
We have found a plethora of funny signs and labels. Here is one example on Shamian Island in south Guangzhou. (double click the picture to read the sign)
Another day, another dumpling
Day 10 - Friday, March 30, 2007
We are getting into a bit of a routine these days. We are up around 6:00 AM, feed Julie, shower, have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel until about 9:30. From there, we generally do some site seeing and have lunch with the group. Then we spend the afternoon hanging around the hotel or doing some shopping at the street markets.
Today we went to a beautiful botanical gardens called Yuntai Garden. It was a very peaceful, beautiful park with wonderful landscaping, flowers, fountains, and sculptures. Very enjoyable walk through the gardens.
Our guide explained that when he came to the USA and went to a “park” he expected it to be a man-made, sculpted, relatively small place. Instead, he found a wooded area with few improvements. He used that as an example of ho our cultures misunderstand each other even though we might understand the words that are being used.
Botanical pandas in the park
Our beautiful Erika!
Lucy,one of our guides
A truly beautiful, peaceful setting
Susan practicing the oriental arts in the garden ... a common sight
Julie is doing better each day. She is crawling a lot now. She lets us know that she wants us to hold her. She talks to us with little squeals. She eats like a horse any time food is offered. In fact, based on the scales in our room, she has gained about 1.8 pounds in the past 4 days. However, she still won’t have anything to do with solid foods. She is not interested at all toys - she pushes them away. She seem very healthy as other babies in the group are dealing with colds, poor eating, and rickets. God is good.
Tonight we played with Julie, took a walk to the market, bought baby supplies, and watched Chinese television. I think that we are all wishing that we could speed this process and return to the US sooner. We miss all of you.
We are getting into a bit of a routine these days. We are up around 6:00 AM, feed Julie, shower, have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel until about 9:30. From there, we generally do some site seeing and have lunch with the group. Then we spend the afternoon hanging around the hotel or doing some shopping at the street markets.
Today we went to a beautiful botanical gardens called Yuntai Garden. It was a very peaceful, beautiful park with wonderful landscaping, flowers, fountains, and sculptures. Very enjoyable walk through the gardens.
Our guide explained that when he came to the USA and went to a “park” he expected it to be a man-made, sculpted, relatively small place. Instead, he found a wooded area with few improvements. He used that as an example of ho our cultures misunderstand each other even though we might understand the words that are being used.
Botanical pandas in the park
Our beautiful Erika!
Lucy,one of our guides
A truly beautiful, peaceful setting
Susan practicing the oriental arts in the garden ... a common sight
Julie is doing better each day. She is crawling a lot now. She lets us know that she wants us to hold her. She talks to us with little squeals. She eats like a horse any time food is offered. In fact, based on the scales in our room, she has gained about 1.8 pounds in the past 4 days. However, she still won’t have anything to do with solid foods. She is not interested at all toys - she pushes them away. She seem very healthy as other babies in the group are dealing with colds, poor eating, and rickets. God is good.
Tonight we played with Julie, took a walk to the market, bought baby supplies, and watched Chinese television. I think that we are all wishing that we could speed this process and return to the US sooner. We miss all of you.
Day 9 in China
Day 9 - Thursday, Marc29, 2007
(excerpt taken directly from Susan’s journal) Today we went sight seeing at the Six Banyan Trees Buddhist temple. We entered to the sound of chanting monks, drum beating, and gong striking. We climbed the pagoda. We saw lots of golden Buddhas. Joe and Julie participated in a baby blessing by the monk.
We got back on the bus and once again crept along through traffic to an old market with narrow, stinky streets. The stalls were old and dirty, but filled with such incredible sights: teeming scorpions, hundreds of spices, jelly fish, squid, cats, dogs, large fish hanging by their tails, etc. We then went back to the clothing shopping area for a group lunch.
Our guide, Jun Tao, is excellent - he is full of cultural observations and insights. Our other guides are Lucy and Lisa, two lovely Chinese girls.
Here is what lunch consisted of. Large sections of rubbery/spongy rice cake, an interesting cabbage roll of pork (?) with shrimp eggs on top, sesame balls with sticky rice and red bean center, a dumpling of some sort, and spring rolls.
After a group lunch of mostly fried stuff, we went back to the hotel. When we got back from lunch, Joe, Trevor and Julie napped while Erika and I shopped around the hotel. We stopped by the 7-11 to get some nibbles - they were high priced just like convenience stores at home. We got some good crackers with raisins in them, some peanut butter Oreos, etc. Fun! We then went back to the hotel where she and I had a “picnic” while others slept. As I write, Julie is sitting on my lap. Erika is resting. Joe and Trev are out and about.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Crazy Fun Markets
Trevor, Joe and Erika are having a great time in the markets of downtown Guangzhou. It is so much fun to negotiate prices with the vendors. We think that we are getting great prices for the merchandise. I suspect that the vendors think that they are getting a great price for their goods. So, we are both happy! :-)
Susan is a little apprehensive with the whole process, but is also enjoying herself. Any requests for inexpensive name brand "stuff" should be made known now! I don't know if we will ever be able to shop in the USA again!
Wild Rides
Wow! this internet stuff is so amazing (this is Susan, the easily amazed). Here we are in China communicating with you all! Julie is progressing every day. She's a great eater and a great sleeper, common characteristics of the females in our clan. In spite of jet leg, Erika and Trevor still find boundless energy for exploring and shopping. We bravely hop in a taxi, point to a spot on a map, and trust the driver (who we really have no reason to trust). So far it's working, though we've experienced some hair raising cab rides, including speeding down the wrong side of the street and shaving by buses and pedestrians. We even had a driver who fell asleep every time the car slowed in traffic. He was the same one who ran red lights, but everyone drives that way.
Left in Lafayette...
I'm right there with you, Alex!
