more from Hong Kong

This may well be our last post from this trip. The weather has been absolutely awful today. We were saying that we are usually incredibly lucky with weather and have not had a whole days rain in Asia before. But we have now. Think mum and dad brought it over from Britain. So we did a bus tip to the South of the island this morning then sat having a coffee looking at the thunderstorm. Yesterday was rainy too, but it cleared up enough to have a bit of a walk out, when we met up with mum and dad later. Posting a couple of photos.

Oh to be in Hong Kong

Main point of this blog entry is photos as we have a good fast internet connection. So.... one of Anna-li asleep (blessarr). Mai looking out over the Yangzti. ONe of the girls at the zoo posing. Finally on of daughter No2 and dad in the play room at the Holiday Inn, Chongqing (it was raining).

Been out this morning on one of the old trams in HK to a couple of streeets selling toys and clothes and bought some chinese dresses for Li-li. Going round the pool this afternoon doing the holiday thing (first day that has really felt like a holiday when we haven't had disscussions about visas, documents, consulates and stuff) Getting some lunch round the pool (dead relaxing) and then off to Kowloon to meet Lorna's mum and dad.

In Hong Kong

Sitting in the Pacific Coffee Company adjacent to our hotel in Hong Kong. It's good being able to pop in here, have a coffee and use the internet free. Having said that Gary's letter to the manager at the Marriott in Chongqing to complain about not being able to access certain sites on their broadband system and also that the download speed was slow, did result in them not charging us for using it at all - so that was a real bonus.

Said a farewell to our friends today and set off for the airport. We couldn't fit our luggage in a normal taxi, so had to hire the hotel car. Anna-li was quite good on the plane - especially when topped up with milk. Loads of the passengers were playing with her. One man wanted to pick her up and carry her off for a walk. Think that it was the first flight for a group of passengers, as they were all so excited coming into land, they got out of their seats to have a look out of the window., totally ignoring the seatbelt signs. In some ways they ignore rules, in other ways they have so many silly ones. Like Gary and Mai being told to get up when they were sitting down in a shopping centre so Mai could eat her ice cream. We've learnt to laugh in disbelief, as arguing doesn't get us anywhere.

Think we entertained the staff at the airport as Mai gave her crusts from her ham sandwich in to go through to be screened at the luggage check. They took a photocopy of Anna-li's British visa page - think it was the first they had seen from an adopted child.

Text mum and dad and got a text back to say that they were having a drink at the airport waiting to fly out.

Off to finish my coffee now.

leaving tomorrow

Just packed a lot of the things to see if we need to go out and buy another bag toorrow morning. Think we will just manage. Doesn't matter how long we stay somewhere we could always do with another day or two. There is so much more to see and do, but it will have to wait for our return visit. The aim is to come back and visit Anna-li's orphanage in a few years. The director said we would be very welcome. We spent much of the day buying bits and pieces like Chinese books and CDs / DVDs, and a few clothes. Bought Anna-li, who we call Li-Li now, a Chinese New Year year special edition barbie doll for when she's a bit older (we'll have to hide it from Mai).

Looking forward to having a decent cafe latte in Hong Kong. Despite ordering a few here they haven't seemed to be lattes. In fact the one today didn't even have milk in it. (I'm sure by the time we come back here there wil be several Starbucks here. One has just opened but it'sin a different part of the city.)

So it's time to test out Anna-li's passport and visa and hope they let her into Hong Kong. (As a Chinese citizen she should be able to stay up to 7 days in Hong kong without a visa. ) Bye for now from mainland China.

last but one day in China

Just a short one tonight. Had a really busy day, spending most of it with friends who are out here adopting too. It's fantastic to be able to support each other and compare notes, and Mai has had a really good session or two playing. Been shopping and bought a few chinese kids books - oh and more barbie clothes. Went out to an interesting Chinese restaurant tonight, one of those where you picked your own poor fish. You can tell who is writing this as Gary ate it!

Only one more whole day left before we leave. Thought we wouldn't find enough to keep us occupied but it's been quite the opposite. Would be perfectly happier staying longer. Oh well, at least we have our short stopover in Hong Kong before we get back to reality.

second week

writing this listening to a lullaby CD we used for Mai (it never worked) Seems Mai might have had a quiet word with Anna-Li on how to try and get picked up out of the cot. Seriously she now seems not to want to be on her own. She will go to sleep on the bed but scream when put down into the cot. It is the only time she does cry like this. Maybe she doesn't want to be left incase we aren't there when she wakes up- Maybe she's just playing the system. who knows.

