Just killin’ time!
We’ve been on this island a week and only four nights left! I told someone that I’m starting to feel like I’m on Alcatraz!
Not much is happening, and we haven’t taken a picture all day. We got caught in a surprise storm last night, and waded through ankle deep water to get back to our hotel. Thunder through the night. We took a LONG walk yesterday - found a neighborhood off the island that seemed a bit better than where we had previously been. We located the Chinese version of “Holcombs” - an educational supply store, and bought a few things. I bought her a bilingual “Charlotte’s Web” but passed on “War and Peace”! We bought an incredibly cheap “Chinese Checkers” and that got us through the afternoon and evening. We’ve had some “English” practice - putting several items on the table and naming them, asking for them, etc. She is eager to learn.
Today we shopped with the group. The jade market and the pearl market. Did buy much. A small jade pendant for XY. Some small souveneirs. The pearl market was a five story mall with only jewelry shops. Overload! Then a quick stop at the CarreFour (supermarket - a French chain).
XY has been harder to handle today than before. I’m thinking it may have to do with some “overload” - rather than just the two families hanging out together, we now have thirteen families - lots more noise and action.
Two times in the last day Mike has gone off somewhere without her knowing it. She has been a bit panicky. “Daddy?” ”Daddy?” I guess she doesn’t want to lose her newly found daddy! He has always come back. Today she seemed less worried when we went different ways for a while. We know this is just step one in learning to trust us - that we will always come back.
Many of you know that I’ve been concerned about how to break any undesirable Chinese “habits” that she has. Really, I think we’re going to be okay. She doesn’t spit - or shoot snot rockets - but she does know how to push her way through a crowd and into a line. Many times, already, I’ve had to grab her and pull her back from cutting in front of people. She also struggles with stopping at a street corner. The orphanage was on a side street, and I don’t think she got out much. We’ve played some “stop - go” games trying to teach her to stop - because the cars don’t do much yielding around here.
Her foster mom had given her some money when she left her on Monday. We had her take it today to spend - since she can’t spend it at home. She was NOT very happy to pull her own money out today. We had Helen explain to her that she can’t spend it in the U.S., so she’d better spend it here.
Oh - we got our clothes back from the laundry. When she pulled out her jeans (the ones she came with), she just hugged them. When we picked out her clothes for the day, she choose another outfit that came in her backback from the foster family. Comfort clothes, I guess - something that feels familiar.
Mike did purchase a translator for her today. We talked to the other family with the ten year old, and got some tips. We’re not sure how well it will work from Chinese to English, but it works great from English to Chinese. In our room, we use babelfish.com and it is a blessing - she reads on the screen what we are trying to tell her, and she understands. We can’t really carry our computer with us everywhere we go. Right now, she’s sitting on the couch with the translator, and her Chinese dictionary, trying to figure it out.
This girl continues to eat EVERYTHING. It’s going to be a shock to get home and find out we don’t have a breakfast buffet every morning. She gets about four plates of food every morning. One to two plates of fruit, and then a variety - dim sum, congee, cereal, toast (she LOVES the toast machine). Last night at dinner she got Malaysian fried rice and ate everything but the fried egg!
She ask to call home again last night. We told her (through babelfish) that she could call tomorrow night. That was that - she put the phone number away. We skyped Ohio yesterday - SO GOOD to see our gals. We can’t wait to all be together as a family again.
Well, I think that’s it for now. We’re hoping in the next few days to visit the zoo. We’ve heard it is a very nice one. There are a few older kids in our group, and I think it would be good for them. Thank you for your continued prayers. We appreciate it SOOOO much. Don’t stop!