Guangzhou

It has been much harder to email than I thought it would be. We came to Guangzhou on Saturday, and checked into the White Swan Hotel. This is THE hotel to stay in on Shamian Island in Guangzhou if you are adopting from China. It was packed, and we could only stay there for two nights, because there is some business/government meeting going on. There were three other travel groups just from CCAI staying there, not to mention the many other people we met who are from other agencies. Seriously, there must be hundreds of adopting couples there. Everywhere you look, you see another Caucasian couple with an little Chinese baby or toddler, mostly girls, of course. You kind of feel like a cog in a well-oiled machine, not like the couple with the most important and unique child in the world. Lindsey said the White Swan reminded him of Vegas. Since I've never been there, I'll take his word for it. It was fancy, crowded, and full of souvenir shops and art galleries. They had a nice play room called the Swan Room (sponsored by Mattel toys) full of toys for the kids. Every adoptive family who stays in the White Swan gets a special edition Barbie Doll called a "Coming Home Barbie". It's a "regular" Barbie doll with a vaguely Asian looking baby in her arms. I'm not kidding. Some people make a huge deal about staying in the White Swan because they really want that Barbie. On the box it says "Not intended for children under 14 years of age" and "This is not a toy." I'm not kidding about that either.

Now we're in the Victory Hotel. It's an older hotel, not quite as swank as the White Swan, but comfortable enough. We're going to miss the breakfast buffet at the White Swan, though. Others have told us the Victory's buffet is not the best, and the White Swan's was wonderful. When we ate there, I had to sit with Hannah while Lindsey got us breakfast (me: coffee, rice krispies and the best croissants; Hannah: congee with bananas). If I leave Hannah with Lindsey she usually throws a huge tantrum. You know the type: bending backwards stiffly, screaming, and refusing to be comforted. Then when I get back and take her in my arms, she stops crying immediately and sticks her thumb in her mouth. Just like there was never any problem. She is getting better about allowing Lindsey to comfort her though.

Bathtime is also getting better. Tonight she didn't scream at all. Actually laughed and seemed to enjoy herself. She doesn't like getting her head wet but she did pretty well.