September 8, 2012

We're in Guangzhou, the 2nd leg of our trip.  We checked into the Garden Hotel.  It is quite grand.  We  have 2 rooms, one with a king and a sitting room and the other has 2 singles and a sitting room.  The only problem with them is that they're on opposite ends of the floor.  So we have a man cave at one end and our princess castle on the other.  We're surrounded by other adoptive families on this floor.  Josiah's family (aka Mikey from SFCV) is next door.  And a new adoption friend Cheryl is a couple doors down.

Saturday morning, Troy took TingTing to her medical check up.  They do a cursory look at eyes, ears, mouth; check weight; listen to heart and lungs... They asked Troy how she walks and he started to say off but heard the alarm in their voice and said fine.  Then they had her walk and they said good, good.  HA!  Her gait is OFF and her hips are totally different heights and her legs are different lengths.  They also do a PPD skin test at the medical check up.  This is the TB test.  It'll be read Monday morning.

We took a walk to the Friendship Store across the street for some snacks, waters, and wine.  Troy and the boys went scouting to see what's around.  For dinner we ate at an Irish pub called the Paddy Field.  (Interesting translation--the map said Puddy Field.)  We went with another adoptive dad, who is in China adopting their new son.  (Mom and other children are home in the states, so he's flying this solo.)

We've met a number of other adoptive families.  Troy said we pretty much have the SEC represented here--Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina....  Lots of precious children coming home to the South.

These noodle bowls would become lunch most days.  TingTing is rather difficult to take places as she melts down so going out to lunch isn't high on our list of possible tantrums.

Lots of water!  In China, you do NOT drink the water even in a high end hotel.  You just never know and you don't want to end up chained to your room if you get sick.  TingTing gets her own bottle because her backwash is DISGUSTING!  We've got to teach her how to drink...

Here's the view from our room.  We also have this view when we eat breakfast in the morning.  The breakfast cafe is on the first floor facing the waterfall.

Baba and this 3 princesses