I'm Home!

Well, I have been home almost one week and I am getting used to my new life. I met my papa (who is very cool) and try to spend as much time as I can playing with him.

I found out, to my great surprise, that I have a dog. His name is Gibson. Even though he bigger than me, I have no trouble pushing him around. I am learning to pet him gently and he is learning to let me pet him.

We cut down our Christmas tree the other day and I had a ride on my sled. It was very cold that day!

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Day 13 – Our last full day in Guangzhou and my last post in China

December 15 – Today was our last full day in Guangzhou. After breakfast we walked over to Sha Mian Island to do a bit of shopping. We were just coming out of a shop when we bumped into a family we had met in Lanzhou. They are from Chicago and are with a different adoption agency from us. We visited their hotel room at the Victory Hotel and then they came by a visited our room in the Holiday Inn. We showed them the pet store street on the way to our hotel.

While we were walking back to our hotel, it started to rain. Bummer. I wanted to see those kitties again, but they were all covered up to keep them dry. Mama took some pictures of me and Julia playing. After Julia and her parents left, I took a short nap. My Mama woke me up way before I was ready and dragged me downstairs to meet the rest of the families in our group. It was time to go to the American Consulate and finalize our visas.

I will be traveling to the US as citizen of China. My mama had to take an oath to get my visa for me….obviously, I don’t speak English yet. When I get to the US, my dad (who couldn’t travel with us) will have to adopt me before I can become an American citizen. Then I will get my US passport. Hooray! Even though my mama was happy to be at the American Consulate, I found it very boring and almost fell asleep….remember I didn’t finish my nap. I was ready to get on our bus and head for our Pearl River cruise.

The Pearl River is colorful at night. We ate at beautifully decorated tables while watching brightly colored buildings and boats go by. About halfway through the cruise a girl came out on the floor, dressed as a clown. She was a talented juggler! I tried to get close to her by wiggling out of my mama’s arms and running toward her. My mama is very quick and caught up to me. She held me much tighter after that! Hmmm, maybe I will learn to juggle, it looked fun. I fell asleep on the ride home and didn’t even wake up when Mama changed me into my pjs. I guess missing that nap did me in.

Tomorrow we leave Guangzhou. We will be taking a train to Hong Kong with the other families on our trip. Then, the next morning we fly out of Hong Kong to HOME. My mama is not looking forward to 15 hours in the air and a four hour layover before boarding a plane to Rochester. I don’t know why… I like to travel. J

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my adventures this past week. I hope to keep posting after I get home….but not every day. See you soon!

Day 12 – Consulate Appointment Day and a free afternoon

December 14: I am getting more and more used to my Mama and I am not screaming quite so much Today was our Consulate Appointment. Our local guide and our trip guide went to the American Consulate for the appointment while Mama waited in the hotel room. She had to wait there just in case there were any problems with my paperwork. I did not want to be cooped up in the hotel room, so Aunt Terry and I went out to explore Guangzhou. We returned at noon and I went down for my nap.

After my nap, we met the other families in our group and walked over to the Pearl Market. Guangzhou is known for pearls. I wasn’t too interested in the long strands of shiny pearls, so my Aunt Terry took me for a walk in the mall. I am getting very good at climbing stairs, so while Mama shopped for pearls, I practiced my stair stepping skills (holding tightly to Aunt Terry’s finger).

Aunt Terry wanted to buy a tablecloth, so after Mama was done spending money on pearls, Guilan took us on a hunt for a tablecloth. First we went to the cloth section of the mall we were in. It was one floor up from the pearl section. No tablecloths, only clothing. Guilan asked one of the shop girls about where we could buy a table cloth and the girl gave us some vague directions. The directions were so vague that Guilan requested a hand drawn map. We left the building and headed down a busy street. We walked and walked and walked. Finally we arrived at the market area where we could buy tablecloths. Mama and Aunt Terry recognized where we were; we were across the street from the grocery store they had been shopping in earlier this week!

