Out with the old and in with the new

Before coming to China, I have been sporting around a Lance Armstrong look alike bracelet for adoption for three years. It was white and purple with adoption=love on it. And before I came to China, my friend Tara gave me a bracelet for my Blessingway that had different colored beads on it (I will wear that one from time to time). Each color bead meant something. I have it at home in my jewelry box. Sorry I don't have a photographic memory to tell you what they all mean.

In China couples do not wear wedding rings, but the female wears a jade bracelet. She will get this bracelet from her mother the day she gets married. And this bracelet is passed down from generation to generation. My tour guide/interpreter carries hers with her wherever she goes. It was passed down from her grandmother to her mother to her. So today I was able to pick out my jade bracelet to someday give to Alexandra on her wedding day. I was so happy to be able to do this, and be able to carry on another tradition from her culture. And my husband was so very gracious to allow be to buy one that was closer to the upper end of the scale. I'm sure the jade is like the diamonds you can buy different qualities.

Alexandra also got her physical done today and her picture taken today for her Visa. Her physical was very interesting. She along with all of the other 10 babies in our group had to have a physical. There were three stations we had to go to. One station was the ENT - he basically looked in her throat (Adam and I both had to hold down this 15 lb baby for the doctor to do it), he squeezed a squeaky toy out of her view to see if she would look and then hit a few notes on an electronic keyboard and she looked at it. The next station was for them to take her temperature, weight, and height, and then the next station was for the doctor to just look at her physically (make sure she was alive) and measure her head. And then we were done. I think the whole process took all of fifteen minutes. Unfortunately for Alexandra she's going to have a rude awakening when we come to the states because I know that her first physical will take quiet some time. Our pediatrician is very thorough and loves to explain everything that he is doing and what his observations are.

If it were not for rainy weather every day and me missing my boys, we would be having a great time. And yes, I got to go again today for another $8 massage. Except this time, the doctor worked only on my sore/bad side of my neck. I loved it. The only thing was is that he used some type of lotion on me that wasn't the best fragrance or smell I'm used to. I didn't want to wash it off because apparently there was a reason for him putting it on me.

Well I guess I can talk a little about the Chinese culture from my observations. There is no such thing as personal space. When arriving in Beijing a man literally jumped in front of me to get somewhere. If he would have touched me, I'm sure he would have knocked me down. It's nothing for someone to bump into you or walk right behind you. Oh and the traffic. Everyone honks their horn. It's just to let you know that they are coming or to get out of the way. No offense is to be taken from this. Everyone who drives honks their horn. And the traffic space is just like your personal space. Just jump on in, cut someone off or jump in front of them with a honk. I could literally stick my hand out of a window and touch a car or vehicle next to me. I think the normal space that we use for two lanes of traffic here in China four cars would use this space. It's crazy. There are no seatbelts on the buses or taxi's and carseats for babies are not used. We were hoping to be able to buy a car seat before our flight back to the U.S. for Alexandra since we bought her a ticket. That way she could stay in her carrier and sleep and no one would have to hold her. But I think a car seat here would be like a foreign object. It's hard to believe that it will be three weeks since I've driven a vehicle.