Grandparents of China Adoption

2009-03-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time ............

Well, I haven't posted for quite some time. I simply wanted to wait until I had something new to say.

Our little granddaughter will turn 5 next month. This is very difficult for us to believe. To say that this has been four of the most wonderful years of our lives would be an understatement. This little girl is absolutely amazing. Okay, I will admit that I am partial, but I am not the only one who thinks that way. Everyone who meets her is instantly in love.

Saturday, March 21, will be a big day for all of us. We leave for Disneyland. She is the world's biggest "Mickey Mouse" fan. In fact, when I tell her that she is goofy (silly), she instantly tells me, "no, I am Mickey Mouse"! We all can't wait to see the saucer-sized eyes when she gets her first view of Disneyland and the Disney characters. She will come unglued.

I will come back and write about our trip in its entirety when we return.

2008-02-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

Anniversary .......

Well, here we are at a very significant anniversary. It is the day that we left on our trip to China, three years ago. What an exciting time it has been for all of us.

This little girl has brought us more joy than we ever could have imagined. As she will tell you in no uncertain terms, she is pretty, smart, happy and loved. The most significant of all of these attributes is the "loved". There is no doubt in her mind that she is loved. Not only has our family fallen completely in love with her, but everyone who comes in contact with her.

I have been hoping to hear from other grandparents of Chinese grandchildren. It would be great if we could communicate with one another to compare notes.

We are in the process of planning a trip back to China next year. Our granddaughter will be five years old and her parents want her to see her home land. Her dream, while she doesn't fully understand why, is to walk on the Great Wall. She has seen picture of all of us there and wants to see it for herself.

2007-08-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back .......

I hope everyone has had great experiences with your China adoption. For those of you who are still in the planning or waiting stage, I would be pleased to help you in any way that I can. I said that I would place comments on my blog, but I have since reconsidered that idea. I am concerned that this has kept folks from leaving comments or asking questions. I will simply answer your questions or concerns without posting the original comments.

It would be wonderful if I could hear from all of the grandparents who have Chinese grandchildren and from those who will have soon.

2007-04-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

In honor of my beautiful granddaughter .......

who will turn 3 years old tomorrow. Happy birthday!!

She has absolutely been the joy of our lives, since bringing her home from China two years ago. It is impossible to know all of the feelings that you can have when a baby comes into your lives. We have had two of the best years you could ever imagine.

Of course, she is Pappa's (her name for me) girl. This even makes it more special. I even get a bit embarrassed, because when I am around, she wants nothing to do with mommy, daddy or Juma (her name for my wife - prn: joo ma). Where does this come from, we have no idea. I tell my wife that she has a nickname that no other child has ever called her grandma.

I would like to hear from all of you who have Chinese grandchildren. Do you feel a special bond with China and the Chinese people. We all do.

As I said in a previous post, we have become friends with some people who own one of the Chinese restaurantes in town. They still have family in China. One of the young mothers, who has a 5 year old daughter, thanks us every time we see her for giving our granddaughter a loving, caring family.

2007-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

What's the new format?---------

Well, after giving it some thought, I have decided to change the format from one of me doing all of the talking, to one of giving you a forum. I know there are some of you who would like to express your feelings on the subject of China adoption, but don't for whatever reason, start a blog. So, I will do that for you.

If you have something to say or have a question, simply leave me a message in the comments section and I will move it to the main body of the blog. This will allow for you to be heard on the subject.

China is one of, if not the most, mysterious places in the world. This intrigues me greatly. To think while I was there, I was able to go places where until less than five years before, no non-Chinese person had ever been. I actually felt like an explorer.

For someone who made the statement numerous times that I didn't care to go to any place outside the U.S., to say I will go back in a heartbeat, speaks volumes. Yes, I know, I now have a distinct reason to return. This simply makes it that much more exciting.

2007-02-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

Would I do it again? ---------

Well, I just changed to the new blog format and got a pleasant surprise. Several folks had added comments. I am sorry for not recognizing them sooner, but like I said, I just this minute saw them for the first time.

To all of you, thank you for your kind words. I do hope this blog helps at least one person.

I hope that those of you who were going to China, had a great adventure. To those who are in the waiting process, be patient, it is more worth the wait than you could ever imagine. In fact, please let me hear from all you about your situation. I would be glad also, to answer any questions that you may have.

Now, for the answer to my question, "Would I do it again"? In a heartbeat. However, it may not be for another grandchild. The Chinese government is in the process of changing the rules for adoption. Our kids won't be eligible any longer. This does not mean that we won't go back. Quite the contrary. We are planning a trip in the next two years to take our granddaughter back to see her home country.

Since I came to the end of the journey in China, I have not decided how I want to proceed. However, I can tell you that we thank God everyday for this darling little girl that he brought to us in such a wonderful way.

As I said at the beginning of this blog, we are the proud grandparents of eight other grandchildren. However, those of you who are gparents, know what I mean when I say, "the baby is always special". Well, that goes double for this one.

