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Still writing the last Travel Entry
Now posting on the Home Updates page 01/31/09
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China Time:
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Travel Date: 1/20/2009
Subject: Playing in the Park and Shopping
What we did today:
Once we had finished the medial exam, each family was free to shop for an hour and then return to the hotel on the bus or just enjoy some extra time shopping and catch a taxi back. Everyone choose to stay at Shamain and shop!
As we left the medial exam and wandered down to the shopping area, we stumbled upon an exercise park area. The funniest part was that another family that adopted a seven year old girl stood off to the side visiting with some other families, but not our girl. Ting is so wonderful and sweet, but she just doesn’t have the same spicy girl passion for life as Keziah Huidong. So off we went! There was a track around the area so Keziah Huidong literally raced away from us. However once she reached the other side, the imaginary race was over, and she had won.
She was trying out all the equipment dashing from one piece to the next. The park was filled with people of all ages. Children were playing on the slides and monkey bars. Older adults were exercising using the equipment to stretch, strength train, and do cardio work. One young man approached Christopher to practice his English. It’s so funny here in China. People are free to ask questions that I would never answer at home. “How old is your daughter? Where is she from? Do you have other children? Names and ages?” We chatter along all the time. This young man really wanted to ask Christopher about sports and his job. What a disappointment we must have been! Christopher is not a big sports fan and hates to watch the Chinese favorites of baseball and basketball. Plus describing what Christopher does confuses even people at home.
Next we tried to squeeze in some shopping before the group planned to meet back together. We returned to one of our favorite shops. Keziah Huidong was now in rare form! Today she introduced some wonderful, new, textbook-described behaviors. In the morning, she literally spit in Christopher’s face. She hit, head-butted, bit, and scratched us today. Nothing was terribly hard or intense, but she is determined to pull out all the stops! Shopping was no exception. She started to take items off the shelves and throw them. She was completely out of control. I was trying to shop while Christopher was watching her, so he just took her out of the store to sit outside and wait.
She was screaming and crying at the top of her lungs. She continued to get louder and more hysterical. Christopher sat and calmly whispered to her, “I have had four other kids and I can wait you out.” The more calmly and quietly he spoke to her; the louder she got. Finally I couldn’t take it any more and came out to switch places while he paid for our purchases. She was still terribly upset but calmed down by the time he exited the shop. Now, however, she wanted nothing to do with Baba. She was so angry.
We squeezed in a few more shops before meeting our group and then finished up after lunch. We were all so tired from the fun that Keziah Huidong fell asleep during the taxi ride back to the hotel, and Mama and Baba napped during the video viewing. (Thanks so much, West family!)
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Photos... (click
image to enlarge)
Let’s play!
Here I go!
Whooosh!
Letting Mama help
Look at me Baba
Ooops! Lost my money
It’s a little big, but I can do it
Capturing childhood fun
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