I started tearing up in the library while I was looking at pictures of you all... I'm so jealous! But I understand that it would not have been feasible for me to go, so I'm enjoying spending more time with my very sympathetic, understanding brother. He's taking care of me like HE'S the oldest. I like it! :)
You all are missed. Erika, please come home and clean out the litter box. I don't want to do it. Ew.
And Mom, I missed trash day. Again. Apologies.
I plan on making up for lost Julie-time when you all get home! But until then I'll just bury myself in psychobiology tests, audiology observations, and avoiding the cat litter.
Love to you all!
I started tearing up in the library while I was looking at pictures of you all... I'm so jealous! But I understand that it would not have been feasible for me to go, so I'm enjoying spending more time with my very sympathetic, understanding brother. He's taking care of me like HE'S the oldest. I like it! :)
You all are missed. Erika, please come home and clean out the litter box. I don't want to do it. Ew.
And Mom, I missed trash day. Again. Apologies.
I plan on making up for lost Julie-time when you all get home! But until then I'll just bury myself in psychobiology tests, audiology observations, and avoiding the cat litter.
Love to you all!
Home and Heart wrenched
Wow I am jealous! I wish I could be there with the rest of the family... But here I am, trying to stay content as I finish my calculus homework. But I know that it was in God's perfect plan for me not to be able to go to China, so now I just have to be happy and look for the reason!
Love you all! Thank you family in China, for all the emails and pictures, and thanks to all the kind people who read this blog!
Well I better get ready for class..... :(
-Alex
Love you all! Thank you family in China, for all the emails and pictures, and thanks to all the kind people who read this blog!
Well I better get ready for class..... :(
-Alex
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Life with Julie
Wednesday, March 28 2007 6:00 AM
Yesterday (Tuesday) we went back to the adoption registration center and signed paperwork to finalize Julie’s adoption. She is now officially a Blake! The remainder of the time in China is just waiting for her passport to leave China and her visa to enter the US. Seems like a long process just for those two items, but we don’t make the rules. We did a group lunch and all of the babies seem to be adjusting fairly well. I am sure that it will take time. One experienced adoptive dad told us that three days of being with the children will make a world of difference.
After lunch we came back to the hotel and rested for a while, then we ventured out to Shamian Island where the White Swan is located. It is a beautiful setting along the banks of the Pearl River (?) with wonderful architecture in the surrounding buildings. We did some shopping and Erika bought a silk dress for her and Julie. They hope to wear them on Easter Sunday and to Melissa’s wedding. Courtney also has one that was given to her by an Australian friend, Lavinia. Won’t they be snappy!
We then went to a shopping area that is several downtown blocks of just pedestrian shopping area. What a free-for-all. The kids and I found it exhilarating, while Susan found it a little unnerving.
Today we go to the Security Bureau for another interview and to apply for Julie’s passport. We will have dinner with the group, but the rest of the day is on our own. We are all healthy and are resting well. The breakfast in our hotel is very nice and we are enjoying the hotel accommodations very much. It m be the only time that our children get to have their own room in a 5 star hotel!
Julie is doing well. While have only had her for a little over a day, we can already see some encouraging signs. It seems obvious that she has spent most of her life alone without a lot of personal contact. She is very content to sit for long periods with no stimulus or interaction. She also has the hair rubbed off of the back of her head indicating that she has spent a lot of time just lying on her back. While you would expect that for an infant, you wouldn’t generally see it in a 15month old. She also has a little bald spot right in the middle of her forehead. The Chinese doctor thinks that it was shaven to insert an IV, however, we have a dermatologist traveling with us (a new grandma) that thinks it is a birthmark where her scalp did not fully develop. We think she is correct. We think that a Gene Keady comb-over is in her future! J Other than, that, it appears that Julie is healthy. We are thankful for that.
We appreciate the love and support of our family and friends at home. Your prayers have been very encouraging along with your notes of encouragement. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Yesterday (Tuesday) we went back to the adoption registration center and signed paperwork to finalize Julie’s adoption. She is now officially a Blake! The remainder of the time in China is just waiting for her passport to leave China and her visa to enter the US. Seems like a long process just for those two items, but we don’t make the rules. We did a group lunch and all of the babies seem to be adjusting fairly well. I am sure that it will take time. One experienced adoptive dad told us that three days of being with the children will make a world of difference.
After lunch we came back to the hotel and rested for a while, then we ventured out to Shamian Island where the White Swan is located. It is a beautiful setting along the banks of the Pearl River (?) with wonderful architecture in the surrounding buildings. We did some shopping and Erika bought a silk dress for her and Julie. They hope to wear them on Easter Sunday and to Melissa’s wedding. Courtney also has one that was given to her by an Australian friend, Lavinia. Won’t they be snappy!
We then went to a shopping area that is several downtown blocks of just pedestrian shopping area. What a free-for-all. The kids and I found it exhilarating, while Susan found it a little unnerving. 
Today we go to the Security Bureau for another interview and to apply for Julie’s passport. We will have dinner with the group, but the rest of the day is on our own. We are all healthy and are resting well. The breakfast in our hotel is very nice and we are enjoying the hotel accommodations very much. It m be the only time that our children get to have their own room in a 5 star hotel!
Julie is doing well. While have only had her for a little over a day, we can already see some encouraging signs. It seems obvious that she has spent most of her life alone without a lot of personal contact. She is very content to sit for long periods with no stimulus or interaction. She also has the hair rubbed off of the back of her head indicating that she has spent a lot of time just lying on her back. While you would expect that for an infant, you wouldn’t generally see it in a 15month old. She also has a little bald spot right in the middle of her forehead. The Chinese doctor thinks that it was shaven to insert an IV, however, we have a dermatologist traveling with us (a new grandma) that thinks it is a birthmark where her scalp did not fully develop. We think she is correct. We think that a Gene Keady comb-over is in her future! J Other than, that, it appears that Julie is healthy. We are thankful for that.
