There are a total of 6 families in our Beijing group, all with adopted daughters of various ages. Of course there is us and the Clements (whom I mentioned earlier) from Boise, ID. Then there is Jennifer and her daughter Allyson from Massachusetts. She is traveling without her husband and two other children. Allyson is about 7 years old and very enthralled with Ali and the twins. However, she did meet another 8 year old girl yesterday and they seem to be hanging out. Bill and Kim from Philadelphia, PA are the parents of 8 year old, Lily and another Chinese daughter, Lyndsay, who is 4 years old. She is very outgoing but has really had trouble with the jet-lag and we have seen her asleep about half the time.
Mike and Julie are from England and they have two daughters, Lily 8 and Jasmine age 10. They are a very fun couple with a British sense of humor. The girls are very shy and we have not gotten to know them very well yet. The other couple are Tim and Connie from Raleigh, NC and they have one daughter, Briana. She is a pistol and loves to hang with the older girls Ali and Andrea. They are accompanied by his parents and her mother and niece. So ~ 22 people in all which is not a bad size group. We have been able to stick to schedule pretty well and not have to push anyone.
We woke up to a partly clear sky and much, much colder and windier. Everyone who has been here before said it was the clearest day they have seen in Beijing ever. We started out going to the Emperors Temple of Heaven and Park. Lots of beautiful buildings and structures but were hawked by the vendors at both entrances. We spent about an hour outside in the cold wind so we were glad to get back to the bus. Next we went to a Tea House and sampled several kinds of tea. We were also instructed in many cultural things about tea and, of course, were given the opportunity to buy some different kinds of tea on the way out. It was a nice tea break though an we have a fun group so it was a good time. We went to a Thai Restaurant for lunch that was good but a little strange when they brought out the large carp with its head and eyes still attached. I did try some and it was good but boney.
The afternoon started out very interesting with a trip to the Chinese Center for Adoption where the decisions about all adoptions go through. We saw the offices where our paperwork came in, was approved, and our daughters were matched to us. Next we went into a classroom where the girls had a short lesson in Calligraphy, learned a Chinese folk song and were treated to a short speech by the head of CCAA. It was very emotional an brought most of the mothers to tears as he described the gratitude to us parents for taking such good care of the Chinese daughters. Finally all the girls were given stuffed Panda bears and sent off with best wishes. I think, by far, the best part of the trip for all of us.
The last event before dinner was a trip to the local (indoor) market for a chance to buy souvenirs, clothes, and other cheap stuff. It was fun for about 10 minutes but we all were tired of the hounding after a while and were glad that we only spent 1 hour there. Ali did buy some trinkets for her class and a Chinese shirt.
Dinner was at the same place as last night. I think most of us were wishing for a pizza tonight. Some strange dishes but some were good. We are all meeting down at the pool for a swim and a little relaxation before bed.
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