Wait for it...China 3...

Things I’ve learned since I’ve been in China

I’m a fan of the bullet…not the gun-shooting bullet…the itemized one. So…I thought we’d start the morning with some bullets. This will prove to save time in the long run as we all know I tend to be demonstrative. Man! I’m on fire…might just bust out the “Elaine dance”!!! (You’re either remembering it now…or full-on busting a move. Either way, I’m smiling.)

*          Bullet 1: just realized I don’t know how to make a bullet. Drat.

*          We were, in fact, WRONG about the potty-trained-ness of our 3 yr olds…our first trip out was for diapers. Double drat.

*          Toddlers need naps.  How did I forget that?

*          Chinese stare at foreigners adopting nationals…threw us off to an enormous degree…and I mean…full-on stare…the jerk your neck around, bottle-necker-of-the-year award kind of stare…the go out-of-your-way-to-come-back-after-you’ve-passed-and-look-into-the-stroller kind of stare.  It was so unbelievable at one point, Chris said, “Are you kidding me?!?” out loud to one guy.  Fortunately as I’ve already mentioned, no one speaks English so we did not have an international incident.  It’s really a toss-up whether they’re not appreciating the American couple adopting “their” children…Zoe’s blue-ish extremities…or Zane’s face.  One lady told me I didn’t have enough clothes on the kids.  (You’d all die if you saw what they were wearing at the time.) Another suggested I didn’t understand what was wrong with Zoe.  One man about broke his neck looking from Zane to us and back and forth.  Regardless, as I type this, we are 4 days into walking around with     them, and it’s so blatant, Chris has started staring right back.  We best get the heck outta dodge.

*          I should’ve crystallized my passport and worn it around my neck.

*          Once you’ve submitted forms at any specific location, there’s no need to memorize it.  You’ll be back there the next day.

*          Even in Chinese, the Pizza Hut symbol is instantly recognizable.

*          Toddlers who don’t like being told “no” can stiffen their bodies in such a way that the best plankers in the world would be proud.

*          The fact that toddlers have a forgetful nature is a welcome thing on day 2 of having a mom and dad.

*          I don’t understand Chinese…no matter how many times my 3 yr olds yell it at me.

*          Air conditioning.  I love it.  I miss it.

*          Ditto on access to technology.

*          Found the secret to Chinese people being so slim and trim…chopsticks.

*          I will always smile upon remembering my husband say as he ran after our crazy man, “I’m too old for this!”

*          We did not sign up for this…but G*d had other plans and knew the days would be exactly this way.  I’m taking comfort in the truth that, with Him, all things are possible…and even profitable for my good.  It’s a hard pill to swallow sometimes…even when I know it to be the best medicine.