Brother Blue

…at least for me.
For the families with the babies, today was a day of paper work. About an hour of filling it out. Two hours in a civil office. According to the Chinese government, basic the adoption is done.
Few more steps need to be taken here and at the US consulate for everything to be done.
GOING NATIVE
We are in mainland China. Beijing is an international city, with tourist spots and lots of business. We were in a hotel filled with people from all over the world. Many of the staff spoke some English.
We are in Chongqing. A city of almost 4 million. Very little English is spoken in the hotel. It took me 20 minutes (and a visit to my room by a housekeeper) to get some chopsticks to eat my lunch.
On three different occasions I walked the streets for 45min – hour. I did not see another white face all day.
Somehow that makes me comfortable and at home.
When I walk the streets I am at least 6 inches tall and 50 lbs heavier than everyone on the street. Everyone stares. Little kids point or run over and say “Hello”. I offer a nee-hao back.
Tomorrow I am going to wonder into some local roadside place for a meal. I will have my phrase book in hand and hope for the best.
BUYING STUFF
I will commit tomorrow to just the grocery store, It deserve that much space. But on the whole, when I need something I wonder the store hoping to see something kinda like what I am looking for. If I can’t find it, I get out the phrase book and with in 10 seconds someone is hovering to help. I point at my book. The repeat what I am looking out loud (as if I would recognize it if I see it) and lead on with a smile.
Everyone has been very friendly. I have no idea what they are saying, but they say it with a smile.
THE ??? FLAVORED NOODLES
I bought three bowls of noodles at the store. The kind you add hot water to and eat. One was chicken. One was beef. One was…well I don’t know.
So I decided to ask. To make it easy I did a little homework before going down to the lobby to ask.
I got out my phrase book and found the character for chicken, then looked at the package and circled the character for chicken. I did the same for beef.
I took all three packages to the lobby. I pointed to the character for chicken, pointed at the picture of the chicken, and asked “right?” I got big smile and a nod from the young ladies behind the counter. Same thing for the beef. More nods and smiles. “What is this?” pointing to the third package.
Many quick words exchanged. “We don’t know. That is written in Korean.” Then I noticed part of the label looked like the center of the Korean flag.
I will now tomorrow if the mystery flavor is any good.
MORE PHOTOS
More photos and thoughts from Brad and Joia at http://joiafarmer.com/ava. (If they are not up yet, they will be soon.)

One of the most amazing afternoons. I have never witnessed anything like this. I was asked recently what my top three days ever were. I couldn’t come up with a list. I have done more than my share of amazing things. But nothing like this.
TWO GROUPS
Our group is really two groups. Which means girls were coming from two orphanages. One was 2 hours away, the other 5. So the girls arrived at different times.
The first group was to arrive at 330p. Brad, Joia, and I were there for moral support (and the play camera people). 5 girls were in the first group. Some were first time parents. Some had children of their own. Some had adopted from China before.
I was the official cameraman for a couple who had no children yet. As the husband was trying to explain how to turn the camera on he could barely speak.
Another woman turned to me and said, “My brother is here. My aunt and uncle are here. I wish my husband was here for this.”
As we were waiting for the girls, our guide explained the food they are use to, how to make it, how to dress them here, and how to avoid the Chinese Grandmother Police (any grandmother will walk up to you and dress or undress your child to fit the temperature if you are not doing it right).
Then the girls arrive.
And so did the tears. I didn’t even try to wipe them, I was on the job with the camera.
One at a time each couple was brought up and introduced to their daughter. A process that took 18 month (and for some years of frustration).
Tears and more tears.
At 530p group two gathered. This group is much larger. 9 girls in total. One by one names were called.
More smiles. More tears.
Brad and Joia were third. After a few pictures Ava just buried her head in to daddy’s chest for safety. 20 minutes later she was hungrily drinking from a bottle.
From time to time we get to see friends or family grown. I saw it 14 times. Just today. In one room.
TRANSFORMATION
If you took a picture of any of the new parents from our group at 9am and 7pm today, they would look exactly the same. The four kids who are traveling with our group the same.
But they are different. Completely different. In a moment their lives were changed forever. For about half the group this is their first child. They are now parents.
It was fun to watch the three first time older siblings. Kissing their little sister on the face. Nussling up. Doing anything they can to help mom and dad.
This transformation isn’t going to always be easy or always be fun. But they are new people, in an exciting scary way.
Ava and dad:

Lots of babies:

More photos (and Brad and Joia’s thoughts on day one) here. (If they are not there yet, they will be soon.)

