China is a big place, so we know we have seen very little of it. Here are a few of our observations. We saw exactly 3 cats and 4 dogs in China so far. This cat is sitting conspicuously close to the tank full of fish in the park. They let kids catch them with little poles and then their parents pay for them. I’m guessing for pets, but who knows.
This dog was on its way somewhere by itself yesterday. Lucy is not a dog lover, they kinda freak her out. 
This is in the front door of a restaurant. It is very common to to have seafood that you pick out and they cook. (I didn’t see any goldfish).
Speaking of food, here are some of the things we ate.
I mostly took pictures of breakfast, and then I wore out.
This is KFC in Xian. I got a chicken sandwich. It had dark meat, and was spicy: gotta say it was a bit disappointing.
We found this restaurant at a large department store.
OK, we didn’t actually eat at the chicken head place.
Picture from inside an art, clothing, suitcase shop on Shamian Island.
This is Lucy watching Becca play the piano at home. Our contact with home has been more limited than we hoped. They are doing a great job.
We have actually learned a few Chinese phrases and Lucy understands when we say them! She is also repeating many English words and saying “Thank you” and “I’m sorry” and remembering the sequence of #1-10 pretty well. (We count as we go up stairs). She knows “flower” and “up” and “baby”. She uses a lot of Chinese we don’t know, but it is very clear when she is unhappy with us. And loves watching TV Hmmm… We’ll have to figure that one out when we get home. 🙂
Chinese speakers please skip to the next section. Here are a few of the Chinese words we know, with spelling that only makes sense to us.
SEE-uh, SEE-eh – thank you
Ju SHE shem a? – What is this?
TSEE-dan – Egg
ME-in bow – Bread
Shway-gua – Fruit
BOO shing – not ok, an absolute
oo-EYE-nee – I love you
How-hIDE-Za – Good girl
HUNG-HOW – very good
Zo BA – let’s go!
Boo Yow – no thank you
Show-dong” – just a minute. (show like shower)
JAY-ga – this
NAY-ga – that
CHEE-Fan – eat food
MEE-AN-La – No spicy – (Something we say often but not to Lucy)
Lucy makes little craft projects with ziplock bags, hair ribbons, and tea bag tags. She takes pictures of flowers (and picks them if we aren’t able to talk her out of it).
Yesterday we took a walk in Guangzhou to get noodles for dinner… Kirstin suggested we sing a song, and we ended up singing “Jingle Bells” turns out she has an ear for music, she almost has it down!
We have used singing to successfully smooth out of a couple confrontations.
Another great thing that happened is we used the iPad Jason got from work to let Lucy play some games. We got some music making apps, some recognizing shapes and some number and letter naming/tracing games, and she loves them. Hopefully this is going to be a terrific replacement for Chinese cartoons.
Hanna made some new friends, actually I think they just liked her hair, so they asked to take a picture with her.
Taking a break from some shopping at Shamian Island while Baba goes into a 7-11 to attempt to get more data on my China Unicom SIM card (in my phone). I failed.
Delivery vehicles in China.
Lots of photo shoots on Shamian Island today…
Our Consulate appointment is tomorrow Tuesday at 9:00am (7PM Monday night Central Time). This will include a “swearing in” ceremony and more paperwork. Later on we will get a Visa from them for Lucy to travel to the US.
We are enjoying getting to share a few firsts with Lucy Joy…
after missing so many of them.
We left for Guangzhou on Friday night… on a plane!!
She was so excited to get the chance to ride on an airplane.
The guide told her just how it would go in Chinese so she would know what to expect and asked her if she was scared. She said no! Our girl is so brave. She was zipping the suitcases up for us after breakfast, unfortunately she had to wait until 3:00 pm!
She was just giddy after we finally got off the bus that drove us right up to the plane. How exciting! When the plane started down the runway, she repeated, “take off!” She kept asking for her noodles that the guide had told her they would offer and I don’t think she could believe that she got to pick her own drink… twice!