We appreciate the love and support of our family and friends at home. Your prayers have been very encouraging along with your notes of encouragement. Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
Live from Guangzhou
Tuesday, March 27 2007
On Sunday, we traveled via tour bus with our group to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a jade cutting factory, and the Great Wall before traveling to the airport for a flight to Guangzhou. It was a very full day! Now a little about each.
Tiananmen Square was blocked off to the public because of an organized walk to benefit the 2008 Olympics. The Olympic spirit is alive and well and many of the people, especially the youth, seem genuinely excited about the prospect of having the Olympics in Beijing. Tiananmen Square is a tribute to Chairman Mao but also to the people who supported the cultural revolution. The Great Hall of the People is there. The Monument to the People’s Heroes is there, and a large mausoleum for Mao.
The Square stands on land that was once walled in as part of the Forbidden City. It was the area in which the various bureaus and bureaucrats ruled various aspects of the empire for the emperor. On the south end of the Square is a gate that was part of the original wall. On the north end is a gate for the entrance to the outer courts of the Forbidden City. Chairman Mao’s picture hangs over this entrance.
The National Museum (our Smithsonian, but much smaller) stands just to the east of Tiananmen Square.
The Forbidden City is a huge sprawling complex of buildings, gates, walls, and courtyards. The walls and gates are impressively massive and must have been awe inspiring to those who were fortunate enough to ever approach the emperor in his vast City.
The emperor’s number was 9. This symbolizes his closeness to heaven and eternity. All of the gates have brass knobs on them in a 9x9 matrix. There were 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City when it was completed in the 1400’s. There were over 1 million people that worked on the FC and it took 14 years to build. There were hundreds of designers working on various aspects of the FC. It is phenomenal in its scale! I enjoyed thinking about the complexity of the project and wishing that I could have been a part of the project management!
We traveled northwest to Badaling where we were able to see a Jade cutting shop. There were many beautiful pieces of jade with terrific craftsmanship. There were also prices like it was fine art. I think that they cater to wealthy tourists. Nonetheless, they works were beautiful.
The Great Wall! Oh, the Great Wall! What a spectacular structure! The section of the wall that we saw was massive as it wound its way over the mountain ridges. Trevor and I climbed up a section of the wall that was probably 1500 feet to the peak. The view from the top was wonderful! Again, we are impressed by the scale of this project. I think that our guide said that the wall is 3800 miles long and took 300 years to construct! Whoa! Words are inadequate to describe the Wall.
On the flight from Beijing to Guangzhou Susan set behind a man who had scalp problems. Very “memorable” for Susan.
Monday - this is the day that we got Julie! We had a low key morning with a late breakfast in our luxurious accommodations.
At about noon we walked around some of the main streets and the back alleys around our hotel. China is definitely a country of contrasts. Less than 100 yards from our 5 star hotel, there are hundreds of people living in back alleys looking like they are just trying survive.
We walked by several restaurants where you meet your lunch on the way in. These restaurants look like live animal markets where you could buy fish, crabs, lobster, snails, slugs, frogs, eels, snakes, clams, ducks, etc. However, this is the location where you select your item and then it is prepared for you. Very fresh! You have to experience the smell to fully appreciate this dining experience. There is a septic smell combined with the smell of all of the different animals combined with the exhaust of the crowded streets. Overwhelming at times.
We boarded a bus at 3:30 PM local time for the trip to the adoption registration center. It is safe to say that there are many anxious prospective parents. We went to the 8th floor of a rather old office building, and found a nice, bright, clean lobby area. Very quickly after we arrived, they lined up the families in order and gave us our new daughters (there was one boy).
Susan held Julie first and Erika and I were both crying a good bit. Julie was very quiet and compliant and did not mind as we passed her around to each family member.
We gave gifts to the orphanage, signed a few papers saying that we had taken temporary custody of the child, and then we were off to the hotel and then to dinner.
It was overwhelming to think about how Julie had no family, no heritage, limited resources, limited care, and little attention one minute and then the next she had great wealth relationally speaking. We are mindful of how our Father performed the same deed in adopting us into His eternal family. What wealth, what resources, what a relationship, what family we have in Christ. Thank you, God, for adopting us into your family!
On Sunday, we traveled via tour bus with our group to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, a jade cutting factory, and the Great Wall before traveling to the airport for a flight to Guangzhou. It was a very full day! Now a little about each.
Tiananmen Square was blocked off to the public because of an organized walk to benefit the 2008 Olympics. The Olympic spirit is alive and well and many of the people, especially the youth, seem genuinely excited about the prospect of having the Olympics in Beijing. Tiananmen Square is a tribute to Chairman Mao but also to the people who supported the cultural revolution. The Great Hall of the People is there. The Monument to the People’s Heroes is there, and a large mausoleum for Mao.
The Square stands on land that was once walled in as part of the Forbidden City. It was the area in which the various bureaus and bureaucrats ruled various aspects of the empire for the emperor. On the south end of the Square is a gate that was part of the original wall. On the north end is a gate for the entrance to the outer courts of the Forbidden City. Chairman Mao’s picture hangs over this entrance.
The National Museum (our Smithsonian, but much smaller) stands just to the east of Tiananmen Square.
The Forbidden City is a huge sprawling complex of buildings, gates, walls, and courtyards. The walls and gates are impressively massive and must have been awe inspiring to those who were fortunate enough to ever approach the emperor in his vast City.
The emperor’s number was 9. This symbolizes his closeness to heaven and eternity. All of the gates have brass knobs on them in a 9x9 matrix. There were 9,999 rooms in the Forbidden City when it was completed in the 1400’s. There were over 1 million people that worked on the FC and it took 14 years to build. There were hundreds of designers working on various aspects of the FC. It is phenomenal in its scale! I enjoyed thinking about the complexity of the project and wishing that I could have been a part of the project management!
