** Adoption countdown: 8 days until Pam, Terry and Matthew return home **
ZHENGZHOU, China (Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008, 4 p.m.) – Matthew Wu Di is now officially our child – the Civil Affairs office of the Henan province here In Zhengzhou formally approved our adoption this morning.
It was a small ceremony in the fifth-floor office of the government building we visited on Tuesday to get custody of Matthew. And it took place just before noon.
From there, Pam, Matthew, I and our guide from Holt International Children’s Services walked about a block to have official paperwork notarized. We actually will receive all of the official paperwork on Thursday – including information on where Matthew was abandoned.
After our adoption became formal, Pam, Matthew, our Holt escort and I visited a local department store, the Thailand-based Lotus SuperCenter, to buy baby products.
Because Wal-Mart has no stores in Zhengzhou we had to settle for something else. And, to be perfectly honest, Lotus had tons more products at what looked like better prices than Wal-Mart.
Among the $40 worth of stuff we bought: Toy cars for Matthew Wu Di, additional diapers, cookies, several bottles of Coca-Cola and several bottles of Diet Coke.
With the weather cooling off significantly in Zhengzhou on Wednesday – right now it is 43 degrees under overcast skies – we considered buying Matthew a new coat. But after we thought about it, we decided he can wear the coat he had when we got him.
We will find him something better in Guangzhou.
Matthew update
Matthew is doing fine and adjusting well. In fact, he has readily smiled and has started calling Pam “mama” and me “baba.” He might even have an easier transition than Camryn did.
Even though Matthew cried today when we had to have his hand prints taken at the Civil Affairs office, he otherwise was a well-behaved child – both at the Lotus SuperCenter and at lunch in the hotel.
Speaking of eating, this kid can put away a lot of food. Today at lunch he ate almost an entire bowl of chicken congee (which was pretty good) and munched on some decent French fries.
Matthew loves boxed milk – milk in boxes similar to the juice boxes in the United States. We also treated him to a couple of toys today, including a pack of small race cars.
Matthew is fascinated by cars. He will sit in a car or van, look out the window, point and say the Chinese word for cars and trucks. He says a few other things in Mandarin, but I don’t know what they mean.
Zhengzhou bustles
Even though we haven’t had a lot of time to explore Zhengzhou, Pam and I can tell you this is a pretty busy city.
Within walking distance of our hotel is a shopping district where residents shop for clothing, jewelry and groceries. Two U.S. staples also are in abundance here: McDonald’s and KFC. The McDonald’s location a couple of blocks away is open 24 hours a day.
Our 2006 trip to Beijing saw hordes of people moving about the city on bicycles, taking them to work or the store. While bike traffic was noticeably down in Beijing this year, it looks very heaving here in Zhengzhou. Bikes are all over the place.
And just like in Beijing, most businesses are decorated for Christmas. Our hotel, for example, has a large artificial Christmas tree, dramatic indoor lighting and a gingerbread house. Outside, neon reigns as it is used to decorate just about every building in town.
Adoption trip
This time in China, Pam and I are on our own.
In March-April 2006, we traveled with as large group from Holt International Children’s Services. When we traveled to Jiangxi province to get Camryn, we were with 10 other couples.
This time, it’s just Pam and me. We were the only Holt folks in Beijing, the only ones in Zhengzhou and probably will be among a small group in Guangzhou.
It’s not that big of a deal. But, I have to admit, there have been some times on this trip in which Pam and I have felt isolated and alone. At least with a large group, you can find someone to share and talk about their experiences.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
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