Time in Guanzhou

I'll start with something funny.  Lily had diarrhea the night before last, and when Tim talked to our guide here, Cordelia, she asked if Lily was tucked in well.  She said it might be that Lily got cold air in through her belly button!  I'm being serious!!  So, last night we made sure to tuck that child in really well.  Tim said he might try to patent the belly-button warmer.  Do you think Patagonia or North Face would be interested?  They are really funny about staying warm here.  They think it is healthy to be warm-hot. 

 

Cordelia is great.  She's really sweet and very organized which is highly appreciated by me.  Tim's pretty good with the go with the flow, but I really like to know times, details, etc, and Cordelia has provided that very well.  When she met us at the airport, she gave us a sheet with our weekly plans, times, and all that we would need at each meeting.  She's also just sweet.  It's a pleasant change from Hangzhou. 

She is not a believer, but she says that she respects all religions.  We have not had much time with her one on one.  There are four Faith International families here now, so we have been in a larger group, usually with 2 of these families.

 

I know I've already told you that I like our room, but I just have to say, when you're living out of suitcases, space and cleanliness can make a HUGE difference, and the Japanese suite is the way to go at the Victory Hotel in Hangzhou!  Before coming to China, I tried to do some hotel research online, and that's how I picked this hotel out of my choice b/t this one and the White Swan.  I did remember seeing that one of the hotels I researched had a sketchy salon - that really it was more of a brothel, and I think this hotel might be the one.  Needless to say, we're not getting massages, although Tim said the other night when he crossed the street to the 7-11 he had several offers of "massage by pretty girl."  (There is an exterior entrance and an interior entrance to the hotel salon/spa.)  I'm telling you it is a different world.  I know it happens in the states, but not openly and actively quite like it does here.

 

Our past couple of days have been really nice.  The family we spent time with in Hangzhou met up with us Monday.  We went to the antique market which wasn't great, but the rest of the day was great.  They can speak Mandarin, so they were able to take us to a great Chinese restaurant here and order.  Luca asked for a private dining room which required that you spend at least $100 US dollars.  We had 9 people b/t the 2 families, so this wasn't asking too much.  We had this great private room, and the kids could run around a little, and we had way too much food and a huge variety...  Meg tried pigeon head - you don't really eat the head, but the head is still attached, and you eat the meat that is around the neck.  That is probably the craziest food eaten here.  (I hope!)  We had broccoli, scallops, fried noodles and rice, pork, spare ribs (they didn't look like ours),  sticky rice and meat wrapped in lotus leaves, wontons, spring rolls, dim sum, etc.  I probably only named 1/2 of what was served.  It was lots of fun.  Then we went back to their hotel and let the kids swim together.  They are staying at a really swanky hotel called the Garden Hotel.  The spa there was SO nice, but they are paying about twice as much as we are, and they are a cab drive away from all the stuff around here, and, we got to see their room and it's really not much nicer than what we are in.  After our swim, we took a cab back here and met the Nashville family for dinner at the Thai restaurant, Cow and Bridge.  The food was not my favorite, but the conversation was a blessing!  That made it sound like we had theological conversation, when really we talked about bluegrass music, Allison Krauss, Franklin, TN, Ole Miss and State...and it was so much fun!  I needed some southern talk!  Lots of people here are from NY, Chicago, Oregon, Washington, etc.  I got some ya'll talk!

 

Tuesday we met our guide and 2 of the other Faith Families and went to Safari Park.  IT WAS INCREDIBLE!  The only thing that kept is from being a perfect day was the heat.  Probably around 95 degrees, humid, and very little was air conditioned.  In spite of the heat, it was great!  We rode about a 20-30 minute safari and saw elephants, tigers, emus, bears, lions, all sorts of deer, peacocks, swans, and other animals.  They weren't separated from us by any barrier, and while we're watching, trainers are out feeding them, so the animals were up and active.  Really, it was fascinating.  Then you walk through other areas like a zoo.  The girls got to feed giraffes and elephants.  We all touched an elephant and had our picture taken with it.  They held a baby white tiger.  There was an animal nursery where we saw baby monkeys, tigers, bears, goats, etc.  We saw baby tigers being fed with a bottle.  We saw Koala bears, Panda bears, etc.  And, I bet we only did about 1/2 or less.  If we hadn't been with the group, I know we could have spent more time here.  There was a little amusement area with a carousel and other rides. And you could ride on an elephant.  I know our girls would have loved all of that, but I guess our guide didn't want to include that.  That was probably our favorite day in China!

 

Wednesday was our first day to get to sleep in.  We do have to get up by about 8:30 to make it to breakfast though.  Yesterday we had to stay in our room from 10:15-12:15 (morning) while Cordelia met with the consulate.  Then we got out, had lunch and shopped around here.  We had group pictures last night and a group dinner.  I was cranky yesterday b/c we had agreed that the group dinner would be at Lucy's, but Cordelia said she had to do at it the Thai place due to seating.  We ended up at this long table.  I was at the very end and only spoke to my family b/c I was too far to visit w/ anyone else.  I was not a happy camper.  I tried to remind myself that the Bible says to do everything without grumbling or complaining.  It's getting hard.  I'm really ready to go home, and I'm really missing MK and Annie.  Soon.  Soon.  Soon.  (And I won't have to do Thai anymore.  Did I mention that at the Thai restaurant you have to buy your napkins and they aren't even really napkins?  you get tissues!  All of you who know how I am frugal will enjoy this - I took my roll of toilet paper with us last night!  Radical.)

 

Today we have a consulate meeting at 2:15 p.m.  We're about to get out and do a little more shopping.  It's really more of looking.  We've made a few purchases, but not many.  Even though things are pretty cheap here, a lot of it is made cheaply, and a lot of it is stuff I would throw out in another 6 months to a year.  I just did major cleaning/nesting b/f we left, and I don't want to bring home a bunch of unnecessary stuff.  Trying to live "Radical."

 

Right now, Lily is beside the couch (her bed here) playing with her American girl doll.  It's so cute!  She just caught me staring at her and burst into her mile-wide grin!  It's so cute!!  I can't wait to see Annie, Molly Kate and her together!  I think we are going to have lots of tea parties, dress-up, etc.  Poor Tim in a few years!!  Maybe you should all just keep him on a permanent prayer list.  Do you think Temple would add him to the prayer list for living with 5 girls, his wife, a female dog and cat?

 

Oh, I have to tell you that she is calling me "mama" now.  Did I already blog that?  It's so hard to remember.

 

Thanks for your prayers.  We love you.  MM