First of all, we are now linked to the Chinese people in a way that I can't explain. We have several Chinese families in town and we definitely have special feelings for them.

One of the families owns a Chinese restaurant. Since this is and always has been, our favorite international cuisine, we have taken her there many times. One of the family members has become our good friend. She is the mother of a young girl, two years older than our granddaughter. She thanks us every time we see her for loving her, our gdaughter, the way we do.

Soon it will be Chinese New Year. Each year, those of us who have Chinese kids in our families, get together to celebrate. Because our town has several colleges, we are fortunate to have a Chinese professor who attends our celebration. He always gives us greater insight into the Chinese people and their culture. It is a high point of our year.

I will attempt to post more frequently. I have been trying to determine the best way to proceed as I said earlier. I will come up with a format.

2006-12-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

Where were we.......

When we last met, I had been singing the praises of the "White Swan Hotel" and rightly so! It was definitely one of the high-lights of our trip.

We didn't have long in Guangzhou, but this was the part of the trip for which we had been waiting. This was where our little "China Doll" would become an American citizen. Daddy and Mommy would have to go to the American Embassy and take an oathe to receive her papers. This would allow her to enter America with us.

The only glitch in our entire trip happened at the Embassy. Grandma and I had participated in every step of the process to this point. Here, however, we were unable to go into the Embassy with our kids. We had not been told that we would require our passport to enter. We didn't have them with us, so we had to wait outside. It didn't take long for the ceramony, but it would have been nice if we could have participated. Be sure you take your passports with you to the Embassy!

We did some sight-seeing while in Guangzhou. One of the high-lights was the Six Banyan Temple. The Flower Pagoda is a major part of the Temple. It is the type of structure that you would expect to see all over China, but don't. This picture actually doesn't fully show its granduer. It is a working Buddhist Temple. Some of the families in our group had their babies blessed by the Monks.

Another of the interesting sights that we saw was the Chen Family Temple.

The Chen Family Temple was built as a collective effort by the Chen families from 72 counties all over Guangdong Province at the end of the 19th century during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. The temple was built to honor and worship their ancestors.

It was also used to house Chen family members who came from all over the province to sit for the imperial examinations.

It is like walking through a living museum. It has been completely refurbished back to its original condition.

We, of course, ate as much of the food as we could in our limited time schedule. I still could have eaten much more. It was everything that I had hoped.

Well, the day came for us to leave this beautiful and mysterious country. It was with mixed emotions that we prepared for our departure. On one hand we were leaving with what we had made the trip for, a beautiful baby girl, but we were leaving her country behind. I can't begin to explain the wave of emotions that were flowing through my body.

Would I do it again? In a heart-beat!! In fact, that will be the topic of my next post.

2006-09-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

Getting close to the end of the trip!

Well, now it was time to leave Guilin. This area of China was definitely one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. I have traveled to most of the U.S. states, from Washington state to Maine and Florida, but I have found only one place that compares with the Li River valley in WoW! effect; the Grand Canyon. I know that President Nixon said it should be listed as the 8th wonder of the world. I couldn't agree more.

This time we were to travel by plane to Guangzho (Canton). Most of you who eat American Chinese food know Cantonese food well. If you are like me, it is your favorite. So, needless to say, I was prepared to have the munchies.

Those who eat American Chinese food probably also know that it has been developed over the years to meet our western tastes. Therefore, eating authentic Chinese, in Canton, is definitely a new experience. My wife, daughter and son-in-law were not as up to the task as I was. Their taste-buds were not liking what they were being fed. I must admit some of the offerings were a bit strange and I had to close my eyes and shovel it in. But I found most of it very much to my liking.

The majority of families adopting in China end their journey in China at Guangzhou. The reason for this is that the largest American Embassy is there. Therefore, all of the babies begin their citizenship quest in Guanzhou.

We went to our hotel when we arrived. Again, the majority (Maybe all, I am not sure.) of the families stay at the White Swan hotel. As the old saying goes -"It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!" Well, that doesn't go for staying at the White Swan. It is a "five star" hotel and lives up to its rating. Believe me!

Our first task was to check-in. Then, we simply had to check out all of the percs the hotel had to offer. You could actually get lost in this place. I did several times. There are shops galore. The restaurantes are beyond belief.

Next time, we will talk about the city and the embassy experience.

2006-09-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Touring Guilin!!

Since we had been sigh-seeing all morning, grandma, mommy and baby were extremely tired. They decided to stay in the hotel while my son and I did a self-guided tour of Guilin.

We began our tour directly behind the hotel. Here we found life as the average Chinese person lives it. There were shops of every kind. The one shop that seemed to be in every market place was a bicycle repair shop. Now the shop was not what you would expect to find in America, but resembled more of a junk store for bikes. They did appear, however, to be able to make any repair necessary.

