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. 

Friday 27th - The coach to Yangchun

Check out of the Ossotto, never did get to visit the spa :-( and arrive at the coach station in good time to get the 15:50 coach (remember that time). As we head off out of Guangzhou the afternoon turns to night and about three hours into the trip it starts to rain and rain and rain. 

Huge sheet lightening fills the sky for the next couple of hours and the roads turn to rivers. 

Tarmac is none existent and by this time we realise that the 15:50 coach is not the motorway express express but the more scenic route, seems our Mandarin lessons need a bit more work!  

At times we are down to 10mph and it is like something out of Romancing The Stone!  

Thankfully Alice decides that coach trips are boring and drops off to sleep in the first 10 minutes. Finally arrive 21:30 'quite tired'

Hotel Jin Da Lai is just across the street so we wade over the road which is now like a river with Les, Lisa and Laura who have met us.

We were promised a good deal on the room and find out that we have a honeymoon suite (tell the wife not to get her hopes up), consisting of private lobby, large bedroom with en-suite bath wet room, lounge with TV free computer and wifi, second games room and another en-suite wet room.   Published rate is 1650RMB a night and it is costing us 2550RMB for SEVEN nights including breakfast. 

 

Fall into bed tired and sleep very well. 

Thursday 26th - Hair today, gone tomorrow

Another night without problems. Alice sleeps through and wakes happy. In fact we all wake happy at 9.00am after a thirteen hour nap. Off to breakfast where we explore cereal, yoghurt and strawberry juice. Definitely getting the hang of this eating now and happy to try anything.

After breakfast go native in a taxi and head for the coach station. JA goes all local with her range of Mandarin and we successfully by four tickets for the 15:50 tomorrow to Yangchun. ( 4 hour trip)

Taxi back to the hotel and all done in an hour. Easy.

Back to Shamian where spurred on by the earlier success of making ourselves understood, I decide I have a haircut. Nice job including wash £3.50, same as the coffee in Starbucks and the twenty-minute taxi ride to the coach station.

Sometimes the value of things is bizarre.

Alice is now much happier every day. Happy with Mummy today who is now gets a lot more cuddles. She is also beginning to verbalize, mimicking our sounds. and smiling more and more.

Bought the girls, seems weird to eventually be able to use that phrase after so long, lovely matching silk dresses for next years CACH Reunion. Also bought Daddy a 爸爸 cap as I have no hair left!

Wednesday 25th When a mans word is not enough

Have a free morning and back to Shamian. We go to the kiddie park and Alice seems happy to be around small people again. 

Lots of grannies there with toddlers - no comments please. Not sure about the slide but becoming more relaxed and eating a bit better.

Still ever so snuggly in bed!

Passport office today and CTP mentions that the CCWA are holding him personally responsible for our ITT and that he will personally hold on to the adoption certificate which he will then send back to us after receiving the ITT.

This will involve him having to fly into GZ and will cost us another 2000RMB

Should have seen that one coming!!!

Free day tomorrow so off to find the coach station to try and buy tickets to Yangchun!

Tuesday 24th We have squeaky shoes!

Back to Shamian today for some famous squeaky shoes and then off later to complete the formal adoption work. All going smoothly until Chris asks for the original Invitation to Travel. I tell him that his list said bring three copies, which I did but nothing about the original.  He says he is worried that things may not be able to proceed but after some conversations and signing a notice to say that we will Fed Ex it on our return we are 'good to go'

Alice continues to relax although has taken to me at the moment and less keen on 妈妈

More shopping in Shamian and the man at the convenience store is 'well impressed' with our fluent Mandarin and the women in Good Rock almost fall off her chair when we run through our repertoire of songs!

DR is brilliant as we do all the boring stuff every day and have to have early nights. Nothing much to do in GZ, but she is getting good with the buggy

Monday 23rd Gotha Day

Off to the CCWA to meet Alice Qiu Mei.

Different building than last time but same bizarre experience. Jane and Graham are there with Mei Lin but Alice is a bit late.

Then she arrives, well we hear her first! 

Feisty little thing who hasn't taken to the six-hour trip very well.  She is very small and doesn't want to leave her nanny.

 

Eventually all sorted and back to the hotel. Goodness knows what they'll think when we walk in with an infant.

Monday evening is fine. Alice is still very shut down and not eating much but is taking a bottle. 

We have no crib so are expecting the night from hell but with the exception of a bit of self soothing, as soon as the lights go out she sleeps right through, but what a wriggler!

Me and SHMBO still jet lagged so spend much of the night looking at the vague outlines of our two beautiful daughters lying in-between us both

Sunday 22nd Guangzhou or bust!

Jet lagged again, so up in plenty of time to take advantage of that 'all you can eat until you feel you have got your money' breakfast and then fill up a taxi with all our bags, squeeze in and off to Hong Hum Station.  

No problem with tickets and train left on time and, no surprise arrived on time. Let's see Mr Johnson and Mr Crow do the same this summer in London.

Met Jane and Graham at the station and look forward to sharing the week with them.

