Nine Travel Tips and Other Miscellany

The last post before leaving China, I mentioned that I would provide at least one posting for the travel benefit of those who are making this journey in the near future. Please feel free to ask questions of anything you want to know that I haven’t covered, and I will tell you what I can.

First observation: Things Sleepy. Jet lag is a drag. It is now 12:30 AM on what is now our official 2^nd day back, and I am wide awake after waffling all day between random bouts of narcolepsy and periodic spasms of insomnia. Make the most of the time you are actually coherent, as in the few days your body adjusts coherency will be a valued commodity.

Second observation: Things Poopy. While Caleb is our third child, I had forgotten the inherently mysterious and powerful qualities of baby poop. If there is a leak, baby poop will find it. If you are in your last pair of clean clothes and running late for an anything important, baby poop knows and will somehow spring forth to remind you of its magical Houdini-like properties. We could trim millions from NASA’s budget by using baby poop instead of engineers and complicated equipment to find microscopic leaks on the Space Shuttle. This is powerful stuff. That said, when you receive you new child, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS bring a spare diaper, some wipes and a change of clothes for baby. If you are so much as going downstairs to get a diet coke from the 7-11 across the street from your hotel you will need money for the diet coke, and the required “equipment” for the baby. My general rule of thumb is this: if you are going further than you wish to carry a drippy, poopy baby, at arms length bring the “equipment.” Remember, the likelihood that baby poop will display is magical qualities is directly proportional to both the urgency of your appointment and your lack of proper “equipment.”

Third Observation: Things Musical. As much as I fully intended to absorb as much Chinese culture as I could, it was great to hear some familiar tunes at times. I brought a little cable that lets me play my iPod through my stereo or any other device that has “RCA” inputs (the little red, white, and yellow plugs you see on the front or back of your TV or sound system). No, I didn’t bring my stereo. I just plugged one end of the cable into my iPod, and the other into the front (or in one case, the back) of the room’s TV. Yes, I know it’s geeky, but I was a rockin’ geek. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, go to Circuit City, Radio Shack, etc., and tell them what you are trying to do. If you paid more than $10, you are paying way too much. If you have a 5th generation iPod or newer, get the three prong RCA cable and you can watch any movies or videos you have downloaded.

Fourth observation: Things Electrical. Don’t bring a “converter.” Instead, just by some “plug adapters” so that your American plug will fit into the Chinese wall socket. It’s like this. The bad news is that Chinese electricity is on different cycles and volts than US electricity. They run 220 volts, and we run 110. I have know idea what cycles are, but I someone told me they are different. What this basically means is that the electricity in China has to be “converted” so that it doesn’t blow your US stuff up when you plug it in. The good news is that most of the stuff you will want to plug in already comes with its own converter. Your laptop, iPod, kid’s DVD player, camera, etc., all have a little “box” that is either in the middle of your cord or at the end of your cord where it plugs into your wall. This is one instance where it pays to read the fine print. Look at the writing and read it. It will probably say something like this: “Input: 110 – 240V ~ 50/60Hz.” Now, I’m not an electrical engineer, nor do I play one on TV, but I understand this to mean that you can just plug these kind of items into a wall. Since I had the converter, I didn’t take my chances. But, I wish I had known this before I spent $40 on a Brookstone converter that blew out three days into the trip. I could have saved myself a bunch of trouble in trying to track down a converter in the hotel. Just be sure you have enough adapters to plug in whatever you want to plug in and be sure that your “box” will actually handle the Chinese volts. So, unless you are splitting atoms, you’ll be fine. Just read the fine print first.

But wait, there’s more!! For the gentlemen, each bathroom has a special plug that puts out the right volts for your electric razor. For the ladies (and I guess some gentleman) each bathroom is also equipped with its very own hairdryer. In terms of curling irons, you’re on your own.

Fifth Observation: Things to Wear and Wash. Plan ahead and pack light, light, light. There is no point in packing two or three week’s worth of clothes that you will have to carry around with you. Bring clothes you can wear several times before washing. Those who live and work around me, will be relieved to know that this is not a practice I regularly engage in.

Have your laundry done by a service outside of your hotel. The hotel is very proud of their laundry service, and you will pay accordingly. In Nanchang our guide directed us to a laundry service that picked up and delivered. We later discovered one right outside of the hotel (Tiffanies). In Guangzhou, there are enough laundry services to wash the clothes of everyone in China. In Beijing, you will need to ask your guide or adoption agency how you might find one.

