Friday 4th - Home

A dreadful nights sleep as Daddy insists on clinging to the edge of the bed despite me doing my best to kick, twist and roll about. I have a nice breakfast followed by a bath and hair wash before filling two nappies.  Ha ha Alice Mei Mei's revenge..

A quick visit to the shops before back to the hotel for a nap and then check out at 2.00pm and taxi to the station for the train to Hong Kong.

16:30 escape from China now just have to break in to the UK.

Hong Kong is suffering a huge downpour and it takes us a while to find a taxi to the airport.  However we make it by 20.30 and check in with Alice.  The flight is delayed due to the storms and we leave at 01.30am.  Surprisingly the flight home is OK and little Alice just about fits into the bassinette.   Arrive back in the UK and managed to slip past the UK Border Agency.

So there you have it – two weeks in a nutshell.  

As I conclude I wonder how the events of the last two weeks will impact on the life and future of Alice Qiu Mei

Thursday 3rd - Heading for home

Today we check out of the £36 per night honeymoon suite to begin the trip home.  The 11.00am bus leaves at 11.00am and we are back in Guangzhou by 2.30pm after a much more pleasant and direct trip. Realise that the coach station is not too far from the Consulate so pop up to collect visa.

Arrive back at the Ossotto Hotel and book in.  Arrange to meet Jane, Graham and Mei Lin for dinner at Lucy’s and find out all about their week.

Yet again a day of travel does not faze Alice who as been a joy, and Dorothy-Rose has been a great big sister.

Wish us well for the flight home!

Wednesday 2nd - Moo "est morte"

Decide to take a stroll around East Lake this morning and as we get across one of the busy Yangchun crossroads we realise Moo is no longer in Alice's hands. "Where's Moo?". We turn around and see Moo lying in the middle of the junction just like something out of Toy Story. Flattened by cars and lorries. Daddy sprints for Moo, OK takes a jog when the lights change, and rescues Moo who is grubby with tyre tracks but with a good wash and dry later makes a full recovery from ER.

Finish our amble around the lake and the girls arrange for a foot massage with Lisa whilst I return to the room to provide lunch and, go on guess? Yes a nap. The foot massage turns out to be a bit more than expected and Dorothy-Rose provides the quote of the trip with "Mummy, do you realise that the lady is walking on your back", although sadly we did not have a camera handy.

Later we go back to the hair salon where Dorothy-Rose has a full manicure and pedicure for £2.50.

Later that evening we are picked up Ms Yu, and her poodle, and are taken to a quite lovely restaurant that is based around a beautiful courtyard garden with private dinning rooms.  As you can imagine the food is to die for and as you can also imagine Alice goes for salmon soup, noodles, beef, fish and sweet buns.

Finish up with group photographs and it's all over for another year. 

Tuesday 1st - Yakety Yakety Yak

Alice is really starting to chat now and repeats words. Has a recognisable go at 'Daddy' and 'Mummy' and even seems to be singing part of the Chinese song 'Ni Wa Wa'. Much much happier with Mummy today to the point where we have no tears at all. Bonding is now equitable.

Walk to the post office to post a card to school and to the hair salon where Dorothy-Rose  has hair styled and plaited for £2.80. 

Tomorrow she and Mummy are off for a foot message and we hope to say hi to Ms Yu

Email from Consulate to say visa is ready. 24hrs OMG!

Monday 30th - Huo Che

Up early for the 8:00 train to Guangzhou, which turns out to be the 8:40. Seems punctuality isn't a given but Les says this train will have started its journey yesterday afternoon. It is crammed. Find four corridor seats but the staff sort us out after a while and we get an inside bench where Daddy and Alice have a nap, seems a bit of a recurring theme!

We spend time 'talking' to another Mum in the coach who has a one year old and it is clear how behind Alice is with her talking, motor skills and size.

Train seems to amble and Daddy is getting worried about making the visa appointment.  Arrive at Guangzhou Station and it is a sea of people!

Les has arranged for us to meet with his friend John, who is an Aussie Chinese businessman who won’t take any nonsense from our guide on handing over paperwork.  Taxi to the consulate and sort out the visa and our guide. Despite him telling the Consulate that he needs some of our official papers back we insist that I will collect them on Friday, which the consulate have no problem agreeing to, in fact I think I see a wry smile from the official.

Dispense with guide services.

Meet up with one of Les's English language students and her mother who take us to  dinner before we head back to the station for the return train trip. They don't 'get' the adoption situation that they see sitting across from them and can't fathom how we can be the parents and that the girls live in England. Les does his best, bless him.

Sleeping compartments on the way back and Alice decides this is the night she will cuddle down with Mummy. It has been a very long day and she and everyone is exhausted. Dorothy-Rose and 爸爸 take the top births and after about an hour of train announcements and music everyone is 'out for the count'. Three hours later arrive back at Yangchun and fall into bed at 12:30am

Sunday 29th - Dorothy-Rose makes a friend

Today is a quiet day with nothing much planned. Spend the morning in the hotel room playing with the girls, and Alice is much more receptive to everyone.

Everyday is progress

Pop over to Laura's language school as one of her students has a birthday. Sing 'Happy Birthday' and Alice has her first slice of cake, which seems to be no problem for her.

In the evening we are invited to a locals house for supper. Lots of people there, some sort of party but it is a big place and Dorothy-Rose goes off to play with Joeleen their eight year old daughter while we talk to her elder brother.  Kids have fun although no common language and promise to email each other – another job from Google translate.

Saturday 28th - Familiar Yanchun

Spend the day strolling around Yangchun after a quick visit to the ATM for cash. The trip was on the back of Les’s scooter and it is the scariest m/cycle ride to date, although somewhat exciting to stare death in the face wearing only a baseball cap, T-shirt, shorts and flip flops.

Come back to find that Alice, Dorothy-Rose and Mummy are all playing and there is no more tears when Daddy is not around.  Alice is now chatting away to her soft doll, stacking blocks and throwing a ball to her big sister.

Decide that due to the long trip yesterday and having to travel back to Guangzhou on Monday for the day that a trip to Wuchuan is not really the best for Alice. Laura speaks to the orphanage director and all is sorted.  He say's that we can visit anytime, and once again it's having a local contact that makes the world go around.