So sorry for the gaps and delays...primarily owing to the intense heat, as well as not having a cable port on this (otherwise wonderful) computer, blogging has been tough. But to continue...
We had two lovely days in Chengdu. The panda reserve was lovely and serene and Kaydi (as you've already seen) got to hold a baby panda. She hadn't been feeling well (tummy woes), but the panda sitting on her lap perked her right up! The remainder of us held red pandas--critters that look part raccoon, part fox, and part stuffed animal in a black jacket!
We had eaten hot pot in Beijing and did so again in Chengdu...delicious but much spicier. We'd met up with two teachers of English from Washington State (Erin and Myra) and lunched together, allowing us a large, diverse assortment of foods to dip into the savory bubbling liquids.
On the second day in Chengdu we rented a van to take us out to Dujiangyan, the ancient irrigation system. Quite the spectacle to see all the rushing water. In the same area was a beautiful garden with many interestingly shaped trees--Bonsai fashioned and elegant (pic to follow), ponds and fountains, and lovely old buildings. In one there was a photo display of the many dignitaries, Chinese and foreign, who'd visited the area, including Mao. Of the Americans, only Jimmy Carter had been there. We received many stares as this was a tourist area mostly for the Chinese (though we did meet an international group there for a meeting related to ecological development).
We left Chengdu separately for our respective adoption provinces/orphanage cities, Kaydi and I to Changsha/Changde and Cathy, Kimi and Julia to Nanchang/Shanggao. While CKJ were to visit a relatively small, remote(ish) area (which they can describe later) to see Julia's origins with a private guide and driver, Kaydi and I joined a guided group for a 60th anniversary celebration at the institution. Somewhat to our surprise, this turned out to be a huge gala--we were greeted by a marching band and a dragon parade, followed by dancers, singers, and other entertainers...then on to the requisite speeches by a bunch of local and provincial officials, with many expressions of welcome to the almost dozen families from abroad. The speeches were mostly in Chinese, with very little translated for us. Anyway, after the government guys had finished, Bonnie Ward, a mother of two Changde daughters (who, coincidentally, have been proved to actually be biological sisters) gave a lovely, warm speech to the group, expressing much gratitude to the people who had given our children a good and loving start to life. There was also a woman who made a speech and presented the institution with a beautiful piece of art as a token of her appreciation--she had grown up in the orphanage.
And if all of this weren't already enough, there was quite a bit of interviewing, photographing, and videoing going on--apparently, some of it for Hunan TV and some for the local newspaper. (We are also to receive a commemorative DVD of the anniversary!) After the morning's festivities we were taken to a luncheon at an upscale local restaurant. We were still being followed and photographed by the media folks, when Kaydi decided to horse around a bit (surprised?)..Since her chopstick skills weren't that great. I'd brought her lunchbox utensils as well a red one-piece chopstick thingy--think squeezing the two sides of a long M-shaped stick together. During the luncheon, Kaydi was using the fake chopstick and started to make silly faces and wave the thing around. Next thing I knew, the photographers were on her and later on asked me if they could print her pic in the newspaper!!! Copies of a Changde daily are on their way home for us as I type this!
We returned to the orphanage to meet the children who live there, later in the afternoon. There were some prepared recitations and games by the kids there--which was sweet and really special for us--but you could also see that some of our kids were getting upset. Most of those in the orphanage are now special needs kids, many of whom have noticeable disabilities...our kids were shy and reserved with them for the most part and Kaydi, in particular, was quite distressed later that evening. Her empathy for those kids (and often for people in less fortunate circumstances that hers) was pretty intense, so we talked about ways that she could help them or do things to make their lives easier...
The second day in Changde was for visiting the old orphanage building, where Kaydi and most of the others had lived (sorry, I'd forgotten to mention that there was a new building/complex that was very nice). We saw the renovation that was underway to make the old building/campus into a school...looked like it would be modern and fairly upscale, eventually, and I think it will be a boarding school, since the old baby rooms now have added bathrooms/showers, Pergo-type floors, and pretty carved doors. There was also a large room with what looked to be a communal dining room under renovation.
Anyway, we soon said our goodbyes to the rest of the Changde families, since we were able to get a ride back to Changsha (the provincial capital where we'd be reuniting with CKJ and departing the following day)--a lot easier, if less colorful, than hopping on a public bus, as we'd earlier planned!
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