Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Homesick!

We are SO ready to get home to our boys, our friends and family, our kind of food, our home, etc! We only have one more technical piece to our adoption - to go to the US Consulate tomorrow morning. Then the next day Elita's Visa is delivered to us in the late afternoon and that is it. Then 2 Fridays of travel - a Friday on this side of the world...starting with a cab ride a few hours to Hong Kong at 4:30 AM (yikes!!!) before our flying starts...and then one more Friday on your side of the world.! I am soooooo ready for my own kind of cookin! There are no whole grains offered here hardly anywhere except Subway where the subs are a little strangely sweet. I'll never forget the look I got when we first got to China and I asked for brown rice - ha! no! So, that is ok, I'm thinking I'll just fill up on meat and veggies...but the meat is SO very fatty. I've literally had salads for breakfast at the hotel since I know that is one good chance to get in something good for me! I thought maybe a grilled chk sandwich from McDs would be leaner - a breast of chk maybe? But last night by the time we got it back to the room, the bread and the wrapper was soaked through with grease! Honestly, I took a bite and couldn't do it...settled for a bowl of oatmeal on the couch...found a So You Think You Can Dance rerun in our room and that plus oatmeal felt as close to home as I am going to get. Tonight's dinner was way better. We went to a place called "Latin Brazil Grill" and there was a huge buffet with veggies galore and guys in sombrero-cowboy hats(?) coming to each table with meat from the grill to slice off a huge skewer with a huge knife at our table. Bonus: there was ZUMBA music in the background...Elita was lovin it! Then live Latin music...I was a happy girl! This city is amazing - every bit as nice and as pricey as New York City, except people are really nice and no one is offended when people get in their way, cut them off on the road, or hock and spit right on the sidewalk as they walk by (they do this everywhere and it's no thing to them - the men do it especially in the mens' room on the floor Tom says). Today we went to a beauitful botanical garden - it was gorgeous, as is the garden behind our hotel where there are huge fish in the fancy pond with huge mouths! Elita is cutting her 3rd tooth so she was a bit fussy some of the day and didn't want to eat much tonight. We walked to the nearest drugstore earlier and they had a baby aisle with all sorts of things but no baby formula...really? no formula? Then we finally found some at a supermarket, but couldn't read the Chinese that apparently said "sweet vanilla flavor" which she won't touch...back to the store again to spend another fortune on formula. Thankfully she'll be moving on from it once this canister is empty!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

PRECIOUS!!! Love reading all of your daily adventures! Can't wait to see you here in Augusta!!!!

Katie and Allan said...

Traveled everywhere in the World as you know and would have to say also that eating was our biggest challange wherever we went-folks are shocked to hear we check before we go for italian restaurants to fall into!:)With a Mom who is a Dietician and being under 5 (before patterns get set youve said)Elita will be in good shape once youre home:)Still,sounds like youve had an incredible trip overall and left everyone wishng they were there:)(except maybe in a taxi for hours to Hong Kong airport!)Wish we could have been back from our travels to see you arrive HOME!Interesting that you will have to do 2 Fridays!
Hope there will be time for you to send one more letter before you start back:)

Nicole said...

She is such a cutie! Can't wait to meet her in person. I'm deeply truly happy for your whole family. Love love love reading each post and seeing the bond grow stronger thru pictures!

Michelle said...

Thomas and I went to the store today and I asked him what he was looking forward to most with you guys coming home in only 3 more nights sleep and in the end he decided just having you all home...so precious that big boy of yours. Loving the new photos of Elita and daddy and wondering if there is something extra special you would like me to put in your fridge for Friday night/Saturday morning?!? Praying for your travels to go smoothly and without disruption. Love Love Love You Three! Mxxx

Katie and Allan said...

First read we were on the run and werent able to fully savor all the details and observations of your day--and those gorgeous pictures of Elita! Now at leisure late we can happily do that:)
Wanted to mention that we are also enjoying reading all the comments friends are posting:)
P.S.-did you Zumba a little for Elita to the music at the "Latin Brazil Grill"?:)

Kim said...

She is SO beautiful!! I've loved keeping track with your posts and have been praying for you! I hope you have a safe trip home and a WONDERFUL reunion...I know the boys won't let go for a while!