Tuesday and Wednesday

So I broke my rule and didn’t write anything last night but in esxcnange I got a wonderful night’s sleep. Gave Kai melatonin (which worked like, very well) and knocked him right out and then Finn had a bottle, fell asleep, and I put him into his pack-n-play. SO have some catching up to do.

Tuesday was the adoption day. I have the papers to prove it.

We got up, again early, and ate upstatirs at the hotel. At 8:45 Sandra picked us up in the lobby and we headed to the adoption and marriage place. It was some how close to or associated with a large hotel there so we got there and went into the hotel. They had metal detectors and like 40 policemen there. Apparently this is due to the fact that the FINA world swimming championships are here. Didn’t see Michael Phelps or maybe we did cause I don’t know what he looks at. After wating for Sandra to park the car (while Duncan took 50 pictures of the lobby, each security person, the ceiling, most people entering through security, and so forth) we went up in the elevator and down a dark hall. We came to a door that had some notes on it and a nice chain and lock. Hmmm. Apparently it was locked for the swim thing so we had to call the number on the paper, go down to the lobby, keep asking people, go outside, down the walk, back in, back up, then finally found it. (As I realized even more today, Finn, at I think 24.5 lb, is pretty heavy after a while. He often is insisting I carry him and I, of course do since it’s good for us and because he doesn’t move too quickly. But he does get heavy!)

So we go there and first we had to get pictures taken. Wneto room to do this and three nice ladies were quite willing to entertain the boys and feed them chocoloate while we waited then I got the pictures one of me and Kai and one of me and Finn. It made me sad to do that without Marie. I wish you were there for that. Then went into the Adoption Place and there were a few people there. It turned out it was Elaine and her entourage. (I realized when talking to Marie tonight that they have the same ratio that we do – 3 to 1. Her’s is a little more favorable in keeping track of kids!) So they were a few steps ahead of us (actually all day – we saw them later too at the notary). While I was waiting for Sandra to get things started and paperwork done we sat and enjoyed Cheerios with Lily and the teenagers. The boys took more photos, including a lot of a giant Expo 2010 blow up doll in the corner. Thank god they did not pop it!

SO lots of signing and waiting then finally we were done. Down the hall then to a room marked “Marriage Ceremony” which was also locked. Then someone came and opened it. It was the same ladies from the other office, they just cut through the back. Seemed like they were trying to be tricky or something making us do that there and this here. We entered and it was a little room with a podium and lots of flowers I then had to stand at the podium with one boy then the other while the Chinese Officail phorographed us. Then they said the adoption was official. Cool.

Back out of there, down to the labyrinthine parking garage, and off to the Notary, the second required part of the two-step. Me, Finn, and Kai were in the back (I am not permitted in the front, according to Finn, who insists I sit next to him) and we all fell asleep on the ride. Then out and up just one flight of steps and into an office. There we verified some papers and signed some more (many times like five copies for each boy and everyone I have to sign and then put “On behalf of my wife Marie Leigh Maxwell.”

I realized there that I had lost my phone (!!!) but Sandra had to go down and across the street to pay for this step so she checked. Of course it was there. I have a tendency to get the phone out, use it, put it on my lap, get out of the car, and then it falls on the ground. Sometimes it ends up in the car and lucky for me it was in there. Phew! (I downloaded all the photos off it today). Then we got the papers – the payoff for the long hard work, the cost, and all the stuff Marie did: Two adoption certificates in nice red vinyl folders, some other papers, and two Chinese Passports (my favorites) for the boys. Oh, and we also got a copy of the legal notice for each boy where they post their photos and where they found them in the newspapers. Very nice to get that.

After that we went to a mall and parked and went to lunch at a Chinese fastish food place. We all had something different and all liked what we got, though the fried rice had a few too many veggies for Duncan, but he loved the chicken. Kai had chicken and white rice and shoveled the whole thing (a LOT of food) in.

After that we went across to the mall to get a few things we needed, like extra shirts for Duncan, sox and shoes for Finn (though he still wears the old worn ones and actually refuses to take them off – he even sleeps in them!). We wandered the aisles there, somewhat with a purpose and managed to get all we needed. I love shopping at stores in different places and could have spent hours walking the aisles (it was a giant Wal-Mart type store) but the kids really didn’t have that in them. At the end we realized the baby formula was on the upstairs floor so Sandra went to get it and we waited by the fresh fish. More there than we thought. There were live fish, crayfish, crabs, eels (small and large), big stinkin frogs, and turtles ( L ). Duncan insisted the eels were eels and I insisted they were snakes. I was wring, he was right. Also egg ladies with eggs in a dozen different colors in a little stall with yolk all over the floor. No refrigeration or anything. Like I said I love shopping in different places.

After that we headed up to the Toys-R-Us to see about the Nintendo DS.

And now for a brief word about Nintendo DS. Perhaps just the facts, as they speak for themselves:

1. Young boys, particularly mine, LOVE Nintendo DS.
2. I have two boys here, one 8 and one 10.
3. We have one DS.
4. The DS came with just a car charger, as Duncan lost the wall charger long ago.
5. The DS battery only lasts a certain amount of time without being recharged.
6. Nintendo sells DS in China.
7. It’s called IQue DS instead of Nintendo DS.
8. It only is in Chinese.
9. Duncan does not read, write, or understand Chinese.
10. DS is only sold at a few stores, including the Media Markt and the biggest Toys R Us in Shanghai at the Super Brand Mall.
11. It is very difficult to find a charging cord for a DS. Media Markt is a seven story electronics superstore. They had no cord.
12. The other Toys R Us does not have the DS.
13. See #9, above.

