Hello all… We’re still in Nanchang!! As some of you may notice, the baby girl we adopted looks a little different from the photos we posted before. Well, upon meeting Lu Wei Huan on Monday, it was decided by us, our agency and the China Center for Adoption Affairs that she would fare better on the Center’s special needs list. Wei Huan will always be part of Tenley’s adoption story and we will keep her and her forever family in our hearts and prayers forever. Our Tenley will be a year old on Feb. 27th. We are thrilled to have her as part of our family. We needed an extra business day in Nanchang to process her paperwork, so we’ll be joining our group in Guangzhou on Monday. We miss them very much and look forward to seeing some new sites once we get there. Jessi left today to join the group and catch some new sites of her own. Keep us posted, Jessi! Our grilled cheese, no ham won’t be the same without you! (Although, as I write this, I know that she’s unable to read the post as blogspot access is restricted.) In the meantime, we’re at the Lakeview Hotel in not-so-sunny and rather cold Nanchang. It actually snowed today. Since all of the other families have left, the business center is wide open, so post we will try. OK… to back track, we got to Nanchang on Mondy and since then have visited just a few places – all in miserable weather. There was Tengwang Pavillion which was built in the year 653 and is surrounded by gardens that must be very beautiful in spring and summer. Inside, we were able to watch a show of traditional Chinese singing and dancing. It was short, but very nice and kept Ryan’s attention until he said he was hungry and all I had to give was a cough drop, which he ate, then spit into my hand. Didn’t get pictures of that, though. Let’s see, that was the day that Hans got sick with what I think was a stomach virus. He was in bed all day, out of commission for two days and missed the trip to a typical Chinese village – the one place out of our entire trip that he really wanted to see. It was interesting to say the least and very humbling. The village was very, very poor and we were taken there to show us the type of setting from where our babies probably came. The rule here is one child. If the govn’t learns a mother is expectant with a second, she will be forced to end the pregnancy. Also, expectant mothers are required to carry a permit proving it’s her first and only child. Even in the very smallest of villages, there is a local government representative checking on such goings on. It’s going to take generations, as well, to change the thinking that a baby boy is preferable and that boys show properity for the family. Until then, there are too many baby girls in orphanages in this enormous, heavily populated country. One village family let us into their home. There were chickens running about like pets. I know. H5N1. But as much as I wanted to play with the birds, they were kind of skittish and ran away when I tried to hold them. Kidding. Anyway, it was interesting seeing them roaming in and out of homes. I took many pictures there, but fear I had a battery problem, and so don’t have many to offer. In one room of one of the homes was a newborn baby. I did not ask if was a boy or girl. I can only imagine it was a boy. We also visited a porcelain shop this week. Jaing xi province is known for its porcelain. It’s very thin and very beautiful and very breakable. And, because I don’t have a brain in my head, I purchased a few items that will need to be hand carried through airports because if they’re checked, they’ll surely shatter. One of our most interesting trips was to Nanchang’s Wal-Mart. Because we didn’t go with the group (just a Chinese guide), we were the only white people in the store – a walking parade with blond Jessi leading the show. Everybody stared, some stopped to talk. A lot of people like Taylor’s glasses. The guide said were were like movie stars. Weird. Fun things to get in Nanchang Wal-Mart? Deviled pigeon eggs, dried meat wrapped to look like hard candy, mounds of loose white rice and, of course, live fish. What’s at YOUR local ‘Mart? We’ve been to the local China Center for Adoption Affairs, a modest building. That’s where we met Tenley (the nanny said her nickname is Jing Jing). The workers are very professional and efficient processing adoption paperwork. The people we met from the orphanage were very warm, filled with smiles and Jing Jing seemed very attached to her nanny. We’re so thankful to these people for being a part of Tenley’s first year. What a beautiful job they did under less than ideal circumstances. We also visited the local notary, another very simple office building. One thing I recall about all of these places, our hotel included, and one thing I certainly won’t miss at all is all of the cigarette smoke. It’s everywhere and can be stifling. I forget what it used to be like in the States. Of course, to get around one takes a taxi. One takes one’s life into one’s own hands and takes a taxi. Kill or be killed. Anyway, must dash. We’re ordering Pizza Hut tonight. A little treat while in the Hotel California…. Check out any time you like, but you can never leave…..!!