With menu's, we just point and pray for the best!
Bought some of these animal crackers for Sam...

strawberry creme oreos!Hot and Sour Fish Soup Flavor chips?? Um....ok.

Jackson chose the cucumber chips...I was pulling for the lime chips.

What'll you have???

LOCAL APARTMENTS- THEY HAVE AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, AND THEY HANG THEIR CLOTHES OUT TO DRY...MAN AM I BLESSED (AND SPOILED)!

SWEET!

I LOVE TO WATCH THE CHILDREN PLAY

ONE OF THE LOCAL FRUIT STANDS

AT BREAKFAST....STILL PRETTY EXHAUSTED, BUT COFFEE HELPED TO MAKE IT BETTER

JACKSON TAKING PICTURES OUT THE WINDOW IN THE HOTEL ROOM. WE ARE ON FLOOR 30

This morning, we slept until about 8:30 and then made our very tired bodies get up and try to get accustomed to China time. We got ready and went down to the chinese-western breakfast buffet. It was much like the buffet we loved at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou last time. There are lots of interesting items, as well as a good many things that we were used to as well...Then there are the tricky things. These are the items that "appear" to be something you are used to, but they are really not. This morning, it was yogurt. All 3 of us got a yogurt cup and brought it back to the table. We saw the straws beside them, but didn't think anything of it...until we opened our yogurt cups. Then we realized the need for the straws. For some reason, the yogurt is the consistency of water. EWWW is right! But at least the straws make sense now, and lesson learned!

After breakfast, we changed some money into Yuan (The chinese dollar) and then ventured out into Changsha. Amy had told us last night that it was really safe around the hotel and not to worry about walking around here. We walked all around the hotel and found a 7-11 store to get some water, snacks and a toothbrush for Jackson. (We still think if that is the only thing we forgot to pack, we are doing ok!). Jackson chose some cucumber potato chips for his snack, and we got some blueberry crackers, and a couple of other interesting things.

We did notice several differences in Changsha from the last time we were in Guangzhou. The first is that we are apparently a circus here. EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE stares at us! Aside from the other couple from the Netherlands who I mentioned last night, we have not seen any other caucasians. I guess since every adoptive family has to pass through Guangzhou, there are always lots of American and or European families there. But, the only westerners who pass through here are those who are adopting from Hunan province, so we are a much smaller group! It's kind of funny really, like we are famous rock stars! Jackson's favorite part was when a mom brought her little kid over to just look at him!

The other thing we have noticed here, is that there are lots of families with GIRLS! We do not remember seeing any families with baby girls in Guangzhou....except for adoptive families. I am sure they were there, but they were not the majority for sure. John and I could not stop talking about how many families we were seeing with babies or little GIRLS! What a blessing! We have been told that the culture is beginning to change and that "modern" chinese women are becoming more open in their thinking...as in realizing that girls are important! We definitely saw some of that culture shift today!

Amy told us last night that Sam's orphanage is about 3 hours away by car, but only about 30 minutes on the fast train. She is going to try to arrange a trip for us. She also said that it is rural, and the roads are very difficult to drive on to actually get out of town and to his orphanage. She compared Lily and Sam's orphanages for us by saying that Lily's orphanage was wonderful, and that Sam's was only average.

After walking around a bit, we came back to the hotel and took a nap. We get Sam tomorrow, and we don't want to still be fighting this tiredness! There is a bowling alley in the hotel and we are getting ready to go down there and check it out. Jackson is wondering aloud if the Chinese are good bowlers.... Going to try to put some more pics of Changsha and the hotel on here...but the pictures sure are slow to load! Hope you all are doing well...we love reading your comments! Love especially to Riley and Lily!! Give each other a hug and kiss for us, girls! We miss you! Happy Birthday to PawPaw!!!

Blessings-

Meredith