Adoption Trips

This is it. Probably the last night we will spend in China for at least a decade.

We hope, life permitting, that when the kids are 11 and 13 respectively we will have the resources and time to bring them back to China to visit their family in HongKong and see their home towns.

Children's Bridge has begun something called homeland visits for adopted children to visit their home towns and connect with a piece of their past that in our opinion can not be replaced with talks and memory books. Our guide Mary has led one of the early homeland visits and said that the children who were 10 -12 appeared to have gained much during their visit and asked some very intelligent and thoughtful questions about China and their beginnings.

We had our last dinner out at the Sichuan restaurant around the corner. Same meal as a few nights ago but we were up sold a pot of Jasmin tea that was 5 yuan more expensive than a 500ml bottle of beer. That said dinner was 79 yuan and we threw in a tip of 8.95 yuan so that we could empty our pockets and wallets of small Chinese change.

We are waiting for a gentleman to drop by around 8 pm with a scroll we commissioned with C's name on it in colourful roman characters depicted in items of a Chinese theme like Bamboo. Once he comes and goes we will give C a bath, talk to B on the phone and finish up our packing. The bags have to be out in the hall at 9am for the porters to take down to the bus. We need to be on the bus at 10:30am to go to the airport for our 1:55pm flight direct over Santa's house to Toronto.

A group of us sat in the hall drinking a brew after the kids had gone to sleep. This was a bit of a surprise for the German guy in 1801 who turned the corner from the elevators to find 5 Canadians having a party in front of his door. He jokingly squatted down on the floor with us and ordered two beer before retiring to his room.

It's after 11pm now and we need to get to bed sometime soon to be up and down for our breakfast by 7:30 or so. This may be the last post from Beijing. See you in Toronto.

B, Mommy and Daddy will be home tomorrow to tickle you. We love you and miss you very much.