Observations from 38,000 feet in the sky

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

ABOARD NORTHWEST FLIGHT 25 SOMEWHERE OVER CANADA (Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, 6:20 p.m. CDT) – Now that’s one hell of a dateline, don’t you think?

It may not be Associated Press style (sorry, folks, but I left my AP Stylebook at home), but it certainly gives you an idea of where we are at this precise minute. Well, almost.

I don’t have access to the cockpit, so the fact is I don’t really know where I’m at. I can only rely on a giant map that flashes periodically on the screen in the cabin indicating we are still in North America.

So, because I have practically little to do for the next, oh, eight more hours on this specific flight, I thought I’d share a few observations of our travels so far (in between some severe turbulence we just experienced).

NORTHWEST FLIGHT 2970 (Jackson, Miss.-Detroit)

Could it be that Northwest Airlines read my blog from our March-April 2006 trip in which I roundly criticized the airline for their customer service, or lack of thereof. It was horrible.

But today, our trip to China began on a bright note with a relatively quick, two-hour flight on a Pinnacle jet. Although incredibly cramped with no leg or arm room, the flight attendant was pleasant and helpful.

While waiting to board the flight, several Republican state legislators passed by on their way to a meeting in Chicago, I believe. Among them was state Sen. Videt Carmichael of Meridian, father of Fredie Carmichael, editor of The Meridian Star and a close friend of mine.

I also bumped into former Congressman Ronnie Shows, who was headed to a meeting in Washington. Congressman Shows is always great to talk with and offers good insight into the latest political scene.

NORTHWEST FLIGHT 25 (Detroit-Tokyo)

This is the monster flight, the one that never seems to end, the one that lasts for a whopping 14 hours (ouch).

But so far, about a third into the flight, things are working well. Pam and I lucked out and have an empty seat between us, allowing us to spread out slightly.

We’ve been served one snack shortly after take off and ate dinner a couple of hours ago. Again, the good folks at Northwest must have heard my criticisms because the dinner was actually pretty good.

We started with a simple appetizer of three steamed shrimp accompanied by cocktail sauce in a squeezable plastic pouch. A small lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad followed, topped with Creamy Italian also from a small squeezable plastic pouch.

Then it was the main course: Chicken covered in soy sauce with steamed rice and shredded carrots. It was surprisingly good and no doubt a better choice than the alternate: Braised beef with barbecue sauce, roasted potatoes and veggies.

Our lavish in-flight dinner was topped off with four prepackaged Oreo cookies.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA

Sit. Sit again. Sit some more. Get up and walk around the cabin. Sit again. Walk again. Eat an unknown snack midway through the flight. Sit again. Walk. Sit. And then eat breakfast.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: We are set to arrive in Tokyo on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, at 5:05 p.m. (we might arrive a bit late because we left Detroit late) yet we will be served breakfast a couple of hours before we arrive.

Anyway, our menu offers us two choices: Swiss cheese omelet, seasoned potatoes and pork sausage links – or – fried rice with teriyaki chicken. Both are served with fresh fruit, muffin and orange juice.

Just the thought of it has my taste buds ready. Frankly, though I’m leaning toward the fried rice dish. We’ll see, though.

That’s not all: On our four-hour flight from Tokyo to Beijing I believe we have another meal. Details on that one will have to come in a later post, though.

Well, I have much sitting left to do so I better get busy.

Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Waiting for our flight in Jackson

JACKSON, Miss. (Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, 7:45 a.m.) – Pam and I made it to the Jackson-Evers International Airport on time.

And after spending much of Monday night trying hard to squeeze every last bit of clothing possible into our two pieces of luggage, we made it through check-in without having to pay extra fees for overweight bags.

As I write, I am sitting outside the Sports Hal Café contemplating whether to eat an overpriced and probably not-very-good breakfast. Then again, after that deli sandwich I ate last night, it might be better if I opt for a full plate of Gaviscon.

Oh well. C’est la vie. I may have a minute to update when we get to Detroit. If not, our next update may not come until we arrive in Beijing.

Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Cassreinos leave for China to complete second adoption

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, 12:15 a.m. CDT) – My wife and I stood anxious and giddy in the lobby of an upscale Nanchang hotel with a group of other Americans and waited as our names were called one at a time.

“Cassreino,” someone said as they stepped outside of a packed meeting room late one afternoon at the four-star Gloria Plaza Hotel.

I quickly handed my digital still camera to a nearby friend and my digital camcorder to someone else. Both immediately began snapping pictures and shooting video as Pam and I quickly headed for the meeting room.

As Cao Junbiao, the orphanage director from Jiujiang City, handed my daughter to me, I laughed hard to fight back tears. My wife, though, couldn’t control herself : She cried hysterically as she held her baby in her hands.

And Camryn, two days shy of her first birthday and suddenly thrust into a room surrounded by strangers speaking an odd language, screamed, cried and held a sweet cracker tightly in her small, delicate, left hand.

It was late afternoon Monday, April 3, 2006, a day burned forever in my mind – the beginning of a long journey to parenthood for me and my wife, unchartered waters for a couple that married seven years earlier determined to raise our own family.

When we learned we wouldn’t be able to have our own children, we decided to adopt. And when it became obvious domestic adoptions have become increasingly rare, we chose to adopt from China.

RETURNING TO CHINA

More than 2½ years after our trip to adopt Camryn, Pam and I are returning to China for our second adoption. We leave for Beijing today for what no doubt will be as emotional and personal a journey as our first trip.

This time, we return as veteran parents who have tried as best as we can to offer our daughter a stable, loving and nurturing environment. This time, we return having a little more knowledge about the history, culture and people who make up a beautiful nation.

And we return as the prospective parents a little boy, a 20-month-old special needs child who has lived with foster parents at an orphanage in Beijing while undergoing care and treatment for a club foot.

We don’t know much about Matthew (He Wu Di is his Chinese name). In fact, we know less about his background than we did about Camryn. But we do know that Matthew was born March 16, 2007, in Xingxiang, Henan.

Shortly after his birth, Matthew was taken to Beijing for treatment to his foot. He has remained there in foster care and will return to Henan just before we are scheduled to take him into our care on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 9.

Adopting a boy in China is rare because most people adopt girls. Much has been written about China’s population controls and the little girls who often are abandoned and placed up for domestic or foreign adoption.

China also has a special needs adoption program with boys and girls who have minor correctable problems. When we decided to explore the special needs route, we were told we could be matched quickly because we were willing to consider a boy or girl.

BRINGING MATTHEW HOME

So here we are, headed to China at the start of the winter season preparing to adopt a little boy. We couldn’t be any more excited as we embark on another chapter in our lives.

Our family also is excited – Matthew will be our parents’ first grandson.

But mostly, Pam and I are sincerely and deeply interested in providing Matthew and his sister, Camryn, with a solid, moral upbringing in an environment and country that offers limitless opportunities just like it has done for us.

We want to give them lasting, vivid memories of holidays with their extended family, vacations at the beach, Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. And we want them to feel protected, wanted, loved.

I sat in my office at our house on Sunday doing some work on my computer when Camryn, now 3, walked in, plopped on top of a storage box and started to read me a story abort Dora the Explorer, her favorite television character.

I spun around in my chair, picked Camryn up, sat her on her lap, held her face in my hands, looked directly into her eyes and asked her calmly and matter-of-factly what she wanted me to bring her from China.

“Baba. Baba. Baba. Baba,” she said excitedly and haltingly, calling me the Asian word for father. “Bring me back a present. Bring me back something nice. But nothing scary. And don’t bring me no monster.”

And just as quickly, she added with a broad smile: “And bring back Matthew.”

We will, sweetheart. Mommy and Baba will return to Jackson-Evers Internation Airport the night of Thursday, Dec. 18, with Matthew in our arms and a memorable Christmas right around the corner.

NOTE: You can follow our adoption journey here at this blog. We plan to file updates – stories and photos from our trip – twice a day in the morning and at night. Pam and I also welcome your comments. E-mail us at cassreino@bellsouth.net, cassreino@gmail.com or terry@cassreino.com.

Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino, all rights reserved