For the new family addition, most of those who brought lots of clothes for baby were unable to use the majority of them. You really won’t know your new child’s size until you meet him/her. Your guide will take you to Wal-Mart (yes, there are lots of Wal-Mart’s in China), or some other big store where you can stock up on proper attire after you have your new bundle of joy.

Just remember, if you pack it you will have to carry it at one point or another.

Sixth observation: Things for the Kids. We traveled with a five and nine year old. Both of them greatly overestimate their ability and desire to carry their own stuff through an airport. When the chips are down, and everyone is tired, hungry and irritable, in the middle of an airport, this is one of those battles that you as a parent really can’t afford to loose. As much as you might be tempted to say, “Fine, we’ll leave it right here,” you cannot. As much as you might want to be the gracious parent and carry junior’s stuff for him or her, your hands will be full of all the important stuff you didn’t check, or you will be pushing an overflowing cart with the luggage you did check (because you will not follow the Fifth Observation). We got each of our kids a rolling backpack for their carry on. They were so excited you would have thought we just gave them all the tea in China. It is basically a backpack, but also has wheels and a pull-out handle like most rolling luggage. We got ours at the Bass Outlet. You can also get them at LL Bean. The advantage to this over the kid’s version of the suitcase looking carry on is that you have way more pockets for organizing and easy access. Plus, the bag also can double as a cushion/pillow in tiring times or for rides on the cart things.

Seventh Observation: Those Cart Things. In US Airports those cart things cost money. And it seems every time you go through a checkpoint you have to give up the one you have and then pay if you want another one. In China, the cart things are free and they are just about everywhere. Take advantage of it. Heck, get a cart for each piece of luggage and have a parade. Let each kid get a cart and have races in them. One of my fond memories of childhood trips to Germany is when my Uncle Wilhelm and I took turns pushing each other in one of those cart things at the train station. Let the kids have some fun. Besides, they will have been cooped up in a plane and will have some steam to let out. Trust me, if this activity were illegal or frowned upon in China we would have found out.

Eighth Observation: Things to Drink. Don’t drink the water from faucets in China. While you probably won’t end up with General Tsao’s Revenge if you do, note that none of the Chinese drink their own water. When in Rome, do as the Romans. When in China, do as the Chinese. Drink bottled water, tea, or beer. Like laundry, your hotel is also very proud of their bottled water. They might provide you with some complimentary bottles, but these won’t be enough. In Nanchang and Guangzhou, Holt (our adoption agency) provided us with bottles of water at a fraction of the price from the hotel. Beijing, though, is an entirely different story. Go to a corner market and you can get a case of water for your room, for less than half of what the hotel charges for one bottle. Just leave the extra water, unless you want to be strip searched at the airport for transporting suspicious liquids. Which leads to my last observation for tonight – or this morning.

Ninth Observation. Things Not to Bring on a Plane in China. We were told that in mid March someone was caught trying to sneak explosives onto a plane in Beijing. To say that airport security is a little high strung right now is an understatement. When they say “no liquids on the plane” they really mean “no liquids on the plane.” There is none of the US 3 oz. and under stuff. This applies to toothpaste, those little energy boost drinks, lotions, etc. It is by the grace of God that I was able to carry on some saline solution for my contacts, and some milk and baby food. You cannot even bring bottled water on the plane. However, they will give you more water on the plane. If you are afraid you will loose it, check it.

Hopefully, this will answer some of the questions for you future or vicarious travelers. If not, post a question, and I will tell you what I know.

We're Finally Home

After 34 hours we are safe and home. Not sure how much sleep we had, but I know mine was minimal. Somehow, the excitement of making it home carried us through. Also, I think jet lag has a bit to do with it - right now my body thinks it is 3:30 in the afternoon, not morning. It thinks I should be getting ready for dinner, not longing for bed. So, that's why we are ALL up right now. I have no idea what 3:30 this afternoon will bring.

This first pic us of us leaving on the tarmac at Guangzhou Airport. We look happy and well rested, don't we?















