FINDING OUR WAY BACK TO AMERICA

As told by Jiu Jiu Bobby:
Our China trip is winding down. It is Tuesday evening, Jan 13. Tomorrow we have a final meeting and an oath taking meeting for Dee and Tony. We will all hop on the 8:15 pm train to Hong Kong for a two hour journey, after which I will part ways with Dee, Tony and Halainah since we are staying at seperate hotels. Dee and Tony will hop a plane back to the states at 11:30 on Thursday. My journey will last a little longer. My flight is at 7 pm on Thursday, so I will have the day to check out the sights of Hong Kong. Then, I fly to Taipei, San Francisco and finally back to Denver. I am not sure if Dee and Tony will be able to update the blog tomorrow evening in Hong Kong, so please send out positive thoughts to the universe for our long journey back home.
We have done lots of wandering in the last few days and have seen everything for sale on the streets from clothing to herbs, Jade to tiger paws, monkey skeletons to snake penis wine and everything in between, pretty incredible. China has been a fascinating and enchanting place, and its spirit is forever etched in our hearts. She is a land of contrasts, steeped in tradition, yet full of modern day fervor. We have enjoyed amazing food, warm and curious people, incredible architecture, and tradition abound. I would certainly recomend a trip to China, it is a place every person should visit at least once in their life. I will definitely return.
Halainah responds to her Chinese name Qinyang, yet we have been calling her Lainey Bug, Snowball, Noodle Girl, Chubsy Ubsy, Spicy Girl and Congee Girl. There are even more, as most of you know we are a bit wacky! Halainah has been a joy to be around, and it makes me sad to think that we will part ways tomorrow. I have enjoyed her spirit, and feel forever bonded with her. I will even miss her restlessness, which you will understand completely after you meet her. Halainah is a special little girl, and her uncle is proud to have shared her birth country with her through this miraculous journey. It has truly been a pleasure, and this little girl has melted my heart- can you tell? So, as her blessed parents prepare to bring her half way around the world to meet all of her new family and friends, I will leave you with some things we will and will not miss about China:
We will Miss:

• Spicy Jiangxi cuisine
• Sissy- Our treasured Nanchang guide and friend
• Our new friends Susan, Rob and Lily (The Last Emperor)
• 1 hour massages for $10 (just me)
• Kids in 5 layers that look like the Michelin Man
• Chinglish
• China!!!!

We will not miss:

• Pollution
• The Clothing Police
• Diaper blowouts in a small hotel room =-o
• Coffee, Chocolate & ice cream- some of my favorite things that just don't translate in China
• Snot rockets
• Neutron conversion
• The fear of being run over by a car- they just don't stop

I will never complain about being amongst too many people ever again, on any given day wherever in China you may be, there are more people than you can imagine. You have to love a country where you can visit a Buddhist temple, shop among a sea of people for anything under the sun, and eat spicy grilled octopus on a stick all in the same day- priceless!

Zai Jian everyone, we will see you all stateside.

Jiu Jiu