BROKEN LINK
Link to team Farmer’s site from yesterday was wrong. Here it is.
MASS
We went to mass this morning at 7am. That was the second mass of the day. Sunday schedule at the cathedral is 615a, 7a, and 8a. We went to the state approved Catholic Church, which is a long complicated story. Please pray for the people in China (and every where in the world) who cannot freely express their faith (what ever that faith is) without government interference.
Packed house. Maybe 500 people. Only 10 white faces in the place. (Eleven if you count Jesus. He could not have been more white if they tried. I am not saying the need a Chinese looking Jesus, but the blond hair blued eyed one has to go).
Every part of the Mass that came from the congregation that was not “also with you” or “amen” was sung. Everything! It was so beautiful. Chinese is a tonal language, when song by a large group is just haunting.
As we walked out Joia said, “That is a great way to start today.” Amen to that.
THE WALL
On the way to great wall we made a stop at a jade factory. Learned how to tell good jade from bad, real from fake, how it is crafted, and I can’t afford it.

When then had 1 1/2 hours at the wall. It is amazing! (The is a very profound statement which I am sure is new to you. It is one of the man made wonders of the world and the best I can do is “amazing”.)
Built in the mountains, but hand. Unfathomable task. We hiked and climbed. Of the 38 of us only two people made it all the way to the top (Brad being one of them). I made it to the second to last tower and though, “I would like to live” and walked back down.

There is no way something like this would be open in the states. Poor hand rails and irregular steps. Death trap! But people just run up and down with a smile.
I was waiting to have my picture taken in front of a sign that says…well I have know idea what the sign says, but it looks cool and it is in the middle of the wall and I was asked to be in a picture. (”Look it is a big pasty white boy in a cowboy hat. I want him in my pacture.”) When this happened yesterday I put my cowboy hat on the little girl. After climbing for an hour, the hat was a little sweaty, so I spared her that horrer.

SOME OTHER FACTORY
We then went to some factory where they make enamel laced stuff. It looks cool. It was interesting to see the process. The tour dumped into the gift shop, which dumped in to the dinning room for a buffet quality meal.
I am grateful to be here. I am having a good time. The people wee are traveling with are awesome.
BUT I could do without the organized tour. Don’t know if I would have made the same choices for our time.
FUN SIGNS
The English translations are sometimes a little funny. Not that I could do better in Chinese.

BIG DAY
So we have played tourist for two days. Tomorrow we fly early (leave the hotel 545a), eat lunch go to the hotel and…
meet the babies. That is right in 18 hours 15 little girls will meet their new families.
Too cool!

Very tired, Lack of sleep in the last 72 hours and the 5 miles of walking in the sun have caught up with me.
Details to come. Did Tiananmen Sq., the Forbidden City, a local home, and a Chinese Acrobat show (”acrobatic macrososm”).
Was stopped so that a 12 year old could get her picture taken with me.
Thousands of people lined up to get into the mausoleum of Chairman Moa.
So tourist, but mostly locals (by the thousands).
Never ending lunch (as plate after plate of food kept coming). I am now the groups food tester.
In front of the Forbidden City.

See pictures form team Farmer at here.

37 hours door to door for me. Won’t see team Farmer until the AM.
Posh hotel. I am in room 666. (Which I am told is good. 8 is the best number, so much so the Olympics will being here 08/08/08. If you don’t have 8s, 6s and 9s are good).
I was the last one of our group of 38 to get in.
Didn’t sleep much on the flights by design, so hopefully I will sleep through the night.
It is very odd to be completely disconnected from the language. In the romance language countries I recognize a lot (because of similarities to English and the Spanish I know), or at least can learn. I recognize nothing (minus the character for China, which I know because it is on the PRC sports teams jerseys).
When people are talking I can’t tell where one word ends and the next begins.
Lots of touring tomorrow.

Up at 3:30 AM.
In Cleveland now. 9:09am
Three more flights left.
If all goes well, I will be at baggage claim in 24 1/2 hours.

Real phone call today.
Gene: Hi. I am going to China tomorrow and I wanted to let you know I was going to be using my ATM. I don’t want the transaction to come up as fraud.
Bank: Thanks for the call. When you make the first transaction, we might call to make sure it is really you.
Gene: But, I am not going to be near my phone. I am going to be in China.
Bank: Oh. Will you be checking your voice mail?
Gene: No, I will be in China.
Bank: I hope it works out.

The fire is creeping slowly towards the southeast part of town (about 5 miles away), and the weather is not cooperating.

Photo from last night:

Up to the minute details and stories from locals at the BlazeBlog

I grew up in Casper, WY which is at the foot on a modest mountain (by western standards). Every hundred years or so it burns. This isn’t a bad thing for the mountain. It is all part of the natural cycle. The burnt trees provide nutrients for the next generation of trees.
It can be a bad thing for those who live on (and near) the mountain.
Here is a picture from the last 24 hours.

Please keep the people of Casper, WY in your prayers.
Latest story from the Casper Star Tribune.

I keep coming across these creations, which make me think, “This is amazing art,” or “One more fruit of a wasted life,” or maybe both.
[Note: this is not a political statement, just something that is cool]

[via LawGeek]