Happy St Patrick's Day, everyone.
Last evening our two families walked to a restaurant that Isabel told us about fairly close to our hotel. I tried out our snuggly for Violet and it was much more comfortable for me and she enjoyed it, too!
When we got to the restaurant location we had to cross the street. It was about 5 pm. I noticed traffic cops located on three of the corners so that gave me an added sense of security. And there were "walk lights" for the pedestrians. Once the light turned green we started across the street. Ray exclaimed, "Watch out!" There was a motorcycle/scooter that did not stop and continued towards us, weaving amongst the people. We have concluded that there must be a different set of rules for them!
The location for the restaurant was not easy to find. Isabel had told Ray that it was on the 4th floor (there has been so much discussion about it since, that I'm getting confused what floor it actually was supposed to be on). We took the elevator to the fourth floor and it looked like an office workplace. So we went to the 5th floor. Before the doors closed some workers looked like they were going to attempt joining us on the elevator, but we told them we were going up. Nothing on the 5th floor so we hit the sixth floor button. Then, instead of going to the sixth floor the doors opened on the fourth floor to an even bigger crowd waiting for the elevator. We tried again. When the doors opened again on the fourth floor a lady, to me it looked like in exasperation, got on the elevator with us. It surprised me when she pushed the 2nd floor button. I had assumed she was on her way home and wanted the ground floor. When the doors opened on the second floor we could see that it was a restaurant! We thanked the lady and got off the elevator.
We received a private "room" at the restaurant. Our babies got highchairs. The difficulty came in ordering. Thankfully Isabel had made a "cheat sheet" for us the day before. But we couldn't get them to understand white rice (for our older girls). So Ray pointed to the kitchen and they allowed him to go right in and point out what he wanted.
The food came in spurts. One dish would arrive, then another. The problem was that the white rice and the beef that Ray was looking so forward to never showed up! He tried to ask about the white rice and soon a waiter arrived with another serving of fried rice. He tried to put it back on the serving tray but the waiter wouldn't let him. The waiter left and soon another came. He asked in broken English what he could do. Ray explained that we wanted white rice. So he took the third plate of fried rice and left. After a while some white rice arrived. Ainsleigh had had a headache and had fallen asleep, so she wasn't eating the rice. Tori tried some and didn't like. See, she's used to having soya sauce and it was not palatable at all for her.
The restaurant also had a distinct odor. I kept trying to place it, but was coming up blank. It wasn't the most pleasant of odors. About halfway through the meal Tori asked me, "Do you smell dog?" And that is when I realized the scent resembled wet dog. Not the most appetizing of scents during mealtime.
Violet, however, made up for Tori's and my lack of enthusiasm for the meal. I had forgotten her spoon and started to feed her with chopsticks. She didn't like that at all. So we just set a bowl of fried rice in front of her and she ate with her hand. She would scoop up the rice with gusto and shovel it in. Then she would shake her hand to dislodge any rice that was remaining. (She doesn't like having sticky fingers.) Then she would repeat the procedure. She ate a lot! To me it reminded me of gorging tendencies. But it was hilarious to watch.
I think we were all quite ready to leave by the time Tori's white rice arrived. As we were leaving Ray joked (I hope he was joking) there are still some more pictures on the menu for things we haven't tried, so we'll go back tomorrow!
Once we got back to the hotel the girls had a bath. I didn't have any bath toys with us, so I gave her two spoons to play with in the tub (the ones that I forgot to take to the restaurant). Tori warned me, "Mom, when you see her put both spoons in one hand look out." No sooner had Tori said it then she took one of the spoons and put it under her arm, freeing up her right hand. Her right hand hit the water so hard that it made a huge splash. We squealed and she laughed. It was grand fun. When it came time to wash Violet's hair I tried to prevent the water from running down her face. She didn't make it easy, though, since she pulled her chin right down to her chest. So after the first attempt I just let the water run. She looked up with the biggest grin on her face. That must be how she is used to washing her hair!
She almost fell asleep in my arms while I still had her wrapped in a towel. She falls asleep so easily. When Tori came out of the bathroom she crawled into her cot and I asked, "Are you really going to go to sleep this early." She said yes, she was that tired. It was about 8 pm. Roger and I weren't that long behind her, I guess we were all tuckered out from our day's excursions.
I was awake around midnight with stomach issues. Thankfully they passed by morning, but they didn't allow any more sleep for me.