I enjoy our trips out of the hotel. Everyone comments on how well behaved I am. I sit quietly in my stroller and look at everything. There is so much to see and smell! Sometimes I get sleepy and have been known to take a little nap while Mama or Aunt Terry pushes me. There is a street near to our hotel that sells pets. All kinds of pets: dogs, cats, bunnies, turtles, fish and birds. They sell all types of pet supplies including dog food and doggies clothing! We even saw chicks and baby ducks for sale. I wasn’t too keen on the chicks and ducks….they jumped at me when I looked into their box. I think I liked the kitties the best.

Day 11 – Shopping and a visit to the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees

December 13 – In the morning, Mama, Aunt Terry and I went to the market to buy more formula for me. We walked five or six blocks through very crowded streets lined with vendors selling everything from shoes and clothing to strange looking food (well, it was strange looking to my mama). It was very noisy with vendors yelling from their stores, bicycle bells and loud music blaring. There were lots of interesting smells as well.

We had to go to the second floor of a large building to reach the market. My mama had a bit of paper with the name of my formula written in Chinese. A very nice shop girl helped find it and we bought one for us and one for Jenny. Jenny and I really like our Chinese formula. Guilan, our guide, says it is very good formula and we were very lucky that we were given it by our orphanage.

On our way out of the grocery store we saw fruit. I LOVE bananas. So we got a bunch for lunch. Mama thought I might like Kiwi fruit (I didn’t), so she bought three. We got up to the checkout and the girl told us that we needed to weigh the fruit first. We went back into the produce area and saw the weighing station. A woman was standing behind a small counter with a scale. She was weighing vegetables. The next woman in line had several brown eggs that needed to be weighed. Then it was our turn. She weighed our fruit, slapped a sticker on it (I also like stickers) and handed the bags back to us. We walked back to the checkout and paid for our purchases.

In the afternoon we visited the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. The temple is called the Liurong Temple. It has a long and interesting history. I liked the very tall pagoda in the middle. Even though my mama was interested in the cultural relics of the temple, I was more interested in running around the courtyards and climbing up and down the steps. Mama gave up trying to take pictures of the various statues and chased me around with her camera. All of that running made me very tired and I fell asleep on the bus ride back. I was so tired that I didn’t even wake up when Mama put me down for a nap.

In the evening we strolled along the pedestrian street just outside of our hotel. All of the shops we open and the neon signs made the street very colorful. I watched people shopping, eating and taking pictures. I was too full after dinner (steamed egg, rice and noodles: Singapore style) to do much else.

Day 10 – Medical Exam Day

December 12 – Before I can apply for an American visa, I have to have a health exam. I did this today. Jenny and I (and our families) boarded a bus bound for the medical offices. It was a long bus ride; we could have walked there quicker. It was hot and crowded in the medical office. We had to stand in a long line with other American parents and their newly adopted children. I was ok with being weighed, having my head measured and having my hearing checked. I was not okay with the doctor checking my mouth.

Mama was not feeling well all day. She had a terrible headache. So Aunt Terry and I wandered the streets around the hotel and looked at all the interesting shops. There is so much to look at here! It is also very warm and I don’t have to wear my winter coat.

Later in the day, Mama was feeling better, so we decided we would find a place to eat supper. We chose a Thai restaurant a short walk from the hotel. Actually it was very close to the medical offices we visited earlier in the day. Now I realize that walking would have been quicker, but I am glad we took the bus because it was easier on my mama and the other families.

I am enjoying our hotel. It is the Holiday Inn. The room is huge and I have lots of room to play! Our window looks out over a walking street. It is very colorful and it is fun to watch the people walking, shopping and eating.

Day 9 – Travel Day

December 11 – Today we got ready to travel to Guangzhou. We couldn’t leave until our local guide had picked up my Chinese passport. It took three days for it to be ready. My mama says that my picture on my passport is really cute.

