Our last full day in Guangzhou!

I thought I would take this time to make a top ten list.  2 actually.

Top Ten things we will miss about China:
-Authentic Chinese Food
-Monopoly money
-One on one time with Malia
-Fresh sheets every day.  This will never likely happen at home!
-Swimming in the pool at the White Swan
-Chinese driving (Joe will miss this, I will not).  It's like a game of frogger, even for pedestrians. 
-Piles of dumplings
-Being in our own little bubble world
-Joe will miss chopsticks and flip flops on a daily basis. 

Top Ten things we will NOT miss about China:
-Smelling like Chinese food 24/7
-Having people talk about us, in front of us, not understand what they are saying, while Malia understands   every word
-The food-while I love Chinese food, I think we're ready for a yummy burger and fries. 
-Living out of a suitcase and having our clothes not smell as fresh as we would like. 
-****Being away from the boys****Blaise crying on the phone this morning just about did me in
-Bad hair days.  The hotel blow dryers, despite being 220 volts, is not as high of wattage as home, so it takes me twice as long to do my hair and it still feels damp.  My flat iron, although dual voltage, doesn't get as hot either.  After the pool, in the afternoon, I just let it dry and look like a friz ball.  And I don't even care by that time!
-Hazy skies.  No true blue skies in China.  Not much wildlife either.  The guy at one of the shops said their wildlife was killed off about 50 years ago.  Probably a lot of truth in that.  No hunting laws were enforced.
-American beer (Joe)
-Sharing a bed with a 5 year old -(We may have a rough time at home, but we plan to work on this from day one when we get home).  Mommy and Daddy need alone time.
-Using water from water bottles.  We are looking forward to drinking water and brushing our teeth from the faucet.  It's the little things!

Monday in Guangzhou

Copying Daddy's pose in the elevator

Peace out!

The Brockway girls

Red couch photos.  We'll try again tomorrow!

Dried sea horses are good in soup?!  I'll pass!

Dried stuff of various types.  Mostly scarey!

Dried deer tendons!!  Yum?

I still wish I had gotten a picture of the guy on the bike, carrying a couch!

The herb and pet market, off the island

People looking for the best scorpions to fry up!  Eeeww!

This one's for Blaise.

Just a stray.  Lots of cats hanging out. 

In the pet market.  Not for food!

Better than a zoo!

bamboo scaffolding!

Sunday in Guangzhou

Sunday morning, we met our guide, Kelly, and went to the Chen Family Temple.  It was beautiful, but with all the antiques and precious things, it was not Malia's thing.  Who could blame her?  Who doesn't want to touch everything on the other side of the roped area?!  On the way there, we saw MANY Chinese children in the park outside the temple.  They were rehearsing for Children's Day, which is June 1st.  They were all in costumes and singing.  Different age groups took the stage and dances, while other children sang and waved sunflowers.  SO sweet and beautiful.  Many people gathered to watch.  It was hard to get a good picture because so many people were holding umbrellas, to keep the sun off them.  In the sun, it was definitely hot.  We're about the same latitude as Havana, Cuba. 

After we went to the temple, we went to the Pearl Market.  There were many stores that sold pearls and jade, but not that many that were reputable, from what we understand.  The ocean pearls were very expensive.  We bought a few things, but not being a pearl expert, I didn't feel that confident in spending too much money there. 

Sunday night, Kelly gave us directions to a lesser known restaurant on the island (where the locals go and her favorite spot).  There is a store called Jordan's and the hallway that leads to the back of the building, leads to a stairway.  You take the stairs to the 5th floor (no elevator) and there it is!  No English speaking workers, no English menu, no menu that I'm aware of.  Kelly wrote down some of her favorites and we gave the slip of paper to the older woman working there.  It was all made to order.  Kelly told us to help ourselves to the rice, which we did, once the food came, and to help ourselves to a beer from the fridge.  Thankfully, we had some tissues because no napkins were offered and they did give us some forks, but we're pretty good with chopsticks now.  It was the best Chinese food so far!  Hot peppers sauteed in garlic, potatoes cooked with green onions, some dumplings (not the best, but good), and some noodles with pork (ok, nothing special).  The peppers were AWESOME!  We ate those with the help yourself rice.  It was a late lunch and we ate and ate until we could barely move!  We couldn't even finish it all!  Malia loved the potatoes.  Wait until she tries some fried potatoes at home!  By the time we left, the workers were eating their lunch and they were closed.  We paid, told them it was delicious (I think they were in shock that we could say something in Chinese), and thanked them.  Paying in China is easy because if you can't understand what they tell you, every shop and store has a calculator.  They'll just punch in how much you owe.  This meal was about 35 yuan (less than $6). 

Every afternoon, we spend in the pool.  We have a girl who LOVES the water, loves the pool!  She giggles and laughs and screeches almost nonstop in the pool!  I think I might be going deaf from all the screaching!  Girls are louder than boys!  Or at least our girl is!  She is going to really boss those brothers around and tell them the way it is!  I hope they're ready!  She demands attention and enjoys being the center of attention. 

In the evening, we went for a walk.  We walked by the church, here on the island.  I wanted to go in, but the service had started and I wasn't sure.  It's a Christian church.  As we walked to the other side of it, we heard them singing "How Great Thou Art", in Chinese.  It brought tears to my eyes.  One of my favorites and never have the words rang more true.  He is great indeed!  Joe and I both feel that Malia is perfect for our family and it feels like we've had her forever already.  

We found a little shop around the corner from the church.  I think it was called Susan's.  The owner or proprietor, Dong, made us some tea-Dragon Well tea (from Hangzhou, Malia's province) and some Chinese green tea.  Both were good.  We sat at the little wooden table and stools that were like small stumps.  We shopped around and ordered some CHOPS for Malia, Nolan, and Blaise.  The CHOPS are a stamp with their English name and their Chinese characters.  You dip it in an ink pad and can sign your name with it.  Kinda cool.  We need to go back today/tonight and pick them up.  It only takes a day for them to carve it for you.  The top of the CHOPS is the animal of their birth year.  The 3 kids all have different animals.  I can't remember who has what, but they're pretty cool.  Dong is the one who makes the CHOPS.  We enjoyed talking to him.  He was very social, speaks English well, and you can tell he loves kids.  The shop owners are all so friendly.  Of course, adoptive families are their money makers. 

Saturday continued.....M

Marie, Dave, and Abby.  From Michigan!  YAY!

Joe had a beer at lunchtime.  That makes for a happy daddy!

Orange Fanta makes for happy girl!

Trying to blow on the beer bottle like daddy does.

Trying to hit mommy with the ball on a string is funny!

SO close!  But mommy's quick!