** Adoption countdown: 4 days until Pam, Terry and Matthew return home **
GUANGZHOU, China (Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, 11:15 a.m.) – This is one huge city.
And Pam, Matthew and I are about to go explore the town on our own, hoping to begin shopping for Christmas gifts before we head back to the States on Thursday.
We also will need a new suitcase. A small shop across from the hotel is selling a nice sized Polo suitcase for the equivalent of about $14, so I think we’ll probably head over there.
Until we return, I thought I’d share a few observations about Matthew, Guangzhou and China in general.
Matthew: He’s nothing but energy as he runs around our room at the White Swan Hotel. He continues to adjust well, sleeping through the entire night without waking. And he continues to eat well, devouring a full bowl of oatmeal at breakfast.
Christmas decorations: Most businesses here decorate for Christmas just like they did in Beijing and Zhengzhou. Some include elaborate decorations, some are simple like the accompanying photo with this post. All of the displays we have seen focus on Santa and have no religious reference.
Amazing Hands: Amy Pu, founder of Amazing Hands, the foster home in Beijing that cared for Matthew, wrote us a nice e-mail. It’s obvious that Amy and others at Amazing Hands dd a wonderful job working with Matthew – and we are incredibly appreciative.
Breakfast: Speaking of breakfast, which is included as part of our daily room rate, the hotel buffet includes the usual assortment of dishes: eggs, bacon, ham, pastries, waffles. A few what we would consider unusual breakfast dishes include fried noodles, steamed dumplings, fried shrimp, meatballs and sushi.
River view: Our hotel is directly on the banks of the Pearl River, which is filled freight traffic. At night, the river is lit by bright neon signs from businesses and restaurants that line the banks.
Language: The Chinese have as many problems with the English language as we do with the Chinese language. The photo I included with this post was at a park near the hotel and is a good example.
Store clerks: I have never seen so many store clerks anywhere as I have in China. Everywhere you go there must be one clerk or salesperson for every shopper. You won’t see that in the United State.
Basketball: Professional basketball is all over the airwaves here in China. In particular, it’s common to see an NBA game, live or tape delayed, on Chinese TV during the day (it corresponds to night games at home).
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
Can't wait to meet you Matthew .....you are so adorable.
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