A Not So Very Good Start to a Long Day that Got Better.

Follow that?

Today started in a very not so good way.  I woke up feeling very homesick for my two girls.  And just a wee bit overwhelemed by everything.  It compounded & I might have (just saying) spent breakfast in tears.   It was just how I was feelin'. 

As guilty as I feel for saying this- I'm just not liking Beijing.  And like I said- I feel guilty- because all I feel, my poor girl is feeling it 100 times more- I'm sure.  If I'm this overwhelmed- I can only stare at her in wonder on how she even smiles...because she's got to be so much more than I am.

(I promised I'd be honest with this blog when I started it)

I cried when skyping with Sarah.  I cried after we hung up.  I cried while I ate breakfast.  Yup- looney morning for me.

But the day was planned (and with dread in my heart..as it was Forbidden City day- on a Sunday- with a girl who will only be carried- and it was about 100 degrees today).    Perhaps that was the reason for my tears.

Our - oh- so - not - apt - adoption - guide arrived in our lobby at 9 to take us on the Subway to Tian'mian Square (again- even though we already told him we went).   (P.S- he IS good as a travel guide- just NOT as a guide who needs to help meet the needs of a family who's adopting)

We brought our new stroller in hopes we could convince her it was fun (I pushed a doll around in it earlier saying 'yhea').  Please wait and see how that plays out.....

And so... the Beijing subway system.  Our means of transportation this AM.

It looked, acted & was as clean as the one in Chicago.  And much cheaper (2 Yuan a ticket.. which is about 20 cents).

This is something Chi-town should adopt.  It's advertising on the outside of the walls of the underground..as you speed buy the advertisment shows.  Hard to describe, but it was pretty cool to see.....

We arrived Tian'mian square.  Right around 9:30am.  On a Sunday.  Holy Hell Batman.  Remember how I said it was crowded at 8am on a Thursday.  Well..um.. yhea... Our entire day outside was like visiting Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld on Christmas Break with the August heat & humidity.  I felt like cattle in a cattle drive. 

Did I mention we tried the stroller here.  Yhea.  Cue massive hysteria.  Massive crowds.  And LOTS and LOTS of scornful looks from the people that we were being prodded along with.   Our guide so nicely informed us "We Chinese, we believe in spoiling our children because we only get one...we are not like Westerners who make their children independant".  Ok.  Hint taken all of entire Chinese population.  We were just trying it ok- because it was 100 degrees and she's heavy when touring miles and miles of historical sights! :)

That, my friends, is the end of our little Chinese stroller that we made that special trip to Walmart for.   Also, please, when I return home- check out how incredibly ripped my arms will be.  Built in personal trainer- right here!!!

So William the guide tried to tell us get in the 2 hour line for Chairman Mao dead body (no bag, no camera, no slippers!!!).   He would hold the bags.  He also said "Long line, 2 seconds walk by".

Um, you know what...no.  We'll pass on the dead man.  Thanks.

We did get good history on the square though.   And he took a nice picture of us.  With the dead guy's portrait. 

In all seriousness, we do understand that there is still a lot of respect for Mao especially with the older generation who come here almost as a pilgramage.  

In the blaring sun we made our way to the Forbidden City (the enterance is actually the building behind us above with Mao's picture).

We made our way with approximetely one hundred million other people.

Now this place, had I not been touting a child that now felt like a dead body, in a sea of people- would have been a place I could have spent eight hours in.  The place, the history, the stories are amazing.  We saw a teeny, tiny sliver of what I'm sure is an amazing treasure!  When I bring Charlotte back here someday- we will explore it the way it should be.  And not on a Sunday in August.

This was the royal residence of the Emperor's for hundreds and hundreds of years.  It is the 'city of gold' for only royalty was allowed to use the color gold (and red- which symbolizes good luck).  

This is the gate into the Forbidden City- The center tunnel was reserved ONLY for the Emperor- no one else could pass through it.  Except the Emperess, once, on her wedding day.   To the left was where the family passed through... to the right- important government officials..and then servents entered/exited in tunnels way off to the side..(not in picture)

Yes- that IS one cool rainbow umbrella hat.  More popular than you would think....

Charlie is less than thrilled with the city.  Still pissed about her experience in the stroller AND the fact that in mommy's crying fit this morning- she forgot to put sunscreen on her!

The Lion is often found guarding important buildings.  This was considered a mythical creature who warded off evil spirits & bad luck.

Seriously mom, I'm really hot & not happy right now!

But, family picture anyways.  Into the glaring sun. 

So this is pretty cool.  On all the buildings are more 'protectors'.  Again, put on the building to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.  The more important the building, the more that line the end.  This building is considered the most important building of the Forbidden City (where the Emporer was crowned and where all important business was conducted)...and so it had the most.  11.

Notice the gold roofs- the color of the Emperor...

This was the stone of purity placed in the courtyard of the Emperor's, Emperess's & Concubine's bedchambers.  It purpose was to remind all the women in the Emperor's life to 'remain pure' for him.  Oh, how the feminist in me wanted to stick my tounge out at that! :)

And I apologize for the picture quality of Kurt's FOOT in the picture.  What can I say? I was holding a kid! And he's not a photographer!

Man, have I mentioned it was hot.  Oh no. It was HOT.

We had enough.  We passed through the Emperor's garden....

Which might have been prettier if I wasn't about to pass out.....

We exited the back end.  And seriously folks, waited AN HOUR for a taxi.  Our guide finally got some unliscensed dude for 3 times the price to take us back.  We seriously didn't care at this point if it was 900 dollars.  We would pay it.

Back to the hotel.  Where we spent the afternoon.... watching Meifang come out of her shell a whole lot. 

She finally felt comfortable enough to get off the bed and expore the room, her toys & herself...

The mirror is a favorite.  She loves to see herself & her toys.  She runs things over to the mirror to show it.....

We discovered stickers.

We danced.  And we ran....

She put on her socks herself, btw.

She got comfortable enough to explore everything & initiate taking toys out (a first).

We did still see her wanting to do this.......

Plus she lined up all our shoes, set the table with a table clothes (towel), picked up all the little pieces of cardboard she found and put in the garbage can & folded all my maps.

We had McDonald's again for dinner (even that was hard- she saw other people's orders come up and started freaking out about her food).

Back to the room- where we had another bath.  She's very OVERTIRED as we skipped nap.  Which is making her a little fiesty. :) She currently is playing with the bitty twin I bought for her- she really likes it- she is showing it how to walk, putting socks on it, taking it to the mirror, sharing her toys with it. 

Lots of giggles today.  And a bit of a whole new girl- one who's not quite as scared as she was and is feeling brave to start exploring the world around her (even if we work on it one hotel room at a time!) :)

Over and out - from another day on the other side of the world!