Sunday in Guangzhou

Here is mom's version.

> Today is a "free" day, with no appointments. Yesterday, Thomas had a health check at a clinic specifically set up for children being adopted from here. It was a pretty basic exam--height, weight, temperature, eyes, ears. He was given a TB test and we take him back tomorrow to have it read. The 20th we will be taken for another half day of sight seeing. Because Mom is with us, our guide is choosing locations where we can go inside out of the sun, or locations with air conditioning. Having a guide, and a driver for the van to pick us up from the hotel, take us where we need to go, and return us is simply vital. She has arranged for someone to come pick up our laundry from the hotel, for a cheaper price than the hotel charges. Mom brought a container of laundry soap, so I've washed out some things in the room. It is so humid, that things take forever to dry.
> We have discovered that McDonald's spicy, crispy chicken sandwich is better than anything McDonald's has to offer in the US. The chicken is part dark meat, and the tomato is sweet and fresh. We've been gorging on the local fresh fruit at the all-you-can-eat breakfast provided by the hotel. They offer everything you can imagine, including steamed buns and tasty flaky little pastries. Thomas has a big appetite. He will keep eating until he begins to spit out what he can't swallow any more. That's the signal that he's finished eating.
> We ventured out into the surrounding area around the hotel Friday night, and decided to eat at a Chinese restaurant that didn't have an English sign outside, and no English on the menu. We ordered from the pictures, but without really knowing for sure what the ingredients were. We were the first customers of the evening. As we started up the steps to the entrance, a restaurant worker ran up the stairs ahead of us to turn on the lights. No one seemed to speak English, until they brought a woman to the table who asked us if we could speak Chinese. We said, "No", and the person who went to find her said, "I told you!" We were the only non-Chinese in the restaurant. John ordered eel. Like Thomas, he is an adventurous eater. Amber ordered shrimp, and I ordered eggplant. We had a choice of rice or fried noodles. We chose the noodles. We shared everything and we ate it all. The shrimp were served on top of some delicate boc choy, or some type of Chinese cabbage. The eel was served in an oyster sauce with tender celery, and what we think were fresh water chestnuts. It was really good. The eggplant exceeded my expectations. John liked it, and he doesn't like eggplant. It was sweet, and creamy and tender. It was seasoned with garlic and onions, and garnished with bits of ground pork.
> Thomas started to have a tantrum until the food arrived. As soon as the waiter set the platters on the table, he stopped fussing. Amber has learned to feed him a snack of cereal or milk before leaving the hotel to get some food. Last night he ate chicken nuggets and french fries at McDonalds. There is a Starbucks across the street, a pizza hut down the street, and 7-11's on just about every other block. We went to a local fruit market the other day where John bought a giant pommelo and Mom bought a red dragon fruit.
> The 21st is another "free" day. The 22nd is a Visa appointment a swearing in ceremony at the American Consulate. The 23rd,Thomas gets his Visa. We leave Guangzhou for Hong Kong at 12:30 am on 9/25. Then we fly to San Francisco and arrive on the 24th, "losing" the day we "gained" on the flight over.
> I exchanged some more US dollars for Chinese Yuan today, and the exchange rate has dropped. The US dollar has lost more value here. It was 100-623 on Monday. It was 100-609 today. Mom exchanged money earlier in the day and got a better exchange than I did a couple hours later.
> We discovered some "shortcuts" for getting off the hotel "island" while avoiding the busiest intersections and the stairs to the pedestrian bridges. Amber and I found an underpass and she and John found a pedestrian crossing on the side of the hotel. We also found an intersection with traffic lights. Not that the local citizenry pays any attention to the lights.
> Thomas is still asleep on the floor. Mom is watching Chef Ramsey on Hells Kitchen, with Chinese subtitles. I'm almost finished reading the novel, Cutting for Stone which has been very engrossing and has helped me pass the hours of hanging out in the hotel room. Mom's kept herself entertained with her ipad. She has stayed back at the hotel instead of going with us on every appointment outside the hotel. Sounds like Amber and John are back. They spotted a Malaysian restaurant with English on the menu at a reasonable price, so that's where we will venture for dinner tonight.
> Have you ever used one of those toilets that are level with the floor? Good for leg strengthening.
> Love,
> Sunny