August 24, 2010: Guangzhou - Red Couch Pictures and Pearl River Dinner Cruise

This morning after breakfast our CCAI guides, Grace and Maggie, went to the U.S. Consulate for our Travel Group's Visa Appointment. They go on our behalf and we had to stay in our hotel rooms until 11:30 am in case their were any questions or problems with Kate's US Visa paperwork. Grace called us at 11:15 am with the great news that all of our paperwork was in order and that we were good to go!  Yeah!  This means that tomorrow we will take the oath at the US Consulate and then when Kate arrives on US soil...she automatically becomes a US Citizen. 

Pretty COOL!

 

We then met our Travel Group 1614 along with 2 other CCAI Travel Groups for the famous Red Couch pictures.  I honestly have no idea how this has come to be a tradition...but it is!  Adoptive families always take their new children to the red couches at the White Swan Hotel on the 2nd floor to have their pictures taken.  The idea is that all of the children will sit on the lovely red velvet couch for their group photo...but it becomes utter chaos as kids scream and flail about!!  I am amazed that our 2nd round of red couch pictures went as well as our first in 2006.  Caroline was a champ in December 2006.  She sat on the couch with a cookie and just took all of the chaos in...but never screamed or shed one tear over it.  Amazingly...Kate acted the same way!!  I placed her on the couch while Sean took video and pictures of the spectacle.  She just sat there...taking in the scene.  She never got upset all though she did keep Sean and I in her sights the whole time.  Kate wore the same dress that Caroline wore for her red couch pictures 3 and a half years ago.  It is a sweet dress that I smocked while I was waiting for us to be matched with Caroline.  The little girl in the middle to Kate's left in the red dress is Grace.  She is 3 and a half and was in the same orphanage as Kate.  She is so sweet and every time we run into Grace's new family, the McIntyre's, Grace runs over to Kate calling "Mei Mei" and she tries to mother Kate by giving her a bottle or a cookie.  It is very dear but also makes me so sad to think about either of them in an orphanage without the families that they now have. 

 

Kate and Caroline took a short nap while Gailie and I did some shopping at the stores on Shamian Island.  When we got back, I took some pictures of Kate walking around our hotel room.  She was drinking out of Caroline's sippie cup which is almost as big as she is!  Watching her walk is just awesome!  We just crack up because it is so funny and so cute!

 

This evening we took a Dinner Cruise on the Pearl River which runs through the huge city of Guangzhou.  It was pouring rain when we boarded the boat, but by the last 30 minutes we could go out on the top deck and see the sights.  The river is lined with huge skyscapers that are all lit up with bright flashing lights.  We are glad we went on the cruise, as we did not get to do that the last time we were here...but the dinner left much to be desired!  The buffet was typical Cantonese...stewed fish heads, pickled chicken feet, salted quail eggs are just a few of the highlights!  Thankfully, there were noodles and fried rice and strawberry ice cream that filled us up.  My Mom, Sean and I had a great laugh at some of the items.  Chinese cuisine is just very different from what we are used too!  Sean fed Kate from chopsticks just like he used to feed Caroline.  I have a hard enough time getting food into my own mouth using chopsticks...so hopefully, Kate won't get too used to that.  It is funny to see how comfortable she is eating from them though as that is how she was fed in the orphanage.  Kate also had a big time trying to figure out how to eat a plum as you can see in the pics.