Tuesday in Hohhot (part 1)

Today was a gut-wrencher in so many ways. For the first couple of hours, Jai wanted nothing to do with me (mommy). Daddy got her up, changed her, and dressed her, and she wouldn't even let me touch her til we got down to the restaurant. Then she was all smiles and loving while I fed her. Crazy girl.

Then George called, frantic, saying we had to hurry and meet him, we were late. I would think he would know by now you don't do anything in a hurry with a baby, especially when you only became parents a day and half ago!

George came upstairs to rush us. He said, bring all important papers! So, Layne strapped Jai in the carrier and I grabbed the plastic sleeves and diaper bag and we ran.

Halfway to the notary, Layne asked if I had the folder from yesterday. I asked, was it in the plastic sleeve? I'm sure you can guess the answer. Daddy had placed it in the room safe for extra protection.

Traffic in China is unlike anything I've ever experienced. Brazil? Piece of cake. Puerto Rico? Child's play. New York City? A day in the park. China? Holy crap.

George turned an interesting shade of milky-white when Layne said we didn't have the paper. The Paper. The thing that gets Jai's passport and says we are her mommy & daddy and has an official photo to prove it.

So the taxi driver had to go back. It took us 15 minutes to go less than one block. It was 945 and in typical China fashion the appointment time went from 1030 to 10 and we could not be late. The Chinese people are so odd about time and our paperwork warned us of this. They could say "meet at 9, people, be ready early and I'll see you at 830, my friends, byebye til 815." And we are all looking at each other like, ok, so... when?? So far we have tried to be ready 45 minutes early because we have no idea what to expect!

But not this morning.

So the taxi driver very nearly kills several pedestrians on the way - I kid you not - but he gets near the hotel and Layne jumps out and runs. George wasn't expecting this! He jumps out, too and takes off after Layne, leaving Jai and I in the taxi. The driver is calm as can be...he gets us to the hotel a few minutes later and drives right up to the door. I am rocking, trying not to vomit (from car sickness and stress), Jai is sucking on her finger and looking around like she doesn't know whether to cry or laugh at the crazy grown-ups.

Finally, they come out. Not only did we leave the special document we received yesterday but also my passport. I nearly puked out the window at that point.

I don't even want to talk about the drive to the notary. How we didn't kill people I don't know. Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles - they're all over the place. There are no traffic rules. I don't even know why lines are painted on the road - they don't use them! Maybe they are there so drivers know how to center their cars on them. It's total insanity. And lots of stops and starts. Those of you that know me well can guess how I was doing in the back seat. I wondered if I would have to pay double if I yacked down the back of the driver's neck.

We got to the notary and the orphanage director was there furiously waving us in. George literally threw money at the driver and dragged us out of the taxi. We got inside and the same women from yesterday were there. They flew through all the paperwork and the orphanage director personally drove us to the passport office.

We got there with minutes to spare. Minutes! Seconds, maybe, because the orphanage director was obviously trying to work magic with the workers there. I don't know what she did, but she rushed us to a little room where they took Jai's photo right away and we watched the guy clip her photo -- in photoshop, can you believe it?

She shuffled us out to sit down and wait. Poor George, he was trying to comfort me, patting me on the shoulder and saying in his funny English "please, Nikki, don't a-throw up! Don't a-throw up!"

So, the officials call us up and took another photo of Jai, and we were done with our part. Done! We had a receipt for the order of Jai's passport. George was like a happy papa, grinning ear to ear. I didn't think about it until later this evening, but I wonder if he wouldve gotten in some hot water with the agency if he hadn't gotten this done? He was literally hitting himself in the forehead on the frantic turn-around trip to the hotel, sweating and yelling to the driver to hurry. Poor guy. I bet he gets his next family to the passport office an hour early.

Part two tomorrow. Time for little bug to hit the sack!

Nikki