Tuesday, October 15th

It was an early and rushed morning for us.  We had to be dressed and done with breakfast and in the lobby to meet our group at 7:20.

However, it was a very important day today because we had our US consulate appointment.  We pulled up to the consulate, and I was so thankful that our agency made this appointment weeks ago and that we had a guide to help us navigate.  There was line that wrapped around the building of Chinese waiting to get in.  Also, there were other lines of just as many people lined up outside the fence just sitting on benches and waiting on something. (I assume they were wanting US visas which I've heard are hard to get).  Our guide took us right up to the door and we were ushered in through security.  It was a painless process. We presented Ellie Kay's Chinese passport (which we had received the day before).  Then, they verified our passports and paperwork and then all had us take an oath as a group that everything on our forms was correct.  Our guide will go back tomorrow and pick up their American visas to be in their China passports.  Then, when we we touch US soil in Detroit on Thursday and go through a quick interview with the USCIS, she'll officially be a US citizen!   Whoo Hoo!

Our guide then took us shopping for awhile, and we had lunch.  Afterwards, we had a short meeting about leaving procedures.

Then, tonight our whole group went on a Pearl River Cruise here in Guangzhou. It's one of those short dinner cruises Chinese style.  I was a bit nervous about it even before we went because I'd heard not so positive reviews of the food  - even some people writing in reviews to go, but to get pizza beforehand.  We of course started out in stuffy dining room, but we're used to that by now.  Then they offered about 8 oz of room temp cokes with no ice (since ice isn't safe here).  It was buffet style and our guide had warned us not to eat anything that looked too strange.  Hmmmm.....   Not a good sign.  Now I'll admit I've been a bit paranoid of eating foods that will make us sick and also I'm really not wanting to eat any dogs or cats or snake (which the Cantonese are famous for eating).  So I was in a bit of a paranoid mood. Plus the duck and chicken head on the buffet didn't help. Matt got our food while I held Ellie Kay since our guide also warned that the Chinese would cut line and grab food, etc, and I didn't want to be in the frenzy.  He brought me some dumplings, and when I bit into one it had some sort of blended meat that I couldn't identify.  Well, unfortunately that was pretty much the end of my meal, except for a little noodles, rice, and bread. Then, ice cream came around and I thought that might settle my queasy tummy, because it looked orange and refreshing.  (I'm sure the rocking of the boat didn't help).  It looked like an orange sherbet, but was more like milky mango with several cups of sand mixed in.  Not sure what the grainy texture was.  I would assume sugar but it wasn't overly sweet.  

The view on the "cruise" was pretty though.  Gaunghzou is very lit up at night. It also gave is a great view of Canton Tower which changes it's color and is the tallest structure in China.  EK wanted Matt only toward the end because she was getting sleepy.  There saw also a magician "show" that was probably only about 3-5 minutes long total.  It was funny because she came and danced in front of J and A and changed the color of her face several times.

There was a tall man during and after the show that kept videoing the boys (probably for 5 straight minutes).  Then he followed us out on deck and walked up to me with wide eyes and a Gomer Pyle smile.  I wasn't sure what to say, but smiled and said hello and then he attempted to start talking to us but didn't know one word of English.  He kept asking us questions and I don't know if he was speaking Mandarin or Cantonese. He kept trying over and over to where it was almost uncomfortable because he wouldn't give up.  I finally grabbed Kathy, our guide, and asked her to translate.  He just wanted to know where we were from, why we were adopting, etc.  He was mainly just curious. He said he wished we could adopt him so that he could go to America.  :)

It's hard to believe we have only one more full day left and then leave Thursday morning. The end of our trip has gone quickly because we've been so busy.  It certainly has been such an amazing trip.  I'm so thankful I have experienced Chinese culture, because I couldn't haven really known what it was like from just reading.  I feel like I truly have a better grip on Ellie Kay's people. I am so excited to take her home and yet I'm also sad for her to leave her own people - to be so far from her foster mother who showed her so much Iove.  I hope to bring her back someday so she can experience this with me when she'll remember.