This morning we tried to do a live chat with my family at my niece's birthday party. But we couldn't get it to work. I don't know if it was due to China's censorship or my ignorance in getting the chat to open! We could chat – just not with the video which I was really hoping for. (And I guess my nephew Charlie was too!)
Thankfully my stomach had settled by then and we went for breakfast. Violet had more decorum eating breakfast as we remembered her spoon!
Then we met with Isabel in the lobby and started our morning sightseeing.
The first stop was Logan's orphanage. It was located only a few minutes from our hotel. While the Chongs went inside Isabel directed us to a playground in the back. Violet seemed to enjoy it. Roger thought it wasn't much of a playground.
Next we went to a Buddhist Temple. Isabel explained that not many young people are choosing Buddhism now, instead they choose no religion. The buildings and grounds were beautiful, however. And I really enjoyed the tour. Isabel and I walked together and I think I enjoyed that most of all. We talked about Violet, her orphanage, our family. She said she thinks Violet is a very lucky girl to have Tori as her big sister. She said she has seen lots of families with older children that are happy with the adoption, or tolerate it, but she said, "I can tell that Tori really loves Violet." I told her about how Tori started praying for a baby brother or sister right after Roger and I were married. Then once we started the adoption process she began praying for her baby sister, Violet. I even told her that she would pray at night, "Help everyone to have a good sleep, and please help everyone in China who are just getting up to have a good day." Isabel put her hand over her heart when I was telling her this and said, "She really does have a big heart."
Isabel asked us if we wanted to eat before going back to the hotel. We all told her that we were flexible, so whatever she suggested. She said, "I wish all my families were like you. It would make my job very easy!"
She asked if Chinese was okay and we agreed, with some trepidation remembering the restaurant she recommended last night. However, when we told her the story she said, "Oh, not the second floor!" So, apparently she wouldn't have recommended that one to us! She taught Roger and I how to say white rice and soya sauce to help in ordering for Tori when she is not there.
Well, the meal today made up for last night. We asked Isabel and the driver to join us, Isabel was a long time agreeing. Then she tried to call the driver on the cell phone to come inside and couldn't reach him. When she went out we all debated on whether or not she would be back. She did come back, but it was to say that the driver had already picked up something for the two of them. She didn't want to be disrespectful, so she went out to eat with him. But we did make her promise that she would join us tomorrow!
The meal today was fried rice, fried noodles, sweet and sour pork, beef, broccoli and white rice for the girls. They also served us Chinese tea. I even drank some of it. It was very weak compared to what is drunk at home. Roger said he might prefer it if it stayed in the pot another half an hour.
Then it was back to the hotel. The director of guest relations met us in the lobby (she has introduced herself to us yesterday) and asked us how we were. It came up that we were cold last night and she said she would send more blankets up to our room. Tori also wanted an extra pillow (she takes after her mother!) and that was arranged as well. At one point I said, "Thank you, Michelle." She raised her hand to her jacket front and it looked like she was checking to see if her name tag was on. Which it wasn't. Then I wondered, "Her name was Michelle, wasn't it?!?" As we were heading back up in the elevator I mentioned it to the others, but they couldn't remember her name from the day before. But Tori said she could and it was Michelle. Whew!
We all laid down for a nap after we got back to our room. Violet was a little wound up for a bit. Probably due to eating about half of Tori's chocolate bar. Roger suggested that I put her in bed with me. I thought, "She's just going to fight." I got up and held her in my arms and walked a bit around the room and then lay down with her. She didn't fight at all and just lay against my chest. She was asleep within minutes.
And they all continue to sleep right now. It is going on 6 pm, so they should be waking up soon! I awoke earlier with another bout of stomach issues. So I think I'll be sticking close to the hotel this evening and let the others venture out without me for supper.
Tomorrow we are going to go to Logan's finding place. (These are all things that we would do if we were in the city where Violet was from, too. But it is a four-hour drive, one way. And we felt that that was just not reasonable.) Isabel said, "Maybe in a few years you'll be able to take a trip back to China and visit Xiamen. She said that it is a most beautiful city. If Fuzhou wasn't her hometown, she would choose to live there. I thought that was a high compliment.
Tomorrow Isabel also plans to take us souvenir shopping. Woohoo! You know me and shopping! I've been waiting for this all week. It wasn't scheduled, but I mentioned that I would like to get a jade pendant like Violet has with the symbol from her year on it. Violet's is rat (yuck) and mine is tiger. So I expect that tomorrow is going to be a great day as well.
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