As a result of the above facts, we have spent a part of our trip in search of both the DS and the facts pertaining thereto. We would all be a little happier (except maybe Finn, who would have less sibling rivalry to entertain him) if some of the above facts were not facts. We are hoping that perhaps there is a English – Speaking DS in Hong Kong. If there is, we will find it.

Our guide had to leave so I asked her to drop our purchases at the hotel and we would go up to the TRU at the mall we were at to continue our above-mentioned fact-finding mission. I assured her that we could make it to the Metro and the two stops home, but she insisted giving me a piece of paper with the hotel address and listing the stations for the Metro. We spent all weekend on the Metro, so it didn’t seem like a problem to me. She was worried about me doing it with three kids, but I assured her that three was a cake walk. Usually there are more with me.

After TRU, we went out of the mall and Kai was mad about having to leave so I decided to take the taxi, as we weren’t going home but we were going to the Super Brand Mall (see above). Today I learned from our Guide that Kai gets carsick. Well actually yesterday I found out. Fortunately it was right after we got out of the Taxi.

At Super Brand we hiked up to the TRU, ready to buy, only to discover the Chinese language DS problem. I patched the problem to some extent with a couple of Lego sets. So back down, because the kids were shot, and home on the Taxi.

We came home and I don’t really remember what we did; Legos, just hung around, Skyped, ate, had baths, and then the kids went to sleep early. It was my best night of sleep in over a week and a half.

Wednesday we were up again with the roosters waiting for breakfast to open. We played in the room early and then went to eat. Then we swam for a bit as we had time before getting picked up. We had the guide come up when she arrived as Duncan was napping and we asked her to ask the kids some questions about how they were doing and some other things like what was Kai’s favorite color (Black. And white). We also had found a photo book in Kai’s backpack and asked her to go through it so he could tell us who was in it. It was mostly his foster family and foster sister.

Then off to the Insect Museum. I just HAD to go there. It sounded so cool. We got there a little hungry so we had ice cream. I ate a green bean popsicle. Interesting. Finn didn’t want any. Finn is very good at telling you what he wants and doesn’t want. (Like when he was crying tonight for over two hours pointing at the door and saying “mama”) Not even what’s his face goat and Big Big Wolf would make him happy.

***** Five stars for the Insect Museum. Unique. 2/3 amphibians. Has a pond where you can step on concrete stumps and catch a goldfish to bring home. Lots of beetles eating bananas. World’s smallest primate (from Africa). Like 75 lizards/snakes/iguanas. 50 different turtles, including a snapping turtle that could remove your arm. And of course a small petting zoo. Quirky.

The museum was the first place I started to have my problem of the day. (that is other than the kids having fits and/or fighting). Problem: Videos. They had a gift shop, of course one of those where you cant get out of the place without going through it. Actually they somehow funnel you through it a couple of times. They had videos – some Disney, some Mickey Mouse, Little Einsteins. Chinese. Seemed to be genuine. I decided to buy a few, especially after the 18 year old sales girl who spoke little English assured me they were in both English and Chinese. Bought two. The total price was very low so, why not a couple more. So I got like four there.

Leaving the Insect Museum was a little bit of an ordeal, as Kai wanted the transformers guy. I carried him out, stuffed him into the car, and off we went. Marie packed well – today the boys were in matching green Mt. Lebanon Soccer t-shirts. So now pretty much everywhere we go we are quite noticed. One American dad, one American boy, and two Chinese boys. People, mostly older women, look at me and put three fingers up with a surprised look on their faces. I, of course, have to demonstrate the magnitude of my plight and put out nine fingers, which causes much chatter and amazement. Fun. So the point being that we pretty much make a scene wherever we go. Such was the case at the exit of the Insect Museum, in a significant way.

Continuing the fact finding mission, we drove across town to the Media Markt, a giant big box store for electronics. One floor is about the size of an average Best Buy. But there are seven floors. All you could want. While we were there, finding out the facts as earlier stated about the Nintendo DS, we took the opportunity to buy a new camera, as the one we had was pulled in two directions in the car on the way to the Insect Museum and the lens has gone jabberwocky and wont work. I look forward to the day when Kai has enough English to say “ITS DUNCAN’S FAULT!”

Camera shopping was fun. Two boys looking at cameras with me, one three year old moving boxes on shelves. Three store employees fixing the boxes. We also took the opportunity to look at videos, netting me five more Disney videos and the ten-DVD pack of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf. Apparently it’s really big here and Finn loves it. Though I think I got two DVD #6’s and no DVD #1. All that was incredible cheap – like the most expensive Disney DVD was 35 RMB, which is under $6.

Then back to hotel. I couldn’t wait to see about the videos. I put in Toy Story, one of Kai’s favorite movies. And HOORAY. In Chinese OR English with subtitles in Chinese or English. Give us six months and we’ll all be speaking bilingually. We watched the first ¾ in English with Chinese Subtitles and the last ¼ in Chinese, with English Subtitles. Figuring Kai’s need to learn English trumps our need to learn Chinese.

After the English part of the movie, we walked down to KFC, a few blocks away. The boys were good – doing cartwheels in the plaza and goofing around with Finn, letting him bop them on the head with an empty water bottle. Then we stopped in a few places looking for takeout noodles for me, and both the places we went into were irritated that I would even ask if they had take out. “NO”

So we headed back to the hotel, and back to the pool for a bit, though we were getting tired. Brought them back, cleaned them up, gave them medicines, and off to bed. Finn fell asleep but then woke and cried for a long time wanting to leave the room. But finally he gave it up, fell asleep sitting up slumped over in the entrance way. Made me cry.