The shop that caught our eyes most, was a pediatric pharmacy. Yes, that is correct. A pharmacy especially for the little ones of the town. The Chinese people, contrary to popular beliefs, are extremely family oriented. In this shop was every herbal remedy that you could imagine and many that you couldn't. These herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years. The pharmacist did things much as they have been done for much of those years. They took the raw herbs and combined them to make the desired remedy.

We can actually attest to their healing abilities. None of us was ever terribly ill, however, we did have our bouts with some stomach discomfort. Our guides were right there with some of the herbal medicines to give us comfort. There were specific remedies for whatever ailed us. They were extremely quick acting.

After touring this part of town, we decided to venture into the business part of town. Getting there we had to take our lives into our own hands. We had to cross three extremely wide and busy streets to get there. The Chinese have not been drivig cars for long, so they are not as efficient as what you would see in New York City, for instance.

The business section consisted of many large modern buildings, but the small open-air booths are what caught our attention. Here, again, you could find anything to buy that you could imagine. There were some touristy items, but the average tourist was southeast Asian, so most of the goods were not what we are used to seeing. This made the shopping much more interesting.

In this setting was the only time that I felt a bit uncomfortable about our situation. One of the hucksters that we were warned against, joined us during our walk. These guys are fluent in English and can talk about any location in the U.S. that you mention. This one even knew some of the local products from our small town at home. He wanted us to go with him to his shop, which was considerably off of the beaten path. Of course, what he was selling was of human origin. We simply told him that we had to meet our family at the end of the market, so after so agonizing moments, he decided to find other customers. This incident isn't very common, but it is good to be aware.

After this excursion, we decided to catch a cab and go back to our hotel. We had had a busy, but interesting day.

The next part of our trip would take us to Guangzhou (Canton). This is where we were told that we would get the best food in China.

2006-08-17T16:40:00.000-07:00

Back again!!

Well, I have had to curtail my posts for personal reasons, but I am back to continue our journey.

In my last post, we were getting ready to take a trip on the Li River. We boarded a tour boat at Guilin. This was to be the most interesting tour we have ever taken, before or since.

I have stood and admired the Chinese paintings of mountains jutting up from the valley floor to thousands of feet above. My thought was that these painters have extremely vivid imaginations. Boy, was I wrong. Their paintings don't begin to tell the true tale.

The limestone peaks rise directly from the valley floor with no foothills as we know them in the States. Every turn of the river is a new photo experience. I can't even begin to describe what we saw. All I can say is, if you go to China, don't miss the Li River valley tours near Guilin.

Our tour ended at Yangzhou. This is a small village where the major business is tourism. As you walk towards your bus, you will be able to shop at many small booths and buy from vendors who carry their wares with them. Just remember to negoitiate with them. You should never pay asking price for anything, anywhere in China. Don't feel badly when you think you have purchased the item too cheaply, however. The Chinese are very shroud business people and will never sell without making a profit!

Riding back to our hotel that afternoon was an experience to behold. The road was two lanes, but the drivers made it into a four-lane road. Passing on the right may have been against the law, but you wouldn't have known it.

We had a car pass us on the right and directly behind him was a police car. I thought, boy, that person is in trouble now, but the police car simply passed us and then preceded to pass the other car.

As we drove along we passed many roadside produce shops. The area was known for its agricultural products.

2006-02-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

Today is a nostalgic day.........

At 1:35 p.m., PST, February 22, 2005, one year ago today, our United Airlines 747 lifted off from San Francisco enroute to Beijing. This was the beginning of the most wonderful adventure of all of our lives. I am taking this opportunity to acknowledge an anniversary that changed all of our lives forever.

Those of you who are grandparents, know the feeling of seeing a new grandchild for the first time. Also, the excitment leading up the event. Well, sit back for a moment and imagine those feelings multiplied by 100; no 1,000.

Here we were, on our way to one of, if not the most, mysterious countries on earth. A country that has a 4000 year history. We were to see things that we never could have imagined. Then, add to that the excitement of adding a new grandchild to your family. I don't believe you will ever top the experience. I am teary-eyed simply thinking about it all.

I have been attempting to share the places we saw and the things that we did, but believe me, nobody can capture the essence of China. It is a definite "see for yourself experience".

Having a grandchild from another culture has proven to be a learning experience. The one thing that has proven to be a fact is, a child, is a child, no matter from which part of the world they come.

Our granddaughter has not been around that many other kids on a regular basis, but she still does numerous things that every kid does. This has lead us to believe that the world is a small place.

A prime example is, thumb sucking. She didn't suck her thumb for the first two or three weeks, then, all of a sudden, she discovered her thumbs. This is probably not the best example, since experts say it is a natural response for a child to suck. However, it does show my point.

Now, let's move on with the trip.

In my last post, we had just arrived in Guilin. We were seeing our hotel for the first time. What a gorgeous sight. As I said, it was a five star hotel.

