All Oathacized!

Yeah, yeah, oathacized? Its our blog, we reserve the right to make up words! But what that officially means is we have taken the oath that we have provided all the truthful information about ourselves and our child in this process and the U.S. Immigration Visa is hereby granted!  On Wednesday we piled on a bus with 7 other of our families and traveled into the heart of the skyscrapers of Guangzhou and visited the U.S. consulate.  So very different than 5 years ago.  The consulate then was in a large skyscraper and we had floors and halls to walk and security for endless stretches it seems to memory.  The waiting room there was huge, no bags allowed in and the wait was hours.  This time there is a brand new U,S, consulate in a relatively small maybe 4 story building with some smaller surrounding security buildings.  Very modern, some curves to the edges of the silver and wooden trimmed building.  There is a small garden plaza in front but no U.S. soldiers guarding the gates like you would see in the movies!  I'm trying to give a good description because cameras are not allowed there or any electronics so I don't have pictures to show!  We had one friend of one of the traveling families that stayed outside with her camera to get some photos for us but I won't have access to those until we are home!  We were in the first appointment segment of the morning so there was rush hour bustle and many stares from business people looking at these white skinned faces carrying Chinese kids.  The x-ray machine in security broke just as we came in so we had to have our bags handchecked.  But considering last time we couldn't bring but a small bag for diapers and wipes that was fine!  We could bring snacks and kids toys.  I remember a huge white room before with rows and rows of chairs for everyone seeking a visa to the U.S. Probably 20 glass window booths like at a sporting stadium where you scream through security glass and small speaker to communicate.  This time its a private room just for adoptions.  About 20 chairs and even play areas for the kids!  The windows were still security glass but we have 3 sided enclosures to separate us from others and speakers all around giving almost surround sound! Less than an hour all families took the oath and paperwork will be ready with the visa in the children's passports on Thursday afternoon!  Just think, a years worth of paperwork comes down to a maybe 3 minute span where we talked with the immigration agent and the only question we had to answer was, "This is Cameron in you are holding correct?"  Correct.  Guess we did all the paperwork right! 

After that it was time to enjoy the sun and do some shopping on Shamian Island.  Shamian Island is where we stayed 5 years ago at the White Swan Hotel.  The U.S. consulate used to be on that island and at a peak time when 5 thousand kids I believe were being adopted from China by U.S. families a year a whole economy arose on that little 4 block island centering around adopting families.  There was a medical facility and photography office.  Several shops selling silk dresses, and all the souvenirs you can imagine that families clamor to take home at 1/6th of the cost of what we would pay at home.  Those silk dresses we see for girls at the Asian Festival for 20, 30 bucks, 4 or 5 dollars here. There is a long park with bronze statues everywhere depicting every day life moments.  Even a restaurant called Lucy's that features mainly western food.  Sadly,  much of that has changed.  The U.S. consulate moved off the island years ago.  After that the many stores and the White Swan still remained a constant.  The White Swan was the only place in the world to get a special Barbie holding a baby.  It was the site for the literally thousands of red couch photos of new adoptees.  But 3 and a half years ago the White Swan closed for renovation.  The families had to make new plans and those were off the island.  So the dozens of little shops also were forced to close with no cliental.  Lucy's is still there.  Maybe 3 stores with a much smaller amount of inventory.  The shop keepers made us quite aware business is bad, please buy something, we make deal.  They say the hotel will open this May, but it looked like a lot to go to me.  New windows and some paint outside but I could see lots of pipes and wiring hanging from ceilings inside.  May 2016 maybe.  We had lunch at Lucy's with two other adoptive couples.  Several others sat around us.  So people do make it here and to enjoy the people playing hackey sack in the park, dance lessons, dodge around at least 20 professional wedding photo shoots in the streets! Simply the charm.  I hope the photos capture the feeling.

Back to the China Hotel from there.  Photo day.  No red couch but some nice marble steps and some purple couches!  Family photos were somewhat doable.  Figure these kids have only known us for 10 days.  We've carted them over half the country in things most have never seen before.  We sound funny to them. Smell funny. Want to squeeze and kiss them and expect them to pose with a perfect smile.  So yes a picture with the person that's been holding them for a few days in a row may work.  But try to put 11 mostly 2 and 3 year olds together with 20 parents on the other side all flashing cameras and yelling something they've never tasted?!  Not happening. We got pretty close with 11 in the frame I think, but not together in any fashion!

And we'll wrap up with some breaking news! Our visas returned from consulate Thursday afternoon and we are all set!  For us we got the passport and travel documents, said good bye to all the great guides and new friends, shed some tears, and jumped in van for a 3 hour drive to Hong Kong!  That's where we are now.  The flights from here were cheaper and the van to Hong Kong idea came from our guides to save more money and prevent getting here at midnight and only getting a few hours sleep.  So they are all sleeping soundly behind me and I'm about to join them.  In 12 hours we'll be boarding a United 777 bound for Chicago with our newest citizen!