We are home! Even though we feel a world away, China is still very close in our hearts. Both girls are asking when we can go back. I told them we need to get through the jet lag first! The girls seem to have picked up some hand foot and mouth on our travel home, with sores inside their mouths. Better here than while traveling.
I have so many memories that keep running through my head. When I do get to sleep, I dream about the little faces I met on this trip. We are all operating still on China time, up from about 2:00am on. I forgot how hard jetlag hits when traveling from east to west. It never seems as bad when going from west to east.
Some things that I won't forget are:
Seeing the two oldest orphans at Desheng SWI riding their bike up to the baby building with the biggest smile on their faces.
Chun Miao eating chicken head...the best part she says!
Watching my girls with their nanny who took them home when they were babies, giving them extra special love and care.
Seeing the children with CP, and working with their therapists to help them.
Being in room 308 at Desheng, and seeing all of the babies in that room.
Seeing the little one in room 306, climbing out of her crib!
Being atop the Great Wall and meeting the manager of Run DMC. He took our picture!
Being sopping wet in Desheng as we drove around to get finding site photos.
Riding in the rickshaw.
Seeing the old "great wall" of Desheng, traveling along the ancient road there, and seeing the ancient well.
Laughing with all of the girls of GGEF, and seeing them have so much fun.
Hearing Matthew share the bible with others.
Seeing the "suggestion" of crosswalks and traffic lights!
Watching water buffalo walk down the streets of Desheng.
Working with Xiao Xiao, giving examples and helping the presentations make sense in cultural terms.
Seeing snails for breakfast (nope, didn't try them!).
Getting greeted at 2:30 am in Hechi by familiar faces.
Seeing the older orphans of Nanning SWI becoming self sufficient by selling their beautiful jewelry.
Riding on South Lake at Dusk in Nanning, and going under the rainbow waterfall.
Seeing so many beautiful people who look like my daughters and knowing that this is the place where they are from.
People have asked me why I would travel half way around the world with a 3 year old and 6 year old to do this trip. The answer is simple. Life is short. I need to seize all opportunities placed in my path. I want to do all I can do to make sure my daughters grow up to love their beginnings. I love their beginnings, and am so grateful that I've been given the chance to give back in such a small way.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Heading home
Today we will begin the long trek home. Our flight is an evening flight, for which I am grateful. I hope that we will all sleep much of the flight back to the US. We are expected to arrive in Washington Dulles sometime around 9:30pm, and get back into Boston sometime around 11:45 pm on Tuesday.
I asked Katelyn today if she was ready to get home. She said no. Lianna is ready to get back, saying she misses everyone. Katelyn has a wonderful time here, and it was great to see her loving the country where she was born. We experienced so much in such a short time that I am sure we will be processing it for a long time to come.
Everything we did was beyond my expectations. The trainings at both Desheng and Nanning SWI's went incredibly well. Nanning asked me to come back the following day, to work with their children who have CP. I was able to do that, and they hoped I could join them again the next day, which was impossible. I love working together as a team to help children, so I was certainly in my element. The little ones were able to go into the baby rooms and play with small babies as I worked.
We also were able to play with the girls of the GGEF program in Desheng (www.ggef.org)which we support. It was so much fun to play duck duck goose, hula hoops, and parachute games. XiuLi and MengLu were there (the older orphans of Desheng) which was so amazing. These girls have such a sparkle in their eyes. I loved that they could play with the other girls, rather than being ostracized for being orphans. All of the girls had smiles much of the day, and we all hated to leave.
And so our time here in China is coming to an end, as all things must do. We're heading home. And we all are a bit different people after experiencing life here for the past few weeks.
Zai Jian! See you soon!
Cindy
I asked Katelyn today if she was ready to get home. She said no. Lianna is ready to get back, saying she misses everyone. Katelyn has a wonderful time here, and it was great to see her loving the country where she was born. We experienced so much in such a short time that I am sure we will be processing it for a long time to come.
Everything we did was beyond my expectations. The trainings at both Desheng and Nanning SWI's went incredibly well. Nanning asked me to come back the following day, to work with their children who have CP. I was able to do that, and they hoped I could join them again the next day, which was impossible. I love working together as a team to help children, so I was certainly in my element. The little ones were able to go into the baby rooms and play with small babies as I worked.
We also were able to play with the girls of the GGEF program in Desheng (www.ggef.org)which we support. It was so much fun to play duck duck goose, hula hoops, and parachute games. XiuLi and MengLu were there (the older orphans of Desheng) which was so amazing. These girls have such a sparkle in their eyes. I loved that they could play with the other girls, rather than being ostracized for being orphans. All of the girls had smiles much of the day, and we all hated to leave.
And so our time here in China is coming to an end, as all things must do. We're heading home. And we all are a bit different people after experiencing life here for the past few weeks.
Zai Jian! See you soon!
Cindy
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Great Wall
Today we explored the Great Wall. We took a private van from the hotel, well worth the money when traveling with young children. We stopped at the olympic venues, which were spectacular. Big papi puffin from SHED was very impressed with everything. The driver took us to an area of the wall which was less crowded, and which has a tram to bring people up to climb. It was fantastic. The weather was hot,but not unbearable. We spent about an hour and a half, which was just enough time. We did a little shopping. People told me my Chinese was good! It was fun.
Tonight we walked down to the Forbidden City and walked around the outside. Tomorrow we hope to head to the Zoo to see the pandas.
Zai Jian!
Cindy
Friday, June 20, 2008
Beijing
We are here in Beijing and going to the Great Wall this morning. We've got a private van since we've got young children who might not like to do all of the scheduled government shops before getting there that the tours offer. We'll then come back and see the olympic birds nest where the games will be held.
There is smog here in Beijing, something we didn't see as much of in beautiful Guangxi. Beijing is MUCH more modern than it was in 2002. I feel like we are in New York. Our hotel is surrounded by posh shops, and everything is much more expensive. It will be fun for the girls though to see some of the history here like the wall and the forbidden city but I think that all of our hearts are still in Guangxi.
There is smog here in Beijing, something we didn't see as much of in beautiful Guangxi. Beijing is MUCH more modern than it was in 2002. I feel like we are in New York. Our hotel is surrounded by posh shops, and everything is much more expensive. It will be fun for the girls though to see some of the history here like the wall and the forbidden city but I think that all of our hearts are still in Guangxi.
More photos
Three posts in one day!
Here are more photos before we are off to bed. These are of Desheng town, Yizhou city...including Big Papi Puffin meeting some of the locals :)
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