Thanks so much for visiting us during our journey, Steve, Allison, Sean, Megan and Ryan!
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined
to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.
-An Ancient Chinese Belief
Megan awoke to a dangling tooth this morning (its been working its way out since we left home). She didn't want me to pull it, nor did she accept the offer to take her to a corner dentist, but she got it out by herself using the good ole' tongue! Now she's nervous the Chinese Tooth Fairy will leave her Yuan instead of US currency, and she won't be able to use it! (tuff luck kid, "she" needs to get rid of this monopoly money).
We had a good last breakfast buffet at the hotel this morning. Afterwards we walked a few blocks to the charity store affiliated with The Good Rock Foundation who were able to send us more information on Tian during our long wait the last few months. We left some gifts and bought some items to support their cause and help other children in need of adoption. It was interesting talking with the British woman director in an area built by the British in China.
We went to the U.S. Consulate office for the swearing-in of Ryan as a U.S. citizen and pick-up his visa. Ryan was the only boy among 57 other adopted children for the day...he seemed to hit on as many of the girls as possible, handing them crackers and smiling at them (I think he gave out his visa number to a few of them). It was a anti-climatic event with lots of screaming infants (but happy parents), and we learned he doesn't actually become an American Citizen until his visa is stamped as we pass through immigration at the Detroit airport Saturday at around 3:00pm.
After dinner at Lucy's (yes, its very western style) we went on a boat cruise down the Pearl River to see all the lights...it was very very impressive and dramatic. The city is absolutely huge (about 11 million residents), and the contrast of HUGE new buildings immediately adjacent to VERY old dilapidated buildings is stunning. It seems there's a poor class and a wealthy class, with very few in between. Its a bit quieter on the streets since the use of horns is worth a $200 ticket, but the motorcyclists are nuts...zipping in and out of traffic lanes and driving down the double yellow line between directions of traffic.
We are packed and ready to get home, especially to see Sean again (we have spoke with him often on the phone and in emails). Our flight leaves at 8:20am (local time in China) and we land in Detroit at 2:25pm eastern time, with a short lay over in Tokyo. We are very excited to get home to the U.S. !!!!!
The Farrellys (coming home)
white swan hotel at night
Al, Meg and Ryan at the consulate
landscaping on Shaiman Island
gooie duck
Saturday, September 9th --
The alarm rudely awoke us at 4:30am after being up to nearly midnight packing and finishing off a bottle of Great Wall Red Wine (not the kids of course, they quietly fell asleep around 9:30). We were checked-out by 5:45 and on the bus with two other families at 6:00 for the airport. It was a slower ride than normal due to extremely heavy rain, thunder and lightning. We started visualizing a flight delay leaving Guangzhou, missing our connection in Tokyo, and bad craziness from there on!
Luckily the bad weather left the area prior to our departure time at 8:20am and we were the last adopting family through security and the last to board our plane. The flight was held-up nearly an hour due to the weather in the area, but we did eventually takeoff and flew around the bad weather. Ryan joyfully ate breakfast on the plane and fell happily off to sleep for much of the four hour flight. I wish I could say the same for the other 15 or so not-so-happy babies on the plane (you really start to see the stress in the new parents trying to calm a squirming, screaming baby in the confined and public space of an airplane). The Northwest Airline staff were great (they've obviously been through this many times) and I complimented them on their patience and assistance...they said they preferred a plane of screaming babies to a plane of drunken & rude businessmen!! (been there and have seen that too).
We landed in Tokyo an hour late to a chorus of crying babies...which reminded us of the symphony of car horns in Urumqi..just a bit louder though. There was just enough time for us in Tokyo to pass through carry-on bag check, get on board, and have them close the airplane door behind us (again). We had the center section of four seats so it wasn't too uncomfortable for the twelve-and-a-half hour flight to Detroit. Once again, Ryan ate his dinner (yes, our sense of time was all messed up again), slept a few times, and happily played between naps (a little squirming now and then). Megan was thrilled to see western food, and we ordered her kids meals that also helped make her happy. While watching Mission Impossible III for the second time on a plane (this time though we were able to see the end!), mom & dad had a couple of cocktails that helped us nap a bit also. Much of the flight was in darkness, and we were served breakfast as we saw the sun rise around 11:30am. We landed a bit early in Detroit.
After waiting for what seemed like forever for our stroller at the gate, we were the last (seems to be a pattern here) to get in the LONG line for immigration, only to be told by the officer we then had to get in another line for Special Conditions (adoption paperwork review). Ryans visa and paperwork was processed quickly, and he officially became a United States citizen at 3:50pm!!!! Ryan enjoyed the moment by being sound asleep through all the waiting!! So much for pomp and circumstance.
After one more line for declaration of goods, we grabbed our bags (they all made it), met my bother Greg with our car, dropped him off at his house near the airport (and had a quick visit), and drove one hour home. We were welcomed by a big lawn banner saying "welcome home tian ryan" and Sean with both grandparents anxiously waiting in the driveway! Ryan seemed to have no adjustment problems at all....maybe because of all the cool new toys, lots of attention, and lots of space to run-around in. We had a great family evening, and ate bar-b-qued CHEESEBURGERS!!!!
We will have one more posting for Sunday, and hopefully we can upload photographs via our home computer...we don't have any today though...sorry.
