Catching up

Best intentions are sometimes just that. Our intention was to write on this blog daily. We have found ourselves very busy between the set itinerary with our adoption travel group and the time we spend getting acquainted with Binbin. So I will attempt to catch up.


Wednesday was a free day to wander around Nanning and relax. Behind our hotel was this wonderful public park with a nice lake and an amusement park surrounded by luscious tropical vegetation. Nanning is a city of about six million, which is considered a medium size city in China. Almost everyone either lives in a small hutog or a high rise apartment. Very few have private yards. These parks are very important to the people as a place to hang out and express themselves. We saw groups of people or just individuals dancing, exercising, singing and playing board games. We found that the Chinese people do not have the inhibitions that we process. It was very relaxing to walk along the lake and then spend some time in the amusement park with Binbin watching the people and riding the merry-go-round and train. Actually our group was people watched more than we watched them. Anglos with Chinese babies attract a lot of attention and curiosity. We were videotaped and asked if our picture could be taken by several of the park patrons. They were all very nice and friendly and complimented us on our daughter. It is such a small world as the family we were with from Holt is from Osseo, WI which is about one hour away from where Kari's sister lives.

Thursday we took a bus ride along with the other Holt family up to Yiling, a traditional Chinese village about one hour from our hotel. Yiling is surrounded by beautiful steep and jagged limestone mountains. Poor by our standards yet rich in culture and tradition. The people were very friendly and out and about the village on their daily routines. We saw cows and calves in front yards of the homes. In the afternoon our family took a short cab ride to the flower market which was more of an outdoor bazaar. We walked around and purchased a few small items for Binbin as keepsakes from her home Provence.

Friday was our last day in Nanning and the Guangxi Provence. At around 6 pm, Binbin's Chinese passport was delivered to the hotel which allowed us to leave her home Provence for the Guangdong Provence and Ghounzho. This is the home of the US Embassy that processes Visas to Chinese citizens. With this we will be free to bring Binbin home. Our time in Nanning was all about bonding and getting to know our new daughter and her getting to know us. It is a wonder seeing her get more comfortable with us and open up. But the process is an emotional roller coaster. At times we have her laughing and playing and then she will start crying when she sees or hears something that reminds her of her foster family. We think that the first two days she must have really had her defenses up. She neither cried or laughed. Now she is being more expressive on both ends of the emotions. We see this as very positive and that she is working through this in a healthy way.

The plane descent into Ghounzho was a bit traumatic as Binbin's ears must have hurt and she would not take any sips of water or chew on a cracker. She screamed (and I mean screamed) kicked and clung to Kari.