The picture I posted is from a postcard that we received. Okay, I know your thinking, "yeah, all of those postcards make everything look better". Well, this was not the case. This place was better than the picture.

Directly across from the hotel was the Lijiang (Li) River. You could take a stroll at your leisure. Also, not two blocks from the hotel were some back streets that dipicted the true life in China's large cities. These were away from the tourist areas. Of course, remember, the tourists in China, especially in Guilin, are mostly Asian, not Westerners or Europeans. We were an oddity.

Most of the shops in these areas were open-air. They had roofs, but no fronts. There were, however, some fairly normal looking shops.

One of the most interesting shops that we visited was a Chinese pharmacy. They had everything from ginsing root to ground toad. This is not an exaggeration. My son and I spent several hours touring the out-of-the-way areas, while mommy and grandma got to know the baby.

The next morning we were off to the most scenic tour of our trip. A cruise on the Li River. We went from Guilin (Guilin city, as the Chinese say.) to Yangzhou. Visit the website I have provided for more information.

2006-02-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

Our next stop.........Guilin

Up at 5 a.m. to meet the bus. Yes, meet the bus!

Here we are in Nanning, with a new baby, and we get on a bus for our next adventure. The trip would be 4 1/2 hours. As it turns out, this was definitely an adventure to behold.

We traveled on one of the newest freeways in China, from Nanning to Guilin. It wound through the rural areas that we would have never seen, otherwise. We saw the Chinese lifestyle up close and personal.

There were farmers with their water buffalo in the fields, but there were no motels along the way. I inquired about this oddity. The answer that I received made sense. Since cars are relatively new to China, not many people travel. Therefore, there is no requirement for motels. You have to go into the cities to stay.

We saw quaint villages with houses that looked like they were from a fairy tale. Some, however, were extremely modern.

As we got closer to Guilin, we began to see the type of scenery that has lead to it being called the most beautiful area in China; if not the world.

The limestone mountains rise right from the valley floor to thousands of feet in the air. There are no foothills.

Our first view of Guilin was spectacular! We crossed the Lijiang (Li) River and proceded down the main street of town towards our hotel.

We would be staying at the Royal Garden Hotel. This was a beautiful five star hotel.

2006-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

The day has arrived.........

We were in Nanning for three days. After the experience of meeting our new granddaughter, it was going to difficult to do anything to compare. We did, however, manage to see a few of the sites.

Nanning is the Capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. More than 60% of the population of 2.8 million are Zhuang people, who are China's largest minority and virtually indistinguishable from the Han.

Mostly our sight-seeing was done in the immediate vicinity of our hotel. We were able to observe the way of life in another of China's more important cities.

The morning of March 3, 2005 was one of the high-lights of our trip. This was "Adoption Day". We went to the "Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region" Notary Public Office so our kids could finalize the necessary documents to make the adoption official. As you can imagine, this was another extremely moving experience. One that none of us will ever forget.

Once our new granddaughter was offically a member of our family, we could at least relax a bit and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in China, maybe the world, Guilin and the Li River Valley.

This was the next stop on our journey.

2006-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, miracles do happen.........

The remainder of that afternoon was spent in our son and daughter's hotel room becoming familiar with our new baby granddaughter. This was an extremely exciting time for all of us. We could have never imagined just how special and exciting it would be.

Of course, babies don't run on love alone. So, our next step was to visit a large Wal-Mart Super Store that was not far from our hotel. Yes, Wal-Mart! I was surprised also. We were allowed one hour to purchase any necessary items that were in short supply. Grandma would not be Grandma if she didn't purchase some clothes. This was her first priority.

The babies had been raised on conji (similar to grits in the south) to this point. Now, they would be given formula that would be similar. We were able to get conji in the restaurante at the hotel which made the babies happy. After our shopping was done, we went back to the hotel to rest.

2006-01-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

"Gotcha Day".........

Get as much rest as possible. Well, that wasn't very much! How do you rest when you know why you are there. We were there to get our baby. I can't even begin to tell you how I felt. There were so many emotions going on inside of me.

I was the designated photographer. My roll was to capture every moment of what was to be one of the most exciting times of my son-in-law and daughter's lives. They were going to become parents for the second time. They already had a 20 year old daughter at home.

We boarded the bus for the Chinese Civil Affairs (CCA) office. For the second time that day there was electricity in the air; the first time was that morning in the hotel in Beijing. There was a constant buzz of excitement. Every dad was red-faced and every mother was crying and laughing at the same time. They all had their pictures of their baby in hand. They could only imagine what that first moment was going to be like.

The bus stopped outside this very large, official looking building. It was the CCA office. (See the picture in the previous post.) We all got off of the bus and walked briskly into the building. Our guides went ahead of us to find out where we were to go. Once they found our destination, they came back to get us.

There were some anxious moments when we had to wait in the hall outside of the elevator. Was there a problem? Had the babies not gotten to the CCA? Why the wait? Of course, there was actually no problem, just some last minute details to handle.

