Sunday--Finally A Day Off

Today was Sunday here in China and we did not have any "adoption business" to do today, so the day was free to do as we please.

Willow, Tom and I slept in and got up around 9:30 AM and went down for breakfast. After breakfast we walked over the bridge to Guangzhou from Shamian Island (where we are staying). We went to the Guangzhou Pedestrian Street, which is sort of like an outdoor mall. There are blocks and blocks of stores all up and down the street and the street is blocked off to traffic, except on foot...thus "pedestrian" street. The place was an ABSOLUTE zoo! I don't know if it was because it was a weekend day, or if it is like that all the time, but I don't think I have ever seen so many people in one place! It was quite overwhelming and we did not last for long. We did buy some items for Willow and found a McDonald's for lunch, which after being in China for a week, tasted very good to have something "from home". At lunch we found out that Willow really likes french fries!

We returned to the island late afternoon, relaxed for a bit in the room and then took a cab back over to Guangzhou to the Carrefour (actually a French owned store, but very similar to WalMart), to get supplies (formula, diapers, snacks, etc...) The mall where Carrefour is had a Papa John's Pizza on the corner, so we ate there for dinner. So, all around, today was a pretty "americanized" day as far a food goes.

Willow really has made very little progress and is still pretty shut-down. Tonight at the Carrefour, she seemed to show an interest in where she was for the first time and afterwards at dinner, there were a few brief moments of "almost" interaction with me. Hey...I'll take what I can get at this point. We'll keep trying..one of these days she is going to come out of her shell and she is going to be even more beautiful!

Tomorrow afternoon is her medical examination and then we go back to the government offices to pick up her official paperwork. After those appointments, we return to the hotel to start working on the mountain of forms for required for the US Consulate. Our consulate appointment is December 30th.

Stay tuned....more to come soon!