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Still writing the last Travel Entry

Now posting on the Home Updates page 01/31/09

Email from the website is not working. My personal email address larawade@sbcglobal.net

China Time:

Travel Date: 1/16/2009
Subject: Last Full Day in Chongqing

What we did today:
I thought I’d take advantage of naptime (YEAH!) and get some early writing done.

Today at breakfast, it hit me that this is Hui Dong’s last full day in the province where she was born and has lived all her life. Chongqing, where we are staying, is not her home town. Fuling city is a about a two hour drive north of Chongqing the city and capital of Chongqing province. But still leaving tomorrow represents leaving her home. As happy as I am to continue the process of bring her home and as much as I am looking forward to reconnecting with the other families in our travel group, I am also sad for Hui Dong that this first chapter of her life will be closing.

This morning Hui Dong had been awake for a while before we called the kids back home. Today, she decided to become her chatty self while we talked with them. “Guh-guh”, “Jie-jie”, and “goh-goh” were repeated frequently (older brother, older sister, and dog). She counted to 10 in Chinese with Caleb and even reciprocated Miranda’s “Wo ayi ni” (I love you). Unfortunately, Elijah was pouting and wouldn’t come talk to us. Sounds like he and Grandpa were having a difference of opinion about completing homework. It was hard not to get to visit with him, because we won’t be able to talk with the kids at all on their Friday. So we will have to wait until their Saturday morning (our Saturday night) when we are in Guangzhou before we can visit again.

Today we toured some of the sight of the city. First we went to point of the peninsula of Chongqing’s center city where the two rivers, the Yangtze River and the Jialing River, meet together. There are many docks for transporting goods that are important to the city as well as tourist boats.

Then we traveled up a winding, mountainous road to the highest point of the city to visit a beautiful park, E’ling Park. It was such a refreshing change from being in the heart of the city. For a time I almost forgot how close we really were to the city. I guess it is a lot like Central Park in New York.

Inside the park, we visited the Three Gorges Dam museum. Our tour guide walked us through a beautiful wall mural that depicts the areas before the dam project began in 1993 and then shows what the water levels will be after the project is finally completed this year, 2009. The population displacement numbers are included and some other artist works show how some historic sites will be preserved and accessible with dams and bridges of their own. Some historic sites have been moved to higher ground brick by brick. One ancient area of stone carvings will be encased in glass to become an underwater type of museum eventually.

Then Charlie suggested that we visit a tea room for a tea ceremony and tasting, if we liked tea. Christopher is a coffee man, but I am the tea drinker. He agreed to endure for my sake. It was really quite enjoyable and educational to learn about the tea culture in China and to know that Hui Dong’s home in Fuling is also an area of tea production because of the mountains in this area of the country.

Charlie walked us to Pizza Hut and even showed us a Chinese restaurant that we hope to eat our final dinner in Chongqing at tonight. Hui Dong was not impressed with the pizza. Neither was Christopher, really. We had a 10-inch stuffed crust Works-style pizza. It even included pineapple. Hui Dong picked off many of the topping and either put them on a napkin or the table, or she would throw them on the floor. She ate less than half of her one piece (really glad we have yogurt in the mini-fridge).

Speaking of our little princess…each day brings new challenges. Her misbehavior is only getting worse each day. In the museum, she even tried to run away from us, though just around the corner. She begs endlessly to be picked up and carried, or she melts to the floor whining and fussing. We are exhausted from carrying around our wiggly pack of almost 50 pounds. At home, it would (and will) be easier to begin to set some limits and boundaries with her, but here in China it is very difficult. Even the museum tour guide referred to her as a “naughty girl” when she was showing us some paintings done by a man who had lost his arms in an accident when he was four years old because he had been an naughty boy just like our girl. Ugh! That was after Charlie had taken her outside with him so we could finish the tour and buying some souvenirs.

Hui Dong seems to really be enjoying our touring time out with Charlie. She talks endlessly to him. Unfortunately, we have no idea what all they are saying. Charlie only shares little bits with us like, “She asks lots of questions.” This is so hard. I want to talk to her. I want to understand her. And she is equally frustrated with our not understanding her.

Please, know that she is still a sweetheart! She has even enchanted our driver Mr. Yu. He had her chatting and laughing as she playfully argued with him on our drive through town today. We just have been given this incredibly rare creature. She is 100% six-year old girl – smart, curious, playful, and expressive. She is 50% two-year-old – testing limits and frustrated with not being able to communicate. She is also 25% infant – we are like the parents of a newborn babe still trying to learn how to care for her. I know that doesn’t add up. It’s an odd number and not a true percentage. But this is also not your every day situation. Who gives birth to a Chinese speaking, six-year-old?

Photos... (click image to enlarge)

Breakfast in bed