We traveled northwest to Badaling where we were able to see a Jade cutting shop. There were many beautiful pieces of jade with terrific craftsmanship. There were also prices like it was fine art. I think that they cater to wealthy tourists. Nonetheless, they works were beautiful.
The Great Wall! Oh, the Great Wall! What a spectacular structure! The section of the wall that we saw was massive as it wound its way over the mountain ridges. Trevor and I climbed up a section of the wall that was probably 1500 feet to the peak. The view from the top was wonderful! Again, we are impressed by the scale of this project. I think that our guide said that the wall is 3800 miles long and took 300 years to construct! Whoa! Words are inadequate to describe the Wall.
On the flight from Beijing to Guangzhou Susan set behind a man who had scalp problems. Very “memorable” for Susan.
Monday - this is the day that we got Julie! We had a low key morning with a late breakfast in our luxurious accommodations.
At about noon we walked around some of the main streets and the back alleys around our hotel. China is definitely a country of contrasts. Less than 100 yards from our 5 star hotel, there are hundreds of people living in back alleys looking like they are just trying survive.
We walked by several restaurants where you meet your lunch on the way in. These restaurants look like live animal markets where you could buy fish, crabs, lobster, snails, slugs, frogs, eels, snakes, clams, ducks, etc. However, this is the location where you select your item and then it is prepared for you. Very fresh! You have to experience the smell to fully appreciate this dining experience. There is a septic smell combined with the smell of all of the different animals combined with the exhaust of the crowded streets. Overwhelming at times.We boarded a bus at 3:30 PM local time for the trip to the adoption registration center. It is safe to say that there are many anxious prospective parents. We went to the 8th floor of a rather old office building, and found a nice, bright, clean lobby area. Very quickly after we arrived, they lined up the families in order and gave us our new daughters (there was one boy).
Susan held Julie first and Erika and I were both crying a good bit. Julie was very quiet and compliant and did not mind as we passed her around to each family member.
We gave gifts to the orphanage, signed a few papers saying that we had taken temporary custody of the child, and then we were off to the hotel and then to dinner.
It was overwhelming to think about how Julie had no family, no heritage, limited resources, limited care, and little attention one minute and then the next she had great wealth relationally speaking. We are mindful of how our Father performed the same deed in adopting us into His eternal family. What wealth, what resources, what a relationship, what family we have in Christ. Thank you, God, for adopting us into your family!
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Monday, March 2, 2007
For the first time during our trip we were able to communicate electronically with Courtney and Alex. How refreshing to hear that they are well and concerned about us. Due to internet challenges in Beijing and not knowing how to acquire an international calling card, we were not able to even let them know that we had arrived safely. I am so sorry.
Courtney and Alex were overwhelmed at the generosity of our church family in holding a baby shower for us on Sunday. They told us about all of the really cool gifts and the love shown to them by our friends. We are truly humbled and grateful to God for all of you. What a model of the love of God for His children. Thank you. A special thank you to Patti Childes who has been an unbelievable encouragement to us throughout this entire process. Patti, you will never know how much your friendly encouragement has meant to us. God bless you.
For the first time during our trip we were able to communicate electronically with Courtney and Alex. How refreshing to hear that they are well and concerned about us. Due to internet challenges in Beijing and not knowing how to acquire an international calling card, we were not able to even let them know that we had arrived safely. I am so sorry.
Courtney and Alex were overwhelmed at the generosity of our church family in holding a baby shower for us on Sunday. They told us about all of the really cool gifts and the love shown to them by our friends. We are truly humbled and grateful to God for all of you. What a model of the love of God for His children. Thank you. A special thank you to Patti Childes who has been an unbelievable encouragement to us throughout this entire process. Patti, you will never know how much your friendly encouragement has meant to us. God bless you.
Ju-Ji, Julie-Boo, "Gus", Baby China, Chicky
We're trying out nicknames on the newest addition to the Blake household! No Blake can survive for long without an assortment of nicknames. (Courtney- "Chubs" and "Sport", Alex "Bax" and "Albert," Trevor "Trevrika" and "Boop," Erika "Erest" and "Bear." Mom "Mommers" and "Momika," Dad "D" and "Daddest") So Julie has joined our tradition, and, while one contingent of the family is trying-out names in China, the rest of us are making up for lack of cuddle time with our nicknaming creativity.
As already noted, Julie's pick-up was smooth. There were no tears and although (as apparent from the pictures) she seemed a little confused there was no drama. She's very quiet and shy. (A nice change for the Blakes!) And she is very attached to her food. The only outcry she's raised thus far was when Mom took away her empty bottle. (very Blake-like!)
Little Julie doesn't seem to know what to do with toys and likes to play with her hands and interact with herself. However, the more time she spends with the family the more engaged she becomes. And she laughed and giggled when Daddy played with her and tossed her in the air- which gave both of them quite a thrill.
Now the family is embarking on an eleven day effort to claim Julie as a true Blake and establish her as a United State's citizen. Prayers would be appreciated as they attempt to wade through all the red-tape and paperwork which can be so frustrating. Also, please pray that Julie will continue to accept the uniqueness of her situation with the grace and aplomb she has thus far shown. :)
Yay for Baby China! (or Ju-ji, Gus, Chicky, etc.)
:)
-Courtney
As already noted, Julie's pick-up was smooth. There were no tears and although (as apparent from the pictures) she seemed a little confused there was no drama. She's very quiet and shy. (A nice change for the Blakes!) And she is very attached to her food. The only outcry she's raised thus far was when Mom took away her empty bottle. (very Blake-like!)
Little Julie doesn't seem to know what to do with toys and likes to play with her hands and interact with herself. However, the more time she spends with the family the more engaged she becomes. And she laughed and giggled when Daddy played with her and tossed her in the air- which gave both of them quite a thrill.
