Guangzhou - Day Four

My favorite sign so far, but there are others.

A primary school gym class Monday morning.

Georgia drying her nails in our hotel room .

The Pearl River outside our hotel room, not flooding as of today.

Today Elliott and I went on a walk, alone, and he asked me, "do you like it here?" I said, "Yes. I'm surprised because I didn't think that I would." "Me too," Elliott said. "I like it here too."

We've grown acclimated to the humidity so that it is no longer unbearable but simply tropical, and it's hard not to like a place in which the people treat us like royalty. We're staying at the "baby hotel," as its called by the local people, because it is filled with so many Americans adopting Chinese infants. The Chinese love American dollars, so we're fawned over everywhere. It makes me a little uncomfortable, really.

We have a driver at our beck and call whenever we need to go anywhere, and a guide who will lead us there. Because of the heavy rain, an umbrella appears every time we step out of a car. Each day that we've been here, we've had to travel to the civil affairs office to complete paperwork, and the driver pulls into an alley and rushes us into the building and up a back elevator. I'm not sure what the big deal is, but it seems like our guides are trying to keep us out of sight.

Anna (Song Song) is attaching to us very quickly. Today she cried when I walked out of sight, and she runs to us and hugs us several times a day. She laughs constantly. Shoe falls off? Hilarious! Underpants on head? What could be funnier? Whooo hee whaaaa whooo weeeeee!!!!

Song Song is also extremely fastidious. When she eats something with her hands - which is often as she is a toddler - every ten seconds or so she holds her hands out to me, palms up, so I will wipe off her hands with a cloth. It's a little like serving Charles I. She is a funny, funny, girl, and while I didn't think it would be possible to eclipse Georgia's activity level, Anna might be able to do it. We're in for another couple of years of running to keep a toddler out of traffic.

But Song Song must think we're mildly retarded because the only things we can say in Mandarin are "Ni Hau" (sp?) which means, "Hi," and "Nyau nyau (sp?) which means pee pee.

Tomorrow, which is really our fifth day here because I didn't write on the third day, we're going shopping. I can't wait. Jewelry and electronics. Maybe some baby clothes and toys for Anna and Georgia. More American dollars flowing.