August 18, 2010: Exploring More of Xian

Today is another free day for us where we have no scheduled appointments.  After enjoying the breakfast buffet where Kate usually feasts on scrambled eggs, watermelon and fried rice, we walked a different direction from yesterday toward a park that we had heard about.  I promised Caroline that we would check it out today.  There has been very little green space in the big cities where we have been visiting.  China has some beautiful city parks but many are very landscaped and paved with concrete paths and concrete open areas.  I was so hoping for an open area of grass and some trees to shade us from the heat.  Caroline wanted to swing at the playground…so off we went to spend the morning outside at the park. 

The walk was a pretty good distance and again…it was sweltering outside.  The humidity was intense as well as the heat.  It was very gray…you could not see blue sky or sun at all.  Mainly, this is due to the awful air pollution.  Unfortunately, the pollution gives the air a heavy, foggy appearance where sometimes you can't even see the tops of the skyscrapers. 

I know our family looked like a band of gypsies trekking down the street…there were the 3 adults all carrying bags or backpacks full of supplies…everything you could imagine.  You would think that it was possible we might get stranded on a desert island!  In my defense…it has been awhile since I have had a baby…I forgot how much "stuff" is required.  Every time I have left an item at the hotel  room thinking…"We won't need that"…we ALWAYS have NEEDED THAT!! 

As we walk along the streets passing by locals going about their normal daily routine, we are all struck by the pointing and stares that we get.  It is not just a few here and there…it is literally everywhere.  I think a lot of it is just curiosity…but I can not comprehend that the Chinese people are NOT AWARE of the situation with abandoned children in the orphanages here in China.   But I think that in general the Chinese people's access to information is more limited than I imagined and info they do get is completely controlled by the government.   

Sean spotted several shops that work on cars and/or sold car parts which was interesting to him since he works for AutoZone.  He also went in a bike shop to check it out as well.  The shop was so tiny that they sat outside on the sidewalk to do the repairs to the bikes. 

We finally made it to the park and much to my surprise it was like an old, very run down, small scale amusement park…no grass or trees.  It was all concrete with a small fenced in area covered with green indoor/outdoor carpet where the small children could play on some playground equipment and small trampolines.  You had to buy tickets for the rides and it was so funny because every ride had an attendant there ready to run the ride but there were probably only 3 families total at the entire park.  It was just dead.  Caroline and Sean rode the carousel which played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Chinese.  That was fun!  Then Caroline and Kate played in the little play yard.  Caroline had a big time jumping on the trampoline.  Kate had no idea what to think of all of the stuff.    I think it was all a little overwhelming for her.  While we were in the playground area, a gentleman around my Mother's age approached Sean and me and asked in very broken English if we were volunteers bringing these children out to the park.  WOW!  Truly, it was difficult for me to believe that would be his assumption!!  Caroline was sitting right there listening…and we quickly told him absolutely NOT!  These children were our daughters and we were their Mommy and Daddy.  He continued to stare and watch us all like we were a sideshow…and frankly…we are loud and look different so I'm not sure I really blame him!

I do wonder what really goes through Caroline's mind though.  We have had some great conversations since we have been here but I think it is still hard for her to verbalize or know the words to express how some of it makes her feel.

Caroline and I rode one more ride…the Sky Track Car which we rode along an elevated track way above the park.  It was old and rickety and I was praying the whole time that we would make it back around to the entrance.  We walked back to the hotel where Caroline and Gailie had lunch and took a nap.  Sean, Kate and I went to what is called a mini-grocery.  The mini-grocery in China is huge!  It was 3 levels and had special magnetic escalators for the shopping carts to go from level to level.  They sold everything you could possibly want except the 3 items we were looking for…diet coke, M&Ms and deodorant.    Sean and I were laughing as you could buy a new washer and dryer and a soccer ball and goal…but no deodorant!  I asked our guide, Sissia, about this and she just chuckled!  She said that the Chinese do not drink diet coke or use deodorant.  I can attest to the latter from our various experiences on the very crowded  subway.

On one of my yahoo groups for Shaanxi Province, I had read about a good pizza place in Xian called High Fly Pizza.  We caught a cab to the South Gate of the city where the restaurant is located, and felt like we nearly lost our lives in route.  Our cab driver was a very, very aggressive driver who smoked in the cab the whole way.  We nearly ran over a multitude of pedestrians as he barreled through the streets of Xian.  I sat in the front with my head in my heads and Sean and Mom held the girls for dear life in the back!  We ended up walking back to the hotel from the restaurant and we stopped by Dairy Queen for a chocolate dipped cone and an oreo blizzard.

As we walked home, we were again a spectacle.  Many people stopped us to take our picture.  This is a really strange feeling! 

Kate had a harder time going to sleep tonight.  She was so exhausted but she was really fighting going to sleep.  She cried when we held her and she cried when we put her in her crib.  There was really nothing that was consoling her.  Going to sleep and waking up still seem to be Kate's hardest times.