Now the family is embarking on an eleven day effort to claim Julie as a true Blake and establish her as a United State's citizen. Prayers would be appreciated as they attempt to wade through all the red-tape and paperwork which can be so frustrating. Also, please pray that Julie will continue to accept the uniqueness of her situation with the grace and aplomb she has thus far shown. :)
Yay for Baby China! (or Ju-ji, Gus, Chicky, etc.)
:)
-Courtney
Monday, March 26, 2007
More Pictures!
Here are some more pictures from the family in China... They have to pay for their internet service by the day, so uploading with full descriptions is not always feasible timewise. However, these are the latest pictures snapped and there are promised details coming!
Yay!!! I have a new lil' sis!!!
-Courtney
Julie's arrival
We just got back from the agency where we got Julie. If you want to see som pics. and read a little bit more about it just visit erika's blog: www.erikalaughs.blogspot.com
WE'RE SO VERY EXCITED!!!!
WE'RE SO VERY EXCITED!!!!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
A few photos for fun ...
This is the lake and the 17 Arches bridge at the Summer Palace in Beijing. This was an incredible summer retreat for the emperor and his court. Hundreds of acres of parks, temples, bridges, walks, boat houses, with ornate, opulent architecture. The day we were there was hazy which limited the vistas, but gave a surreal appearance to a very enchanting place.
One of several pagodas that were constructed for the enjoyment of the emperor. The emperor was considered a "son of god" that was sent to earth for a short period to rule the people. There still seems to be a lot of reverence for the emperors of old. They feudal system was overthrown in about 1914.
This is called the Jade Belt bridge because it was constructed to resemble a jade belt worn by royalty. The multitude of bridges were a delight to the civil engineers. Alex and Courtney are now thanking the Lord that they didn't have to endured "bridge talk" while hiking around this park! :-)
Erika ordered pork and rice on the Air China flight. The "pork" was some type of grey substance. hmmm. That aside, we have been very delighted with the food.
We had a 10 hour unplanned layover in NY, so we decided to take the train and subway downtown. This is the family outside of Rockefeller Center.
Sunday 3/25/07 from Beijing
Sunday, March 25, 2007 2:30 AM
We had a very western breakfast at the hotel to start our day. Although it wasn't exactly what you would find in a mid-range US hotel, it was very nice. Even more important, it didn't make anyone ill! We had omelets, bacon, toast, fruit, yogurt and juices. However, we also had a round white ball covered in rice paper with a brown sugar/cinnamon filling. We also had noodles and a rice hot cereal. Nicest, however, was the coffee which all four of us enjoyed very much.
We took a taxi to Behai Park on the city’s northwest side. It was a beautifully developed park around a medium sized lake. In the center of the park was a white pagoda sitting high atop a hill on an island. It was very impressive. It was typical of Buddhist construction where you enter this area through a gate and thn proceed up a hill side on a straight line. On the center of the axis are a series of small temples through which one must pass to proceed up the hillside. In each of the temples there are more Buddhas in various manifestations. At the top of the hill around the white pagoda are beautiful views of the city of Beijing.
All around this park there are people trying to sell their wares. As we entered the park, many men were trying to get us to go on a rickshaw tour of the city around the park. The rickshaws are pulled by bicycles. With all of the walking, biking, and use of chop sticks (very frustrating way to eat your food!), it is no wonder that an overweight Chinese person is a rarity. We also saw an open air market that looked very earthy. Not much sanitation in the place. I would have loved to try some of the baked or fried goods, however. We were definitely stranger there. Looked like mainly lower class individuals trying to eek out a living.
At Jingshan Park, which is immediately to the east of Beihai Park and immediately to the North of the Forbidden City, we enjoyed the most spectacular views of Beijing. You can get a feel for how immense the Forbidden City is and can get a layout for the entire downtown. We saw the drum tower to the north, Tiananmen Square to the south and the large number of new high rise construction projects. An interesting fact about this park is that this “hill” was created with the diggings from the moat around theForbidden City. It is a huge hill, but also a huge moat. The Forbidden City was constructed in the 1400’s which makes this feat even more impressive. That dirt was moved in much the same way that you see it being done today - with a lot of men using hand tools and small wheel barrows. Staggering!
As you look across the city, you see dozens of high rise construction cranes. Beijing is booming! I was speaking to someone in the US recently and they were lamenting the lack of construction cranes in our large US cities. I am not sure how the economy of China works, but there is no lack of money for building and developing this city. I am told that is true across China. And yet, many people live in squalor. It is enigmatic that there are huge, beautiful, thoroughly modern buildings going up everywhere, and yet there are people living very poorly. We have not really identified a very wealthy upper class in China, but it may exist.
After Jingshan Park, we decided to walk south past the Forbidden City and down to the Tiananmen Square area - a bad move. It is a lot farther than it looks on the map or the top of Jingshan Park hill. We were all very tired by the time we got to the south end of the Forbidden City. We stopped in the Beijing Grand Hotel (very nice) and asked where we could find a Starbucks or McDonalds - a place to sit down, put our feet up, and get something to drink. We were directed to a McDonalds three blocks to the northeast along the nicest (read most pricey) shopping street in all of Beijing. Very similar in appearance to a mini 5th Avenue or Times Square in New York. We got bottled water, French fries, and a couple of McChicken sandwiches. We also got a couple of hamburger and egg sandwiches - not bad and a nice change from the typical McD fair.
We came back to City Hotel and crashed for a few hours before going to dinner. Erika, Trevor and I slipped over to a clothing market across the street from the hotel. Wow, what an experience. There were hundreds of clothing, shoes, electronics, jewelry, toys, leather, fabrics booths set up in very close quarters in this 6 story building. About every brand name imaginable was available for pennies on the dollar. We bought a couple of things and learned some very valuable negotiating skills. Erika got a pair of stylish Puma shoes for $13. Great price for us but you never know if you could have gotten them for less. We saw one Coach bag look-alike that started at about $90. By the time we walked away without it, t vendor was willing to take about $6.50. We are scratching our heads trying to figure out how this is possible. We can’t imagine being able to buy the materials and put in the labor to make a profit. It also helps us see how much mark up there is on US goods in department stores. An interesting contrast to Saks Fifth Avenue a few days ago.
