Day Seven - Orphanage

Day Seven – Visiting the Orphanage

Today Selah got up early with me so me so we went downstairs and walked around the hotel. It was very beautiful with a pond full of fish and walkways over the water and the entire first floor was lined with shops like a mall.

She has loosened up so much I don’t want today’s trip to ruin our progress. As we walked along, she was saying so many Chinese words to me and looking at me intently expecting me to get it. She must really think I’m dumb. She keeps pointing very specifically at all men, either those walking by or those on the TV, and saying “da”. Not sure what that means, but she’s very emphatic about it. Bing says she can’t help because the girls’ dialect is so different, she doesn’t have any idea what they are saying.

Then we went to a local shopping mall to buy toys and candy for the kids in the orphanage. We intended to go to Wal-Mart but it was not open yet. While we were in the store Selah fell in love with one of balls we bought. Tony thought he’d try throwing it to her and see what happened…..SHE SMILED!! The entire store was starring at us – that’s not rude here – because it was such a remote area and they never see westerners. Also, the were all commenting that our baby was so happy! Everyone in the store – at it was a large store with lots of shelves – it was definitely Wal-Mart size – at they all crowed around to watch them play ball. She doesn’t really get the idea of catching, but since she was in the cart, the handle kind of caught the ball for her.

Then it was off to the orphanage. I was really dreading this part. I wonder how upset she’ll be?

Well, our driver got lost. He was asking many local people for directions, but the locals had a different dialect of Cantonese and therefore could not understand him. So, he switched to Mandarine – no luck there either. Then he got on the phone – I realize now he must have been calling the orphanage, because a few minutes later “gee gee” jumped in the van and started directing him.

OH My – Selah catapulted herself out of my arms and clung to Gee Gee for dear life.
Then we were arrived both her friends were there to great her with candy in there hands. Apparently, they know her well!


For the next hour and a half, woman after woman came and picked her up or took her right out of the arms of the person holding her. They talked and talked and Selah cried again for every person who touched her. There were probably 20 women she cried and reached out for. The only way you can truly experience the magnitude of this event is to watch the video. But here are some photos.



We were shown her room, the play room and the court yard where everyone plays.


Then she played on the slide,

ate congee in her room, and shared some.


Do you remember the picture from yesterday of her standing in the 11th floor hotel room window looking down? I now know why she likes that. They would always hold her leaning over the wall to call down to the court yard below. That was one of her favorite things to do. I think Tony almost threw up when they did it.



And now I know why she’s so desperate for me to understand her – holy cow does she talk! She talks and talks, and directs the nannies and the babies and calls down to people below and appears to tell whole stories to each new person who holds her. She appeared to be bossing everyone around. She even got them to feed her a bowl of congee while she was there. I was happy for this because I learned that she is very capable of feeding herself and prefers it. (Since then I’ve let her feed herself each meal and she’s much happier)

Then it was time to go. I was prepared for the worst. She was obviously much loved here, very spoiled and, apparently, the “mother” of the other kids in her room. I’m sure she’s not only sad that she’s leaving the caretakers, but I bet she’s worried about the children she’s use to caring for. So, there was screaming and kicking again as we all expected. But what we didn’t expect was that twisted around to let me hold her against my chest and she hugged me and laid her head on my shoulder. No one thought she would accept any type of comfort at this point and especially not from the people who “stole” her. Then she cried herself to sleep in about 20 minutes – the most sorrowful, mournful and heartbreaking cry you will ever experience – and then she was done. That was amazing. That was a God-thing. That says volumes about how she’s going to adjust and attach to us. That is a blessing that is immeasurable.


Quick funny story -- when we stopped for lunch, a bunch of ladies kept talking excitedly to Bill and pointing at us. We’ve become really good at knowing when people are talking about us even when we can’t understand them. He said they were asking how Tony and I could be married and have a Chinese baby come out. How do you put two westerners together and get Chinese? Very funny.

Then we were off to Yangjiang, the town where Emily’s orphanage is. It’s right on the South China Sea and our hotel is 100 meters from the water. Conversion anyone? I don’t know the exact conversion – but it’s close….

Since its winter here, it’s the off-season. There is literally no one here. When we went walking after Sundown and looked back at the hotel, there were 3 room lights on and the entire rest of the hotel was vacant. Tony said it seemed like the beginning of a horror movie. “You can check in – but you’ll never check out!” They also turned off the A/C system to save money, so we only have the fan running. WE ARE SWEATING! It’s only about 65 at night, but with no windows that open and no A/C, it’s very stuffy.

After visiting Emily’s orphanage tomorrow, hopefully, we’ll walk on the beach and get some pictures of the sea for you!