Consulate Day

We were up early today for our appointment at the US Consulate. Very anticlimactic! If I understand correctly, the space where it is currently located is temporary until they move to a new building. We heard that the clinic is moving off the island next week. There were no cameras permitted in the room where this small crowd of US families with their newly adopted children were administered an oath that just amounted to swearing our paperwork was accurate - blah. Then each family is called up to a window, the paperwork is reviewed one last time - we needed to fill in Alice's official English name as we had left it blank, waiting to confirm her feelings - good thing too, because she decided that 2 middle names was too long - she had to sign the form and that was it. Tomorrow our guide will return to pick up her visa and deliver it to us here at the hotel and then it's just wait until we check out Friday morning to start the trip home. There wasn't a nice photogenic spot at the consulate for a picture of the big moment. This was the best we could do -

a photo in front of the sign that says US Consulate - 5th Floor, and even then it was 2 quick snap shots, only one of which Alice was looking at the camera.

We asked our guide to come to our room for a discussion with Alice about a problem we had yesterday around her phone calls to friends. She asked if she could make one 10 minute call last night and we said yes. She made her call, no incident, but then immediately made a second call. Okay, fine. Maybe we misunderstood, so we said 10 minutes. I gave a 2 minute and 1 minute warning. When her time was up and she was still talking up a storm, DH gave her "the look" which she chose to not understand. Eventually he started threatening to end the call by pushing down the receiver. She eventually hung up and we used the translator to explain, no more phone calls because she didn't respect by listening. We wanted the guide to explain it again, so there would be no misunderstanding about the situation. Alice doesn't seem too upset, especially since she expects to be able to start calling again after she gets to America. I foresee more issues over phone calls in our future.

All American families who had adoption business in Guangzhou used to stay on a small island in the city when the Consulate was located there. It is a little oasis of European charm in an Asian world. There is very little traffic, European style buildings, broad pedestrian areas with sculptures, gardens and fountains, and businesses who cater to American and foreign customers. Since the consulate moved and one of the main hotels formerly used by adoption agencies closed for renovations, most families are now staying off-island. Because I had heard so much about Shamian Island, I really wanted see it for myself.

Unfortunately, we got off to a rough start. We needed to take a taxi and asked the concierge to write the Chinese name of one of the island's hotels on a card for the taxi driver. I had met another mom online and then in person this morning at the consulate who is staying on the island, so we hoped to meet up for lunch. She is at the Victory Hotel. Well ..... not knowing our way around Guangzhou we really weren't sure where we were going, but I was surprised not to see anything that looked familiar after 2 trips to the island to go to the medical clinic (Saturday & Monday). The taxi driver all of a sudden pulls over to the curb and indicates we've arrived and we are not on the island! We say no, wrong place. He points to the card the concierge provided and then to the hotel we are parked in front of - the Victoria! So out we go. Fortunately, a nice gentleman at the Victoria Hotel spoke enough English to write the correct name on our card and we were able to get another taxi who took us to the Victory Hotel - West. We needed East, but hey, at least we were on the island.

It was supposed to be warmer today and a bit clearer, but instead it is foggy, damp and cool. We wandered around the island, did a little shopping, had lunch in a restaurant popular with American families that was freezing inside and tried to get in touch with the mom I met. Our schedule was so messed up though, that we never did find each other. We were out when she left me an email message. She was out when I tried calling her room. Things are so slow on the island that it took 10-15 minutes to get a taxi, but then it was a quick and straight forward trip back to our hotel.

Dinner plans are still undecided, but I expect that we will do something simple and stay close to the hotel. We have several convenient choices including mexican, italian, thai, noodle shop and fast food (McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Subway, KFC and Burger King).