Reflections, clarifications on traveling in China

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Monday, Dec. 29, 2008, 6:35 p.m.) – After receiving some feedback on an earlier post about my thoughts and experiences on our China adoption trip, I thought I’d share a few more observations.

These may serve to amplify or clarify my earlier thoughts.

China safety: For the most part, China is a relatively safe country. Pam and I felt safe enough to walk freely to different areas of Beijing, Zhengzhou and Guangzhou during our adoption trip this month; we did the same during our adoption trip in March and April 2006.

The people of China are proud, welcoming folks who genuinely love to visit with Americans. They love to practice their broken English as much as I enjoyed trying the little Mandarin I knew and could speak like a native.

In every city we visited, Pam and I felt comfortable enough to take a taxi just about anywhere. And we freely ate at Chinese restaurants, ordering from the menu despite our inability to speak fluent Mandarin.

Travel unease: This year’s trip fell days after the terrorist attacks in India, which led to a lot of unease on my part. I wasn’t comfortable traveling by air as long as we did (23 hours to China, 33 hours back to the United States).

To be honest, I would have felt the same way regardless of the terrorist attacks. I just don’t like to fly for any reason. Period. Exclamation point.

Once in China, Pam and I were by ourselves for the bulk of our trip. In 206, we were part of a larger group of adoptive parents (30 total, including 10 who traveled with us to Jiangxi province). So whatever we did this time around we did it by ourselves.

That didn’t necessarily mean the trip was horrible. I just would have preferred to be part of a larger group of adoptive parents who could have shared experiences.

Chinese culture: Pam and I made a conscious decision this trip to attempt to immerse ourselves more in Chinese daily culture than we did last time. In 2006, we took a few more organized tours.

This time, we took a tour to the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Peking Acrobats. Beyond that, we explored Beijing, Zhengzhou and Guangzhou on our own, seeing what its like to live day-to-day in the cities.

We visited large shopping districts, neighborhood markets, city parks and restaurants where no one spoke English and we were challenged to order food we liked. It was an adventure to say the least.

Hotel lodging: The Novotel Peace Hotel in Beijing was nice, centrally located, had a good breakfast buffet (included with our room), but an overpriced and not very good dinner buffet. The price was about $150 a night.

The Crowne Plaza in Zhengzhou was spectacular: A beautifully decorated hotel with nice rooms and a comfortable bed. The breakfast buffet (included with the room price) and the dinner buffet ( Brazilian barbecue) was excellent at about $30 a person. The price was about $150 a night.

The White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou was also very good, even though the bed felt like a rock. The breakfast buffet (included with the room price) was good, but the dinner buffet was awful and severely overpriced at more than $50 a person. The price was about $150 a night.

Trip expense: If you’re wondering about the cost for travel to China, here is a quick rundown – about $3,000 to $3,500 for round-trip air fare from the United States to China; about $5,000 for hotel and in-country airfare in China; about $50 a day in expenses per person.

I think Pam and I got by with less than $50 total per day. We usually ate a nice breakfast at the hotel and then ate a nice dinner at a local restaurant, where two could eat good for less than $20 total. Hotel meals will cost significantly more.

I hope this helps give you a better idea about our trip. Like Holt International Children’s Services told us, every adoption trip is different: The children are different, the circumstances are different, the situation is different.

Pam and I traveled to China with sinus infections that worsened rather than improved. And we were in Beijing and Zhengzhou during bitterly cold, miserable winter weather. I’m sure that contributed to the overall feel of our trip.

Don’t let that change your mind.

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

Risks and fears of traveling – even for an international adoption

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008, 3:46 a.m.) – Now I can tell the whole story, one I purposely withheld from my wife, Pam, while we were preparing for and taking our trip to China to adopt our son.

Despite a successful and memorable trip to china in March and April 2006 to adopt our daughter, Camryn, this trip didn’t go quite as smoothly.

For starters, Pam and I traveled to China ill. I had a bad sinus infection that I still am struggling to end as I write this blog entry.

It didn’t help that Pam fell ill and bedridden for a day while in China; that Matthew, our son, became ill and had to seek help from a Chinese doctor; and that my sinus infection worsened.

On top of that, we were traveling across China – to Beijing, Zhengzhou and Guangzhou – by ourselves.

In 2006 we were part of a group from Holt International Children’s Services, our adoption agency in Oregon.

This time, Pam and I were traveling across the country by ourselves.

And we were traveling overseas less than a week after terrorists bombed a hotel and singled out Americans in a raid in Mumbai, India – next door to China.

