a few more photos

A few more photos...

more village photos

More photos...

A new perspective

All I can say about today was Wow!  I have a whole new perspective on China and her people.  This morning we boarded our comfortable, air conditioned bus and drove about 50 minutes outside Nanning to the countryside.  As we left the city, the scenery quickly changed and became what we'd been seeing in the coffee table books, a world so different from anything we had ever seen before.  I will put several pictures on but since we can't see the blog I won't be able to label them.  Some of the photos need no explanation.

Imagine the heat index near 100 degrees, it's an overcast muggy day, everywhere you look things are very tropical and green.  Karsts, as the mountains are called, seem to just erupt from the earth in sporadic places unlike the mountain ranges that we have in the U.S.  They are very green, some thickly covered with trees, others more sparse.  Our guide points out a field of short plants, about 3 foot high, tapioca, used here to make ethanol.  Rows of corn here and there, not huge fields of it, just enough to sustain livestock, perhaps.  And rice paddies.  The rice is harvested twice a year, July and November so much of the rice paddies are now just standing water. 

Our bus slows down and we take a left turn.  We come to a stop next to an awning under which are two large cages, one with ducks, the other with chickens.  There is a large pot over a fire and a woman plucking the white feathers off of a duck.  We are told that this is a village market and we can walk around here and will then walk to the village.  As we exit the bus, we are greeted by a woman, probably in her late 30's holding a baby boy who appears to be about the age of our girls.  She is waving his arm and smiling.  We all wave back.  These people are part of the Zhuang ethnic group of China.  Most of the people in Guangxi Province are of this descent. 

The market runs along two streets, there are meat vendors in the center and vegetable vendors along the sides.  The meats are lying on tables under a roof (remember the heat index is near 100).  The vegetables are stunning; the carrots are huge!  They sell celery, eggplant, corn, tomatoes and a few other things we'd never seen before.  Everyone is very friendly even though they know we are not there to buy from them, we're just there to experience.

The smells remind us of manure.  We see more cages of chickens, there are eggs and small pigs.  We hear a rooster but don't actually see him. 

We follow our guide to the village where these people live.  Along the less than one lane road, we see the rice paddies...this is the China we had been longing to see...this is potentially like the place where Katie was born.  There are areas where the rice plants are about 6-8 inches tall.  These plants are being transplanted, painstakingly (back breakingly), a handful at a time.  They are plucked out of the mud in one spot and transplanted into the mud in another spot, allowing them more space to grow.  (Daniel and I are thinking there has to be an easier, more automated way...John Deere could help out here but I doubt that they'd make a fortune.)   Are there rice futures like there are corn futures?

Anyway there are several people working up to their knees in the different rice patties.  We can see a water buffalo pulling something that we couldn't see as it was in the water.  It was turning up the mud, preparing for the next planting of rice.  There are elderly ladies with long pieces of wood, carrying buckets on either end, they nod and smile as we pass by. 

We come to a small pond where there are a few ladies scrubbing clothes.  This area is fed by an underground spring where they also get their drinking water.  It too looks like backbreaking work.  The scenery is beautiful, the sun is hot, the work is hard. 

We enter into the village, first we come to their village meeting place, this is where they gather to discuss village matters.  There are several people sitting around, all seem very friendly and ok that we are here to see where they live.  Our guide tells us that they are welcoming, they know who we are and why we are here and they are glad that we have come.  We wander down the main road, again it is less than one lane wide.  Occasionally we are met by someone on a mo-ped. 

Their homes are very modest, made from brick.  There are piles of building materials in several places.  These materials are waiting to be used.  Each family has their own tiny piece of land on which their house stands, there is no room to expand outwards so they expand upwards.  They save their money and build as they can, many homes have second and third stories, many of which have the holes for windows but no actual windows.  Our guide tells us that they do live in those parts of their homes even without windows.  Several generations will live together.  Men and their wives take care of his parents. This is why having a son is so important in rural China as any daughter is going to marry, leave and will be expected to care for her husband's parents and not her own.

We have been told that the one child policy in the villages is not really observed much by the government for a few different reasons.  When China initiated this policy, part of the incentive to not have more than one child was to avoid the disciplinary action set forth by the government.  This could either be a fine or one could lose his job.  In rural China, farmers own their land so the government can't take that away.  Plus farmers need more than one child to help do the farming.  They are actually allowed two children here. Interestingly enough, many villagers still take the one child policy seriously and will still follow it.

