ni hAO? from Beijing

Well, we made it! Our guide and translator, Sabrina Zhou, met us after we got through customs. For all who have been following our blog, Mark's nightmare did not come true; there was only one Starbucks and only one KFC (though it sells something called Nine Lives juice; as cat lovers we definitely do NOT want more details on that one) and sure enough, Sabrina was waiting there with her sign. She spotted our buttons and identified us at once. We waited as one more family came through to join us.

Gene and Lisa are from Nashville, so I get to speak East Tennessee-ese with them. They've been through this before and have returned with their daughter Madison, who was born in Nanjing, to meet and bring home their new daughter, who is seven months old (also in Nanjing). Sabrina got us all into a van cab (like an Israeli sherut). So here we all are at the SAS Radisson.

Tomorrow morning we will meet Sabrina in the lobby at 8:30am and go directly to meet our daughter! Sabrina saw Xiao-Ling this week and reports that our daughter is thrilled with our pictures and cannot wait to meet us! Our little girl showed Sabrina the photo album we sent her and said, "This is my mommy and daddy!"

Well, we were just about to die right then and there. We didn't things could possibly get any more exciting until tomorrow, when Sabrina handed us the following written description of our little girl. Brace yourself:

About Long Xiao-Ling

Xiao-Ling is very smart and cute. She loves to tidy things up and is very careful about self sanitation. She loves music, watching TV, drawing pictures and playing toys by herself. When she is in [a] good mood, she is willing to perform singing songs for others.

She can count from 1 to 20 and she wants to do whatever is beyond her ability;p for example, dressing herself (doesn't know how to button), making bed, washing faces, brushing teeth. She is always ready to help younger ones.d

She understands things so well. We explained to her that for her own benefit, she needs to do exercises with her left limbs. She will use right hand to open left hand to practice.

She is easy-going too. She is open to volunteers and gets everyone's attention and love. We all love her very much. She needs physical therapy and practice for her left limbs.

At that point we were ready to defy gravity. Gene and Lisa understood. Lisa said, "Tomorrow you're gonna be tore up from the floor up!"

We already are.