A few quick notes from our stay in Guangzhou

Tuesday, April 11, 2006, 7:42 a.m.
Three more days until Pam, Camryn and I return home.

By Terry R. Cassreino

GUANGZHOU, China - Water bugs are usually cooked deep fried, while sand worms are boiled and eaten like noodles.
Both are considered health dishes by the Chinese, who eat them for the calcium they provide. Milk, usually a source of calcium, is not very good in this area of China.
Water bugs, sand worms, and other dishes we would consider strange in the United States are some of the more popular entrees in China. Water bugs, by the way, are crunchy.
No. I didn’t eat them. But there are plenty of people who do. The bin t the front of a local restaurant near the White Swan Hotel was half empty of water bugs Monday night.

Riverside park

Also nearby the restaurant is a small park that borders the Pearl River.
A paved walkway hugs the river. Next to that are several children’s amusement park rides. All of the rides were covered with tarp, possibly because the ride season hasn’t begun.
Also along the river is at least one restaurant with tables outside next to the shore. On Monday, a nice steady breeze kept diners cool while the ate dinner.

On tap today

As our journey to China draws to a close, plans today call for a trip to an historic Buddhist temple and an afternoon buffet at the White Swan.
Pam, Camryn and I likely will begin to pack our things tonight because we’ll check out the hotel on Wednesday before we head to the U.S. consulate to get the baby’s visa.
From there, a representative with Lotus Travel will take us to the train station - where we’ll catch a train for Hong Kong.
Luckily, our hotel in Hong Kong is directly across the street from the train station. Maybe we’ll arrive early enough for Pam and me to watch the tape-delayed “American Idol.”
Raymond Joe, my good friend of 25 years (has it been that long?), left Pam and me some suggestions for shopping and eating for our one-day stay Thursday in Hong Kong.
Then Friday it’s off to Mississippi. I’ll re-post plane arrival times later in case anyone wants to meet us at the Jackson-Evers International Airport.

Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.

Camryn's Corner

Monday, April 10, 2006

By Pam Cassreino

GUANGZHOU, China - One week ago today I met my daughter Camryn for the first time. So much has happened since then. Camryn first came to us a scared and confused little girl. She is now a happy and content little angel. Once she would not let T get near her without crying. Once she would not smile no matter how hard we tried. Now she loves to play "peek a boo" with T and goes into hysterics laughing when he jumps out from behind the wall in our room.
At one time she would absolutely refuse to play with her toys when I intiated. She would only pick them up when I was not looking. Today, she loves for T and I to play with her and her toys.

I find out something new about Camryn each day. For example, she loves to eat noodles, congee, and steamed egg, all of which I know how to make. Her favorite word is "da-da". She loves to eat in restaraunts and behaves exceptionally well. And she will ride all afternoon in a stroller without ever making a sound, except maybe "da-da".

There are sacrifices you make when you become a mother. You know, I love earrings, especially the dangly ones. I have not gotten to wear any all week. You mothers out there know why. I eat meals in random bites while I am feeding Camryn and making sure no dishes go flying across the room. I am now responsible for bathing two people, one of which screams her lungs out while in the process. I don't even use a normal purse any more. How sad. My new purse is baby pink and has "Precious Moments" characters on the front. It does have many zipper compartments and elastic bands that hold three bottles quite securely. I can even toss my lip gloss and some gum in there.

Thank you for letting me share my personal thoughts about Camryn, my new daughter.
I would also like to thank all our friends and family for reading our daily blog and participating in this personal journey with us.

Copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.

Monday in review: Another photo gallery

Monday, April 10, 2006, 10 p.m.
Four days until Pam, Camryn and I return home.

GUANGZHOU, China - A doctor’s visit for a medical exam, one of the final requirements for Camryn before we can return home, highlighted Monday. Otherwise, it was a leisurely day. And I’ve included a selection of nine photos to give you an idea. Incidentally, today marked one week since Camryn came into our lives. Enjoy. - Terry R. Cassreino


PHOTO 1
Pam, standing at left, and Camryn pose in front of the waterfall in the lobby of the White Swan Hotel, where we are staying in Guangzhou. We haven’t eaten lunch or dinner at the hotel, but the breakfast buffet is impressive. If you look closely, you can see egg, pancake, waffle, fruit, fruit juice and coffee stains on Pam and Camryn (this photo was taken after we spent three hours grazing at the trough).














PHOTO 2
Camryn, the little one on the left, and Pam pose for a photo that will be used for an engraved picture of the baby. The entire deal cost about $10 and we get to pick it up on Tuesday. Pretty neat. You’ll have to see it when we get home.










PHOTO 3
Here is a shot of the street outside the hotel. Because the White Swan Hotel plays host to many adoption families, a mini-industry of businesses that offer baby clothes and supplies has taken over on streets near the hotel. Most offer the same things but at different prices. You have to bargain with the retailers. I picked up a huge suitcase Monday for about $10 and a few other gifts at great prices.








