She checked out the beds, then zipped to the other end of the room by Mommy and checked out the bathroom, pulling herself up unsteadily onto her feet in the doorway for a better look at the counter -- at which point in the video I was filming I hear myself say, "Uh oh, she found where we're hiding her bottles!" She then wobbled/crawled to the louvered wood doors of the closet and made music with them for a while, quickly learning that hitting them just so made an interesting "bonging" sound instead of the usual "whack!". AJ turned to me and said, "We better get those baby gates put up fast when we get home!" (You can read about the now-infamous baby gates here.)
We were eventually able to corral the now-mobile Pipsqueak and got downstairs for one last day of touristing. Upon reaching the lobby we learned it would be just us, Lucy, and Papa & Baby S; everyone else was either a bit under the weather, too tired, or had too much planned shopping or errand-running left to do.
Our first stop was the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees, an ancient Buddhist temple right in downtown Guangzhou. It was established as "Baozhuangyan" (roughly translated as "solemn conclave") but about 1,000 years ago the famous writer/poet Su Shi called it by the new name and it stuck. It's been burned, rebuilt, and modified a number of times but has occupied the same spot for nearly one and a half millennia.
We pulled up to an unassuming gate in a plain, high wall on a busy street... and left most of the modern city behind as soon as we entered. We passed guardian figures painted on the inside of the gateway doors and guardian statues by a covered gallery just inside the entrance, then strolled into a large, open courtyard dominated by the tall, beautifully intricate Flower Pagoda (with an only slightly less imposing but beautifully decorated building to the right). A steady trickle of locals entered behind us, and as we moved further into the courtyard I caught an occasional whiff of incense being burned. (Dude, this ain't a tourist trap, it's the real thing!)
Up ahead was a large cast iron vessel, easily ten feet tall, that resembled a pagoda balancing on top of an incense burner sitting on a teapot. There were two large openings near the top and Lucy told us that anyone who was able to toss a coin into the vessel through one of those holes would have a wish granted. Papa S handed me the Chinese equivalent of a penny and told me to give it a try. I'm awful at hitting targets with thrown objects of any size, but everyone looked so hopeful that I couldn't say no. I faced the vessel, hefted the coin a few times to get a feel for its mass, took a deep breath, and made a wish for everyone to have a safe, comfortable trip home. I gently swing the coin up in an underhand toss...
...and was shocked to see it sail through the center of the hole and drop straight down inside. Even the little dragons that decorated the vessel looked a bit bug-eyed at my success! We all agreed it was a good omen but I don't think anyone (with the possible exception of lil' sis) realized how amazing it was.
We continued past a large cast iron vessel full of sand that had many sticks of burning incense placed in it by worshippers making requests of the three massive golden Buddhas in the pavilion just beyond. Lucy pointed out various details in the buildings around us (for example, the fish figures on the rooftops were an aspect of the dragon spirit's son -- though I doubt the original architects thought of adding colored electric bulbs). While admiring the intricate wood carving and ironwork, it was impossible to not also see the modern apartment buildings practically leaning over the temple walls, yet another example of the old vs. new contrasts that seemed to be a hallmark of Chinese cities.
I don't have many photos of the three golden Buddha figures in the back of the shrine because Lucy (who shyly admitted she was a practicing Buddhist) said it was considered disrespectful to photograph the figures inside the building. I did take one shot (she said it was OK) from outside but it really doesn't do them justice. One detail we all noticed was a tiny swastika cast into the metal of the chest of each Buddha. Lucy was embarrassed and tried to explain that it wasn't that swastika, but we all already knew that it was a symbol of mystical importance for centuries before being misappropriated by a 20th century European dictator so we were able to simply admire the art & workmanship of the shrine.
Lucy pointed out a statue of the sage Su Shi off to one side, and we learned he was also known as Zizhan, Dongpo Jushi, and Su Dongpo We decided to not wait for a priestly blessing of Miri and Baby S, but took a few more minutes to look through the open areas of the temple. There were examples of architecture from many periods, a small Thai-style Buddha in its own shrine in a smaller side courtyard, and many locals quietly stopping by to pray, place incense offerings in the braziers, or just sit and enjoy the quite shade under a particularly large tree. An obviously modern white wood post in a flowerbed had an inscription in different languages on each side; I remember hoping they really meant it. One last glance at the back wall showed one of the dragon spirit's sons serving as a focal point for families in the apartments next door, along with a window that looked like it had been bricked up by committee. Then, as we exited, AJ noticed something odd about the ongoing renovation work and asked me to take a photo. (Excuse me, sir, but shouldn't the stairs go around the support columns instead of through them?)
