the good , the bad, and the ugly

Wednesday was another day without a lot to do other than the medical test and filling out papers for the consulate. Bai Lu has been sleeping wonderfully—no nightmares, no apparent fears, no waking up in the middle of the night screaming to get away from us. Breakfast is starting to be a pattern for her though, fried noodles, toasted white bread, a yogurt drink thing, and a piece of fruit. She did try one small piece of French toast though without too much apparent pleasure. After breakfast the four of us walked to the center of Shamian Island (we are staying on an island that is about ½ mile long by ¼ mile wide surrounded by a cess, I mean a lovely canal that looks like may have been the sight of the filming of the chocolate river in Willy Wonka. The Pearl River is on the fourth side which is comprised of more chocolate, barges, boats with men on the bow with nets fishing for garbage, and a few brave souls who routinely go out for a morning swim.) At the center of the island is a school that has a large courtyard of brick pavers. We got there just as they were doing their morning drill. The kids would march out in two lines by class and line up with loud music over the speaker system (it was either “You Can’t Touch This” or “The Comrade March of the People’s Republic”) The kids then went into a 8-10 minute routine. Fascinating to watch. Bai Lu said that they would so the same at her school every day. Carrie watched one young boy who didn’t seem particularly smitten with the routine have a grandpa walking through the park say something to him and then start doing it.(So for all of you walking down Mt. Spokane Park Drive on a weekday, feel free to poke your head in 116 and correct my youngsters.) After that, they marched back in and we played for a bit. Carrie and the girls played catch with these plastic plates strapped to a hand and a ball made of suction cups. Carrie got her first “Hao” from Bai Lu. (when asking Bai Lu if she likes something or not, or if someone is good at something, one say ‘hao bu hao’ [literally good no good]) She said Carrie was hao at the game.

After playing there, we went to the candy market to buy stuff to put in the birthday presents for tomorrow (Friday) Imagine 3 floors, 200 shops per floors, selling all types of candy at Chinese prices. We let Bai Lu pick what the kids would like. She mostly picked out strawberry-flavored candies, red pack skittles, and kept wanting to get crackers. They also had some of the cutest lollipops, toys, and such for very cheap prices. We then walked to the toy market which was 4 floors of such. We gave Bai Lu 100yuan (about $12) to buy what she wanted. She walked and walked through stuffed animals, dolls, robots, RC toys, bags, jewelry, and bought a pink hair scrunchie for 10 cents. She then picked out a hello kitty beaded dangly thing for 20 cents, a watch for a dollar, and two bags for her friends for $4 and gave me the money back. Sometimes I have a hard time finding lessons in things but this one wasn’t too difficult.

We then headed back to Shamian Island where she had her medical tests. I missed the crowded, sweaty room we had when we got Abby. This time we were the only ones there, Bai Lu handled everything herself and we were out in 10 minutes. While walking there Carrie had her most painful moment of the trip. Walking down the sidewalk, she had a man open his car door right into her side. If I had spoke the language better, I would have done a roundhouse kick to the side of his hear, pulled off his pinkies, and then pinned him by the nostrils on his antennae. Since I am not a native speaker we just kept walking. Lucky for him.

Dinner was different. As we got our food, I had the four of u join hands and said a short prayer. I don’t think Bai Lu quite knew what to make of that, and she peeked. Now for all of you that adopt and love Lucy’s stop reading here and wait for tomorrow’s update. Midway through dinner, Hannah jumps, and says she saw a mouse climb the wall and wall and walk on the open lattice above our heads. Well, she didn’t see a mouse. I looked up and saw a “mouse” with a 6” body and 10” tail above us walking. Hannah left in tears, Bai Lu didn’t quite know what was going on and we tried to finish our meal quickly while Mighty Mouse hovered around.

Other highlights of the day was the beautiful hair makeover that Bai Lu and Hannah gave Carrie, my kissing her good night without her squirming around, and that we are one day closer to being home. We love you and miss you. - Steve