5 more sleeps
We are on the countdown to get home! Junie needs to meet her daddy and sisters for real, instead of all this Skyping! Tomorrow we'll be headed to the zoo (there's a panda there) and we are planning to try swimming again tomorrow. Last night we had dinner at a Malaysian restaurant - food was really good, lots of veggies and noodles. We chatted with another adoptive family and their new daughter and enjoyed a relatively cool walk back to the hotel. Miss Ying was feeling much better by the time we got home - I convinced her to drink some Motrin; she perked up and played for a while and then we all settled in for a good night of sleep.
Today was all about shopping : ) After a quick check to confirm that Junie is, indeed, turberculosis free, we headed over to the jade market...don't worry too much Tom Lyons, I think I only spent the grocery budget for the next few months. Kidding! It was a nice morning checking out some different pieces of jade, and then back to Shamian island for more browsing around and lunch at Lucy's. While enjoying a hamburger and onion rings (good and good) we were able to observe one of the many fashion photo shoots around the island. Oddly enough, this seems to be very common. Today, in addition to the usual wedding photo shoots (I swear every single bride has been stunning, and every groom is wearing an off white tux, often with tails), there was a model (American, European?) who looked about 15 in probably a dozen different set ups around the island. The architecture of the island is gorgeous - old European with tropical plants and flowers all around. Often, we also see amateur photo shoots - women posing in very chic outfits, not always weather appropriate...I mean, who wears knee-high leather boots and tweed jackets when it is 100 degrees with 110% humidity??? Then another friend or boyfriend is taking dozens of photos...what are people doing with all of these photos?
Other fashion observations: People here wear all kinds of different things - from sequined dresses at 9:30 am to dresses that really appear to be nightgowns. Lots of mismatched prints, and oddly, tights. I mean, it is just too hot for that nonsense. Lots of fancy....men think nothing of wandering about shirtless, or with their shirts hiked up into their armpits. I believe I have already mentioned little boys sans pants. Don't see that so much right here, though. Question: Where are all the fat people? Answer: They only appear in the form of American tourists. I am pretty sure that I haven't seen woman here who weighs in at over 110....lots smaller, and I swear I have seen like 2 people of an "average" American weight. Crazy. Meanwhile, I am sure I have managed to gain weight while here, due to my eating when not hungry, snacking, etc.
Well, we know you are really reading to hear about Junie - she continues to be awesome, other than her refusal to brush her teeth. I had to wrap her in a towel after her bath and tickle her until I could get the toothbrush into her mouth...She is repeating more English words, and seems to understand lots of what I say - if I say "find your shoes", she does. If I ask if she wants to take a bath, she answers me and goes to the tub. She is really smart! She was a champion shopper today and fell asleep in the taxi on the way back to the hotel. She scammed me into buying her a yellow umbrella today and she looks awfully cute carrying it around.
A note on the weather: It is still super hot, and still humid. Being too cheap to send our laundry out, we washed it in the room. 3 days later it is still wet. Even things in our suitcases feel damp due to the humidity. And, yes, we are in a well air-conditioned room!!!