Day 10 - Let's go shopping
Today was the group trip to the Free Market. The Free Market is a very large building with about 6 floors. Each floor has about a million little shops selling clothes and little trinkets. We went to the baby floor and looked around. I thought I'd pick up a few cute outfits for Ivie. There is no heat in China in the winter in a lot of buildings so they bundle up. Our guide Evelyn says she will wear three layers in winter because she does not like the cold. I have seen pictures of babies wearing multiple outfits who cannot bend their arms and legs. So since we are approaching winter - all the baby outfits were quilted and padded. They'd be fine for outside but there is no way she could wear them inside back home - she'd be roasting in the heat.
So I managed to find three really cute pairs of shoes for 100 Yuan or about $13. I was trying to find squeaky shoes - which are hard soled shoes with the little squeakers that they put in toys so they squeak when the babies walk. Apparently the babies all love them and it helps them learn to walk - so we will try to find a bunch when we are in Guangzhou. I also bought two little barrettes for Ivie's mohawk. The one seemed to stay in pretty well but when I went to readjust it the felt part fell off of the metal part (but you get what you pay for 5 Yuan for 2 or $.30 a piece).
As we made our way down the floors towards the ground level I started getting a bit claustrophobic so we decided to go outside and wait for the rest of our group. We found a few others waiting near a luggage kiosk (they bought a suitcase for all the extra stuff we are buying). As usual a few people gathered around the babies. Scott had Ivie since I had to be free to shop and spend spend spend. Evelyn said she heard a few women commenting on Scott carrying the baby and said I must be a very strong / powerful woman (even they could tell who wears the pants in the family). Anyway Scott showed our card to the few people who approached and before long there were about 50 people around us - mostly teenage girls and boys. A few of them spoke English so Scott was talking to them and asking as many questions as they asked him. But after a while it got a bit crazy - they just kept coming and coming. A lot of them took pictures of us with their camera phones - they liked my blond hair.
One of the babies had to be changed so they decided to put the changing pad on one of the suitcases. When her mom took her pants off one of the ladies - yelled at her because the baby would be cold. The changing of the baby drew another large crowd because most Chinese babies wear split pants and will just crouch down and go when the have to go - so people aren't used to seeing diapers.
All of the insanity went on for about a 1/2 hour before the bus showed up and we were wisked off to the safety of a group lunch. Again there was plenty of food (although I did not think it was as good as the last few places we went). Although this was a bit more expensive 40 Yuan per person or about $5.50.
The boys took the babies back to the hotel and the girls went to a store where they will get the original finding ad for you baby out of the newspaper. When a baby is going to be placed for adoption, the government runs a finding ad in the local newspaper to make sure that no one will claim them and they are truly orphans. All of the babies from our orphanage in our group were in the same paper. At the store they also had traditional outfits that you could have made in the fabric of your choice. We did not think we could do it because we are leaving on Monday but they told us the clothes would be ready by tommorow. So of course I had no choice but to order a little dress with matching shoes and hat - I decided to go with white so she can wear it for her baptism too. They also had silk wall hangings that they would embroider with the baby's English name, date of birth, province and Chinese name - in characters. I also go her a chop (which is a stone pillar with the baby's zodiac animal on top and a stamp with her Chinese and English names in Chinese characters). All of this will be delivered to our hotel room tommorow (for 550 Yuan or $70.50)
We are trying to buy Ivie lots of little gifts which we will give her on her birthday every year until she turns 18 - so there will be more shoping in Guangzhou (I'll try to spare you all of the details but China is a bargain hunters dream).
We are just going to hang out in the room for the rest of the afternoon and have dinner in the Chinese restaraunt downstairs.
Thank you all again for following our adventure in China. It means so much to both of us and I know that Ivie will appreciate how many people loved her and prayed for her before she was even home.
Renee
Today was the group trip to the Free Market. The Free Market is a very large building with about 6 floors. Each floor has about a million little shops selling clothes and little trinkets. We went to the baby floor and looked around. I thought I'd pick up a few cute outfits for Ivie. There is no heat in China in the winter in a lot of buildings so they bundle up. Our guide Evelyn says she will wear three layers in winter because she does not like the cold. I have seen pictures of babies wearing multiple outfits who cannot bend their arms and legs. So since we are approaching winter - all the baby outfits were quilted and padded. They'd be fine for outside but there is no way she could wear them inside back home - she'd be roasting in the heat.
So I managed to find three really cute pairs of shoes for 100 Yuan or about $13. I was trying to find squeaky shoes - which are hard soled shoes with the little squeakers that they put in toys so they squeak when the babies walk. Apparently the babies all love them and it helps them learn to walk - so we will try to find a bunch when we are in Guangzhou. I also bought two little barrettes for Ivie's mohawk. The one seemed to stay in pretty well but when I went to readjust it the felt part fell off of the metal part (but you get what you pay for 5 Yuan for 2 or $.30 a piece).
As we made our way down the floors towards the ground level I started getting a bit claustrophobic so we decided to go outside and wait for the rest of our group. We found a few others waiting near a luggage kiosk (they bought a suitcase for all the extra stuff we are buying). As usual a few people gathered around the babies. Scott had Ivie since I had to be free to shop and spend spend spend. Evelyn said she heard a few women commenting on Scott carrying the baby and said I must be a very strong / powerful woman (even they could tell who wears the pants in the family). Anyway Scott showed our card to the few people who approached and before long there were about 50 people around us - mostly teenage girls and boys. A few of them spoke English so Scott was talking to them and asking as many questions as they asked him. But after a while it got a bit crazy - they just kept coming and coming. A lot of them took pictures of us with their camera phones - they liked my blond hair.
One of the babies had to be changed so they decided to put the changing pad on one of the suitcases. When her mom took her pants off one of the ladies - yelled at her because the baby would be cold. The changing of the baby drew another large crowd because most Chinese babies wear split pants and will just crouch down and go when the have to go - so people aren't used to seeing diapers.
All of the insanity went on for about a 1/2 hour before the bus showed up and we were wisked off to the safety of a group lunch. Again there was plenty of food (although I did not think it was as good as the last few places we went). Although this was a bit more expensive 40 Yuan per person or about $5.50.
The boys took the babies back to the hotel and the girls went to a store where they will get the original finding ad for you baby out of the newspaper. When a baby is going to be placed for adoption, the government runs a finding ad in the local newspaper to make sure that no one will claim them and they are truly orphans. All of the babies from our orphanage in our group were in the same paper. At the store they also had traditional outfits that you could have made in the fabric of your choice. We did not think we could do it because we are leaving on Monday but they told us the clothes would be ready by tommorow. So of course I had no choice but to order a little dress with matching shoes and hat - I decided to go with white so she can wear it for her baptism too. They also had silk wall hangings that they would embroider with the baby's English name, date of birth, province and Chinese name - in characters. I also go her a chop (which is a stone pillar with the baby's zodiac animal on top and a stamp with her Chinese and English names in Chinese characters). All of this will be delivered to our hotel room tommorow (for 550 Yuan or $70.50)
We are trying to buy Ivie lots of little gifts which we will give her on her birthday every year until she turns 18 - so there will be more shoping in Guangzhou (I'll try to spare you all of the details but China is a bargain hunters dream).
We are just going to hang out in the room for the rest of the afternoon and have dinner in the Chinese restaraunt downstairs.
Thank you all again for following our adventure in China. It means so much to both of us and I know that Ivie will appreciate how many people loved her and prayed for her before she was even home.
Renee
posted by Renee @ 12:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home