Cloissone Factory and Great Wall

We did so well on our fist full day here, and I really thought we would have no issues adjusting to the time change / jet lag. Well, today it hit us HARD. Late last night we both started feeling a little queasy and thought maybe we ate something at dinner that we shouldn't have (James was the only one who ate the snails, so we couldn't blame that). We had a hard time sleeping and then had to be ready to leave for our tours by 8 am. We made it through breakfast just fine, but the rest of the day was tough. We checked with the families that had eaten with us - two of the poeple had the same exact meal as I did. They were feeling fine. We've been super careful not to drink the water, and have even boiled what we've used to brush our teeth. So with all of that considered, we decided it couldn't be a food related problem. Off we went, and the bus ride didn't help much. We sat in the very front seat, which was probably a good thing. We weren't really queasy anymore, just really, really tired. We brought along tons of drinks and spent the day drinking as much water as possible hoping that would reenergize us. Luckily, although we weren't feeling great, we were able to enjoy our touring and even climb a section of the GREAT WALL.

Our first stop was at the Cloissone Factory where they make these amazing vases, jewelry, and other things out of copper and then paint them with these beautiful and very intricate designs. The process was amazing to watch, and it literally takes days to complete each single piece because of all the polishing they have to do. We got to do a little shopping afterwards.

The next stop was the Great Wall. This was completely surreal - the whole time you're thinking "There's no way I'm really here." The views from the wall were breathtaking, and it was incredible to see it up close and see all the detail in it. It helps you realize how much work and time it took to put this thing together. We took a cable car up and then got to walk around a section of the wall. Did I mention it was absolutely freezing up there?? We have like four layers of clothes on and we still were freezing. Thankfully we had brought "hot hands". That really made a difference.

On our way back for the Great Wall we stopped at a local restaurant. It is a set menu and they bring the food to your table and put it on this giant lazy susan. Then the whole group gets to eat from each of the plates, just spinning it around and selecting what you would like. Of course, you get your own little plate to serve it on. Wish I could tell you how the food was, but James and I were too tired to even eat much. It did look great, though.

The restaurant was inside this building that was also a jade warehouse. They had rows upon rows of jade pieces, ornaments, and decorations for sale, as well as many other art forms. After a little shopping, it was time to head home. They drove us past the Bird's Nest, but James and I were out like lights by then and didnt get to see it. Everyone said it was at a distance anyways, and you couldn't get a good look.

By this time, we had decided we were just jet lagged and needed to get some sleep. We got back to our hotel room and hopped right into bed. Slept until 9:45, when the alarm woke us and reminded us it was time to call home.

Please pray that we'll have more energy tomorrow, and that we can enjoy our last full day of touring. I think with as much sleep as we've gotten today, we should be just fine. Tomorrow we'll be visiting the Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, and getting a Hutong Tour. Some of the families leave tomorrow night to fly to their children's province, but we don't leave until Monday.

Roast Duck and Escargot

All the pictures for today are on the post below.

Orientation was great this morning. It was so nice to get to know all the other families adopting this week from our agency, and to hear a little bit of their stories. I was almost in tears hearing about all these kids that are being adopted - most of them are older children, meaning 5 years old or older. Our guide, Shiyan, said this is the largets group our agency has had here at one time in about 5 years. We got all the details of what will happen next week, when we will be meeting our children, etc.... I am very glad to have one family going to the same province we're going to.... it's good to be doing each step with someone else.

After orientation we took a break, and I was able to catch a short nap. Meanwhile, James was very excited to figure out that every episode of Pokemon ever made is available to view online. So guess what he did while I napped???

We met back up with our group at 2 o'clock to walk down to a local supermarket. That was an adventure in itself. Crossing a street in Beijing is not for the faint of heart. Shiyan had warned us that we needed to assume people would NOT stop for us, because, well, they won't. Luckily, with a group this big, we just swarmed the road at the same time and they had no choice but to stop. But I can't imagine doing it alone.......

We had fun selecting interesting looking snacks to keep in the room and to tote around for the next couple of days. Stocked up on Diet Coke and Sprite. We also bought some snacks to bring for Abby that Shiyan suggested - she said all children in China loved this particular things. She also said it's a great idea to bring snacks to gotcha day, because it helps keep the kids distracted and frankly just makes them happy!! We didn't want to buy too much, though, because we do have to catch another flight to get to her.

Then it was back to the rooms, and we used this break to go down to the business center and make some copies that we will need on Monday.

At 4:30, we all met back up and went to the acrobatic show. The show was fantastic - everyone was SO talented. The guide said that most of them got started training at around age 2 or 3. Amazing!!! Unfortunately, they did not allow pictures or video during the show.