They lead us into this large room. There we were to wait another 15-20 minutes, while the paper work was placed in order. Finally, the Director of the CCA came to welcome all of the new parents and grandparents. She introduced the Director of the orphanage and told everyone what could be expected from the babies. Each one would deal with the trama in her own way. Therefore, there is no such thing as normal. They would be there for the next couple of days to help in any way that they could.

Then, we could see the care-givers in the doorway. Each one was holding a baby. One of our babies. Where was ours?

They all came into the room. I had the camera rolling. There was absolutely the most wonderful release of tension that I have ever seen. Everyone was crying. These perspective parents were ready.

The system was well thought out. The Director of the CCA would read the name of the baby in Chinese and the parents would come forward. As each baby's Chinese name was read, the parents met her in the center of the room. The care-giver would introduce the baby to the parents and allow for pictures to be taken.

Next, it was our turn. Our baby's name was read. The tears were rolling down my checks so much that I could hardly see to take the video. What a gorgous little thing she was. She hardly looked like her picture, since she was 4 months older than when it was taken, but I still felt that love for her that had developed over the past year.

After each set of parents had some time to become familiar with their new baby, it was time to receive their adoption documents. Our guides handed them to one of the parents. This was very exciting! It was the culmination of many months of frustration and work.

If you can imagine how exciting it is seeing one couple become parents, most for the first time, then imagine watching 10 couples becoming parents. Again, this is an experience that I don't have the words to describe. Simply put, it was a miracle.

2005-12-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

The big morning has finally arrived......"Gotcha Day"

Up at 4:00 a.m.---we prepared for our flight to Nanning, Guangxi, China. Our plane would leave Beijing at 7:55 a.m.

The hotel lobby was buzzing with excitement. All of the expecting parents and grandparents could hardly contain themselves. We knew later that afternoon that we would be meeting the little person for whom we had made the trip---our little daughter or granddaughter.

We had only seen a picture of her taken at approximately 6 months of age. She would now be 10 months old. What I found to be unbelieveable is how quickly we fell in love with that baby girl in the picture. She even had her name by the time the kids had her picture for a week.

Our daughter was terribly worried that she wouldn't recognize her own baby. Her mother comforted her as much as possible.

We got on the bus for our 45 minute trip to the airport. When we arrived at the airport, we were lead through the maze by our guide. Of course, none of us spoke more than our familiar two words "xie xie" (thank you). So getting around in the airport would have been a chore without our guide. We would have to leave our guide, with whom we had toured for the past week, in Beijing. We felt like we were leaving one of the family behind. She was wonderful.

This was to be the first of several flights to be made on a Chinese airline. It was very comfortable and uneventful. They cater more to the Asian people on these flights, since this is not a route that sees many Westerners, so we ate some local breakfast foods. It was quite tasty.

When we arrived in Nanning, we were met by four new guides who would be with us for the next 9 days. They were also employed by Comfort China Travel. One of them was an expert in making all of the paperwork come together. No, the paperwork doesn't stop with the adoption approval. There were numerous documents remaining to completed.

We were bused to the hotel and told to rest as much as possible. The bus to the CCA would be to pick us up in an hour and one-half. So---we did our best to get some rest..

2005-12-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

More.....Beijing..............

Note: Click on pictures for larger view.

You can't go to Beijing and fill two paragraphs with information and then simply stop! It is too fantastic to be that trite.

Another must in Beijing are the Chinese acrobats. They perform every night somewhere in the city. We went to the Chao Yang Theater. We had seats 10 rows back from the stage. The cost per person is $12 to $19. I believe we paid somewhat more for our seats.

The Chinese Opera is also good entertainment. My wife and I didn't attend. Our son-in-law called a tour company and made arrangements through them. They provided a vehicle and a guide for the evening for a nominal fee. A guide can get you into parts of the theater that would not be available to the average individual, so the fee is well worth it.

There are too many things to see in Beijing to even think about talking about them here. You should, however, go to the "Chinese Traditional Cultural Center" to see how silk is processed; to a Cloisonne factory to see how it is made and to a jade gallery, such as, the "Long Di Superior Jade Gallery".

I have spent more time than I had anticipated on Beijing, but as I said it is a magnificent city. I believe it is a visit of a life-time (no, two life-times).

We will be preparing for our next stop on our quest to meet our newest granddaughter in my next post.

2005-12-26T15:34:00.000-08:00

Now, for more about Beijing........

Beijing is a city of approximately eleven million people. These are the ones that are registered as residents. There are, however, many migrant workers that live in the city during the work season. These workers can raise the population to eighteen million. They go back to their homes in the winter.

While we there, as I said in an earlier post, you could see huge cranes everywhere on the horizon. They were beginning to prepare for the Olympics. We watched some of the construction directly below our hotel window.

One thing that you will notice in the colder parts of China is, they don't waste heat. You probably have wondered why you see so many Chinese in quilted clothing. Well, I am here to tell you, it is because heat is a used sparingly; even in the hotels. We definitely wore more clothing inside than we do at home.