Folding up the strollers on the sidewalk outside, we stopped for a moment to admire the bas-relief panels in the wall across the street depicting scenes of everyday life in old China -- and there was our friend Chicken Man, handing out olives to the children! (We still don't know the connection between chickens and olives.) We boarded the minibus and headed back into the crazy traffic, on our way to the main city park and the statue that served as Guangzhou's mascot.
Reaching one of the many gates to Yuexiu Park, our driver tried to go in to save us a long, hot walk -- but despite our being passed by another minibus and a couple of taxicabs while he argued with them, the guards refused to let him enter. He backed out and dropped us off, and we started a longish trek through the park. It was pretty, with lots of trees & nicely landscaped paths, but ominous clouds were gathering overhead and I began to wonder what would happen if we couldn't get under cover soon... then realized that I was already so sweaty that getting rained on would probably be an improvement!
The closer we got to the statue, the steeper the slope became and the more steps there were to deal with (AJ & I often simply each took one end of the stroller and carried the Pipsqueak in it instead of trying to roll it along). Finally reaching the top of the hill, the statue turned out to be much bigger than anticipated -- so tall that (Lucy told us) the sculptor had to remake the biggest goat's head not long after the statue was erected because it had acted like a giant lightning rod.... thus the collection of actual lightning rods now surrounding the statue. I took my time circling the statue (it was HOT and we were all exhausted from the climb) and noted how every goat had its own pose & personality. It was a funny and interesting counterpoint to all the sterile, carefully posed human figures we'd seen in Tianamen Square to commemorate the Communist revolution.
Papa S headed over to the nearest souvenir stand to see if they had water. After chuckling a little at the signs on the awning (remembering I'd seen worse English back home), I got a real laugh out of the water bottles he brought back: "Grand Canyon" brand, complete with the Stars & Stripes on the label!
Our visit with the city's mascots over, we headed back downhill... and it wasn't long before we were getting rained on for the first time in the trip. Luckily, the rain was light, and we came across a large clearing with concrete shelters along one side. We took refuge there along with several dozen locals of assorted sizes, shapes and ages, and waited for the clouds to stop dripping on us.
We continued on our way through the park to one of the museums on the grounds, admiring it from afar because the only way to get to the entrance was lots and lots and lots of stairs, and Lucy wasn't sure the climb was worth the entry fee. I took a couple of photos...
...and the rain came back, this time for real. We found a dry spot under a friendly tree with a nice view of a nearby stadium and the new downtown area. The strollers were next to each other, and it was fun to watch the Pipsqueak and Baby S interact. (It was only after reviewing photos from the SWI back home that we realized they already knew each other.) Unfortunately, they both took interest in the same toy, and AJ had to intercede to prevent a full-blown boxing match from breaking out.
Just as she got Miri laughing, the light, refreshing rain turned into a heavier, annoying rainstorm. We moved and sheltered under some larger trees, but the dry spot we occupied began to steadily shrink. Several Chinese families nearby had the same problem, each in turn giving up and trotting or running down the road to shelter. Lucy called our driver on her cell phone, and I don't know what he did to get past those guards at the gate but just a few minutes later our trusty minibus came rumbling down the road & picked us up, only slightly damper than absolutely necessary.
We headed into the new downtown area for lunch at arestaurant known for its specialty dishes, and enjoyed a meal that included "dessert" both before and after the main courses. Lucy invited our driver to eat with us, and even though he didn't speak English he seemed to enjoy the company & interacting with the little ones. We noted that he & Lucy had different desserts from the rest of us, and she explained that she'd ordered something for us that most Westerners would like a lot more than what they'd had -- and I'm not sure what it was, but when couldn't decide what the black stuff in their bowls even resembled, I was quite content to stick with what I had in mine. (In retrospect, it was likely black bean paste.) The food was beautifully presented and tasty; the view of downtown was excellent; and despite being tired, damp and concerned about the next day's multiple airline flights, we all had a good lunch... even the Pipsqueak.
On the bus heading back to the hotel, I experienced one of the strangest moments of the trip. Traffic was its usual horrendous self, so the bus was frequently barely be moving at all. During one of these slow times, I noticed a nearby building housed a modeling agency (I knew because all the signs were in both English and Chinese). There were people coming & going, mostly younger women in tight jeans & high heels, when all of a sudden a young couple came out the door and stopped to talk on the sidewalk. As I watched them, I had a sense of their being different, somehow; I had no idea what made me think that, all I know is they simply looked... weird. They were joined by a young man who looked equally strange and out of place; I'm lucky they didn't look in the direction of the bus, because by this point I was staring at them, trying to figure out why they looked so strange.
Then it hit me.
Omigawd, they look like ME!
