City Sightseeing

As Harper's Chinese passport is being processed, we have a couple of "free" days. Today Lucy took us to a Buddhist temple and then People's Park. It has been nice weather, warm and kind of humid, with a breeze that has cleared out some of the polluted air (one of the worst cities in China for this, which is probably why my eyes are burning a bit as I type). Harper Yin Yin (she is not really responding to my pronunciation of Yin Yin - harder to say than you would think - so I thought I would step it up a notch) would have nothing to do with with stroller loaned to us by the hotel, so she walked a lot (hey jie jie, take note!) toting her plastic snack holder. She figured out last night how to extract the tasty Cheerios and other things I was hand feeding her from the holder and they have been almost inseparable ever since!

After a nap (just her, I have water to boil and bottles/cups/containers to clean) I loaded her into the toddler carrier on my back that is part of my plan for how I can get her and all our luggage through the airport or train (that is coming later in the story...) without assistance. She came up to me and turned around as if she has done this before, and I know that often foster mothers carry the babies on their backs to/from the orphanage. She was very content back there as we walked 10 or so blocks, which sounds like a nice outing unless you know a little something about adopting in China. Our duo of caucasian mother with Chinese baby was stared at by virtually everyone, with a spectrum of facial expressions; partly because they do not see that many non-Chinese in Nanchang, but mostly because of the combination. According to Lucy, most know that it is an adoption. I forgot from Jaden's adoption how uncomfortable the staring makes me feel, but I took the notoriety and crossed the major street in front of the hotel figuring I would be noticed and avoid getting hit (mind you this is at an intersection with a light, crosswalk, etc., but that hardly seems to matter here). Anyway, there was a bakery across the street so I took the risk. A wonderful skewer of donut holes was the reward that Miss HYY and I shared. My gumption gone, we ate dinner at the hotel; I swear she ate a whole chicken. LOVES chicken.

At entrance of Buddhist temple.

Having a snack while we wait for Lucy to offer prayers to the buddhas.

One of the three larger buddha statues. This one has the dragon above it.

Simply cute.

On a kid's ride at People's Park.