We had dinner with the group of LaVida adoptive parents that had just arrived in Beijing. They looked pretty strung out as expected. This is a ver nice group of people. There were a couple of little Chinese girls with the group that have been adopted in previous trips. Very cute! We look forward to getting to know these people over the next two weeks. I bet that we will need each other as we assimilate these children into our families and out of the orphanages.
Lord, prepare Julie’s heart to be an integral part of our family. Thank you for adopting us as your children. Thank you for the joy and the eternal hope that is our in Christ Jesus.
We had a very western breakfast at the hotel to start our day. Although it wasn't exactly what you would find in a mid-range US hotel, it was very nice. Even more important, it didn't make anyone ill! We had omelets, bacon, toast, fruit, yogurt and juices. However, we also had a round white ball covered in rice paper with a brown sugar/cinnamon filling. We also had noodles and a rice hot cereal. Nicest, however, was the coffee which all four of us enjoyed very much.
We took a taxi to Behai Park on the city’s northwest side. It was a beautifully developed park around a medium sized lake. In the center of the park was a white pagoda sitting high atop a hill on an island. It was very impressive. It was typical of Buddhist construction where you enter this area through a gate and thn proceed up a hill side on a straight line. On the center of the axis are a series of small temples through which one must pass to proceed up the hillside. In each of the temples there are more Buddhas in various manifestations. At the top of the hill around the white pagoda are beautiful views of the city of Beijing.
All around this park there are people trying to sell their wares. As we entered the park, many men were trying to get us to go on a rickshaw tour of the city around the park. The rickshaws are pulled by bicycles. With all of the walking, biking, and use of chop sticks (very frustrating way to eat your food!), it is no wonder that an overweight Chinese person is a rarity. We also saw an open air market that looked very earthy. Not much sanitation in the place. I would have loved to try some of the baked or fried goods, however. We were definitely stranger there. Looked like mainly lower class individuals trying to eek out a living.
At Jingshan Park, which is immediately to the east of Beihai Park and immediately to the North of the Forbidden City, we enjoyed the most spectacular views of Beijing. You can get a feel for how immense the Forbidden City is and can get a layout for the entire downtown. We saw the drum tower to the north, Tiananmen Square to the south and the large number of new high rise construction projects. An interesting fact about this park is that this “hill” was created with the diggings from the moat around theForbidden City. It is a huge hill, but also a huge moat. The Forbidden City was constructed in the 1400’s which makes this feat even more impressive. That dirt was moved in much the same way that you see it being done today - with a lot of men using hand tools and small wheel barrows. Staggering!
As you look across the city, you see dozens of high rise construction cranes. Beijing is booming! I was speaking to someone in the US recently and they were lamenting the lack of construction cranes in our large US cities. I am not sure how the economy of China works, but there is no lack of money for building and developing this city. I am told that is true across China. And yet, many people live in squalor. It is enigmatic that there are huge, beautiful, thoroughly modern buildings going up everywhere, and yet there are people living very poorly. We have not really identified a very wealthy upper class in China, but it may exist.
After Jingshan Park, we decided to walk south past the Forbidden City and down to the Tiananmen Square area - a bad move. It is a lot farther than it looks on the map or the top of Jingshan Park hill. We were all very tired by the time we got to the south end of the Forbidden City. We stopped in the Beijing Grand Hotel (very nice) and asked where we could find a Starbucks or McDonalds - a place to sit down, put our feet up, and get something to drink. We were directed to a McDonalds three blocks to the northeast along the nicest (read most pricey) shopping street in all of Beijing. Very similar in appearance to a mini 5th Avenue or Times Square in New York. We got bottled water, French fries, and a couple of McChicken sandwiches. We also got a couple of hamburger and egg sandwiches - not bad and a nice change from the typical McD fair.
We came back to City Hotel and crashed for a few hours before going to dinner. Erika, Trevor and I slipped over to a clothing market across the street from the hotel. Wow, what an experience. There were hundreds of clothing, shoes, electronics, jewelry, toys, leather, fabrics booths set up in very close quarters in this 6 story building. About every brand name imaginable was available for pennies on the dollar. We bought a couple of things and learned some very valuable negotiating skills. Erika got a pair of stylish Puma shoes for $13. Great price for us but you never know if you could have gotten them for less. We saw one Coach bag look-alike that started at about $90. By the time we walked away without it, t vendor was willing to take about $6.50. We are scratching our heads trying to figure out how this is possible. We can’t imagine being able to buy the materials and put in the labor to make a profit. It also helps us see how much mark up there is on US goods in department stores. An interesting contrast to Saks Fifth Avenue a few days ago.
We had dinner with the group of LaVida adoptive parents that had just arrived in Beijing. They looked pretty strung out as expected. This is a ver nice group of people. There were a couple of little Chinese girls with the group that have been adopted in previous trips. Very cute! We look forward to getting to know these people over the next two weeks. I bet that we will need each other as we assimilate these children into our families and out of the orphanages.
Lord, prepare Julie’s heart to be an integral part of our family. Thank you for adopting us as your children. Thank you for the joy and the eternal hope that is our in Christ Jesus.
Saturday 3/24/07 from Beijing
3/21 9:15 AM
Well we made it to O’Hare airport through heavy traffic (amazing for an early morning on Wednesday) and were here an hour and 45 minutes before our flight. It gave me a little down time to write a note. We were “chosen” for an extensive security screening complete with pat down and explosive screening of all of our carry ons. A first for all of us. Our flight is on time to JFK in New York. We have a four hour lay over in New York so we might take in the Statue of Liberty before we fly to Beijing!