In the hutongs, they use charcoal for heat. Not like we use for barbequeing, but it comes in cylinders made especially for the type of stoves that they use. The stoves heat water into steam and the steam heats the homes.

I have ridden in numerous taxis in all of the major U.S. cities, but it is certainly different in China. They use many smaller taxis. If you are a six foot man this can cramp your style. It did mine. The biggest difference, however, is price. I don't believe that we paid more that $3.00 (U.S.) for any of our jaunts. It would have been at least $10, $12 or even more at home for the same ride. It is even less expensive when you go to smaller cities.

Shopping in Beijing is very metropolitan. You can find everything that you can imagine and more. We found that electronics were not much cheaper than what we could buy at home. However, you can buy jade jewelry, for instance, considerably less.

When shopping in the large shopping centers, you should use caution. Pick-pockets are prevalent. So much so, that they have monitors up to warn about them and to tell you how to prevent them from taking advantage of you. This is knowledge that is not made readily available on the Internet.

The first thing to learn about shopping in China is, it is rare to pay the marked price; especially at one of the many individually owned shops. I am not sure that shop is the correct term, since most of them don't have hard walls. They are simply small spaces with a counter. Here the individual sets a price, but actually doesn't expect to end up with that amount. If they do, you will be the target for every vendor in the area, because the word will spread quickly. Don't feel too bad, however, when you feel like you have bargained the poor merchant out of his/her profit, because they are shrewd business people. They will never sell one of their products at a price that won't give them a profit.

Some of the better places to shop are called "Friendship Stores". These are owned by the Chinese government and provide a safe place to purchase good quality products. Here is a quote about Friendship Stores from one of the travel sites: "Prices are clearly marked on the merchandise. Prices may be slightly higher than at other Chinese stores but the goods are of higher quality and some items are unavailable elsewhere. Government stores have a reputation for honesty. Bargaining is acceptable".

Of course, no trip to Beijing would be complete without going to "The Great Wall". This had been one of my dreams for as long as I can remember. It was a cool morning when we boarded the bus. The trip would be approximately one hour long to "The Ju Yong Pass". Here the Chinese government has renovated the wall. It definitely lives up to it's reputation.

If you climb the wall you receive a card stating that you are a "Hero". This is definitely a feat. The wall is extremely steep at this location and the steps are approximately ten inches high. My daughter and I were barely able to get to that point, but we did get our cards.

The scenery at Juong Pass is absolutely beautiful. It is definitely worth the trip.

I have heard it said that visiting "Tiananmen Square" is like watching parking meters run out of time. In my humble opinion this is not the case. Another saying that I believe is more realistic is, "all roads in Beijing end at Tiananmen Square. Beijing is built around the square. I know everyone has seen the picture of Mao Tse-Tung (Zetung) over the gate at the Forbidden City, well, this is on one side of the square. You enter the Forbidden City beneath his picture.

Since this post is getting longer than I planned, I will talk more about Beijing in my next post.

2005-12-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

The people of China.........

I want to take this opportunity to talk about the people of China.

In most instances, we all have pre-conceived ideas about the people of the country to which we are traveling. This certainly was the case for us.

Our main reason for going to China early was to learn as much as possible about our newest granddaughter's people and country. What we found was amazing.

The Chinese people are the most gracious, caring and loving people that we have had the pleasure of meeting. We never felt the least bit like outsiders. Everywhere that we went we were treated with the greatest respect.

Also, they seem to have patience beyond comprehension. I guess in a country of 1.25 billion people, patience is truly a virtue. They certainly show no outward indication that they get upset with anyone.

Another thing that was obvious was how industrious they are. Everyone was trying in their own way to earn a living.

2005-12-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

Let's talk more about Beijing..........

Before I get started with the discussion of Beijing, I want to talk a bit about my feelings upon arriving in Beijing.

Of course, I was thousands of miles from home and in one of the most mysterious countries in the world. The first night I felt very alone. This was mainly because nothing was familiar. Oh, yes, there were the ads for American products. McDonald's is big in Beijing, but nothing else was the same. I didn't even know how I would pay for things. The monetary system is soooo different. But you know, everything worked out just fine.

Beijing is in the midst of a major reconstruction for the 2008 Olympics. Everywhere that we went there were huge cranes. Along with this modern equipment, however, there were many workers using picks and shovels.

I can describe many things for you, but the one thing I have no way to compare for you is, how people in Beijing drive! I like to call it organized chaos.

The pedestrian does not have the right-of-way in Beijing. When asked this question our guide simply replied, "If the driver were to stop for the people, he would never be able to start again".

The one thing that I never did see was anyone getting upset at the situation. "Road Rage" is not even in the Chinese vocabulary. They simply take things is stride. We can learn much from them.

