Airline Tickets

Well, we just purchased our tickets! WOO WEE!!! We leave on Nov 3, so 14:00 hours later plus a 12 hour time difference we arrive in Beijing on Nov 4th. We fly back to the US the morning of Nov 17th and even though it will be 15:00 hours later we gain 12 hours so we arrive just a few hours later than we leave!

U.S. Embassy and Civil Affairs appointments

Mary called to let us know that our US Embassy appointment will be on November 14th at 8:30 am and the Swearing-In Ceremony will be on Novmeber 15th. The tentative schedule is to leave for Beijing on November 3 and stay until the 6th when we fly into Changsha. She mentioned that we might even get Penelope that first evening! We should get our Adoption Decree around the 10th or 11th and then fly to Guangzhou the evening of the 11th. Our medical should be Nov 12 and we should get Penelope’s Visa on the 16th when we can officially leave. We are planning on taking the train to Hong Kong, spend a day there then fly our for home.

A Video taken on 6/9/11 from Katie a volunteer from Team Chenzhou 2011

So funny, she is so focused on the camera, the Half the Sky nanny had to turn her head around.

TA (Travel Assignment) ARRIVED!!!!!!

Mary at our agency called and said our TA arrived! They will request a US Embassy date and we’ll find out what date it is tomorrow! The seasonal trade fairs in Guangzhou are HUGH. The hotel and air fare prices double to triple. The crowds are crushing, compounding a country with overwhelming population during calm times. Needless to say, if someone really wanted to go the agency would try, but we already discussed that possibility and we are not interested. The agency would try to squeeze the trip in prior to the trade fair or we would have to wait until after. Todd and I started calculating the timing and couldn’t even see how the October dates were even feasible.

Letter from CCCWI by way of Red Thread

We received a response from the orphanage. Ann from Red Thread translated it for us and will bring the original letter to our hotel when we are in Guangzhou.
(1) What are her updated measurements?
Head: 46cm chest: 50cm height: 77cm weight: 10kg foot: 11cm
(2) Is she speaking any words or making any sounds?
Sometimes she can make "Mom" sound.
(3) Has she received any surgeries?
She did not receive any operation.
(4) Has she had any common health problems or allergies?
Sometimes Chen Mei Qi gets cold but she gets well very soon after she got some medical care, but the orphanage has not she is allergic to any kind of food or medicine.
(5) What medical treatments has she received?
When she just came to the orphanage, the orphanage staff gave her medical examinations; she also received medical examination before the orphanage sent her adoption files to CCAA.
(6) Is she close to a particular nanny? Name of nanny? (no response)
(7) Was a note or any other memento found with her? May we keep it?
When she was found, there was a note about her birth date /month/year.
(8) What are her favorite foods and activities?
She loves to eat meat vegetable sauce rice, cookies and candies.
(9) How would you describe her personality?
Her personality is sweet, not very outgoing, she scares to meet strangers ,she is a little shy too.
(10) Does she have any likes/dislikes/sensitivities?
She loves to play with her little friends in playing room, loves to eat snacks, loves to be held by her nannies, she does not like to meet strangers, she will cry when she meet strangers.
(11) What makes her happy?
When she is not happy, just play with her, give her snacks or her favorite toy.
(12) Do you have her finding ad? Can we have a copy?
The orphanage staff will share a finding ad copy on adoption day.
(13) Who chose her name and why?
The orphanage staff picked her name. Chen means Chenzhou ,'Mei Qi " means out best wish for her future, we hope she will have wise wisdom, health, grow happy and healthy.