Three hours later we landed in Beijing, where we got to experience the infamous "Terminal 3." This is not a new video game. Rather it is just what its name indicates: the third terminal at the airport. I must say this is huge, though. From what I hear, it is the largest enclosed public gathering place in the world (or something like that). It is over a mile from end to end. Fortunately, we did not have to walk the entire mile. So, on this trip, in addition to growing our family, we also experienced the world's largest outdoor square (Tiananmen), the worlds largest ferris wheel (in Nanchang), and now the worlds largest enclosed public gathering place (Terminal 3 Beijing Airport). Not to shabby, eh?


After this photo op in Beijing, we stopped taking pictures because 13 hours of flying to Newark, and experiencing the oh so pleasant Newark/New York security and baggage handling do wonders to one's photogenic qualities - and desire to photograph or be photographed. However, as all adventures, we made it through and are home. The kids traveled extremely well. We avoided any major diaper blowouts - even though we were well prepared with two changes of clothes for Caleb, and one each for both Mer and me.

We are thrilled to be home, and have a lot of unpacking to do - both literally and metaphorically. Thankfully, we came home with mostly clean laundry!! I'm not sure if that can be extended into metaphor or not. Time will tell. This has been an incredible journey for our family. Most amazing was being so reliant upon and experiencing the they myriad of ways by which God grants his grace to us: not only in the big things like a new son, but also in daily ways in which we are sustained in body, mind, and spirit. There is much to be said for getting out of your familiar patterns and habits for for a spiritual "tune up" and to remind yourself of the things that are really of value in life. We remain thankful to for your continued prayers and words of encouragement and advice as we all transition from life on the road to life at home.

Over and out,

The Harris 5

We're Comming Home

What a great journey it has been. And just think, we have just started. Our bags are to be outside of our door in 45 minutes. Don’t know why, other than that the Chinese love to have a plan. It seems that 10:30 PM luggage pickup is part of the master plan. In the morning we will meet some of our tour group at 6:00 AM to get on the bus to go to the airport. Guangzhou to Beijing to Newark to Orlando. If I’ve done my math right that is about 30 hours of travel.

We spent our last day in Guangzhou doing a lot of kid stuff: both for fun and for official stuff. We went to the zoo which is way better than the Beijing zoo. It is a combination zoo/safari. The kids loved it. Right when you walk in you are met by four people in animal costumes, each holding a
different baby animal. So, in the span of 5 minutes we each got to pet a baby kangaroo, brown bear, tiger, and orangutan. The rest of it was pretty good, but that was the highlight for all of us.

You have got to love this very subtle reminder to keep out of the tiger area. Check out those bones!!! No signs or language translation needed here.

On the way back Collin finally lost his first tooth. What a stud!! He worked it for weeks. And today he just yanked it right out. He was quite proud of himself.

The afternoon consisted of our paperwork and oath taking at the US Consulate. We received Caleb’s visa to enter the country. Upon arrival he will be a US citizen. There are no pictures of this. They don’t allow any cameras inside the building, and with security being the way it is, I didn’t take my chances outside either. First, I wanted to actually be able to return home with my family. Second, I didn’t want to be that guy you hear about on the news who spent three weeks in a Mongolian jail cell for taking suspicious photos outside the US Consulate. If you want to see it that badly, you’ll have to come see it for yourself. However, there are far more impressive sights to see in China.

The wrapped up with a great dinner at the local Thai restraint with some good friends the Saubers. Walking home from dinner Caleb wanted to do some walking on his own, and was actually quite successful. You should have seen him squeal with delight and pride. He was quite the ham. We finished our celebration with some ice cream and a playtime at the local park… a fitting beginning to the next leg of our journey.

China Pics From Abbie

Abbie wanted me to be sure to post this one picture she took of her brother. This is tonight at dinner. He plays this little tongue game, and she caught it on film. In posting this, I found several others that shed some light on China from her perspective. It is neat to see what she found important, interesting, or just worth photographing.





This is Caleb shoe shopping with his mom. He came with one pair of shoes that were already too small. Abbie accompanied him on his first shopping trip with Mom for some new shoes.












This is some sort of fruit that she thought pretty cool. The fruit selection and variety in China is incredible, esp. in Guangzhou. The climate is similar to Florida. Why don't we grow this kind of stuff there?










Here is Collin and his friend Cormack at church on Sunday morning. I love having children in church, but now i know why we have children's sermons in which the kids are sent to children's church, and why we try to limit the service to an hour. The lady next to them was very patient. I have no idea how the people behind us were, as I was afraid to look back.






