Friday, October 20, 2017

Wednesday 10/18: A trip to Aeon, Passport office appointment and Hot Pot

I've gotten a little behind on blogging about our daily activities so I'm going to try to play catch up! 

On Wednesday our only adoption related appointment was in the afternoon so our morning was free.  Lydia slept well the night before which we are SO thankful for.  We got her dressed and ready for the day and headed down to breakfast.  She gets so excited to ride in her stroller and when she realizes our destination involves FOOD!  

Ready for the day

Time to drink my juice... Bottoms up!

We went to our hotel's taxi stand after breakfast and took a taxi to Aeon, which is a multi level store that is a combination grocery store/department store.  Lydia did great in the store.  We got more diapers and wipes, some gifts for the kids at home and some hair bows for Lydia.  She was so excited when I let her hold the things we were buying!!


As we left the store she had been holding a laundry soap bar that I decided not to purchase once I saw how long the lines were in the first floor check out stands.  I took it out of her hands and she started to throw a fit in the stroller.  Cue many people staring at us as we tried to exit the very crowded store with a sad, screaming baby in the stroller.  I reached in Lydia's backpack and grabbed one of her favorite treats-- a traditional rice cracker -- and she instantly stopped crying.  Several older Chinese women immediately started laughing at her because it was clear the fit was all drama!!!  :)

Enjoying her post-tantrum rice cracker in the taxi 

After shopping and lunch, Lydia played in our room for a little bit before her nap.  Bryan has been putting her down for nap and I have been putting her to bed at night.  She is drinking a bottle both times, primarily for bonding purposes but also so she stays hydrated prior to her blood draw on Saturday and prior to transfusion once we get home.

Sweet baby feet!


We had to wake Lydia up from her nap to go meet our guide for our passport office appointment.  We took a van to the main police station in Guangzhou.  Lydia's passport photo and application had already been submitted, but for whatever reason she needed to appear in person in Guangzhou and have her picture taken by a web cam.  We don't always understand what the processes are here, so we just go along and do as we are told.  We also received a copy of Lydia's adoption certificate while we were there.  Lydia did well at the passport office and it was a relatively easy and quick appointment.

We made plans to meet up with our guide John for dinner.  We took his suggestion and went to a new hot pot restaurant that recently opened near our hotel.  I was a little leery but it ended up being really good! As you walk up the stairs at the restaurant all the meat is hanging there on display.


Once seated, you select which cuts of meet, noodles/dumplings and vegetables you want to eat and which broth you want to cook them in.  They put a large pot in the center of the table that has a heating element in it and your selected broth is poured inside.  Once it is boiling, you cook the food you ordered in the broth.  There is also a buffet where you can mix your own dipping sauce.  Bryan made one with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, etc.  Lydia and I mostly stuck to beef dumplings :)  She figured out how to sign for 'more' while at the restaurant and was so proud of herself that she clapped each time she did it!



After dinner, Lydia was amazed to see herself on video!! :)


She played a bit more, then took her bath and was ready for bed.  All in all, a good and rather uneventful day in GZ!

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