While we waited for Sally (our local guide) to bring my passport to the hotel, my Aunt Terry took me for a ride on the escalator in the hotel. We went up and down and up and down. I really enjoy riding the escalator! I even tried to stand myself (with Aunt Terry’s help of course) for a few rides.

The airport was an hour and a half drive from our hotel. I fell asleep, but was ready to run around once we arrived at the terminal. My Aunt Terry took me for a long walk. We saw lots of interesting people and a man playing with a remote controlled helicopter.

Our plane was delayed about an hour. But once we got in the air I fell asleep. I woke up when I smelled food. Did I mention that I LOVE to eat? Anyway, my mama ordered noodles for herself, but she ended up sharing most of them with me. Did I mention that noodles are one of my favorite foods? I am very good at eating noodles.

We arrived at our hotel in Guangzhou really late, after 11:30. My mama was very tired, but she decided to make me take another bath before giving me my bottle. I think we feel asleep after midnight.

Day 8 – I take a bath

December 10 – I found out what that funny orange thing in the bathroom was….it is a play area with water! I wasn’t too sure of it at first. Mama put my cups in the orange tub and let me play with them in my clothes. Then when she thought I was ready, she started to take off my clothes. Let me tell you, I was not happy about that; what in the world was she doing?

Suddenly Mama picked me up and put my feet in the warm water. Curious. I realized that my cups were floating about, so I reached down and picked them up. I was amazed that water came out of holes in the bottom of the cup! I started to enjoy playing in the water. Then, Mama tried to make me sit in the tub. No Way! I let out a big scream to let Mama know that sitting in the warm water was not for me.

Mama grabbed a wash cloth and rubbed me with it while I stood. She even made a wash cloth shower on me while I played. After a while the water began to cool and Mama lifted me out of the orange tub and wrapped me in a towel. I guess taking a bath isn’t so bad.

Day 7 – Hanging out in Lanzhou

December 9 – Lanzhou is a very interesting city. The city is long and narrow, just fitting into the valley along the Yellow River in the Gansu Provence of .China. The city has an interesting history based on its geography. It was part of the Silk Road that brought China’s unique goods to Europe. It also lies between Tibet to the south and Mongolia to the north.

Even though it was really cold outside my mama bundled me up and we went with our group to the Water Wheel Park. The water wheels were invented in Lanzhou to carry water from the river to the fields. This invention was so successful, that other communites along the river began using this technology. If we had visited in the summer we could have riden on a sheepskin raft. We saw several rafts with deflated sheep skins lying near the river. I takes 13 skins to make raft. Until the first bridge was built in the early 1900’s this was the only way to cross the Yellow River. As we strooled through the park Jenny and I looked very stylish in our pink coats. Unfortunately I can’t show you any picyures yet because Mama left the memory card in the laptop and the few pictures Mama was able to take with the little bit of memory are stuck in the camera.

Instead you can see pics of me in the hotel.

Day 6 – I am Officially a Zeigler!

December 8 – Today I was adopted by my mama and papa!!!!! It happened in the Civil Affairs Office with two other families. I have to say, it wasn’t much fun for me, even though my mama brought toys and books for me to play with. My mama had to sign a bunch of papers with a lot of Chinese written on them. She had to rely on Guilan to tell her what to write and where to sign. It took forever for her to write everything. Finally I put my foot down (literally) and made it all official.

One of the things I am sad about is that my papa can’t be here in China to hold me. However I do know what he looks and sounds like because I get to see him every day on Skype. I can’t wait to meet him. He looks like he will be a lot of fun to play with. I have also seen my big brother, David, on Skype. I will meet him when he comes home for Christmas.

Just around dinner time today, my aunt Terry arrived in Lanzhou. She was supposed to come in yesterday, but she missed a connecting flight in Shanghai and had to wait to fly here until today. Aunt Terry is very entertaining and I am having lots of fun with her. Speaking of dinner, I love to eat! I especially love beef noodles, a specialty in this part of China. Somehow my mama can’t always find my mouth with the spoon and gets almost as messy as me during dinner!