Here is a picture Abbie took of the church on Sunday, after service. Not bad for a 9 year old with a 5 mexapixel point and shoot.

Two Days and Counting

As we near the end of our time in Guangzhou – and China – we do so with mixed emotions. On the one hand, we are so ready to get home; we miss our friends and family. On the other hand, we love it here and will miss the friends and relationships we have made here. Our Holt guide, Kathryn, has been tremendous. You can tell that she loves what she does, and she is great at it. She and her son have been a Godsend for our family. Our entire family just love to be around them both.

Today we had a tour arranged of a local school. We spent about an hour sharing songs, teaching them tongue twisters, and getting a tour of the school by the children. We were assigned a group of six fourth graders who spoke near perfect English, and were so excited to show us their school. If I could speak half as much Chinese as they spoke English I would be thrilled. I can’t even manage the correct pronunciation for “thank you.” I’ve been told that if I miss pronounce it I am saying “toilet,” which is the last thing I want to do. Since I can’t remember what the correct way is, I say them both. No wonder people look at me a little oddly. Anyhow, I am digressing.

Abbie and Collin were enthralled with the school. I think the highlight for them was getting to the roof garden and combination aviary/monkey-house. I am now convinced
that every school needs a pet monkey. In the states we have school mascots. I even remember in 5^th grade when Brian M. managed to get the 5^th grade class to have a pet mouse. But a monkey!!! How cool is that. Grant, I think that PTF will be working on that for Masters. No, this picture is not of the monkey.

After the school tour, Joe (one of the adopting dads) and I went to the Qingping Market. Picture old China – alleys as narrow as a cart, winding as a snake, and smelly as you-know-what. This is a huge open air market that covers entire city blocks. It’s not that we wanted to buy anything; we just had to experience it. I’m glad we did.

BTW, if anyone knows how to rotate pics in blogger, I'd love to know. I can edit and save them in Picassa, but when it comes time to post, none of my edits (like rotating) actually show. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This final photo tries to convey just how big and populated China’s cities are. This has been the first clear and sunny day since our arrival in Beijing. Guangzhou has a population of fourteen million people. It is a medium sized city by China standards. Look at the size of the buildings that stretch from horizon to horizon. If you double click on the picture you should be able to enlarge the pic in a new window. The incredible thing is that they are building even more everywhere in China. When we were driving to the airport in Nanchang I looked out the window of our bus as was able to count 23 construction cranes at one time. To say that the crane is China’s national bird is not an overstatement.

Tomorrow is our consulate appointment, and we leave the next day. I’ll post before we leave Guangzhou and will then be offline for our travels. Upon our return I’ll keep you up to speed on Caleb’s development. In addition, I’ll spend some in review of travel lessons for those who will be taking this road (both literally and figuratively) in the future.

Peace. The Harris 5

Another Day in Paradise

It’s almost like we are getting into a routine with Caleb. We are getting to know his idiosyncrasies, his preferences, and his signals. He is also starting to learn ours. We are so glad that we have photos and this blog to remind us of what he was like just a week ago. His personality is blossoming right before our eyes. I now remember our Nanchang guide, Lisa, telling us that this would happen, and I had no idea how right she was. Simply put, Caleb just fits with us. It is amazing to see. Tonight when we were out strolling and walking, Caleb was out of his carrier and we were just letting him walk and play. A really nice Chinese lady came up to say hello. She tried to pick him up and he freaked out. While most parents would be encouraging their children to be more friendly, at this stage in Caleb’s transition into our family it is a good thing. It is indicative that he feels safe and secure around us, and currently has no interest in “mommy shopping.” He knows where his bread is buttered – and he knows where he is loved. This is a good thing. Whether or not this will change when we return home and he discovers that ice cream and Cheetos are not part of the Harris family daily diet remains to be seen.

Today wasn’t the most exciting day, which was kind of nice. Mer took Caleb for his medical exam, and another dad and I took our other kids swimming. Well... we watched them swim. I think that all children under the age of ten years old are part Polar Bear. Even though it is warm here, the pool water is not heated and it is still early spring. It was way to cold for us dads. The kids didn’t seem to mind. Caleb’s medical exam went smashingly well. He has grown four centimeters (about 1 ½ inches) since his last exam prior to adoption.