PHOTO 4
Our room at the White Swan Hotel overlooks the Pearl River (if I am not mistaken). Here is the spectacular view from our room. At night, all the businesses along the river are light up in neon.












PHOTO 5
We had to take Camryn today for an official medical exam, which is necessary before we can get her visa to enter the United States. During our 15-minute walk to the clinic, we passed several wedding parties posing for photographs in areas parks. Here is one couple. I don’t know when the wedding is or was because I didn’t have time to talk with anyone (and I don’t know if they even speak English).













PHOTO 6
Here is another married couple (or soon-to-be-married couple) having official photos taken. I hope the mover in the background didn’t spoil the official shots.


















PHOTO 7
Here, Pam gets into an argument with another mother over whose baby is cuter. Pam won (after she grabbed the lady in a headlock and knocked her to the floor). Actually, I caught Pam in the middle of an innocent, animated conversation with someone else while waiting for Camryn’s medical exam. She hates the photo. I like it because it’s interesting (although it clearly wouldn’t make the front page).












PHOTO 8
Camryn, center, fusses during her ear, nose and throat exam. She passed it fine. But she was frightened beyond belief as were all the children who visited the clinic Monday. I guess it's just something about doctors that upset children and dogs.










PHOTO 9
I couldn’t end this gallery with a photo from the medical exam, so I added this one of Pam, right, feeding Camryn cold noodles. What did I tell you? Camryn just loves noodles. When we went out to eat Monday night, the world seemed to stop for Camryn as soon as she saw the waitress place a plate of fried noodles on the table. Maybe you also can get just a slim idea of how nice the accommodations are here in Guangzhou.



Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.

Breaking the language barrier

Monday, April 10, 2006, 8:42 p.m.
Four days until Pam, Camryn and I return home.

By Terry R. Cassreino

GUANGZHOU, China - As the wait inside the Bank of China inched closer to 30 minutes, the security guard walked over and struck up a conversation.
“Hello, I’m Jimmy,” he said in clear distinct, perfectly pronounced English.
“I’m a security officer at the bank. I work from 9 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I like to have drinks with friends in the evening.”
I laughed. I had to because I knew Jimmy figured I was from the United States and, therefore, a perfect way for him to practice his limited mastery of our language.
You see, Jimmy is like many Chinese we’ve met since we arrived in the country on March 28. As soon as they realize you are American, they want to know all about you.
With English taught in many Chinese schools, residents in Beijing, Nanchang and Guangzhou - the cities we’ve visited so far - want to practice what they’ve learned.
And that gets repetitive, especially with everyone saying the same phrases that include “I speak a little English”; “What would you like”; and “We are pleased to meet you.”

Similar story

It’s probably no different from what I’ve done since I arrived. Pam and I came to China after trying to learn a little Mandarin using a compact disc audio language course.
Pam and I chose the Pimsleur method, which teaches conversational language skills. We used the same method to learn Spanish before we traveled to Mexico; it worked perfectly
But Mandarin Chinese is difficult to learn because it is a tonal language. The same word can have different meanings depending on the tonal pronunciation.
Pam and I could never master even part of the language in the two-month span before our trip. So I’m sure our limited vocabulary and ability speaking Mandarin quickly grew old.
Among the handful of phrases I know are “Do you speak English?”; “I speak a little Mandarin. But I don’t speak Mandarin well”; “I don’t understand what you are saying.”
So back to Jimmy’s story
I needed to convert U.S. cash into Chinese currency, and the White Swan Hotel wouldn’t help me. So the front desk clerk sent me outside to the Bank of China.

Offering help

I stepped inside, took my place in line and then met Jimmy. He pointed me to a table and explained in sign language that I needed to complete a form for my transaction.
When I finished, I got back in line and waited almost 30 minutes for my turn. During that time, Jimmy walked over, smiled and struck up a conversation in broken English.
“Hello, I’m Jimmy,” he said. “I’m a security officer at the bank. I work from 9 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I go to university to learn English.”
I told Jimmy I was from the United States and my wife and I were here to adopt. He then pulled out a sheet of paper and proudly handed it to me; it was his hand-written script.
“Hello, I’m Jimmy,” it read in clear but rough handwriting and followed closely what Jimmy told me earlier. I complimented Jimmy and told him his English was good.
He smiled, thanked me and did the very same thing I’ve been doing the past two weeks in China: He repeated his English again, just like I have repeated my Chinese to interested people.
“Hello, I’m Jimmy,” he began again, repeating the entire cycle.
“I’m a security officer at the bank. I work from 9 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I like to have drinks with friends in the evening.”

Photos and text copyright 2006 by Terry R. Cassreino.