The three models(?) I was staring at were Caucasians, and they stood out like a sore thumb from the passing crowd. I expected to see people of European descent at the White Swan and the U.S. Consulate, but I had become so accustomed to the adults in our little group being the only non-Asian faces around that unexpectedly seeing unfamiliar non-Asian faces was jarring. I simply hadn't realized how accustomed I had become to the relative homogeneity of the crowds everywhere we went... or how much AJ, our companion families and I stood out as being From Somewhere Else.
Just then, our driver spotted an opening in traffic and we quickly pulled away from the spot; we'd been there just long enough for me to learn a valuable lesson.
I would miss China, but not in the same way I missed Chile, or Belgium, or any of the other places I'd traveled or lived. My memories were all good, and my sister was (finally) adding a wonderful little girl to the family... but we really did not belong here.
Then it hit me.
Omigawd, they look like ME!
The three models(?) I was staring at were Caucasians, and they stood out like a sore thumb from the passing crowd. I expected to see people of European descent at the White Swan and the U.S. Consulate, but I had become so accustomed to the adults in our little group being the only non-Asian faces around that unexpectedly seeing unfamiliar non-Asian faces was jarring. I simply hadn't realized how accustomed I had become to the relative homogeneity of the crowds everywhere we went... or how much AJ, our companion families and I stood out as being From Somewhere Else.
Just then, our driver spotted an opening in traffic and we quickly pulled away from the spot; we'd been there just long enough for me to learn a valuable lesson.
I would miss China, but not in the same way I missed Chile, or Belgium, or any of the other places I'd traveled or lived. My memories were all good, and my sister was (finally) adding a wonderful little girl to the family... but we really did not belong here.
Dude, I think it's time to go home...
Almost as soon as we got upstairs to our room, AJ & I decided we'd better get in a last round of souvenir shopping -- plus it was time to pick up that extra suitcase we needed to carry 'em all back home. We were a little short on cash so I headed to the Bank of China branch next door to the White Sawn to change some more Dollars into Yuan while AJ got the Pipsqueak ready. I walked in and noticed they operated on a "wait until your number is called" system, then noticed an ATM-style machine on one side that apparently dispensed those numbers... Then noticed that there wasn't a single recognizable character, indicator, icon, or pointer anywhere on its screen, just totally unintelligible Chinese characters with arrows pointing to various buttons. I must've stood there for 5 minutes staring at the screen, desperately willing it to translate itself, when the young guard realized what was going on, came over and asked, "Change?" (possibly the only word of English he knew) and when I smiled and vigorously shook my head yes, he pushed the appropriate button for me and gave me my little number ticket with a smile.
After many a "xie xie" I picked a seat in the waiting area and after a few minutes my sister & niece appeared. Miri didn't want to sit still so AJ took her back outside in the stroller while I waited. And then AJ wheeled her back & forth in front of the bank while I waited. And then AJ wheeled her down to the end of the block & back a couple of times while I waited... and then AJ wheeled her into a nearby store & shopped for a while... Just about the time I was actually beginning to doze off, my number came up and I zipped over to the appropriate window. The very polite young woman knew enough English to coach me through the appropriate paperwork and then began to examine my money.
Every single bill.
In detail.
Twice.
We'd been coached in advance of our trip to take only "like new" bills and had been carefully choosing to change only the crispest, least wrinkled, cleanest bills... but this was absolutely the most detailed, most complete, near-microscopic examination of U.S. currency I'd seen in my life. Eventually, the teller handed back a $100 bill I could've sworn was perfect, and pointed out a teeny tiny little tear on one edge. I apologized and passed her a different bill, which was carefully examined (notice I didn't say "quickly") until finally she put all the Dollars into an automatic counting machine and had me sign for a smallish wad of Yuan.
I thanked the teller, crammed everything into my wallet, and zipped it into one of my pockets. I scared the little old lady next to me by smiling & nodding at her, smiled at the guard & gave him one last "xie xie," smiled & nodded at the guy who'd been sitting & waiting next to me, and made good my escape. I managed to find AJ & the Pipsqueak in the store next door, and we set off to Jordon's for squeaky shoes and a new suitcase.
Back when we had ordered some painting/calligraphy from Jordon (that we now had to pick up), we'd decided that one of the suitcases he had for sale was exactly what we needed for the Pipsqueak. (She could've fit inside it several times over with room to spare -- that's how much extra clothing, diapers, souvenirs and general stuff we'd collected during the trip!) I also realized that I still didn't have a photo of another favorite statues that we'd been walking past all week, so I quickly rectified the situation.
