Dateline: Lakeview Hotel, Hongdu Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, 17 August 2004
Got up today and checked email for a while, then it was a quick buffet breakfast and out the door with both Vonnes for morning shopping trip to Nanchang's old-town shopping district. It consisted of a blocked off, mall-like brick street that stretched for about10 blocks worth. Really hot but a bit of wind, so not as bad as yesterday. Today I held Vonne Mei in baby carrier and ended up wetting her down with some water as she began to get hot.
Vonne did some shopping for clothes and various herbal stuff that she's come to like here in China (things introduced to her by Zhang Yu back in Beijing). While Vonne shopped, I mostly strolled with Vonne Mei. I kept strolling because if I stopped, a crowd would form to check out both me and baby. Best times with the older women, or the Chinese equivalent of babas. They would ask age and I would hold up my index finger like an upside-down fish hook, which is the one-handed Chinese way of saying nine. They would understand I meant nine months. Then I'd pull out pictures of my kids.
Then they would typically say how strong Vonne Mei looked and I'd pantomime her standing up on her own, which would delight the women tremendously. Then, for a real good time, I'd feed Mei a bit of water from a bottle and wet the cloth I was carrying with it and stroke her neck with it. The women would just love this show of affection, typically congratulating me by patting me on the shoulder and declaring their approval. Often they would say "yucky," which was as close as they could come to "lucky." Once I figured that out I realized it was the usual way Chinese describe babies that are adopted by Westerners, and I would answer "yes" and "thank you" in my best Chinese and the happy interaction would be complete.
Times that by about 25 and you have my morning.
Later we went to the big book store in town and Vonne got a bunch of kid books and CDs. I got maps of China and Jiangxi. Neat book store with big political section upstairs. Made me feel neat to think that about a year from now I could probably buy my book translated into Chinese in this same shop. You might think, not out in the provinces! But Nanchang is one beeeg city--like a Chicago at almost 5 million. Of course, it's so small by Chinese standards it doesn't even appear in the national weather reports!
Slow afternoon and then we go out as group to dinner.
Tomorrow is the three-hour one-way ride to Yongfeng, population 400,000. Looks like buying AC unit for orphanage will be too complex, so we are giving cash and orphanage promises to buy one itself from local dealer. Given the heat here, I believe their desire is real, so we'll trust them on that one. We met the orphanage director on Sunday and she seemed like a very nice and caring woman. Her last name is Zou, which is why all the babies in her orphanage are named Zou, as Vonne Mei's original name was Zou Yong Ling. Now, with the adoption and passport, which we pick up on Thursday, she is Vonne Mei Ling Barnett. Just seeing that name in the official adoption document (the "red book") that we got from the notary yesterday was quite thrilling. Seeing her US passport will be even better.
Meanwhile, we continue to bond. Quite a talker we have. She'll fit in just fine.
Day tomorrow will be a long one, so not sure I will be sending anything until Thursday.
Wish us well on our journey. If you can believe it, last 60 clicks will be on gravel to a city of 400,000. At least that is what we were told. We shall see.
Tom (for the Vonnes)
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