We're had an interesting weekend. Yesterday we went for a long walk down to the harbour to where the two rivers meet, picking up a tiny cheap pushchair from Carrefour on the way. We got even more stares than usual when Mai decided it was her turn-she squeezed into it and got pushed up some very steep hills. one lady ran up with a camera, stopped us and took a photo of her as she thought it looked so funny, Mai decided she'd like some flowers - there is a street opposite the hotel which is full of flower shops and stalls. We managed to choose various roses-Mai holding her fingers up as to has many of each and us practising saying our Chinese numbers. It was more difficult understanding the price as we can't remember past ten. She was chuffed with them as she got a lot more for her money than she gets at home. I was only reading 2 days ago a book I'm reading called Hanoi stories, about all Vietnamese loving flowers, and Mai is certainly no exception.

It's nice that the 3 other families have arrived. Mai ran straight into Yasmin's arms (one of her new friends) last might and they we dancing round the lobby lounge till gone 11pm.

Today we decided to try out the public transport of Chongqing for ourselves. We got a Light Railway train - a monorail which follows one of the rivers - great views of the city. We took it to the end, intending to get off and come back, but found the z00. We're not really keen on many zoos and were expecting small enclosures etc.but it looked quite nice so we went in. We were very pleasantly surprised. There were several pandas in really decent enclosures.

We always get "done" once when we're away and we managed to get ripped off buying 100 grams of rather expensive jasmine and green tea. And for once it was Gary more than me getting ripped off!

It was great to come back in tonight and see the others with their new babies. Anna-Li is a lot chubbier than the rest. She's pretty much eaten whatever he's been given. Her and Mai are like chalk and cheese!

We have managed to get more photos on with a good internet connection so here's a few we have picked. Most are taken at the Ci Qi Kou Ancient town. The river is the Jia Ling River. Mai had ago at an old Chinese game for children. she spun an arrow, which landed on a fish, and the man made a fish made of sugar cane for her (which she is holding)

Mai already in love with her little sister and little sister already attached to Mai. She will watch her when she comes into the room and will cry when she leaves already. ....takes an age to upload so I will write more as I wait.

Well done to everyone at Hagley Park, especially young Mr T for stepping up to do battle with the ofsted inspector in my place, I owe you a beer or two sir which I will arrange on my return. And a big thankyou to anyone who has had to cover any of my classes. I am very much in your debt. The last of the 3 photos I have to post is ready to paste so tata for now. This last one is of the view from the garden roof of our hotel. China has a real mix of old and new.

This entry comes to you from an internet cafe on the 3rd floor of a building just 5 min from the hotel. I have left the girls to pack ready to move to the Holiday Inn for a night (they have an outside pool and we need a change).
This is why I find Asia fasinating...I have come up in a lift to the third floor which has had the inside and some of the outside of the lift removed (standing in a lift shaft with just the floor and a bit of wooded cladding round it). Anyway I still can't get onto the webblog even from here so I assume the Chinese government must feel that it is a sensitive site and the population of China must be protected from our site - bizzare.
I am trying not to go on about my new daughter too much (I think we have stayed off her progress all together so far, but time for an update). Day 1 Anna-li did not take much interest in the world around her - no point as for 10 months it hasn't really reacted to her, sadly not even when she cried. This has meant obvious development problems like she could only just role over, could'nt push up on her arms, couldn't sit up or support her weight in any way apart from her head. She did not have any real grabbing technique or depth perception - so she will go to grab a toy and not be able to judge when or where to grap. We were having dinner last night and I noticed her trying to grab a toy we had given her to play with. It was rather pathetic as she tried to grab it but fell too short or ended up with a foot (she got increasingly frustrated).
In 4 days she has become so much better at all of these things. She can sit up for a minute or two and is looking to see what is around her that she can interact with. All of this is exhausting and she sleeps often, but wakes with a smile as she is realizing that every waking moment is filled with a new learning experience not just the bars of her cot. I am going to break this now post it and try to post some photos....so they may appear they may not. Bye for now..we go for a well earned rest from the paperwork.

Friday

It takes a little time to feel at home in a place, and today we've both said that we really like Chongqing. It really comes alive in the evening. We went a walk to Carrefour tonight - bigger than any of the French hypermarkets I've been in, and came back with a loaded pushchair. Had some nice clothes and bought a really pretty child's dress for less than 2 pounds. Had a chat with a nice man who works on the Yangzi cruise ships and have got his details for when we come back! Managed to order what looked like a veggie meal to find it had prawns and ham in it. Always do it once. Forgot to ask our guide the phrase for has it got meat in it, and the waitress hadn't a clue what I was asking.

Had our last day with Jane our guide who saw us through all of the chinese part of the adoption today. A bit sad as she's become a friend in a way. So we're on our own for a few days now, and we are looking forward to getting out a bit more, and to the other families arriving here to adopt. We did our first trip out today, to the ancient town which was absolutely fantastic. We had a drink in a tea house. Love to go back. The taxi drive was a little hot, and rough going - rather reminded us of Vietnam.

We are off to a different hotel for a night tomorrow which is in a different part of the city and the other side of the Yangzi - just for a change. It has an outdoor pool. Mai is getting braver in the water now. Who knows - the internet connection may be a bit better there!