Zhengzhou

First off, I have to say that after reading my last couple blog posts, it seems that I am a bit negative about our time here.  That is completely not how I feel.  After traveling numerous time zones, whirlwind tour of Beijing, an emotional day on Monday and traveling to Nanyang on Wednesday, I was just worn out! I am VERY happy to be here! I am VERY happy to be holding my little girl! I am VERY happy to be experiencing her culture! Today was a good day. Today was what I was missing and didn't realize it until I experienced it. Today we saw real Zhengzhou. We walked the back alleys. Met and talked to (or at least tried) with real people. I have travelled internationally extensively and what I enjoy most is not being a tourist. I want to eat at the local restaurant. I want to shop where the locals do. I do not want to be a tourist and here it is hard not to be. I really wish I learned more Chinese before we came here.  I can fake it with Isabel, but that doesn't work out on the streets. Jim, the kids and I walked a maze of back-alley streets and boy did we get some looks! First it was the look of just us, but when they realized I was holding a Chinese baby, it was stares and comments.  But they were very nice, just curious. One woman holding a baby girl came over and we tried to talk. Our agency gave us a tag that we wear around our necks that states who we Re that that we are here to adopt this little girl. But even that isn't completely understood because adoption is so foreign over here. But, like I said, they were just so nice about it. Jim's got some pictures of a small crowd around us, trying to talk to us. Oh, how I wish I could have spoken to them. Jim took video and showed it to our guide when we got back to the hotel so that she could tell us what they were saying. One older man said that we would take Isabel back to the States and feed her until she is full. It was a compliment. :). The morning just made me happy; it made me feel like I got of glimpse of what I've been wanting to experience.

One funny thing happened as we were walking back to the hotel. I looked over to see a man just inches away from Anna's head. He was examining her roots! :) Like I said, the blond hair is a curiosity!

I just have to say that my husband is amazing. First, he has no concern about ordering for us and doing the crazy pantomiming with the waitresses.  He is so adventurous. He is now on a bike riding to the local police station to try and trade patches with them. He put some phrases into google translate so hopefully it'll work out well. Jim has had the best attitude about the trip. He's having a great time. Isabel will not sit in a high chair, so Jim makes me and Isabel a plate every morning from the breakfast buffet. Last night we ate with the family whose husband is sick with the stomach flu so he couldn't be there. Jim had to help not only me and our kids but the other mom and her kids. He was up and down getting napkins, moving plates from grabbing babies, pouring water, getting noodles out of broth bowls to cool, etc. Jim is Isabel's bottlemaker at night.  He makes the Internet work when it is acting up.  Like I said... amazing. I am so very proud and my love abounds. : )

I'm working on uploading the pictures from today. They will have our time in the hotel playroom, the streets of Zhengzhou, the kids eating chicken feet (no comment) and some pics of us in the park.

It's been a good day!