Thursday morning,
waiting once again for other families
to come from their rooms to meet us
in the lobby of the China Hotel.
Nice chandelier
Center piece
Tian pointing at something
After a short ride, we arrived at the new medical center for international travel, to have the medical exam, TB test and other shots administered. Since we were separated from the other people there, by the roped off area labeled 'Adopted Children Only' it seemed only fitting to use it as a prop for pictures of the children of our group.
Basha and me
Eva, Jiejun, Basha, Tian, Shianna
Eva, Basha and Shianna are from Shenzhen SWI
Jiejun and Tian are from Foshan-Nanhai SWI
Basha, Tian and Shianna
Basha's BFF Shianna, now her sister
New Families
Roxy, Nancy, Eva
Basha - our pengyou; Jiejun, Tian and me
Basha and me
Travel back to the China Hotel
After lunch at McDonald's next to the China Hotel, Nancy, Roxy and Eva took a cab to the island. We took the taxi ahead of them and presently we all arrived at the Victory West building. From there we proceeded off the island into the market across the highway in front of the island. We saw numerous things including -
Turtles
Baby bunnies
Beautiful birds
The Holiday Inn - Shifu
Street sculpture
Eva and Jiejun
Bathroom sign that caught my eye
It did not say which hand though...
One big cat
The interesting thing that happened on this journey to the market and back is when Eva came up beside me and started holding my hand, another pengyou (friend). This followed from Wednesday evening, my experience with Basha and as her sister came out of her shell, Shianna had also held my hand. Alas, I did not have three hands to share, so it became first come, first served. Each girl, for whatever reason, must have seen something in that moment something to be desired. I doubt they will remember such, but it is not something I will easily forget - the trust given by each girl. It, for me, was most profound. I marvel at it.
Back to the island, time to pose with art -
Roxy, Eva, Jiejun and Tian
Tian, Roxy, Jiejun and Eva
At the fat lady statue with dog
Then it was to Lucy's for American or Chinese food
Artistic bicycle
Jiejun, who loves the camera
Eva, shy but beautiful
Thus Thursday ended, what would Friday hold? No doubt, it would be a day of wonder, each child feeling a tad more comfortable in their families, their new families learning to embrace each child, learning themselves a new normal, a different family than the one they left in the USA. A new journey three days old, still in its beginning stages, hand in hand we move toward the future, unknown to us all yet full of hope, promise but most of all, love.
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