As Typhoon Nida bore down on Hong Kong (74 miles away), stores shut down across Guangzhou. Thankfully, though, the US Consulate remained open. Much of the consulate staff remained home as the rain and wind lashed the city.
We joined other wet American families as we officially applied for a US Visa for our new children. (Eliza has a Chinese passport now but will become a US Citizen when we land in the States on Thursday.) The two-hour wait felt like an adoption party. Kids played, parents talked, everyone waited.
We chatted with parents who had adopted two daughters with spina bifida. Others were adopting little boys who had mild growth delays. We sought advice and gave advice. Some families are anticipating traveling to many states for medical referrals and procedures. They were young and old. Couples and singles. Some brought other kids with them to China, but many more were left behind. One little girl was now the 7th child in her family (I, Monica thought, “Wow, that’s a lot!” until I remembered that Eliza makes 6.)
Hearing all the stories was encouraging to us, but the noise was a lot for Eliza to handle. Not sure what flipped her switch (I think it was a bunch of kids being rowdy like maybe her orphanage), but she was snuggly and weepy for a while during our long wait.
On our way home our bus driver dropped us off at a dim-sum restaurant near our hotel (so we wouldn’t get soaked a third time). It was probably our favorite (and largest) Chinese meal yet, enjoyed with new friends.
[It was rainy all day today; these sunny pictures are at our hotel play area two days ago.]
We joined other wet American families as we officially applied for a US Visa for our new children. (Eliza has a Chinese passport now but will become a US Citizen when we land in the States on Thursday.) The two-hour wait felt like an adoption party. Kids played, parents talked, everyone waited.
We chatted with parents who had adopted two daughters with spina bifida. Others were adopting little boys who had mild growth delays. We sought advice and gave advice. Some families are anticipating traveling to many states for medical referrals and procedures. They were young and old. Couples and singles. Some brought other kids with them to China, but many more were left behind. One little girl was now the 7th child in her family (I, Monica thought, “Wow, that’s a lot!” until I remembered that Eliza makes 6.)
Hearing all the stories was encouraging to us, but the noise was a lot for Eliza to handle. Not sure what flipped her switch (I think it was a bunch of kids being rowdy like maybe her orphanage), but she was snuggly and weepy for a while during our long wait.
On our way home our bus driver dropped us off at a dim-sum restaurant near our hotel (so we wouldn’t get soaked a third time). It was probably our favorite (and largest) Chinese meal yet, enjoyed with new friends.
[It was rainy all day today; these sunny pictures are at our hotel play area two days ago.]
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