China (From My View)

Wow, it's been a year since we left for China. I can't believe that a year ago, at this time (of the posting, currently 9:50pm pacific standard time), we were sitting in the terminal, mom was updating the blog for the last time in the U.S., checking her e-mail, I was reading a movie magazine, dad was talking to Aunt Marcy, and Emily was talking to me. We soon met up with Ron and Karen Uchimaya, and in about two hours, we were off to China! With a strange form of adrenaline that really can only be felt once in a situation like this, felt something like mild nausea, mixed with the excitement of not only visiting the Far East, but knowing that you're getting something amazing (Personally, I felt like a little kid at the claw candy arcade game, knowing that everytime you play, you're getting a peice of candy. Wierd, I know...). Once the plane leveled out, Aunt Marcy broke out the travel Scrabble set, and the games began! Who needs sleep? We were stuck 30,000 feet up, in a rather nicely furnished metal can!

Once we landed, it was as if reality hit. We were here! After all this waiting, and patience, we were here. First, the humidity hit us like a wave, second, the smell....somewhat like a late night cleaner that was supposed to go unnoticed. We soon walked through immigration. With nothing more than a glance from the lady behind the grey granite counter top, we passed through, soon to be met by one of our guides, Phoebe. This chick was rather small...to say the least. Maaaaaybe 4'11 at the most. She made the bus driver come out and load everyone's luggage onto the bus, and soon, we drove off into the brown-grey air. Passing apartment complexes the size of skyscrapers alongside the freeway, and occasionally seeing a fast food restaurant, I stared out the window with childlike curiosity. After an hour ride in the bus, we arrived at the White Swan, our home for the NEXT THREE WEEKS.

My first impression of the Swan was, jaw dropping. From the pagoda and waterfall in the main lobby, to the glass wall overlooking the Yellow River(Note: River is not actually yellow. Is more of light brown, with randomly floating objects. Whoever thought of this name for the river CLEARLY was on opium.), it was mystical. After a very nice breakfast of american food at one of the hotel restaurant, we got all our stuff to the room. When we got up to the rooms (Me, dad and mom, and soon to be Hannah in one, and Aunt Marcy and Emily in the other), we all just looked at each other and almost all at the same time said "THIS IS TINY!". They were rather small...

(Now, I'm going off of memory, so soooome stuff may be out of order for the first two or three days, so, for reference, just click back to the July '08 threads and check lol.) A favorite spot of mine was Deli Mart right outside the hotel. They had fresh bread, sparkling water, and ICE CREAM!!!! Little Haagen Daaz lined the freezer just staring at me everytime I went in there....it was hard not to buy one everytime I went in there. We all visited here in the first few days, sitting under the yellow umbrellas eating chocolate ice cream and hanging out (this was before we discovered the Starbucks ;-) ).

Ok, now onto....GOTCHA DAY!!!!!
The day we got Hannah, was really indescribable. We all woke up knowing what the day was bringing, and what it all meant. We walked down the the american buffet breakfast. Having this for 3 weeks was VERY tiring! To this day, my mom has not had an omelete due to having an omelet for 3 weeks straight! We all walked back up to the rooms, grabbed our cameras and NEW baby supplies, and headed to the VIP lobby on the backside of the hotel. We all met up with the other families within our group, and boarded the bus. A short ride to the Civil Affairs build was verrrrrry quiet. Nerves were at an all time high with EVERYONE. Once we arrived, we took a cramped elevator to the 4th or 5th level, and as soon as we walked in, instantly, we all started to sweat. There were soooo many people inside this open room, covered in what looked like outdated hospital wallpaper, and white pillars around the room for people to lean against. After awhile, one by one, the babies started to arrive, and the tears began to flow. One more arrived, someone else's....yet another....where's Hannah? Me and Emily decide to sit by the elevator to see if she's ever going to show. A few minutes later the doors open, and there she is. MY little sister. Nan Qi Huan. Hannah Mei Joy Williams. She is right in front of me, with a bewildered look of fear, confusion, and a sense of something is not really right, all mixed into those dark, peircing, deep chocolate brown eyes. I follow her nanny with my video camera, recording as much as possible, while trying to take snapshots as well. Catherine (another tour guide, and assistant to all the adopting family) walks up to my mom, and tells her to grab Hannah. The nanny knows what she needs to do, and as hard as it is for her, she lets one of her babies go. Who knows how many times she has to do this, after getting attached to them all, and caring for them. My mom looks at Catherine with confusion, but does what she says, and the nanny slowly releases her grip on Hannah, watching her slip away to a better life in America, knowing it's best for her. My mom tries to comfort Hannah, but little do we know, she's sick with strep throat. Hannah soon transfers over to my dad, and he starts to talk to her, giving her cheerios, and oh boy with this, does she quiet. It was so awesome to see all of this take place.
I'm tired, I'll write more possibly tomorrow, but overall, I am so glad I got to go on that trip. Seeing China, and adopting Hannah, it was such a life changing trip. Not only did it open my eyes to new things, but it gave me a better appreciation of life. Now, a year later, with Hannah running around the house, her vocabulary growing by the day, and seeing nothing but pure joy in her, man.....it really hits home for me. Watching her run towards me, wanting me to toss her up in the air, despite the constant warnings from my mom....we still do it, safely, and giving us both joy in having some fun, or climbing up to the top of my loft bed, waking me up....it's just so awesome to get that....

Sometime I wonder what life would be like without adopting Hannah, and now a year later, it's already hard to contemplate what it would be like.....
>>Jake