We are hoping and praying that Julie’s transition to the Blake family will be as emotion-free as possible. We are hoping that we can love her and assure her that she is safe. God, help us be sensitive to her needs.
3/24/07 6:0 AM
Our flight from Chicago to JFK in New York was slightly delayed and we arrived in NY about one hour late. That was okay because we had a planned 4 hour lay over in NY. We discovered, however, that the flight from NY to Beijing was delayed by 6 hours. So, we ate Chinese food at JFK (a free voucher from Air China and a good introduction to what we are sure will be many Chinese meals!) and then caught the train to downtown NY. It took about an hour by train to make it to 5th Avenue just south of Central Park. We strolled up and down 5th Avenue and stopped in at Saks. The girls got a makeover from a couple of the hundreds of sales associates in the store. What a place! We were amazed that there are people who shop and buy there! Trevor and I went to the men’s department to check out the $120 “Screaming Bunny” ties and the $1,200 Gucci alligator shoes. Wow!
We also stopped by Rockefeller Center where we saw the NBC studios, the ice rink, and a beautiful dress that Erika decided that she needed for her wedding ($14,900). The Rockefeller Center buildings are just beautiful – brass railing throughout, marble and terrazzo floors, brass inlays in the floors, murals (even some with biblical themes). Spectacular. We also stopped in the Brookstone store right be RC where Susan and Trevor received body massages in their therapy chairs. They only got out the chairs when the sales associate told them that they were to limit their massage to 5 minutes. Oops!
After taking the train back to JFK, we went to our gate and waited. When the designated boarding time came, we thought it odd that the designated gate was occupied by people heading for Paris. In a bit of a panic, we started looking for others who were headed to Beijing. Turns out that they changed the gate and had not communicated it to anyone. The thought of spending another day in NY because we had missed our plane to Beijing was a little traumatic for a few minutes.
Our plane finally left JFK approximately 6 hours behind schedule. We definitely began to feel like minorities on the plane. There were very few Caucasians on the plane. However, there were many friendly Chinese and several very cute babies. We began to imagine the travel home with Julie. We wondered if she would be scared. We wondered if she would be one of the crying babies. We hoped that we could be a comfort and a blessing to her even during the trip home. Lord, give us the strength, love and compassion that Julie needs.
We had a scary taxi ride from the airport that I probably paid three times as much as we should have. But, it was late, the options were few, and I had a tired family that had been on the road for 32 hours. Oh well, live and learn. We all stacked into a compact car, they managed to stuff all of our luggage into the trunk, and we sped off at 145 kph for the hotel. A little frightening and exhilarating all at once. It turns out that the taxi driver took us to the right hotel and we were able to check into a very decent apartment. Two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen and a living/dining space. The hotel is a little old and run down but appears to be very clean.
Susan wasn’t able to sleep, but the kids and I got a few hours of sleep. We were up by about 7 AM, grabbed a little food that we had brought, and were off for a day of sight seeing. We took a taxi to the Summer Palace on the northwest side of Beijing. It was about 40 minutes taxi ride but only cost about $6.50. A real bargain we thought.
The Summer Palace was beautiful. It was a sprawling complex on beautiful gardens, arched bridges, very ornate oriental architecture, surrounded by lakes and canals. Absolutely beautiful and a real treasure for this very crowded city. The Chinese seem to have an ability to ‘harmonize’ their buildings and improvements with the surrounding land. They have a very intense sense of harmony, tranquility, balance, etc. While the day was heavily overcast and limited the beautiful vistas of this hilly region, it was also somewhat ethereal with the bridges, temples, and other structures shrouded in the fog. The place was spectacular and worth making the trip.
We hailed a taxi and headed for the Bell Tower which is located back toward downtown. As we were driving, the cabbie knew enough English to encourage us to go to the Lamasery – a Buddhist temple that was supposedly one of the premier sites in Beijing. So, knowing no better, we took his advice. What we saw was a sprawling complex of buildings and waking malls with hundreds of different Buddhas. Each building would have several Buddhas that were being worshipped by most of the visitors. There were intense amounts of incense being burned in front of each shrine. People would bow three times, kneel and then bow three more times, and then move on to the next Buddha. All of the different manifestations of Buddha were very confusing to us westerners. We found it very sad that there was such devotion to empty idols.
We took a taxi back to the hotel and enjoyed some time resting. It was tough getting everyone up and going to dinner so that we could sleep better that night in order to be on a Chinese schedule. However, I was able to make contact with our LaVida guide and she recommended a Chinese restaurant that was only two blocks east of our hotel. We walked to the restaurant but had a hard time finding it since we only had Chinese characters for its name. We stood in the lobby of a large new building trying to compare the Chinese characters to the signs. We never could match the characters to the right restaurant! I guess that our Chinese is REALLY bad. However, we went to the restaurant that we thought was the closest match and it turned out to be the right spot. We enjoyed a very nice Chinese dinner served in a very modern, upscale environment. Complete with table clothes, fine dinnerware, live music, and very attentive waiter staff. We tried four different dishes – chicken/cashew, pork/pea pods, chopped pork and peas, and a beef/tomato stew. It was delicious and very enjoyable. The waitresses were very mused our attempts to use chop sticks. Erika and Trevor ate their entire meal with chopsticks, but Susan and I were happy to be saved by the waitress when she brought is flatware about half way through the meal. We concluded our meal with some spirited competition as to who could pick up the most challenging food with their chop sticks. Many laughs and a delightful experience.
Looks like we are going to try to go to Behai Park, Jingshan Park, and the Temple of Heaven. But, first, breakfast at the hotel!
