Ne Hoa Ma

Ne Hoa Ma 

A most formal greeting from Shanghai and Guangzhou. We ate our first Chinese breakfast centered on steamed buns, Chinese greens and surprisingly good coffee. We took a plane flight on our own this morning on a domestic flight. No English speakers and an airport to navigate on our own without a translator!  We wondered today (as we got a lot of help) what it must be like in our country to travel alone with such a language barrier. We got through okay and had another late flight in to a neighboring city so that we could make our provincial government appointment. We de-planed to palm trees and balmy temperatures in Southern China… the haze brought on by a fair amount pollution. You get off your plane directly on to the tarmac. For some reason, I always find this exciting!

Grace (our translator) met us at the baggage claim. Our first experience with the Chinese Squatty Potty and rushed us off to Guangzhou. We zipped in and out of traffic through high rises with balconies ripe with plants and clotheslines drying clothes. They fit 16 million people in a really small space. A lot more cars than eleven years ago… fewer bikes and a lot more public transportation. Think New York City as they lay on the horns and dart in and out between cars, busses and motorized bikes, quite breathtaking from the front seat!

We went to the provincial government building and had them meet us to open up Coco’s file. We sat in a large library only able to take notes of the verbally translated material. There were a few little nuggets of information to be shared. The archive director took one look at Coco and called her a “local girl” which our translator says he can see in the shape of her face and nose. A woman named Zhang Er Jie found her at 7:00 a.m. on September 3^rd in 2004 at the bridge at the Beishan park entry on her way to exercise. She called police officer number 201131 who took her to the Yangjiang SWI that day. She was named Yang Mei Ya because she was a gentle, cute baby. We saw the color photo of her finding ad. A picture of her at three months which is the only baby picture we have ever seen. Even at that age she looks content and clever! Her nick name in the orphanage was Xiao Ya because she was so little! Early to sprout teeth and crawl and a perfectly red little set of footprints marked the signature page.

We ate noodles, dumplings, a complete chicken with head attached, shopped the eyeglass district and walked the main drag in Guangzhou. Back to the White Swan where we stayed for eight days when first meeting our beloved Colette Mei Ya Klun! A beautiful hotel well deserving of its five stars located on Shaimen Island. 

Tomorrow we are off to the orphanage to tour, meet Coco’s caregivers and to shop for clothing to donate to the ninety plus children that still reside in her SWI. What is sure to be another big emotional day.

On a side note. Coco was a trooper today. Working through her jet lag and sleep deprivation in a strange land. This had to be overwhelming at times but she sure hung in there!