** Countdown to our adoption: Only 31 hours left before we get Matthew. **
BEIJING, China (Monday, Dec. 8, 2008, 6:20 a.m.) – As I sit in the lobby of the Novotel Peace Hotel in Beijing early on a cold Monday morning waiting for a meeting with our adoption agency, I can’t help but be I total awe.
The city and this country are magnificent, from the sprawling modern metropolis that makes up today’s Beijing to the pockets of history that date from centuries ago and still thrive today.
I’m sitting in the lobby, gazing through large plate glass windows at sporadic traffic during that brief time of the day between the last minutes of night and first seconds of dawn.
The weather is cold, traffic is sparse and my mind is wandering …
Matthew: What will it be like raising a son? Is it the same as raising a daughter? Do they create new and different issues? And, more importantly, do I have what it takes to be a good parent?
I posed that same question to myself in 2006 while here to adopt our daughter. And I’ve decided the answers are the same: Raising a son will be challenging, rewarding and fun. And if Pam and I rely on the values our parents gave us, we will be good, effective, loving parents.
Bicycles: Last time Pam and I were here, we stayed at a hotel a little farther away from the central part of the city. I remember watching hordes of workers at the start and end of the work day head to their jobs riding bicycles rather than cars.
Cars dominated the streets, but bikes were the preferred mode of travel for many. That may be true today, but I have seen significantly fewer bikes on the streets where we are staying – and that could well be because we are staying much closer to the heart of Beijing.
Landmarks: Besides being within walking distance of the Wangfujing shopping district and night food market, we also theoretically are within walking distance of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
The incredibly cold, frigid weather we’ve had since Pam and I arrived Wednesday, however, have limited our desire to do much walking. We even modified a tour over the weekend that had been outside because the weather has been so cold.
Luckily, it has warmed (although it’s still in the 30s and Sunday saw the city shrouded in a smoky fog).
Street food: Pam broke down and tried some street food on Sunday night during an evening stroll through the night food market down the street from our house. I’ve already written about the market and the food in a previous post.
For $15 Yuan, or about $2.21, Pam bought and ate frozen fruit on a stick. Actually, she had several cold strawberries and pineapple slices glazed over with a light sugar crust that kept it cold. She loved it.
Other meals: Our restaurant meals so far have been very good, including the hotel breakfast buffet and lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Our only disappointment so far was the hotel dinner buffet Sunday night.
We were too tired to try to find a nearby restaurant, so we decided to say at the hotel. But despite pretty good duck and a nice salad, the dinner was passable at best.
Jet lag: If we did one thing smart this entire trip, I would say it had to be arriving several days early in Beijing to adjust to the time change. I don’t remember that jet lag was this much of a problem in 2006.
But a 14-hour time difference is a lot. Plus, this sinus infection from hell that won’t go away (I’ve been battling this bugger for more than two weeks, now) certainly hasn’t helped.
Today: After our briefing with Holt International Children’s Services, Pam and I are scheduled to have lunch and then tour Tiananmen Square and the Temple of Heaven.We also will try to visit the Olympic stadiums.
I don’t know when we will return to the hotel. But I plan to post an update as soon as possible with the latest information we receive today from Holt about Matthew.
Copyright 2008 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.