We go to the end of the road and then turn back towards the bus.  Our guide wants to show us a nearby garden.  This garden is dedicated to the Zhuang people.  There are girls dressed in traditional dress, they are just lovely.  We are greeted by a small band, if you will.  And then on to some people with long bamboo poles who are using them in rhythm.  It is a tradition to hop through the bamboo poles without messing up the rhythm.  Next we are greeted by young ladies who offer us sticky rice wine.  It's very sweet and very tasty!  We enter a large covered area where we sit to have a traditional Zhuang snack including hot tea made from bamboo, ginger and brown sugar...it's wonderful!  Although it would be more satisfying cold on such a warm day.

We learn how they make sticky rice wine and then head back to the bus.  On the way, we see the white monkeys that live here in Guangxi.  We had been warned not to have any food in our hands as the monkeys would swoop down and take the food away.  Yes, they are wild and not in cages.  Somewhere a few of them have found apples and they sit and eat and watch us as we watch them.

Back on the bus, headed back to Nanning.  Wow.  This experience was exactly what we had really wanted, what we had needed to see for Katie.

I wish I could label these photos as I put them up but the government is not allowing blogging...we're getting around it somewhat. 

Enjoy!!

--the original post had 18 photos attached, that didn't work so I'll try to post the rest later

The Zoo, Wal-Mart and food

[Daniel]

Transformation
We went to the zoo today in Nanning.  It was hot and the babies were hot also so we only stayed a few hours.  It was an interesting place.  On the drive to the zoo the neighborhoods were a mixture of what I would consider old and run-down to new modern apartment complexes.  It's not that there was a neighborhood with newer buildings and then one with older -- many of the neighborhoods were being transformed.  Like you could almost see the new apartment buildings standing 10-20 (maybe more) stories ready to consume the adjacent 1-3 level buildings.

The zoo was the same.  There were sections with structures being torn down... Many of them just had a single rope keeping the visitors out.  Some of the demolition seems to have been halted -- no workers, no tools; like they just stopped one day.  An amusement and water parks were activity be built next to the zoo.  The track for some of the roller coasters were up, excavating equipment and workers where busy.  We saw a lion show and a seal and dolphin show...much like any you may see in the US.  The aged show arenas were packed with people and everyone seemed to enjoy.  With the transformation underway I would expect those arenas to be replaced in a few years.

Wal-Mart
There is a Wal Mart a few blocks from our hotel.  It's in the basement of a shopping mall.  One of the first things I wanted to do was read the labels for ... "Made in...".  I don't know why I though I'd be able to read the labels.  :)  It has a look and feel of a Wal Mart... many busy shoppers, same colors, smiley face.  A few differences...

- All four wheels of the shopping cars caster.  If you are meeting someone... No need to pick the back of the cart up; just push it to the side.

- Many people to assist and providing product demonstrations.  In some sections there are Wal Mart employees just standing watching and waiting to help.  Standing relaxed but straight, not leaning on anything with arms at side or hands cupped in front.

- Food.  Eggs not refrigerated.  Bulk rice.  Large selection of sea food -- displayed to be appealing but has the opposite effect on me.

- Benches in the book section like in Borders and people using them.  Benches in front of the wall of TVs for sale and people watching TV.


Food
I've enjoyed the food.  I've tried items I would never had the opportunity otherwise.  But I miss American food.  We've ordered room service a few times as they have western items.  Ordered cheese burger, got a dry triple bread grilled cheese.  Ordered a club sandwich, got a club with turkey, heavily spiced meat.  Debbie ordered just a plain hamburger, the texture just wasn't right... stringy??  The hotel has a western cafe and breakfast is included in our room.  It's just a few hours until breakfast.  I'll get my usual.  Fried noddles, rice with eggs, bread and OJ.  There is much more but breakfast is not the time for adventure for me.  I don't like floppy bacon, half cooked eggs/omelets, an anemic sausage labeled "bowel".

The point of this trip is not dinning enjoyment.  I got my Pizza Hut card yesterday... So, I'm going to rack up the points now so I can get some free bread stix when we're back home.

