Day 2 – September 5, 2010 and the Adventures of Peng

Sunday September 5, 2010

Early this morning we left Beijing headed to Guangzhou. After flying with China S*outhern Airlines and realizing that the Chinese people do not like anything cold i.e. air conditioner, cold beverages etc. needless to say that 3 hr. plane ride ended with a class on Chinese acupuncture coming across the TV monitors in the plane.

All of my preconceived notions about how Guangzhou was this tiny secluded place where I thought there would be a lot of rural areas were totally shot out the window when we arrived. Wow! Never will I let my predetermination's set the tone for what's to come. Our guide Lucy meets us at the Guangzhou airport. We head out talking about what our day will consist of tomorrow. Go exchange money at bank early in the morning. Make more copies of your passports and the list goes on! Meet us in the lobby at 2 pm to go to the Civil Affairs Office..here you will meet your daughter! Why is this so hard to believe? After all this time..less than 24 hrs. we will have our Nat!!! Amazing it has finally hit! The tears start flowing as we leave the airport. Just thinking I am in the city of my child's birth parents. Somewhere out there in this crowded place walks a woman who has no idea that in less than two weeks her daughter will be gone from here. Gone to be with her new family. I sit here and think about the huge sacrifice this woman has made. I pray for her conscious, I pray for her ability to know that somehow her child is loved already. I pray for Natalie to be able to see our actions in a positive light. Not just another couple who comes and take these children away from all they know. I can only imagine how Natalie is going to feel. After being in country for only 3 days now, the smells are different, the language is different, the people are different...I get it! I totally understand how hard this is going to be for our child. Please pray for her to jump back into life and understand that we love her even though we've never touched her soft hands. Only admired her photos from afar...

Peng takes and elevator. Peng missing his cell phone.

Hanging out in Beijing. Peng at the Forbidden City

Making one last call. Waiting for a bus.

Obeying traffic rules. Peng checking out.

Saying goodbye to Water. Checking out the White Swan.

View of Guangzhou from room.