There are so many stark contrasts in the city. On one hand you have the large sky-scrapers and on the other hand you have the hutongs. The sad part is that many of the historic buildings were torn down during the revolution. Now they are beginning to renovate the ones remaining.

2005-12-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

Beijing....what a city!

Our trip was very long, but just as enjoyable. Of course, none of us had ever traveled Internationally. So, this was almost as exciting as the thought of "meeting" our new granddaughter.

When we left home, the weather was in the mid-forties. When we arrived in Beijing, the temperature was in the high twenties and it was snowing lightly. We had been told what to expect, so we had plenty of warm clothing with us.

We were met at the airport by our guide for the next seven days. She worked for China Comfort Travel. CCT has worked with adoptive families in China for the past seven years. Therefore, they know what will make us comfortable and what most Europeans want to see while in China.

The trip to our hotel, The Marco Polo, was interesting. We had to travel about 45 minutes on one of the freeways. With snow on the road, we were a bit uneasy. However, we made it without incident.

The hotel was great. The Marco Polo is a Four-Star hotel. In fact, we only stayed in Four and Five-Star hotels on our entire trip. This certainly made the trip even that much more enjoyable.

Since we arrived a couple of days before the other families, our guide took us to see some places that we had requested to see. As I said earlier, my son-in-law and I were on the Internet for hours.

We went to a silk factory. There we got to see how they raise silk worms and how the cocoon is made into thread. While everything we did was interesting, one of the most interesting things that we did was to take a rickshaw tour of a "hutong" . A hutong is basically a small community within Beijing. Most of them are well over one hundred years old.

After the others arrived, we took a tour of the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, The Summer Palace and The Great Wall.

Of course, no trip to Beijing (Peking) would be complete without a dining on "Beijing (Peking) Duck". I wasn't fortunate enough to have this experience, but those who did said it was wonderful.

2005-12-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

I can't wait any longer.............................!

This was one of the most memorable experiences of our entire lives. I can't sit back any longer and go through the preliminary steps, we need to begin our treak.

After the long months of preparing and planning, the day for our adventure to begin had come. It was February 22, 2005. We had to drive several hundred miles to the city where we would depart.

We went a day early. The plan was to get as close to the airport as possible, so the next morning we wouldn't have to hurry and be stressed. This was an exceptional plan. It worked well.

Our trip to the airport was very relaxed. Since we had so much luggage, it was necessary to take two vehicles. There were many things to take for our new granddaughter. Our trip was going to a long one, so we took plenty of reading materials and snacks, also.

Our first stop was in San Francisco. This is where we would board our plane for Beijing (Peking). It would be a thirteen (13) hour flight.

We had decided to travel a week early so we could do some sight-seeing. WACAP made all of the arrangements for us.

Our itinerary was Beijing, Nanning, Guilin and Guangzhou (Canton).

2005-12-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

A good adoption agency will make a huge difference.

Since we had never worked with an adoption agency before, we had no idea what to expect. Of course, we were not involved with the actual adoption process, but we certainly did benefit from the professionalism of the agency, WACAP.

They kept all of us updated regularly. They had added us to their list to receive information and also their newsletter. This gave us insight into what was happening inside the agency.

As I mentioned earlier, the entire process takes a year or more. Therefore, being kept in the loop helps eliminate much anxiety. The unknown is what creates problems.

2005-12-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

Let's take a break today........

There will be plenty of time for planning. The entire China adoption process will take approximately a year. So, let's talk about some of the things that we did to keep sane.

Of course, mommy and grandma began planning the nursery. Which room would become the nursery; what color/s should it be; which furniture to buy and on and on. Oh, yes, then there were the clothes shopping trips. This was actually very exciting for all of us.

Another thing that helped was communicating with the other parents who would be making the trip with our group. The adoption agency, WACAP, made a list available. You know the old saying, "Misery likes company". They were all as excited and as anxious as we were and just being able to talk about the trip was helpful.

Daddy and I spent many hours on the Internet. There are so many things to learn about China. We will discuss all about China, from my perspective, later in the blog.

Last of all, we made an effort to learn a few words of Chinese. This can definitely take up much of your time. Here is one of the free sites on the Internet to help you learn some of the language.

2005-12-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

What is most important?

The most important items that you will require are a passport, to get you back into the U.S. and a visa for travels in China. You can apply for the passport anytime during the process, however, the visa was somewhat more tricky.

We couldn't apply for visas until we knew where we would be entering China and the dates we would be there. This didn't happen for us until late in the process. We used a service that applied for the visas for us. Of course, if this makes you uncomfortable, you can make a trip to the nearest Chinese consulate and apply in person. It would have been a four day round-trip for us to apply in person. The adoption agency with whom you are working should guide you every step of the way.

2005-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Planning---this is 90% of the trip!

A good plan will ensure that your trip is extremely enjoyable. If you should be as fortunate as we were, your kids will make your arrangements along with theirs. They did this to ensure that we all got our documents and other necessities for the trip at the same time. This would mean we could all travel together without problems.