We had planned on walking down to a local restaurant that Shiyan had recommended, but it was so cold by the time we got back we didn't feel like walking anywhere. Instead, we ate the "special menu" at the hotel restaurant. For about $8 (total, no tax or tip or anything else on top of it), you get to select a 4 course meal from 3 different choices. I, of course, chose the very safe chicken breast plate. James, on the other hand, decided to keep true to his promise to his dad and be adventurous. He went for the roasted Peking duck, with an appetizer of SNAILS. He ate every bite, too. I was proud of him!!

Now we're pretty tired and wanting to rest up for tomorrow. We have to meet our group at 8am to head off to the Cloissone Factory and the Great Wall. This tour includes a stop for lunch, which will actually be pretty late in the day. I'm excited because we won't have to buy any meals tomorrow, between the included breakfast buffett and that lunch. So excited to see the Great Wall!!!!!

Oh - and someone told us how to get on blogger, so I can see my page now - and my comments, too!!

First Day

Today will be our first full day in China.  We got a pretty good night's sleep last night; went to bed at right before 8pm and woke up at 6 am this morning.  Our internal clocks must've told us it was time to get up because we knew the breakfast buffet started at 6.  We enjoyed every bit of it, and were definitely hungry after going to sleep so early and not eating anything since our last meal on the plane.     They had an awesome variety of food, and we started off with plates of fried rice, fried noodles, and dumplings.  It was pretty surreal to be in China eating real Chinese food. They also had some fresh fruit, and we did remember to stay away from anything that would've been washed (no apples, etc...) and stuck to watermelon and oranges.  Then we found the omelette bar - very nice to have a touch of home.  I was also very pleased to see the waitress come by with coffee - what a relief!!!  We tried to eat as much as we could as I'm not sure what are options are the rest of the day.  At orientation they will tell us where there is  a little supermarket where we can stock up on snacks, etc....  Our room does  have a mini fridge, but we're trying to stay away from the $4 bottles of Evian, etc..   We have our orientation at 10, and then the acrobatic show in the afternoon.  The next two days after that are jam-packed, with visits to the Great Wall, the Cloissone Factory, Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City, and a Hutong Tour.  Today will probably be our most restful day.  We're actually surprised that we're not totally wiped out, but I think the adrenaline does keep you going when you're on the trip of a lifetime.  We're really glad that we're doing the Beijing tour, which the adoption agency recommends as a way to know your child's country and get a taste of their culture.  I love that I will be able to share the pictures and some of the history with Abby - and maybe someday we get to bring her here too!!!   I'm posting some pictures of the view from our hotel room window.  I'm not sure if they'll show up on the top of the page or the bottom, and I can't see my blog from here - I have to email my entries in.  I'm sure you'll all figure it out.  I haven't gotten any other pictures yet just because we were rushing so much at the airport yesterday.  Once we start touring, I'll be posting a lot more.   And to my  sweeties at home - I love you and miss you and I'm thinking about you every minute!!!!!!

We're Here

We made it to Beijing, being very blessed to have had no issues.   We're exhausted - it was a super long flight, but everything went very smoothly.    We've already met two families from our travel group, and there's supposed to be a total of 26 families here this weekend.   Tomorrow: Orientation (we're told what to expect when we travel to our children's provinces next week) Acrobatic Show   I will post some pictures later - James took  a few with his DSi while we waited for our guide at the airport and on his ride in.   Beijing, by the way, is MASSIVE.  We drove almost an hour from the airport, and it was all through the actual city - huge buildings everywhere!!   OK - I really must go to sleep now.  Maybe tomorrow I'll feel halfway awake and can fill in more details, and add some pictures.   Thank you to all who prayed about our flights out.

God IS SOOOOOOOOO Good

Yes, he is so, so good. Our Skype is up and fully running, video both ways!!!! I knew I'd be able to communicate, but up until this morning I wouldn't be able to see the kids at home. Now it's all working. I've been working on this issue for several weeks, and had been praying about it for days. I love that He cares about the little details, about the things that to others might seem so insignificant. And it's a great reminder that He's with us on this journey (as He always is).

Thank you God!!!!!

Almost Time

Today was a blur.
Three games of basketball, thankfully all in a row.
One trip to Wally's World for birthday cake, ice cream, and presents.
One little birthday party for a very cute now TWO year old, who grinned from ear to ear and actually blew out his candle.
An entire evening cleaning out the girls' room. (Wow - the girls' room. I like the plural).
Somewhere in there I also organized little man's closet.
And read two chapters of Anne of Green Gables with a certain eight year old. Hoping to get done before I leave, but with 99 pages to go it's not looking so good.
Sadly, no time for Killer Bunnies or Settlers of Catan today. Maybe tomorrow. In between church, picking up Grandma from the airport, and shopping for last minute things for the trip.
I guess I'll just sleep on the plane.