Where did today start?

I've been trying for the last hour to access our reservations on Cathay Pacific. I hate to say that I have let the idea of the 14 hour flight home pervade my thoughts this whole wonderful trip, but the flight from LA to Hong Kong started so badly I cannot imagine doing that again.

The Cathay Pacific website told me that you could only check in within 48 hours of your flight if you have an eticket.

Can you believe we have less than 48 hours left in China?

Grace would be sad so if I told her that. She loves China. She recovered from being sad last night but none of us could wake up this morning.

It is SO much quieter here than it was in Nanchang. Not a single firecracker funeral to wake us up! So with the nice cool room and larger beds we have enjoyed our sleep.

But we had an appointment with our guide Jack for 9:00 to go to the Consulate to prepare the affidavit that I would get Belle vaccinated at home.

This should have been done at home but somehow it was a detail that was skipped.

Funny thing about this, since she is 11 years old she was required to get the vaccinations here and the form says it is only for children 10 and under.

Oh well.

It was an interesting 45 minute drive and I was so thankful that I was not the one driving. I asked if it was rush hour traffic and Jack said no, it was just the usual.

Anyway, back to the beginning.

Annabel, as she told us her name is tonight, was cold in the restaurant, so she would not eat. Believe it or not I did not have a sweater or jacket with me since I have been tempted to wear only my skivvies but knew I would still sweat!

So we had a power struggle on drinking warm milk to help warm her up and then eat or sit and pout and rub her arms to make sure I understood.

She jumps up and down constantly to get something else to eat. She tries a bite and then decides she wants something else. If I suggest something I usually get the sweet response of NO!!

She jumped up and suddenly reappeared with a brown shawl on. I asked a couple we had met in the elevator if it was theirs but it wasn't so I still have no clue where she got it.

Breakfast for her consisted of only 1 egg when she usually will have about 4. I'm not sure if it against the rules but I took 2 boiled eggs for her. I knew she would be hungry soon, as even with a full breakfast she is asking for something to eat within an hour.

I put them in her pockets and hoped they would warm her up some.

The consulate was not very interesting, just long waits.

But the amazing thing is if you show a US passport, you get to skip to the head of the line! It was almost like Moses parting the Red Sea, people stood aside to let us through.

Back to the hotel and Jack found someone who could do our laundry. I don't remember it costing so much before, but it has been outrageous this time. But nothing has been as cheap as I remember.

Jack has been interesting to talk to about life in China. He told me the market in China has dropped 60% this year! I thought ours was bad.

Laundry taken care of and I decide to splurge for the buffet at the hotel for lunch to avoid too many trips to McD's or Kendugy, which is KFC. The food was so good and they had someone grilling chicken, pork, and beef. They even had potatoes on the buffet. I felt like I was home.

Afterward we tried to find a couple of the shops I hit yesterday. I got Grace some pajamas that were too small and also a music store.

On the way back from the consulate, Annabel began singing a song that Jack was impressed she knew. He described them as both opera and folk songs. I was determined to get some CDs to help her remember this music. Grace has forgotten all of those kind of songs and hope with the CDs it will help remind her too.

The music store also sold DVDs so we stocked up on plenty of favorites in Chinese.

Then I remembered we had to find her a jacket or something with long sleeves.

The street by the Holiday Inn is blocked from traffic and on either side are stores of all shapes and sizes selling everything from clothes to snake juice! Honest! One store had big jugs of stuff with snakes in the bottom. We saw something similar, only with crabs, etc. in Nanchang and our guide said it was for arthritis. Don't know what the snake juice is for but hope I never need it! If you need it, let me know and I will bring you some!

Finding a jacket or long sleeved shirt was more difficult than I imagined. What is odd about the stores is sometimes there are multiple floors and from the outside you cannot tell. Or as we found today, it is actually a mini mall inside that one store. We found just the right jacket and something like a sweatshirt so I can stop worrying about that.

We came back to the hotel since someone was already HUNGRY again!

Checking my email I found a post on a yahoo group asking if anyone was in Guangzhou.

Hey we are.

There is a family who adopted twins on 7/21. They arrived in Guangzhou on 7/25. The twins have been in intensive care ever since. They have pneumonia and this has left this family stretched between hospital and hotel. They were in need of things like antibacterial wipes and food for the room.

I have read about God winking.

I had just wondered what I should do about mac and cheese and tuna, etc. that we had not used. I haven't been as diligent as last trip about eating in the room plus Annabel has not found a taste for Western food. So I was trying to decide whether to toss it or take it home.

Then I read that post.

Aha! I knew what to do with my extra food and wipes!

We took a taxi to the White Swan Hotel, where we stayed last time. While I still think the Holiday Inn is wonderful, I had forgotten about the opulence of the White Swan. It is definitely a higher class place.

Got to meet a sweet new mom who has gone through more in her first month of motherhood than I can imagine. She told me the hospital is basically self service and someone needs to be there to take the babies' temp, give medicine, feed, etc. Plus it is costing them a small fortune. At least one baby has been released, but now they are pulled between hotel and hospital and grandmom trying to fill in the slack. Keep them in your prayers, please.

I wanted to shop on Shamian Island, where the White Swan is located, but my little sweetheart started her I'M HUNGRY! in her delicate little ear splitting voice! Since I had promised McDonalds and there isn't one there, we took a taxi back.

I was so shocked to recognize where we were and have the driver let us off at the right place to go straight into McDonalds.

On the way back we did more shopping and then I went splat right on the sidewalk. This sidewalk is busier than Central Expressway during rush hour. I was afraid I would be trampled.

My little sweeties helped me up and then held on as we rushed back.

They both continue to amaze me at the kindness shown to each other and then to me. I thank God daily that things are going as well as they are.

Tomorrow afternoon is our appointment with the American Consulate to get Annabel's visa. For now, I need to take a shower and go to bed.