The monks leaving the ceremony.
Our blessing.
Our guide shared with us that Chinese legend or tradition says that if you can remove the ball from the lion's mouth, then the building is yours. So of course I had to try, it was prime real estate there! (No luck though)
Our boy in the tub. We had trouble with him not trying to drink the water. The poor guy had some tummy troubles that night. We think it was the water.
Kai wants to see the camera if you get too close.(Josh in a whisper, across the bus aisle to me) “Kate, pearls don’t come from lobsters do they?”
Laughter just totally erupted from me. I could not stop laughing.
Laughter just totally erupted from me. I could not stop laughing.
“Shhh, Kate, no wait, they don’t do they? Wait, don’t laugh at me, its not me, listen to why I ask.”
“All I can say is I have my quote for tomorrow’s blog!” I said.
“No, don’t use that as the quote, look at you laughing. You are so mean. Listen to why I ask that.”
Yesterday we did some shopping. One of the places we went to was the pearl market. Let me just say, that it was a mall type of place 5 stories high and it was packed with store after tiny store of jewelry. The mall was laid out in a basic circle, but then tiny hallways fingered out from the main circle. Seriously, for me, it was like a nightmare. Completely overwhelming and so packed with stuff. In the hallways between the stores you could barely fit a small stroller through. You can feel the population here in China so easily when you go out shopping. Places don’t have little corners for you to stand or go to, all the space is utilized. So when Kai leaked through his pull-up we had no where to change him. Actually, I found a bathroom, but the floor was wet with urine and puddles of water and they had the squatty potties and there was no space for me to stand him to change him. The smell was more than I could handle and people kept coming in, pushing forward in line. I had to get out of there. I was starting to feel sick. We ended up changing him out of the open pretty much, while a few people stood and starred at us.
We had 40 minutes in this mall, but Josh and I needed to get out, so we went to wait out on the street. We found that the rest of the group felt the same way, they were all waiting there. I guess, a woman in our group told Josh that she thought, “Stealing pearls from lobsters is a sin.” Now, she may have been joking, but Josh wanted to be sure he had it right, that pearls did not in fact come from lobsters. Regardless, it is a great quote for the day huh?
Before we went to the pearl market we went to another store. At this store, Kai charmed all of the attendants. Literally, they swarmed him and played and talked with him while we shopped. Very nice! The store was fancy and full with breakables, so it was nice that they spent so much time with him. Josh and I have talked about this issue, the attention he gets. We wonder if he gets so much attention because he is a boy, or because he talks so much, or just because we are friendly and open to stopping and talking to people too. The rest of our group didn’t have this in the store. Kai was loving it! It has really been interesting to watch though. A few times I have to remember that there are cultural differences with boundaries with children. Many of time the hotel attendants have taken him out to hold him and talk to him and they will walk away with him, or give him things without asking us, etc. It can be sort of strange to see him get whisked away like that sometimes!
Yesterday when we walked into the playroom the parents in there shouted, “It’s Kai!” We just laughed. People here have gotten to know him for sure! The other dads seem to like playing with him since many of the kids are girls and smaller than Kai. Kai will run around the laugh and talk to everyone.
We are going to the orphanage tomorrow. Judy is taking us. I am really looking forward to that, but I have mixed emotions. I hope Kai is not upset about going back, although I was told he knows that kids come back with their new parents. Hopefully he knows he isn’t going back there to live. We have the guide to help talk to him about all of that.
After tomorrow we have just one more day here until we fly home. I am so looking forward to coming home. Josh and I are both missing Elizabeth so much. We cannot wait to see everyone!
“All I can say is I have my quote for tomorrow’s blog!” I said.
“No, don’t use that as the quote, look at you laughing. You are so mean. Listen to why I ask that.”
Yesterday we did some shopping. One of the places we went to was the pearl market. Let me just say, that it was a mall type of place 5 stories high and it was packed with store after tiny store of jewelry. The mall was laid out in a basic circle, but then tiny hallways fingered out from the main circle. Seriously, for me, it was like a nightmare. Completely overwhelming and so packed with stuff. In the hallways between the stores you could barely fit a small stroller through. You can feel the population here in China so easily when you go out shopping. Places don’t have little corners for you to stand or go to, all the space is utilized. So when Kai leaked through his pull-up we had no where to change him. Actually, I found a bathroom, but the floor was wet with urine and puddles of water and they had the squatty potties and there was no space for me to stand him to change him. The smell was more than I could handle and people kept coming in, pushing forward in line. I had to get out of there. I was starting to feel sick. We ended up changing him out of the open pretty much, while a few people stood and starred at us.
We had 40 minutes in this mall, but Josh and I needed to get out, so we went to wait out on the street. We found that the rest of the group felt the same way, they were all waiting there. I guess, a woman in our group told Josh that she thought, “Stealing pearls from lobsters is a sin.” Now, she may have been joking, but Josh wanted to be sure he had it right, that pearls did not in fact come from lobsters. Regardless, it is a great quote for the day huh?
Before we went to the pearl market we went to another store. At this store, Kai charmed all of the attendants. Literally, they swarmed him and played and talked with him while we shopped. Very nice! The store was fancy and full with breakables, so it was nice that they spent so much time with him. Josh and I have talked about this issue, the attention he gets. We wonder if he gets so much attention because he is a boy, or because he talks so much, or just because we are friendly and open to stopping and talking to people too. The rest of our group didn’t have this in the store. Kai was loving it! It has really been interesting to watch though. A few times I have to remember that there are cultural differences with boundaries with children. Many of time the hotel attendants have taken him out to hold him and talk to him and they will walk away with him, or give him things without asking us, etc. It can be sort of strange to see him get whisked away like that sometimes!
Yesterday when we walked into the playroom the parents in there shouted, “It’s Kai!” We just laughed. People here have gotten to know him for sure! The other dads seem to like playing with him since many of the kids are girls and smaller than Kai. Kai will run around the laugh and talk to everyone.
We are going to the orphanage tomorrow. Judy is taking us. I am really looking forward to that, but I have mixed emotions. I hope Kai is not upset about going back, although I was told he knows that kids come back with their new parents. Hopefully he knows he isn’t going back there to live. We have the guide to help talk to him about all of that.
After tomorrow we have just one more day here until we fly home. I am so looking forward to coming home. Josh and I are both missing Elizabeth so much. We cannot wait to see everyone!
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