A few more pictures

Here are a few random pictures that I forgot to post earlier... These are a bit mixed up in their order

There is a strong community police presence. Many Beijing street corners have a mobile command post stationed there with a forest of surveillance equipment installed on top.  It's hard to feel intimidated by a police car that is a Hyundai Sonata! 

This is Lisa (another CCAI mother) and her adopted daughter who was originally from Ethiopia. In our short time traveling with them, the daughter had to stop for many photos and "hair touches" 

I wish one single picture could capture a typical intersection. We, the visiting  foreigner, sees and feels panic and chaos. The locals are just doing what is part of everyday life: interacting with the other ants that are part of the ant hill, and getting from a to b without getting killed. George says that any sort of public travel, whether on foot, bike or motorized vehicle, is all about basic survival.

Speaking of basic survival, I downloaded a wonderful app that allows you to say it in English and it spits it out (audibly and in printed words on your screen) in Mandarin. a must have. problem is it requires a wifi signal so I really haven't used it at all...

Someone told me to take a picture like this with all my family members sticking their heads out of the Great Wall. I almost fumble dropped the camera so I skipped the picture...

We caught a sneak peek of the Beijing Olympics buildings from a few years back: remember that droplet / bubble building and the "Nest" beside it? Well there they are, and Dylan could not have cared less about them. I can't recall when the Beijing Olympics actually were, but the area looked a bit tired and bedraggled. 

In front of the civil affairs office right after first receiving Anna. You can see Wendy and her 20-year old son, Isaac, from Bismarck North Dakota, with their 9 year old son and newly adopted brother, Levi.

Great to finally touch, hold, see, smell  and meet this wonderful girl... What is going through her head here?

With Auntie Pauline, who will spoil this special new niece. Anna is much heavier than we expected: always a good sign. Accordingly, Aunt Pauline has nicknamed Anna, "my little Sumo Mama"

Hey! A Toyota Previa!! Being an owner of a stunningly stylish 1993 Previa, I had to get a picture! I also noticed the driver had chiseled features and an air of style and confidence... as most Previa owners do... Hahaha

Rush hour smog in downtown Taiyuann.

George is an energetic, fun, make things happen kind of guy. We couldn't ask for a better CCAI rep and tour guide. He's got a good sense of humor as well. I mentioned before that we'd be like babes in the woods without him. His personal story is fascinating. At age 33, he's the youngest of 5 kids, and his oldest sibling is a 52 year old brother. His mother had her tubes tied in 1974, so when she got pregnant in 1981-82, it was a total shock and an unwelcome surprise. What to do? I'm not entirely clear whether this was after China instituted their one child policy, but whatever the case, his mom decided to have a pill-induced abortion .

Somehow, miraculously, providentially, George's little life wasn't snuffed out. After she realized he survived, she became convinced that fate and predestination (in the traditional Chinese superstitious meaning of the word, not in our Christian understanding of the word) had intervened. George is now married and has two kids. Michelle and I asked George what is the meaning of the brown bead bracelet that he wears. He looked up from his iPhone, straightened his glasses, looked at us both, and said with a poker straight face: "It means I'm gay!" 

And then his face lit up with a 

big grin.

George is with us until we fly to the city of Guangzhou on Friday October 16.

We will then be met by our next CCAI representative/ tour guide who will help us with our US consulate appointment for Anna's American citizenship.