Day 4 - Chongqing

Hello -- so, as Darese tries to put Hannah down for the night, I thought I'd start telling you a little about our day today. But first, a little history. (and don't forget, you can click on any photo to enlarge it).

Did you know that Chongqing (and it's surrounding areas) is actually the largest city in China with over 32 million people?? That's larger than the population of Canada!! Also, the Chongqing Zoo is known for the pandas. And, guess where we went today?? That's right...the zoo!! The zoo itself is pretty average, but the pandas are remarkable creatures!! They actually look like stuffed animals. They're so peaceful and fun-loving. How do I know, you may ask?? Well, because at the Chongqing Zoo, one can actually go into the exhibit and get their pictures taken with one of the pandas. And, guess what we did today?? That's right...we went into the Panda exhibit and had our pictures taken with one of the pandas!! The pandas, by the way, are vegetarian, feeding mostly on bamboo (and apples, in this particular zoo). So, as we went in, the trainer lured the panda to the chair with a pan full of apples, and Darese, Hannah and I got to stand behind him, pet him, and even scratch behind his ears!! (I'm so glad I passed on the apple pie last night!!). It was an amazing experience....everyone should do it!! The Chinese people absolutely love their pandas, and take great pride in displaying them, as they should. The pandas symbolize peace. Ironically, our guide told us that the pandas are loved so much by the Chinese, that if the government finds out someone shot a panda, the government will shoot that person...twice!!

After the zoo, we went to an art gallery....one of the galleries that supports the 3 major art institutes in China. We got to meet an artist who told us a little about their trade, and saw some remarkable work painted on silk and rice paper, as well as other crafts.

After lunch, one of the girls had to go back to get her passport picture retaken....apparently, when they took hers yesterday, it didn't come out right, so she, her dad, and Jin (our guide) had to get the picture taken again. According to Bill (the dad), it was quite the experience. Ever try to get a 10 month old to sit just right for a picture that they cannot have any sort of expression in, or fingers in their mouth??

Our final stop today was a silk factory. Silk, of course, is quite popular in China, and one of the more famous factories is right here in Chongqing. We got to see the different styles and types, and were able to shop for a little while. Hannah tried on a traditional dress, which was quite fun. But, as you can tell from the picture, she was more interested in her thumb than the dress.

The rest of the afternoon was ours, which was nice to relax with Hannah and play a little. She is teething now (of the three girls, she's the only one who hasn't cut a tooth yet, but she's biting on everything). So, we went next door to a mall to get her a teething toy. Ever notice how you can spend $2.00 on a toy, and all the kids want is the cardboard box it came in?? Case in point: we let Hannah hold the box with the toy, and she chewed on the corners. When we finally paid and left the store, we took the toy out of the box so she could actually chew it, but she didn't want that...she wanted the cardboard back!! She eventually chose the soft plastic over paper. Of course, Hannah also likes our $500 cameras, but not her $1.50 rattle!!

Well, she's finally asleep. She's been doing really well. She's taken to us quite nicely, and plays with both of us like she's known us forever! She's eating everything we put in front of her, which is great! As soon as we got her, we changed to our formula, and she loves it. We thought this would be a difficult transition, but she did great! Last night at dinner, she ate Darese's noodles, and today she had eggs for breakfast, rice for lunch, and cereal & bread at dinner (in addition to her regular bottles!!). We're really pleased with how she is doing, but bracing ourselves in case things come crashing down, and she suddenly decides she misses her nannies and/or friends from the orphanage. The other children are doing well, too. It's funny how they all have similar characteristics. They all had a little raspy cough, and when they sleep, their heads sweat. All in all, though, we're really fortunate that they are all happy and healthy.

We are staying in Chongqing until Friday. When we picked up the babies yesterday, we had to formally apply for their passports, and we have to wait in town until they are ready. Our guide will be going to the city hall tomorrow to make sure everything will be ready for Friday, and then he'll pick them up Friday morning before we fly down to Guanzhou in the afternoon.

Well, I think that's all for now. We hope everyone is doing well, and miss you all!!

Joe, Darese & Hannah

P.S. The pajamas in this picture were picked out by big brother Alex...can you tell what's on them?? They're Madagascar characters.