In addition, we participated in some sort of adoption tradition here at the White Swan Hotel. They have these red couches that they use for the Red Couch Photos. This is where all the adopted children are dressed in their traditional Chinese outfits and placed on the couch for a photo shoot. How anyone has ever managed to get this picture to work is beyond me. To call it organized chaos is a tremendously exaggerated compliment. We ended up with the Mom and Adopted Children Red Couch Photo. It is a cool idea that looks much better on paper than in practice.

The cool thing that came out of this experience, was that I discovered another Hollywood look. From this angle, doesn’t he look like the dude from Kung Fu with that long wispy hair on the back of his head? Who would have thought we could have such a multifaceted little personality.

Two more days in Guangzhou, and we will be flying home. Can’t wait to see our friends and family.

A Very Happy Boy

Our last leg of this journey has been a great way to wrap up our journey in China. Since I didn’t post yesterday, let me bring you up to speed a bit.

Our plane ride to Guangzhou was a breeze. Below you can see a pic of Caleb and Mer on his first ride in a plane. He is looking good and quite happy.

Overall, he is really doing well. When I last posted about him, I mentioned that he was playing on the bed and exploring the one room where we were staying. He is continuing to make what we both consider to be important developmental markers in his attachment to us. In our new place he continues to explore and play on his own. He will leave one room for another without crying, enjoys playing both by himself and with others, and is quite proud of himself when he finds something new. You have got to see that smile. Another really great thing that happened today was that while we were picking up a few warm weather clothes for him, something startled him. Rather than crying, he repositioned himself and clung to Mer. Do you remember how I was asking you to pray several days ago for Caleb’s attachment to Mer? All is going really well. Thank you.

We also see that Caleb might have a future as an Elvis impersonator. I’m trying to get him a silk and bedazzled Elvis outfit while we are here, but the folks here don’t seem to know what I’m talking about. Maybe back in Vero? You should see the boy dance. Well, it's not really a "dance." It's more like smiling really big and moving his body side to side - kind of like a middle aged hippie holding up a lighter and swaying back and forth during the long the version of "Hotel California" at an Eagle's reunion concert. I think the hippie is smiling for another reason. But, I'm starting to digress.

We also found a great little public park here in Guangzhou that is combination playground, exercise equipment, teenage hotspot, and senior center. To top it all off, it is right down the street from Starbucks. It’s quite a cool spot. The people here love to be outside and active. It is never empty, and never overcrowded. Everyone just gets along, smiles, laughs, and drinks their Starbucks coffee.

I'm not sure what the above pic is from, but everyone looked happy, so I thought it worth posting.

If you are getting ready to travel to Guangzhou, here are a couple of observations worth noting.

1) Bring bug spray. If you’re lightly sensitive you will need it now. In a couple of weeks I can imagine everyone needing it.

2) If you have the opportunity, go to the Shamian Christian Church. It is a three minute walk from the White Swan. They have an English/Chinese service at 11:00, and it was amazing to be in such a mixed worship. Even though separated by language, it is an incredible experience to see how much we have in common with Christians around the globe. They do a tremendous job of making you feel welcome.

3) When at the Thai restaurant and you see a large piece of what looks like a red bell pepper in your dish, know that it is probably not a bell pepper. Rather, it is a piece of the mother of all hot red peppers. If you like hot peppers it is phenomenal, if you expect bell pepper, be ready for a ride.

4) While Shamian Island is a beautiful place, there are basically four things to do here. First, you can go to your scheduled visa, medical and consulate appointments. I highly recommend you keep these. Second, you can shop. Third, you can eat. Fourth, you can enjoy the beauty of this place and spend time with your family. This is not a major tourist center with Great Walls, teracota soldiers, etc. It is a major government and trade center and operates that way. There are armed guards at many entrances and gates because there are many consulates here. On the plus side, it is also a very safe place.

5) In terms of shopping, take your time. You will have plenty of time to visit, and visit, and visit.

6) In terms of eating, I suggest eating ice cream at least twice a day – especially if you are with children. Even better, get the kids ice cream and yourself a frosty cold one. You can get both at the Deli Shop just outside of the hotel.

Though I've said it many times before, I want to thank you for your comments and emails. Being connected with family and friends as we begin this new family adventure has meant a great deal to us. Even though we are literally half a world away, your words have been timely and very helpful. Thank you. We look forward to seeing you soon.