What needs to be considered?

There are many seminars given on International travel all over the U.S. My wife and I attended one that was sponsored by AAA. While we had traveled extensively here at home, we had never taken a trip to another country; especially one where we had to travel an entire day and would be gone for three (3) weeks. The seminar was certainly helpful.

Once you know where you will be traveling, check with your doctor and local health department to determine which, if any, shots you may require. From what we found, the requirements change frequently.

Remember, China is a large country, with many diverse climatic conditions. It is cold to fridgid in the north and mild to steamy in the south. It, of course, will depend on what time of the year you travel.

2005-12-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

We knew from our past experiences that we would have no difficulty loving this child, but we felt it would be different.

I mentioned earlier that we have eight (8) biological grandkids. This is not exactly true. One of our granddaughters is from our son-in-law's first marriage. We love her, however, as if she had been a part of our family from day one. This is why we knew that we could love an adopted child.

How did we feel it would be different?

Because most of the babies coming from China are at least six (6) months old, they have had no contact with English speaking people. We didn't know if this would be an obstacle or not. How would we communicate with the child. Also, this has given them time to become attached to his/her care-giver. Now, they are taken to a strange place and handed to a stranger. What would this be like for him/her. We would simply have to wait and see.

Note: We highly recommend a documentary (China's "Lost Girls") that we saw on the National Geographic channel. It was done by Lisa Ling. Lisa is Chinese. She had always wanted to do a story about "The Lost Girls of China".

Once we had gotten all of these questions discussed, we began to plan the trip.

2005-12-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Okay--where were we? Oh, yes, I remember....

Grandma and I were just told that we were going to become grandparents again. We already have eight (8) wonderful biological grandkids. This time, however, it would be different. Our new grandchild was going to be Chinese. Wow!

At this point there wasn't much for grandma and grandpa to do, but sit back and enjoy the prospect of a new grandchild.

There were still all of the preliminary things to be done. The most important of which was deciding upon an adoption agency. This had to be done with much care. Which one would be most reliable and helpful? Our kids did much research.

Their friends had used WACAP (World Association for Children and Parents) and were completely satisfied with the results. So, WACAP seemed like a good place to begin.

Note: You will find WACAP's link on this site.

After corresponding back and forth for some time, they decided to go with WACAP. At the risk of removing any suspense, this was an extremely good decision. WACAP is trendous!! How do I know? We were involved every step of the way.

This is when things began to get exciting. Grandma and mommy-to-be talked at great length about the trip and decided that she, grandma, would travel with them. They didn't know if I would want to make the trip. Of course, I let them know that I wouldn't miss the opportunity.

I told them that I considered this no differently than going to the hospital in town. It would just take longer to get there.

They say (whoever "they are") that life is made-up of choices; good and bad. This was one of the best choices I have ever made.

With the first major hurdle out of the way, we began to plan for the trip. While the kids were dealing with the adoption process, grandma and I began dreaming about what it would be like to have a new grandchild; especially one from another country.

We knew from our past experiences that we would have no difficulty loving this child, but we felt it would be different.

2005-12-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

Where does every great journey begin?---at the beginning, of course!

Our journey began sometime in October, 2003 or a bit earlier. We had heard some chatter about the possibility of an adoption, but no particulars were given. At first only domestic adoption was being considered. As you will soon learn, this is no easy decision.

The airwaves were quiet for some time. Then, one fateful day, our son-in-law came home from work and announced to our daughter that a man from work and his wife and children were coming for dinner the next evening.

They had recently adopted a baby girl from China and believed that it was the only way to go. Of course, as with any exciting experience, you want to share it with anyone who will listen. My son-in-law and daughter were prime candidates since they were in the decision phase of adoption.

The next evening they came for dinner. Our daughter literally fell in love with the baby from China. This was definitely a turning-point in the process.

Several nights later, we received a call from our children (son-in-law and daughter). They wanted to come to visit. This was nothing out of the ordinary, since it happens quite often. But this night would proove to be very different.

"We are considering a China adoption", said our daughter. "What would you think of having another grandchild?" Grandma and grandpa both teared up and chimed-out with a big "Wonderful"! As you grandparents know, you can never have too many grandchildren.

I always tell people candidly, "If I had known how much fun grandchildren are, I would have had them first." Our kids simply laugh knowing how we feel about them.

2005-12-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

As grandparents of eight (8) wonderful biological grandchildren, we were intrigued by the notion to also become adoptive grandparents.

Once we had had time to digest the entire idea, my wife was the first to decide she would make the trip regardless if I went or not. This was not going to happen! I was determined that we both would go. That is when the many months of planning began.

The purpose of this blog is to give prospective adoptive grandparents of Chinese children some insight into the process and to give you some understanding of China.

You, as grandparents, have it extremely easy. While the parents-to-be are dealing with the adoptive process, you have time to simply bask in the glory of becoming grandparents for the first time or more.