china31

August 31

Last day in Beijing!

From Sera's journal-

Hooray!! It is our last and final day in Beijing. We won't be coming back until Saturday, but oh well.. we are going to Guangzhou now!Today was spent packing up for Guangzhou, as well as doing school work and Mom and Dad doing paperwork. We did our usual routine of breakfast and then schoolwork and Emma takes a nap. Then afterwards Mom & Dad went downstairs because they needed to do paperwork for Guangzhou and the U.S. Consulate side of the adoption. So after doing schoolwork, I was left to take care of the baby and pack. So, we packed a little, I'd put some things in the suticase and go on to put more in another.. and then a few minutes later what I had just packed in the suitcase was now on the floor or in Emma's hands. She didn't want to pack! So I said heck with the packing and made her some cool aid and gave her her first Kit Kat bar! I know Mom wouldn't let me give her this sugary stuff when she was around, so Emma and I had fun. I got video of her eating it too! After they got back, when we had three people packing and trying to watch the baby, we accomplished more! Liu offered each of the families that she would take 1 or 2 of our suitcases and keep it at her home, so we didn't have to lug it to Guangzhou. That was great because we will leave two suitcases there and take three with us. I know we are going to buy a lot while in Guangzhou, so we are bringing the large suitcase and a medium sized one and then one for my mom and dad. After we were somewhat packed, we all met in the lobby because we were going to McDonalds! We got to the mall and had a fabulous dinner there. Since none of them spoke English, we sort of pointed to what we wanted on the menu and they would get that for us. I ordered a chicken sandwhich which was very good- but spicy! One of the girls came out with 4 mini ice cream cones for all of the girls. Esther, Lily and Meili had a blast with theirs, but Emma wanted nothing to do with cold stuff. After dinner, we headed towards a nice gellato stand. Mom and Dad had been there a few days before and said it was great, So we all enjoyed some gellato. And it was good! Emma wanted some, so I gave it to her, knowing she probably wouldn't eat it because it's cold. So we gave her some. The look she had on her face when she ate if was the funniest thing I have seen in a long time! She was so surprised about it being cold, but she really liked it. She proceeded to eat the rest of mine, Dad's and Mom's. And now she loves ice cream! After gellato, we headed back to the hotel. But before that we got some nice photos of all of us in front of the hotel. I'm going to miss Beijing. I feel a certain closeness to it because it's where Emma is from. And somewhere in this city, or around the suburbs is a mother who probably wonders what happened to her baby, the one she left at an office building on February 15. I wish somehow she could know that we have Emma and she will be loved forevor. I actually considered putting an add in the paper, but Mom said no!! So tomorrow we leave the great city of Beijing. I'm going to miss it here. The people at the hotel are so nice and go out of their way to help us. It doesn't really feel like "China", but in a way I love it here,

Esther says, "Hurry up, let's get going here.. I'm ready for some FOOD!"

Emma says, I'm with you Esther!

Cool Aid is sooo good!

This is how you "cross the street" in Beijing. These are underground passageways. They almost look like subway stations and that's what we though they were at first! Be careful going through here, You will probably get accosted by people trying to sell things, like dvd's that are still in the theatres!