Day 5 – Where I meet my Mama

December 7 – Today I met my mama. The people from the orphanage brought me into her hotel room. She was standing in front of the window waiting for me. She smiled at me a held me in her arms. After the people who brought me left, mama put me on the bed to take look at me. I was dressed in two layers of clothes; orange and white pajamas and a quilted red outfit.




Mama told me that I smelled good and then she kissed me. All I wanted to do was play with my stacking cups. After a while mama gave me a small bottle of water that I could carry around. She was very surprised to see how well I walked around. I even climbed into the crib that was in the room.

Then we went upstairs to visit Jenny and her family. Jenny and I came from the same orphanage. She is younger than me and doesn’t yet walk. She does pull herself up and I had a good time watching her.

My first day with my mom was pretty good…I didn’t cry too much; only right before I took a nap. I did fall asleep on the floor in Jenny’s room.

Day 4 – Beijing

**A request: If you post comments on the blog, please click the box to send an email to Mom so she can see it before she comes home. She can get emails but can't see Blogspot. Thanks! **

December 6 – By today, my mom was ready to get on a plane and pick me up. Unfortunately, she had to wait until her friend’s son arrived on the 3 PM flight out of Newark. So, after two of the families left the hotel for the airport to go meet their children, my mom and the Aragona’s hung around Beijing for a few hours.
After lunch, they took a long walk. They were thankful that it wasn’t quite a cold as it had been. Mom saw a Starbucks on the way to Tiananmen Square and had to stop for a cuppa joe. It didn’t quite taste the same as home, but it was hot and lasted until Tiananmen Square.

They started back to the hotel and decided to walk back through a more traditional neighborhood instead of taking the main streets. They saw a beautiful park, bicycles, and everyday people going about their lives. They took a shortcut (not) down a Hutong, a small neighborhood pathway. Along these small streets are courtyards where many families share living quarters; one family/one room. These families may also share public bathrooms. The Hutong was like a maze and they wandered about for while, trying to find their way out. It was peaceful in the Hutong; surprising in a city of 15 million, and it was a memorable experience.

Later in the day, at 5 Pm they arrived at the airport, found Dan (Sandra’s son) and boarded the plane to come get me and Jenny!!!! Their plane landed at 10 PM. It was snowing when they landed. My mom could not get to sleep. I think she is excited about meeting me!!!

Day 3 - Forbidden City and the Summer Palace

December 5: From the hotel to the southern gate of the Forbidden City was a short, but freezing cold, walk. There were fancy hotels and large digital billboards. At one of the street crossings, in front of a department store, there was a temporary sculpture of Christmas ornaments with a sax playing Santa Claus on the side. People were using it as a backdrop to photograph each other.


The Forbidden City was home to the last two dynasties; the Ming and the Ching (Qing). Twenty four emperors lived here with their wives, concubines and children. It was a place of power, intrigue and sadness. Guilan told stories about the lives of some of the inhabitants.

My mom could not believe how big the Forbidden City was. It truly was a city. First she and her friends entered the outer courtyard and took photos, thinking that the building in front of them was the only structure. I wasn’t. It was only one of many ceremonial gates. The moms-to be posed in front of the mama lion guarding an entry way.

The group left the Forbidden City by the north gate and found a small restaurant for lunch. One of the dishes they ate was noodles in soup. My mom took a picture of one of her traveling companions, who is in China to pick up her little sister, eating noodles. They had fun learning how to count to ten (very loudly) in Mandarin, Cantonese and in Guilan’s dialect. The wait staff was very entertained.

After lunch, the group boarded the bus and drove to the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is located on a beautiful lake. Even though it was freezing cold, and the trees were bare, my mom could imagine how calming and peaceful it would be in the summer. One of the more interesting sights at the Summer Palace was the boat made from marble that the Empress had ordered made.