** Adoption countdown: 7 days until Pam, Terry and Matthew return home **
ZHENGZHOU, China (Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008, 5:45 p.m.) – Traditional Chinese music played from a pavilion on the banks of the man-made lake as Pam, Matthew and I slowly walked through the large city park.
A few people, covered tightly to fight the brisk, 45-degree morning chill, walked along the park’s winding paths.
A group of elderly ladies sat at a park table for a game of mahjong. A few feet away, a man dipped an oversized brush into a bucket of water and practiced writing Chinese characters on the sidewalk.
It was Thursday morning at Zigingshan Park, about a 10-minute walk from the Crowne Plaza Hotel where we have been staying since Tuesday – the day we met our son.
Today was our last day in Zhengzhou. And we asked Echo, our escort from Holt International Children’s Services, to give us a walking tour of the city – and a chance to see what life is like here.
Echo graciously agreed. We began our trip at about 10 a.m. with Matthew tightly packed inside the coat he had on when we got him Tuesday. There was no way he would get cold.
From the Crowne Plaza, we walked toward the park.
City park
Once inside the gates, the area quickly becomes quiet. Large weeping willows line the banks of a man-made lake that dominates the park as a cement path winds its way throughout.
On one end of the park is a small children’s amusement area, complete with a helicopter ride, a carousel, a bumper cars and an enclosed playground. Except for the bumper cars, the rides were vacant and sat unused.
Once outside the park, we found ourselves in an area of town that Echo said few tourists ever visit. This is what life is like in Zhengzhou, the area where locals shop and socialize.
All along Shunhedong Jie, residents sold clothing, fruit, food and other items from the side of the road. A few were displayed on carts, while others were displayed on blankets spread on the cement sidewalk.
Some businesses along the street sold meals to locals, anything from meat dishes to frozen fruit on a stick. One elderly woman tried to persuade me to buy something from her cart filled with men’s underwear.
I politely declined.
Another woman cleaned fresh fish in a plastic tub and handed it to customers. Next to her, the back of a small pickup truck was lined with plastic and filled to the top with water and live fish for sale.
Local market
A couple of doors down, Echo brought us to a large, outdoor grocery store where she said she often shops.
Bins were filled with fresh vegetables, fruit and meat. Workers behind long counters sold roasted chicken and duck. And it reminded Pam and me of the French Market in New Orleans.
But there was at least one thing you don’t find n the French Market – customers on motorcycles and bikes whizzing through the store and buying food to take home for dinner.
Speaking of bikes and motorcycles, Zhengzhou has more of them than we’ve seen since we arrived in China last week.
Rather than drive heavily-congested streets, many folks here opt for bikes, mopeds and motorcycles. And they drive the vehicles on sidewalks they share with pedestrians, so you better be careful.
Locals stopped Pam and me several times, curious about Matthew and asking several questions. Once Echo explained the adoption, they smiled, laughed and walked on.
After a brief stop at the Lotus SuperCenter, Pam and I took a $1 taxi ride back to the Crowne Plaza with more video and photos to share with our children when they want to know about their heritage and culture.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
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