Thanks for the updates, Paula! I know you must be excited for your new daughter to come home! -Bonnie, mommy of Xavier 5 and Asa 2, pirates who don't do anything
----- Original Message ----- From: "Paula Bowes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "may99" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 4:15 PM Subject: [may99] RE: UPDATE - more > > Paula and others, > > We got up this morning, had breakfast and went to a bank so Dad could cash > his traveler's checks. These have been difficult to cash at different > banks. We needed to go to the main Bank of China. I let Dad do this > transaction on his own so he could get a good feel of the communication > barrier. It was very amusing. But he did suceed. Next we found a > Chinese laundry. It was fun. Here I am walking down the street with a bag > full of dirty laundry and a camera. Typical tourist. We will pick those up > tomorrow. After that we walked many side streets and stores just looking > around. We eventually got tired and decided to catch a cab back to the > hotel. We are very comfortable and know the address of the hotel by name. > We haven't been totally lost yet. I know Dad is a little freeaked out by > the 6-8 inch narrow misses withj the cabs, cars, buses, and bikes. He says > that Mother would be too upset to ride in a cab. > > We ate lunch at KFC today. The RIchardson's like the western food a little > better. Plus we all like the challenge of ordering food by pictures. I had > a woman actually compliment my Mandarin today. SHe said it exaxctly like > the CD does. I was very proud. The girls barely use theri Mandarin. Xaio > Yu and Lian Lian use English a little but they stick to Mandarin for the > most part. > > We went shopping again today. We bought XY a pair of pants, a little > wallet, a CD/VCD player, and 4 CD/VCDs. I think she whas gotten away from > being shy about buying things. SHe has actuially come to me with requests. > I have said no a couple times. Don't want her to think I am made of the > stuff. She has been very appropriate about it. My Dad bought some rolling > luggage today. He got 60% off the sticker price and was estactic. He > bought it for 25$ It was probably worth ten. Let him feel good about it. > He did a good job. > > XY and Lian like to stay close. They talk and work as a team. They seem > very comfortable with us I think. We do get many stares. SOmetimes the > girls walk hand in hand down the street. All five of them!! It is quite > the sight. Sarah is not really into the hand holding scene. SHe tends to > back out and hang with me. The girls have continued to work on the > communication gaps. They work with the picture book and we did buy the > dictionary today. Even used it once. It's funny how the sales person will > begin talking to me in Chinese and then move to XY. Xy will then say the > exact same thing to me...in CHINESE. Like I understand it better know. > It's very amusing. SHe tries very hard. > > I have noticed that the girls tend to get bored and begin playing gameboys > in the room. This is their retreat from trying to communicate. I realize > it is hard. I have a hard time with it too. > > The most awesome thing happened today. On our ride home in the cab, Sarah > was sitting on my lap and XY was next to me on the other side. We were all > tired. XY put her head on my shoulder and her hand on my arm. It wasn't > much, but it made me feel warm all over. SHe is a wonderful kid in a very > strange situation. I think she is very appreciative of our generousity. > She just doesn't know what to make of all of it. I couldn't be happier in > doing this. SHe is really going to grow. > > Speaking of growing, XY eats like a horse!! > > Talk to you later, > > Love > > Walt > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to may99 as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to %%email.unsub%% --- You are currently subscribed to may99 as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