I’m already fearful of flying. I entered the 2006 and 2008 trips to China mindful of the risks of international travel for Americans. But the terrorist attacks had me uneasy.

Everywhere we went in China, I was always making sure I knew where we were and who was around us. I kept on eye on Pam and Matthew and another on everyone else.

That was especially true on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008, when a taxi ride left us on Beijing Street in Guangzhou – a scene of wall-to-wall people making a mad dash for retail shops that lined the wide thoroughfare.

I never felt so out of my element in my life. We were there maybe 30 minutes to an hour looking for a taxi; it seemed, however, like we were there for hours.

I know it sounds paranoid; heck, maybe it is. But I know how I felt, I know how uncomfortable things were for me and at times I knew I couldn’t wait to return home.

The state of our world today is pretty pathetic, isn’t it – particularly when a married couple, seeking to give an orphaned child the gift of a family, doesn’t feel safe on their journey to parenthood.

Well, we are home. We made it back safely. Our son has met our daughter. And we are grateful to Holt International, China and others for making this happen.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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

Weather improves for Cassreinos – Guangzhou warmer than Beijing, Zhengzhou

** Adoption countdown: 5 days until Pam, Terry and Matthew return home **

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

GUANGZHOU, China (Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008, 10:45 a.m.) – With overnight temperatures in the low 60s and an afternoon in the upper 70s here in Guangzhou, it finally feels like home.

I know South Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana had a blast on winter weather while we’ve been gone, but Pam and I just aren’t used to sub-freezing weather every day like we experienced in Beijing and Zhengzhou.

I doubt I could ever live up north.

Today, I begin completing mounds of paperwork to obtain Matthew’s visa for entry in the United States. That task begins at 10 a.m. in a meeting at the Holt International Children’s Services office here at the White Swan.

After that, I’m not sure what we’ll do. We might take Matthew in town to shop for supplies. Or we might just stay around the hotel to relax after an emotional and stressful few days.

I know Pam and I are ready to come home now.

We love to travel, but are tired of living out of suitcases s long as we have and are ready for home-cooked meals. Plus, we need to get Matthew home and we STILL have to decorate the house for Christmas.

And did I mention Christmas shopping?

With the extremely short notice for this trip to China, Pam and I have had no time to do advance Christmas shopping to avoid the last-minute rush. We hope to do some shopping here in China.

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

Preparing for our flight to Guangzhou

** Adoption countdown: 6 days until Pam, Terry and Matthew return home **

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

ZHENGZHOU, China (Friday, Dec. 12, 2008, 7:15 a.m.) – This likely will be our last post from Zhengzhou as Pam, Matthew and I prepare this morning for our flight to Guangzhou, our last stop on our China adoption trip.

We must meet Echo, our escort from Holt International Children’s Services, in the lobby of our hotel by 8:45 a.m. for the trip to the Zhengzhou airport. Our flight leaves at 10:50 a.m. today.

Then it’s back to completing more paperwork as we get Mathew’s visa, allowing him to enter the United States on Thursday, Dec.18, and automatically become as U.S. citizen.

We hope to finally have Internet service in our room in Guangzhou sand will file an update once we arrive – which means you’ll have a post and as story or two when you get up Friday morning in the United States.

Before we leave Zhengzhou, I hope you enjoy this nice photo f the city park we visited on Thursday. We found it to be a peaceful, relaxing park that offered many opportunities for beautiful photos.

Thanks for reading and following our journey. Please check back Friday morning for the latest news and developments – includes Pam’s grasshopper-on-a-stick.

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

View photo gallery from last day in Zhengzhou

** Adoption countdown: 7 days until Pam, Terry and Matthew return home **

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

ZHENGZHOU, China (Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008, 9:05 p.m.) – For our last day in Zhengzhou, Pam, Matthew and I spent a cold morning strolling through the back streets of this city, watching and observing people doing what they do best – being themselves.

We strolled through a city park and through as street market. Echo, our escort from Holt International Children’s Services, said many of the people we saw today probably have never seen and Westerners.

In fact, she said, this city’s top visitors are from in country. The only Westerners who stop by Zhengzhou usually are adopting a child.

Well, Pam and I enjoyed the walk. We snapped many pictures and have posted as sampling of the best here in a new photo slideshow-photo album. You can access it at the bottom of this post.

Remember: Click a photo if you want to enlarge the size. I had so many great photos, not all of them made the final cut. And if you want to see other photo albums from our trip to China, just click one of the photo galleries on the left to go to my Picasa Web albums.

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

DIRECTIONS: Click photo to enlarge. Toggle photo captions with button in left-hand corner of photo gallery slide show.