Sunday - Change of Scenery

We left Beijing and her 20 million inhabitants this morning and arrived in the cozy little river town of Harbin in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang at about noon. Okay, so it's not exactly a little town. The population here is 10 million, making it more populous than any city in the United States, yet it is only the 8th biggest in China. And this country boy got a teeny bit overwhelmed during our first foray into the streets.

After a white knuckle van ride from the airport to the hotel, I nearly got down on my hands and knees and kissed the filthy pavement when we were finally out of the chaotic city traffic. Our guide told us that in this formerly Soviet-controlled area, we would look like Russians to the locals and we would probably be spoken to as such. She pointed out a nearby Walmart, said she'd see us Monday morning to take us to our new child, and then she split--leaving us to fend for ourselves in a very strange land. We ventured out of the hotel within an hour or so and tried to find some Russians to blend in with. No luck. Here we stand out like...well, we stand out like four Americans with a flamboyant Chinese boy in tow wandering aimlessly in a sea of black-haired, extremely curious Asians. People here don't try to hide the fact that they are checking us out. They stare at us like we're walking around on fire. A young woman at McDonald's (yes we gave in to the temptation of a taste of home) stared at me unflinchingly the entire time we were eating. People snapped pictures of Alex the fair-haired rock star again. We are fish out of water and are treated as such.

Walmart here is at least three stories high. It took us five minutes just to figure out how to even get in the store. We rode the escalator in circles trying to figure out where the milk was (we never found it). A male employee followed us around and stared at us with great suspicion, trying to figure out if we had just kidnapped Truman or something. And the crowds! Imagine going to the morning after Thanksgiving "Black Friday" sales in the U.S. and multiply the chaos by a thousand. I went into full sensory overload and nearly freaked completely out while searching desperately for the poorly marked exit. I virtually sprinted out the door as I fought my way past the throngs of prying eyes and flying elbows.

We're hunkered down in the hotel now. It is a Russian-designed place situated on the banks of a large river. We may venture out again this evening to take in the sights along the shore when the place is lit up for the night. I should be more relaxed by then. I'm pretty sure I spotted a Harbin Brewery beer tent across the street as I ran to the hotel earlier. And tomorrow, all the insanity will be forgotten, or at least rendered insignificant when we get to meet Princess Naughton at 10:00am. I can't wait!

Saturday in Beijing

When we last visited Beijing, the 2008 Olympics had just concluded. Drivers were only allowed to use their vehicles every other day in order to make the world think China had clean air. I'm here to tell you: They do not. The smog is so thick here that the sun is only a faint orb at noontime. And the tops of the relatively small mountains where the Great Wall is situated are invisible. But we wouldn't let a little pollution prevent us from enjoying the Wall and the Forbidden City. My eyes are still burning, but it was worth it.

First we scaled the steepest part of the Wall just outside of Beijing--in 90 degree weather. Alex and I were the only two to make it to the top out of our group. (The others had more sense than us and turned around about halfway up the ridiculously steep stairs.) But the hazy view was worth the effort. Several people asked to have their picture taken with Alex during our ascent. Light colored hair is seen so rarely here that people can't believe their eyes when they see someone like Alex with his reddish, light-brown locks. Several more Chinese tourists had their pictures taken with him in Tianenmen Square, too. He said he felt like a rock star.

The Forbidden City has nearly 9,000 rooms in dozens of buildings covering 160 acres. At one point in history, over 30,000 people lived within its walls. It is an amazing place. And you could tell Truman was really impressed. No sooner than we had walked through the first few buildings, he passed out from exhaustion, forcing Bethany and I to take turns carrying him the rest of the afternoon. Did I mention how hot it was today? It was Missouri hot. But we survived, and had a good time.

Right now, the kids and Bethany are swimming to beat the heat. Grandma Glee is already in her jammies and sacked-out for the night (although it is only 6:20pm). I am enjoying the peace and quiet (a rare commodity in a city of 20 million people) and the air conditioning. I am also plotting a trip down to the lobby bar to unwind with an authentic Chinese brew or three after the fam gets back. Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for tomorrow's update after we fly to Harbin, the city where we will meet our little Tiana on Monday morning. Wait'll she gets a load of us!

Ni Hao from China

Ni Hao from Beijing, China! Upon our safe arrival following 18 hours of travel, we discovered that my blog, my website, and facebook are all blocked in China. Sleep deprived and exhausted after being awake for almost 30 straight hours, I emailed a few folks, dispaired over how to reach the rest of you, and finally passed out. Then I woke up at 1:30am Beijing time with an idea: Enlist the help of my cousin Larry! I emailed him with instructions on how to login as me on my blog and facebook page and voila! He will be copying and posting my updates for me while we our under the big red thumb of the communists. Thank you Larry Barr for doing this and thank you to everyone who is following along with our journey. I'm sorry I won't be able to read your comments, but you can email them to me if you like. I'll send another update after today's visit to The Forbidden City, Tianenmen Square, and The Great Wall. And hopefully I'll be able to post pictures, too. Stay tuned and Zai jian! (that's "goodbye" in Chinese).

One week till Harbin

One week from today, the Naughton clan will be traveling from Beijing to Harbin, a city in Heilongjiang province in extreme northeastern China. The following morning, our sweet little angel Tiana will be introduced to us at long last. The day that couldn't get here fast enough is suddenly very close, but we are ready. I've been ready for this day for over ten years. Moments after Alex's dramatic entrance into the world, I whispered in Bethany's ear, "I never want you to go through that again. Next time, we're adopting a little girl from China." True story.

Facebook is blocked in China, but I will be able to blog daily and link my blog to my facebook page as usual. I won't be able to access facebook to reply to your comments and/or messages on there, so you'll need to post comments directly on the blog if you want to share your reactions to the accounts and photos of our adventures. Signing up for a blogger account is free and pretty painless.

I will also continue to write my newspaper column for the Boone County Journal while we are overseas. Folks who live in the Mid-Missouri area can subscribe to the Journal for only $15 per year. Others can view my column online. I encourage you to share the links to my blog and my column with anyone and everyone you know who might enjoy following along with our journey. I will try to post pictures and at least a short account of events for every day we are in China, so check the blog daily. I hope you will enjoy this experience as much as we will.

My next post will be on Wednesday, the eve our our odyssey. We will be in the air for over 20 hours from Thursday through Friday, so when you wake up Friday morning, I hope to have a new entry posted for your reading pleasure. One final thought: Thank you all for the love and support you have shown us throughout this adoption process. We are truly blessed to have so many supportive friends and family members who have been there for us every step of the way. We love you all!

I love my wife

I wrote the following love letter to my wife yesterday. Afterwards, I thought I should tell the whole world how just much she means to me.

B,

Do you know how much you mean to me? I wonder if you do. You mean EVERYTHING to me. Everything. You gave me your heart once and I broke it. You gave me a second chance and I took it. You gave me your hand in marriage. You gave me a hand up whenever I needed it. You gave me our children. You gave me the opportunity to stay home with those children. You gave me the opportunity to find my voice as a writer. You gave me a chance to find happiness. And I am happy. I've never been happier in my life. You tolerate my whims, my friends, my old girlfriends, my mood swings, my lack of height, my beer belly, and my morning breath. You love me. And I love you. I hope you know just how much. Because I am not a good enough writer to put it into words. Just know that I love you and I appreciate you and I can't imagine living without you. Thank you for sharing your heart and your life with me. I'll never take either for granted.

I love you,
T