Sadly no hotel car at other end so it's hop in a taxi time again

Arrive at hotel. Check in to find there is a bath in the room, not en-suite, but actually in the room.

Seems our hotel is a 'Recreation Hotel' with a spa that I am suddenly not allowed to visit. After all the travelling you would think JA would be more considerate of me getting a message.

Anyway it's only a five-minute walk over the Pearl River to Shamian.

Found a nice restaurant opposite the tennis club. The girl at door is impressed with JA as she asks about a table, but bursts out laughing when her reply is totally above our head.

Even better we are the only westerners in a very large busy restaurant and four different people come over to try to understand that we want a bottle of water for DR, they even chat to her in fluent Cantonese expecting her to dig us out of the hole.

Classic.

We end up being brought a pot of hot water. 

Saturday 21st Touchdown

Recommend the Skymarriott Hotel if you need to overnight in HK.

Upgraded to business room for free breakfasts and access to executive lounge for free evening cocktails and snacks. Cost the same as the breakfast would have cost, got a better room and pigged out on cocktails and snacks, which was actually a very nice buffet.

Went for a swim in the pool later. Only me and the eight-year-old Rebecca Adlett in the pool, and one of the nicest hotels pools in a long while.

So well done Marriott! 

The Jigsaw Is Nearly Complete

So the Invitation to Travel arrives and it’s like a well-oiled, well slightly rusty, machine bursting into life as we plan our schedule. The Scrooge in me wants to fly at the beginning of May when things are cheaper but SHMBO, rightly says that we have to get Alice as soon as possible.

Next call to Simon, Virgin pilot friend, http://www.gordonbennett2010.com/, who gets us booked on the evening flight leaving London on 20^th April – Thanks next night out is on us!

Next biggy is to arrange the visa appointment at the UK Consulate for 30^th April so that they can issue before we return on 4^th May. Did I mention that this now costs £826, although they are very helpful in their emails, and as long they issue the thing who cares.

Visa for china applied for - still haven’t got the passports back yet but I’m not worried ;-)

Tried to book the Victory Hotel, but discover that our week coincides with Canton Trade fair and they can only offer us a suite at £256 per night. Thank them in the politest way possible and find the Ossoto Hotel, which is opposite Shamian Island for £100 a night. Only problem is that they don’t offer a crib, so we will all be in a couple of big beds like The Waltons. Either this will result in accelerated bonding or seven nights of sleep deprivation.

Train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou booked online – premium class – yippee Isn’t it amazing what you can do from your desk!

Arranged to go back to Yangchun for the second week to see our friends Les, Lisa and Laura from our visit last year http://patrickrmulcahy.blogspot.co.uk/ which will allow us to chill out and relax at the East Lake Hotel.

Shopping to Date

• New baby clothes
• Two weeks worth of organic baby food
• Baby bottle
• More baby clothes
• Nappies
• Baby spoons, cups and feeders
• More baby clothes

Julie-Anne had a great send off from work for six months rest and relaxation, although I am still cutting the grass.

Bumped into Jane and Graham on line, who will be meeting their daughter Yuan Le at the same time as we meet Alice and who are also booked back on the same flight. Should we ask Virgin Atlantic to issue a passenger warning that the flight home may be a night flight but people should not be expecting to get any sleep!

Next call to Rob, friendly doctor, for sedation. Not for Alice, for me!

How long can it take to process papers?

Thanks for all the positive emails received from family and friends within the adoption community

You would think that with today’s technology and global markets that moving bits a paper between customers and countries need not take an eternity. How wrong can you be, and believe me we have not been slouching on the sofa!

Managed to translate papers, get a paediatric review and a follow social work meeting within a week, but as another week goes by and we have still not had any confirmation from “those who you cannot name” – Department of Education that our acceptance papers have left the UK………..

Reminds me of that joke, “Where is the ‘F’ in Customer Service?.......There is no ‘F’ in Customer Service”

Still, lots to keep us busy. DR is struggling to keep it together. Knowing Alice is in an SWI is bringing home to her her life events and she has moments of utter sadness, and say’s she just wants to go and collect her

Countdown to finishing work for JA has now begun, with the end of the month not coming quick enough. What she plans to do all day before we have Alice is anyone’s guess, but I’ll mention the grass looks a bit long and see what response I get.

Anyway, back to the rant and time to eat a big slice of humble pie time.

Called in from the garden, where I have been making sure the play equipment is tip top to hear that JA has taken a call and had an email conversation on a Sunday afternoon from Department of Education asking us to provide our Hague compliant information. Knock me down with a feather, and I’ll now defend every one of them with my last breath. Anyway they have now confirmed that documentation has left the UK and is on it’s way back to the CCCWA.

They also reckon that ITT’s can take between 3 to 6 weeks, without which we can’t book travel, without which we can’t apply for a visa, which can then take up to two weeks to process – All this is very depressing as I don’t now think we will get to China in April – but I may be wrong.

So although the process drags on we do seem to be getting closer to Wuchuan, and this week sent her a package of a cuddly toy, sweets and a picture of her new family. Hopefully this will get to her before we do!