Day 10 - Guangzhou Here We Come!

The night before we left I went down to the dining room and ordered ice cream - 2 scoops - had to write that down for the girls - they did not know that word - so of course, then I taught them the meaning of yummy and that you would not use that word when serving a steak - just something sweet. Then we discussed the word Chit Chat - and I had to write that down for them - as you can tell I love talking with the wait staff, learning Chinese and sharing the American culture etc. They really try to learn so much and are really so good at English. They asked if I was a teacher and said I looked like a teacher (probably the glasses) - but I said no that I wasn't one - but they said I was a good teacher. Well I was very sad to leave the Dolton Hotel and Changsha this morning - the wait staff there were so nice and it was great to see them each morning - they know that I am the Diet Cocoa lady - yes Cocoa - is their name for Coke - I stopped to talk to them many times - Lily, Ana and Ava - I asked their ages 18 - 20 and one of the cooks was a 16 year old girl - even they thought that was amazing. I explained to them that Americans could not really work until they were 16. We also compared the weather of Changsha to Chicago - they really only get a tiny bit of snow some mornings - I explained we had 10 + inches on the ground right now - and that the kids were sledding - which I used one of their serving platters to explain sledding - - Lily wishes to come home with me to Chicago to see the snow - so I exchanged emails with Lily and Ava - and told them they were welcome at my house in America - sad to say - but I don't think Americans would even come close to being as hospitable as these girls and other staff members were - but, I guess it was a 5 star hotel - and I don't get to stay in those too often. Before we left we gave the housekeeping staff a tip and some chocolate covered coffee beans. I went to the dining room and gave the wait staff a huge box of jelly bellys - 40 different varieties in the box - they were excited about the candy,chocolate covered coffee beans and some cedar & lavender blocks from 100% American Cedar Trees. We were not allowed to tip them ever - so I thought they couldn't refuse candy for all of the staff??


This is a picture of Tamara and Linea - Jacquie and Tabitha and some of the staff that were with us on our parting day. Lily and Anna were not there - but I wished them goodbye through Ava. Ava is the one in the white vest. I think I was sad b/c I knew this was kind of our last taste of "real China" - Guangzhou is known for its Western look and style. I asked our China guide Bill - if the girls could ever even think of coming to America - and he said not as it is right now - because China is not open - they could not get a Visa to come - he had a hard enough time getting one to come visit SunnyRidge - even though he works for SunnyRidge. I do hope someday they could come here.

This is a picture of Mickey and Tabitha in the airport - we fly China Southern Airlines inside China - beautiful brand new planes! Very formal and official - definitely not a Southwest type.

Tabitha eating her Chinese rice cookie on the bus ride to the hotel! (mixture of salt and sweet)This is a picture on our way to our hotel - this is Guangzhou - the more authentic China part.
This is a picture on our way to our hotel - this is Guangzhou - the more authentic China part. We are staying at the Victory Hotel - on Shamian Island - much more westernized. The following pictures are taken in front of our hotel and on the street that our hotel is on - very Gold Coast Chicago feeling. The feeling leaving the airport was that we were in Florida in December - overcast but not too cold - the landscaping is beautiful - and it is a brand new airport - huge - Guangzhou is a city of 13 million - keep in mind Chicago is roughly 8 million, Changsha is 5 million, Yueyang City was 1 million, Yueyang County (where the babies are from is around than 500,000) and Beijing is around 15 Million people.

Ok - I have to go to bed it is getting so late - I will finish posting pictures of our room ( which is beautiful and spacious ). One final note: and I wanted to expand more on this ... but we have finally, after 5 days of waiting, met our Tabitha - she is a character and definitely not reserved or stoic - she is a crazy lady !!!!! We are overjoyed!!!! She is rolling over - laughing, giggling and smiling - it is so wonderful. Love, Jacquie

And another video. This time of Daddy and Tabitha.