Basic Camryn Cassreino facts

Tuesday, April 4, 2006, 9:31 p.m.

By Terry R. Cassreino

NANCHANG, China - At the request of our great friends, the Sekuls, I'll fill everyone in on Camryn.
Her real Chinese name is Cao Ai Hua, pronounced "tchow EYE wha" (pronounce the T).
She's good at skipping the diaper and hitting the bed when she has to use the restroom (she can't quite make it to the toilet yet; in fact, she's so small she might slip through the seat).
Camryn loves to eat congee, a popular Chinese dish of overcooked rice. And she's starting to like formula that Pam has prepared. She's not quite made it to an Outback special of a 12-ounce sirloin; I'd give her a couple of months before she's ready for that.
Children from orphanages are usually behind in development and Camryn is no exception. She hasn't mastered sitting up by herself, but she has mastered good motor skills by passing items from her left hand to her right hand and then straight into her mouth (hey, it doesn't even have to be edible).
She loves to watch television, especially martial arts films (her favorite is "Master of the Flying Guillotine") and Hong Kong gangster thrillers (like John Woo's "The Killer" with Chow Yun-Fat). She even told me earlier Tuesday she once met Chow Yun-Fat in person. I told her I didn't believe her.
Anyway, I guess that means we will expand our satellite television lineup to include at least one Chinese language station.
Camryn isn't speaking yet. And if she was, my guess is it would be Mandarin Chinese. I guess if you think about it, she could be speaking and because we understand very little Mandarin we might not realize she is talking to us (or about us, as the case may be).
Above all, she is the gentlest, most innocent child you've ever laid eyes on. And Pam and I keep thinking and wondering how anyone could part with a child as beautiful as Camryn.
Thanks, Sherita, for asking. And we need to get together soon.

Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.