My Little Starfishes: Excerpts From My China Journal

We need to get home. We are bored out of our minds and Ynag doesn't want to touch any of the toys or coloring books in her backpack. She only wants to eat and help herself to whatever Mei and I are into, whether it's food, the remote, the puzzle, or whatever. 6 1/2 more days...!!!

This is what I survived on for about 10 days and what the girls enjoyed with other things they picked out from the grocery store, but this was the main thing. :o\

Every 2 days or so, we'd have to stock up again on dehydrated ramen noodle bowls.

Yesterday we went to the Guangzhou Zoo. While a few of the exhibits were fair, far too many broke my heart!! Lions, living alone on concrete behind rusty bars. No toys or stimulation of any kind. Same with the bears, tigers, etc. it broke my heart. :o( The only positive was the amusement park there. The girls got their first(?) rides on little kiddie rides and they had a blast. I think Mei might have already ridden rides, cause she seemed like she knew what she was doing. More crazy taxi rides home, Amazing Race-style. :o(

I could hardly stand to look at the cruel enclosures these animals had to live in.

Lions and bears were kept in these horrible cages. I wanted to cry.

The only decent thing about this zoo was the amusement park area. For $1-2, the girls could ride these rides. They were the ONLY kids there!! We had the run of the entire place.

Getting Yang on this ride was HARD, but she eventually went on it an had a great time! Thank goodness she had her big sister with her to protect her. ;o)

Getting braver!

Practicing for the DisneyWorld monorail.

More attempts to find affordable, casual clothing, without success. :o( Ended up eating at KFC, with good prices, but tiny portions. The girls eat SO SLOWLY, though, that you'd think they had a lot of food! It takes Mei several minutes to eat a chicken wing! You'd think orphanage living would have taught them to eat quickly, but I guess not!

FINALLY found underwear for Mei -- at the grocery store where we buy our food! Ack!! Why didn't I think of it before??

Not sure if we're doing anything today. It's always a risk trying to get a taxi ride back here. ;o(

Nov. 15, afternoon

Well, despite being bored out of our skulls, today was okay. We went for a little walk and I stopped by a tiny tea shop and bought some lavender for Mom. We also stopped at the same hair cuttery where we unsuccessfully tried to get Yang's hair cut last week, but since then she had a talk with Helen, the guide, and she very happily and willingly got her hair cut and washed! What a difference!! it is VERY short, but there was no other way. It was such a sorrowful mess we pretty much had to start from scratch. :o( Oh, well. Mei shows no interest in her hair and won't allow me to braid it, or touch it in anyway. :o(