Today we had our medical appointment that is part of the US side of the adoption. After spending a very long time in a very noisy and crowded and hot waiting room taking turns between a general check, a vision check, a visit with an ENT, and a secondary vision check for Lucy…
each of the children had to have blood drawn for a TB test.
She marched right into the room (no parents allowed),
had blood drawn and marched out without even a complaint.
Here she is posing for a picture with her bandaid.
Then we headed back to the hotel for a little CCTV 14 and even
experimented with “knitting.”
*smile*
Next up was touring the hotel grounds.
We fed the fish…
And then thought we would take a look at the pool. 
No way we would actually swim, right? I almost didn’t even bring suits.
The average person in China would not know how to swim,
and we knew that Lucy had never been swimming before.
With some translation help,we learned
that she did not know what a pool or a bathing suit was.
But she insisted,
and before we knew it…
Another first to share!
bravest.girl.ever.
What you might see in a day in Xian.
Busy Streets
Many people wear masks because if the cold or air quality
Grandpa playing pool in the park with his grandson.
There are lots of dragons, but this is a statue of Pixiu – Feng Sui – Wikipedia says it has voracious appetite for gold and silver and has a mystical power to draw wealth from all directions. Our guide says “it eat but never poop”
iPhone repair on a pedestrian bridge.
Cable and power lines next to the pedestrian bridge stairs. (and look at all that hair).
Mult-purpose sidewalks, and a pedestrian bridge. Street vendor selling sweet potatoes and roasted chestnuts.
Street sweepers are everywhere, his big broom is in the foreground. We saw them sweep leaves out of mud puddles the day before.
Grandpa and baby outside the “People’s Welfare Lottery” They wheel these two riding toys out front so the kids have something to do. 
Window repair shop, with some laundry drying
Street vendor with seafood on sticks
Hotel restaurant and pond as seen out our window.
She loves hair bows, bands, clips… and brushing her hair (she has lots of hair).
She seems to be enjoying the freedom to fix her own hair and is quite good at pony tails.
She is very loving and affectionate with us.
She slows down when there is a change in the floor covering or ground to check to see if she has to step down. She can probably see for a distance of about 2 meters and holds things very close to her face when she wants to look at them.
She loves putting on chap stick with a compact mirror.
She loves beautiful things. At breakfast she admired a red carnation so much that the waitress gave it to her.
She always puts things away where she found them.
Anyone that knows Jason will not be surprised to know that she learned the English word “mint” within minutes of meeting him.
She says “Thank you, Mama” and “Thank you, Baba” when we do something for her or give her something.
She loves stringing beads on a lace. This activity is a big hit! We brought lots of small plastic beads and colored cord and she has worked on beads for hours.
She attacks any project or activity book like she is on a mission.
She is very generous and always shares her crackers and other snacks, water, pictures she has colored…. She is also generous with her words, she talks a blue streak in Chinese pretty much all day.
Sometimes I am in the doghouse and I don’t know why. She seems to forgive me eventually and we can move on.
She washes her hands like nobody’s business.
Loves her JieJie (big sister) and has to take a picture of anything she does. (she loves her new camera!!)
Sleeping is an aerobic activity.
She loves to be held and have Baba carry her.
She is beautiful and clever and a JOY.
Driving to the government office.
Copying “L-u-c-y” in the office.
Everyone has pictures of anxious parents waiting for their children to be “brought out” to them. We went to the 20th floor of a province government building walked down a short dark hallway (turns out we were too quiet, the lights turn on if you make noise); we turned into an office and were met by Lucy and her Foster Father.
Here are some pictures from the office.
Walking Out:
Stopped at Walmart:
Bed Time:
Here is a bonus post for you
by Hanna!
Click over to her new blog to
read her perspective on our trip so far!
The rain? The unfamiliar food?
She has the solution…
it’s all in your perspective!