Back in the main room of the store, I got into a really interesting discussion with Jordon himself about family, title, and privilege. Here in the West, we've got "uncles" and "aunts" and "cousins" but we don't differentiate too strongly beyond degree of relation. However, in Chinese culture there is a specific title & role for every. single. relative. (To paraphrase another blogger, when you've got 1.3 billion people, you've got to be pretty specific.) At one point, Jordon's English skills weren't quite up to the task so he interrupted his son's grade school homework to figure a few things out -- and the kid was good! The three of us figured out I might be a da bo (an honorable older close relative) but definitely wasn't the Shu Shu I'd thought I was ever since AJ first announced she was starting the adoption process.
I was enjoying the conversation but AJ was itching to do more shopping and the Pipsqueak had woken up and was getting a crochety. We said our farewells to Jordon (it was finally sinking in that we were really, truly leaving in the morning and might never return), did a little more shopping at a couple of other stores, and headed back to the White Swan. AJ took a couple of photos and then we headed up to our room to prepare for the (in)famous Red Couch Photos.
What's a Red Couch Photo? Back when U.S. adoptions of Chinese babies first began to happen, it was a common thing for groups of families to pose all their kids on one of the big red couches scattered around the lobby of White Swan Hotel. It became such a tradition to have a photo on one of the White Swan's red couches that even families who aren't staying there often headed on over to take that photo!
None of us wanted to break with tradition, so it was back up to the room to put on a clean shirt and get the Pipsqueak into a brand-new outfit purchased just for this occasion. Miri was so little that AJ hadn't been able to find any classically styled silk shirts or dresses for her -- so she settled for a bright, clean, brand-new outfit that the Pipsqueak seemed to find very attractive. I mean, c'mon... have you ever seen a more smug expression?
AJ & I amazed ourselves by reaching the agreed-upon couch on time, where we found Lucy had received all the babies' new Chinese passports, ID papers, and the infamous "brown envelope" of papers that was Not To Be Opened By Anyone Except A U.S. Immigration Officer upon our return Stateside. There was a flurry of ultra-careful proofreading, a huge sigh of relief was shared by all, and we began trying to get our three not entirely cooperative models to pose prettily on a nearby couch. What felt like several hundred attempts later (just try to get three toddlers to sit still and look in the same direction at the same time, I dare ya) we had the photo we wanted, plus a happy shot of the three of us getting ready for the long trip home...
There were lots of other photos of various combinations of the different families & their different generations, and then we had a little free time before we were supposed to have Lucy and her husband join us for an American-style dinner at Lucy's. AJ and I decided on one last look around the White Swan and found a few angles & vistas (and some nooks & crannies) that we'd missed before, then just slowly wheeled the Pipsqueak around the shopping area on the lower level. Some of the items for sale were amazing... but unfortunately the prices were as well so photos were all we took.
We all met up again by the rear entrance, Lucy explaining that her husband would join us later because of work (and what must have been a hellish rush hour commute). We streamed on down the street to Lucy's Bar & Grill one last time and were ushered into a large back room (I think it was Papa S. who'd made reservations). We were happy to have air conditioning, and it wasn't too long before Lucy's husband joined us. He seemed a little bewildered by the items on the menu -- we insisted that he try Western-style food! -- but we all had a good time and after few photos of the whole group headed back to our rooms to pack for the trip home.
But first -- "A Home of Love" one last time for some more shopping! AJ & I found a last couple of gift items for family members, and Vicky had a chance to say goodbye to the Pipsqueak. AJ got into an interesting conversation with a single adoptive mom from the UK, I agonized over whether or not to buy a book I'd found... and then we really were out of time, and had to get back to our room and start packing. I don't know what was more amazing: how much stuff we had, or how well we managed to distribute it all among three big suitcases, two carry-ons, a big diaper bag, and AJ's bag/purse. As usual, I was the last one up, making sure our travel blog was complete. I'll close out this post here with the (slightly edited) closing words of my last blog post from China:
"And now it's passing 11:30pm, and I have to shut down so I can pack the laptop and catch a few Z's before our 5:00am wake-up call... I can barely believe we've been in China for two weeks, that I'm able to cradle my cute little niece in my arms & rock her to sleep as if she's been a member of the family for all 13 months of her life, or that we're about to return to the USA to begin the next phase of all our lives. Although neither of us will miss living out of a suitcase, I'm going to miss being able to spend so much time with [Pipsqueak] and [AJ]. My niece is an amazing little girl who's already grown by leaps & bounds in the very short time we've had her, and my sister is (as I already knew) a close friend & confidante, a good fellow traveler and (as we all knew she would be) a wonderful mother.
I won't be posting anything new here for a couple of days (I'll probably sleep through most of the coming weekend!), but I do plan on posting a wrap-up journal entry (or three) next week.
So, for one last time from China... goodnight to you all, and we're looking forward to introducing [Pipsqueak] to everyone in person really soon!
Zai jian!"
Tomorrow's post: our longest day ever.
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