China is currently celebrating one of the three "Golden Weeks" in China.
National Day was October 1st and it is a week long national holiday. This is actually the 58th celebration of National Day, as the PRC was founded October 1, 1949.
Many Chinese families celebrate by going to Tianamen Square to observe the flag raising ceremony. There are many celebrations throughout China and it is a very busy time for travel since workers have the week off.
Enjoy yourselves our Chinese friends....enjoy the time with your families! Each of you can take pride in monumental growth and achievement that you all are responsible for within your country!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH---Referrals Are Arriving!
Well, families started receiving information about their referrals today. It looks like the cut-off is going to be 11/30/05, but the CCAA website is not updated yet and they are on holiday until 10/08/07, so it looks like nothing formally will happen with that until then. But, since people with LID's of 11/30 have gotten referrals and no one beyond that has....unfortunately I'd say we are pretty safe with the 11/30 assumption!
Damn...damn...damn...I was SURE that they were going to refer thru December 5th! I was SO SURE of it! I scoffed at the thought that they were only going to finish November. WHY, after all of these months, do I continue to let it surprise and shock me at referral time?!
They started referring November 2005 in June of 2007 (technically on May 2007 they referred thru November 1, 2005) so it took ALL OF JUNE, ALL OF JULY, ALL OF AUGUST, ALL OF SEPTEMBER to match 1 MONTH OF LIDS! GOOD RIDDANCE NOVEMBER! Now let's quickly move thru December, January and get to February finally!
I still am insistent that we are going to get our referral on March 30th 2008! Of course lately I feel more like some crazy lady for sticking to that date...but that's been the date in my head...so I am sticking to it! Of course ironically, I have thought of this date (March 30th) for SO LONG, that I initially thought it was March 30, 2007! But we won't dwell on that now!
We are friends with a family who recently returned from adopting their child in China and the person who was their facilitator in China told them that "China would be closing to international adoption for 3 months for the Olympics". er...uh.....WHAT?! Yep, that is what he said! And when I questioned my friends saying I did not believe that, they said that the would believe what this individual told them over anything that the agencies here in the US knew at this point. Huh?! Crap! Okay...so apparently now I have to worry about another deadline....we need to be to China and back prior to the Olympics. Sure, I always wanted that, but the longer we wait the more I wonder if it is possible. And 3 months? Why 3 months? What 3 months? The Olympics begin on August 8 2008 and end on August 24 2008. So is the 3 months 1 before, July, the month of, August and one month after September? Or June, July & August....or......does this guy not know what he is talking about?!
I did hear somewhere that some countries have been told that they will not travel during the Olympics and I believe they were told for 2 months, although I don't know what 2 months, I assume July & August. It seems reasonable for some because some of the countries consulates are in Beijing. I can't even imagine the horror of trying to find a hotel room during this time. But there is not really any reason for anyone from the US to go to Beijing, short of that being where your baby is, which is also uncommon most come from Southern China. Most Americans only travel to Beijing a few days prior to getting their child to try to get acclimated to the time change/jet lag and to do some touristy things....Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, etc....But the US Consulate is in Guangzhou...no where near Beijing! This sucks for anyone that it is going to impact! I don't know how the CCAA is going to handle this, are they not going to give out any referrals for a few months or are they going to give out referrals and possibly make the people wait and extra month or two to travel?! Either way it sucks! And means that some of our babies will be potentially staying in an orphanage longer due to an "international sporting event"! Okay, okay, I know the olympics are more than that! But I can assure you that they are NOTHING to me compared to our Willow!
As always....the drama continues! Any PAP out there that has heard anything about the time around the olympics...let me know.
Damn...damn...damn...I was SURE that they were going to refer thru December 5th! I was SO SURE of it! I scoffed at the thought that they were only going to finish November. WHY, after all of these months, do I continue to let it surprise and shock me at referral time?!
They started referring November 2005 in June of 2007 (technically on May 2007 they referred thru November 1, 2005) so it took ALL OF JUNE, ALL OF JULY, ALL OF AUGUST, ALL OF SEPTEMBER to match 1 MONTH OF LIDS! GOOD RIDDANCE NOVEMBER! Now let's quickly move thru December, January and get to February finally!
I still am insistent that we are going to get our referral on March 30th 2008! Of course lately I feel more like some crazy lady for sticking to that date...but that's been the date in my head...so I am sticking to it! Of course ironically, I have thought of this date (March 30th) for SO LONG, that I initially thought it was March 30, 2007! But we won't dwell on that now!
We are friends with a family who recently returned from adopting their child in China and the person who was their facilitator in China told them that "China would be closing to international adoption for 3 months for the Olympics". er...uh.....WHAT?! Yep, that is what he said! And when I questioned my friends saying I did not believe that, they said that the would believe what this individual told them over anything that the agencies here in the US knew at this point. Huh?! Crap! Okay...so apparently now I have to worry about another deadline....we need to be to China and back prior to the Olympics. Sure, I always wanted that, but the longer we wait the more I wonder if it is possible. And 3 months? Why 3 months? What 3 months? The Olympics begin on August 8 2008 and end on August 24 2008. So is the 3 months 1 before, July, the month of, August and one month after September? Or June, July & August....or......does this guy not know what he is talking about?!
I did hear somewhere that some countries have been told that they will not travel during the Olympics and I believe they were told for 2 months, although I don't know what 2 months, I assume July & August. It seems reasonable for some because some of the countries consulates are in Beijing. I can't even imagine the horror of trying to find a hotel room during this time. But there is not really any reason for anyone from the US to go to Beijing, short of that being where your baby is, which is also uncommon most come from Southern China. Most Americans only travel to Beijing a few days prior to getting their child to try to get acclimated to the time change/jet lag and to do some touristy things....Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, etc....But the US Consulate is in Guangzhou...no where near Beijing! This sucks for anyone that it is going to impact! I don't know how the CCAA is going to handle this, are they not going to give out any referrals for a few months or are they going to give out referrals and possibly make the people wait and extra month or two to travel?! Either way it sucks! And means that some of our babies will be potentially staying in an orphanage longer due to an "international sporting event"! Okay, okay, I know the olympics are more than that! But I can assure you that they are NOTHING to me compared to our Willow!
As always....the drama continues! Any PAP out there that has heard anything about the time around the olympics...let me know.
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