Well we made it to O’Hare airport through heavy traffic (amazing for an early morning on Wednesday) and were here an hour and 45 minutes before our flight. It gave me a little down time to write a note. We were “chosen” for an extensive security screening complete with pat down and explosive screening of all of our carry ons. A first for all of us. Our flight is on time to JFK in New York. We have a four hour lay over in New York so we might take in the Statue of Liberty before we fly to Beijing!
We are hoping and praying that Julie’s transition to the Blake family will be as emotion-free as possible. We are hoping that we can love her and assure her that she is safe. God, help us be sensitive to her needs.
3/24/07 6:0 AM
Our flight from Chicago to JFK in New York was slightly delayed and we arrived in NY about one hour late. That was okay because we had a planned 4 hour lay over in NY. We discovered, however, that the flight from NY to Beijing was delayed by 6 hours. So, we ate Chinese food at JFK (a free voucher from Air China and a good introduction to what we are sure will be many Chinese meals!) and then caught the train to downtown NY. It took about an hour by train to make it to 5th Avenue just south of Central Park. We strolled up and down 5th Avenue and stopped in at Saks. The girls got a makeover from a couple of the hundreds of sales associates in the store. What a place! We were amazed that there are people who shop and buy there! Trevor and I went to the men’s department to check out the $120 “Screaming Bunny” ties and the $1,200 Gucci alligator shoes. Wow!
We also stopped by Rockefeller Center where we saw the NBC studios, the ice rink, and a beautiful dress that Erika decided that she needed for her wedding ($14,900). The Rockefeller Center buildings are just beautiful – brass railing throughout, marble and terrazzo floors, brass inlays in the floors, murals (even some with biblical themes). Spectacular. We also stopped in the Brookstone store right be RC where Susan and Trevor received body massages in their therapy chairs. They only got out the chairs when the sales associate told them that they were to limit their massage to 5 minutes. Oops!
After taking the train back to JFK, we went to our gate and waited. When the designated boarding time came, we thought it odd that the designated gate was occupied by people heading for Paris. In a bit of a panic, we started looking for others who were headed to Beijing. Turns out that they changed the gate and had not communicated it to anyone. The thought of spending another day in NY because we had missed our plane to Beijing was a little traumatic for a few minutes.
Our plane finally left JFK approximately 6 hours behind schedule. We definitely began to feel like minorities on the plane. There were very few Caucasians on the plane. However, there were many friendly Chinese and several very cute babies. We began to imagine the travel home with Julie. We wondered if she would be scared. We wondered if she would be one of the crying babies. We hoped that we could be a comfort and a blessing to her even during the trip home. Lord, give us the strength, love and compassion that Julie needs.
We had a scary taxi ride from the airport that I probably paid three times as much as we should have. But, it was late, the options were few, and I had a tired family that had been on the road for 32 hours. Oh well, live and learn. We all stacked into a compact car, they managed to stuff all of our luggage into the trunk, and we sped off at 145 kph for the hotel. A little frightening and exhilarating all at once. It turns out that the taxi driver took us to the right hotel and we were able to check into a very decent apartment. Two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen and a living/dining space. The hotel is a little old and run down but appears to be very clean.
Susan wasn’t able to sleep, but the kids and I got a few hours of sleep. We were up by about 7 AM, grabbed a little food that we had brought, and were off for a day of sight seeing. We took a taxi to the Summer Palace on the northwest side of Beijing. It was about 40 minutes taxi ride but only cost about $6.50. A real bargain we thought.
The Summer Palace was beautiful. It was a sprawling complex on beautiful gardens, arched bridges, very ornate oriental architecture, surrounded by lakes and canals. Absolutely beautiful and a real treasure for this very crowded city. The Chinese seem to have an ability to ‘harmonize’ their buildings and improvements with the surrounding land. They have a very intense sense of harmony, tranquility, balance, etc. While the day was heavily overcast and limited the beautiful vistas of this hilly region, it was also somewhat ethereal with the bridges, temples, and other structures shrouded in the fog. The place was spectacular and worth making the trip.
We hailed a taxi and headed for the Bell Tower which is located back toward downtown. As we were driving, the cabbie knew enough English to encourage us to go to the Lamasery – a Buddhist temple that was supposedly one of the premier sites in Beijing. So, knowing no better, we took his advice. What we saw was a sprawling complex of buildings and waking malls with hundreds of different Buddhas. Each building would have several Buddhas that were being worshipped by most of the visitors. There were intense amounts of incense being burned in front of each shrine. People would bow three times, kneel and then bow three more times, and then move on to the next Buddha. All of the different manifestations of Buddha were very confusing to us westerners. We found it very sad that there was such devotion to empty idols.
We took a taxi back to the hotel and enjoyed some time resting. It was tough getting everyone up and going to dinner so that we could sleep better that night in order to be on a Chinese schedule. However, I was able to make contact with our LaVida guide and she recommended a Chinese restaurant that was only two blocks east of our hotel. We walked to the restaurant but had a hard time finding it since we only had Chinese characters for its name. We stood in the lobby of a large new building trying to compare the Chinese characters to the signs. We never could match the characters to the right restaurant! I guess that our Chinese is REALLY bad. However, we went to the restaurant that we thought was the closest match and it turned out to be the right spot. We enjoyed a very nice Chinese dinner served in a very modern, upscale environment. Complete with table clothes, fine dinnerware, live music, and very attentive waiter staff. We tried four different dishes – chicken/cashew, pork/pea pods, chopped pork and peas, and a beef/tomato stew. It was delicious and very enjoyable. The waitresses were very mused our attempts to use chop sticks. Erika and Trevor ate their entire meal with chopsticks, but Susan and I were happy to be saved by the waitress when she brought is flatware about half way through the meal. We concluded our meal with some spirited competition as to who could pick up the most challenging food with their chop sticks. Many laughs and a delightful experience.
Looks like we are going to try to go to Behai Park, Jingshan Park, and the Temple of Heaven. But, first, breakfast at the hotel!
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