Nanning

Our days continue here in Nanning.  Today we visited the local zoo.  It was interesting as all of the animals are from south China.  So now when we go to the zoos in the U.S., we can relate to where these animals are from.  We saw a tiger show, they appeared to be some very frisky tigers and the heat index was 100 degrees, so I can imagine that they are a bit moody.   I know I was--as was Katie!

We also watched the seal and dolphin show.  We seemed to be as much of a spectacle as the dolphins themselves.  We were by far the only white people there.  Some people would smile at the babies.  One little girl even came up to one of the mom's and asked if she could have her picture taken with her, of course, she was very willing.  I would by lying if I said that we were completely comfortable there.

It was amazing how close we could get to the animals.  You could, if you were stupid, literally reach your arm out and touch the cages of tigers!!!!  I've never been so close so wild animals!

Katie has latched on to me and will not let Daniel hold her anywhere but in the hotel.  I'm not sure what's up with that but she just screams!  It's hard to know at this stage how much to let her get away with.  She has had so many changes this week and has been incredibly stressed.  Learning to trust us has got to be overwhelming for her.  Finally we are getting some smiles out of her and an occasional laugh.  One of the other families little girls is having a really hard time, she is very afraid of strangers, they even opted to stay at the hotel today.  I know it's been rough on them.  The other two little girls are definitely more attached to their mommy's as well.  Daniel seems to be ok with it, I offered to leave the room for a little while so he could have some time with Katie by himself and he told me that they would both be in tears if I did that! 

Katie sleeps very well.   She still isn't eating super great.  At the orphanage she was only getting bottles of formula with rice cereal added.  I have tried many times to get her to eat rice cereal or applesauce and she seems to not know what to do with the food once it's in her mouth.  I don't believe she's ever been fed with a spoon.  She did eat a couple of tiny bites of Daniel's banana bread this morning at breakfast. 

Crawling doesn't seem to be in her future either.  Sam never crawled, he just scooted and then started walking.  I have a feeling we're headed down the same path.  She doesn' t like to be on the floor at all.  I had her on the bed with me this afternoon and she was using me as a jungle gym, it was the most active she's been and she seemed to love it.  She figured out she could stand up while holding onto my hands.  We could see the excitement on her face when she realized what she had done.  She's definitely progressing developmentally already.  It's amazing what a lot of love and attention can do for a child who has not had what she's needed.

Katie and Daniel are both sleeping.  We're meeting the rest of our group in a little while for dinner.  Along with our guide who is going to help us order some foods that aren't pigeon or dog (did I mention they do eat the latter here?)  I hope that we haven't had any!

I'll attach some photos of our day.

One of God's Blessings...

There's nothing else to say...we are blessed!

Getting attached

Apparently we are getting attached, which is a great thing!!  Katie is ok with either one of us but will get upset if she can't see me, which is good but a little tiring.  She is starting to smile at us and has even laughed a couple of times.  She's so cute in the clothes that we brought.  We chose wisely on the sizes, mostly 6-9 months but they fit now so they won't last long!

We completed her adoption this morning, so it is official, she is ours forever!!

We went to Wal-Mart this afternoon which was incredibly fascinating.  I'll attach some photos. We were the only Caucasians in the store.  We got a few glances but no one seemed to mind that we were there.  Our guide told us that the locals here are very curious about us but once they know why we're here, they understand and are glad that we can give the babies their own families.

I noted that eggs are not refrigerated here.  We haven't been eating the eggs because we weren't sure plus they don't typically cook them completely.  The same with milk, I would give a lot for a glass of milk but the sign on the milk dispenser in the restaurant states "fresh milk" what exactly does this mean?  We don't know plus it's not very cold.  I'll wait until we get home!

We're both craving salads but wouldn't dare eat uncooked vegetables.  There's a Pizza Hut nearby, we've been there twice in two days, it's very good.  They gave a frequent diner's card!!!!!!! 

The hotel provides new toothbrushes and toothpaste everyday if you need it.  While I was giving Katie her bath in the sink this morning, she latched on to one of the new toothbrushes.  If we would let her, I'm sure she would carry it around all day!  She puts the handle part in her mouth and chews on it; she's trying to cut some new teeth!

Overall things are going well.  We're here until Friday when the girl's passports should be ready.  Then we fly to Guangzhou, our final stop before heading home.