Jonathan Wolff

Recap

2007-10-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

So after finally settling in I put the camera down and made my way back to Vermont. After three days, I was finally able to get over the jet lag...I hope...anyway, after a whirlwind three weeks we finally made it back to the US and introduce my niece to Seattle. I would like to welcome Anna Mei to the family with much love. It was an amazing trip that started with a flight to Beijing with Suzanne and ended with a long flight home with a new family member. There are many stories to tell, too many for this post, so I'll leave this post to say that I will be forever grateful to Jen and Dano for allowing me to take part in this trip and be part of this special moment. I got to spend close to three weeks with my sister and brother in law, as well as spend time with someone I now consider a friend (suzanne) as well as spend time with my niece Lian who is just an amazing girl who is growing up right before our eyes and of course meeting and spending invaluable time with Anna, the newest member to the family.

Over the course of the next few weeks I'll try and take more time to try and capture the moments in words and try and describe in retrospect the moments with more clarity. I've been asked more than once since returning...how was the trip, what did you think?...well, trying to surmise that in a five minute conversation doesn't do justice, so over the next few weeks I'll try and recap as best I could the different moments and special moments that occurred as I best recall. This trip started with a tour of beijing which included the great wall, forbidden city, summer palace, a tough negotiation for jade, and the tianennman square that was amazing, and proceeded to traveling all of china from north all the way to the southern city of guangzhou. In between we ended up visiting Lian's birthplace and orphanage, made friends from Nanjing who graciously drove us to and from Gaoyou; quickly stopped in Shanghia and spent a week in Nanchang and met old friend's of Jen and Dano the Carlsons who were there for the swearing in... and finally having the opportunity take part in a special moment when we met and adopted Anna into the family. Truly a special moment that I probably won't be able to explain in words.

Hopefully, the pictures helped capture the moments, all of them. Thanks for joining in the moment and coming along. I hope you'll stop in and check the blog over the next month as I try and recap the various moments in more detail. Till then, thanks and I hope you enjoyed the trip....And Jen stop crying...

Home Sweet Home

2007-10-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

Settling back in, with gifts to boot...

Home Sweet Home

2007-10-03T21:42:00.000-04:00

Anna Mei welcome to your home. I would like to personally thank all of Jen and Dano's friends for the welcoming party, it was amazing.

and finally....HOME Sweet HOME!!

2007-10-03T21:40:00.000-04:00

Finally, after two plus days of travel (I don't know how to count the international date line thing...) we finally made it back to the homestead.

Seattle Arrival

2007-10-03T21:39:00.000-04:00

Seattle Arrival

2007-10-03T21:38:00.000-04:00

And the welcoming party was amazing, friends and family were everwhere with signs and hugs...

San Fran to Seattle

2007-10-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

Only one more stop for the Jukanovich family...all smiles as we boarded the flight to Seattle...and again as we landed in Seattle...one tired family...no one slept a wink...that I could tell at least...

San Francisco

2007-10-03T21:35:00.000-04:00

So I lost track of days at this point, it was either eighteen or nineteen by the time we arrived, sleep deprived but happy...we were officially in San Francisco and in the U.S. quite happy. Not only were we back in America but we were able to grab a cup of Pete's coffee...quite delicious...then again, anything was delicious at that point.

Day Seventeen - Trip from Guangzhou to Beijing

2007-10-03T21:23:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I have no photos from Guangzhou to Beijing. But I try and describe the setting. After spending a wonderful moment at the swearing in process we boarded the bus for the airport for a 8pm flight to Beijing before flying to San Francisco the following morning. Needless to say, not the best in trip management as our flight was delayed one hour to 9pm. I think only Lian slept on the flight which got us into Beijing around midnight. After getting off the plane, Dano and I carried Anna and Lian off the plane (my sister wasn't kidding when she said Lian sleeps through anything and is dead weight and a squirmer)...only to get to the baggage claim and find out that Jen left the diaper bag on the plane (with passport and money in it...yikes!#*(&^)...Ithink I was the only one to say that under my breath...lol...anyway, after much running around, they were able to find the bag and get it to jen solving a major crisis...our first of the trip, which is quite amazing to think about it. Anyway, Jen stayed at the airport to wait for them to deliver it while the rest of us accompanied the group to the hotel where we checked in at 2:30am. Our guide insisted that we leave at 8am sharp to get to the airport. Her concern was that we wouldn't get seats together. Anwyay, after getting roughly 3.5 hours of sleep we were up and running to the airport. We didn't get six seats together, but we did get two and four seats together for the flight out and then the same for the flight to Seattle from San Fran. In any event, the flight lasted about ten hours till we arrived in san fran. The only downside to the flight, besides lack of sleep, was that ocean's 13 was supposed to be playing but for some reason, it started in the middle and then they tried to fix it but put on another movie.

Day Sixteen - Travel to the airport

2007-10-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

ah yes, the agony of a wet diaper on a bus...

Day Sixteen - Leaving the Consulate

2007-10-03T21:06:00.000-04:00

And then we boarded the bus...to the airport...for our long journey home...and when I say long...well, I'll get into that in a bit.

Day Sixteen - Consulate

2007-10-03T21:05:00.000-04:00

More happy smiles as we walked out.

Day Sixteen - Consulate

2007-10-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

Of all the special moments, none could've been better than being met at the consulate by our dear friends the Carlsons who proceeded to swear in Anna in a special moment. Unfortunately, I was unable to capture the moment by camera as no cameras were allowed inside. But I was able to capture the smiles as we walked out...

Day Sixteen - the consulate

2007-10-03T21:02:00.000-04:00

Our next stop was the consulate for the swearing in process...along the way, I did my part in making Lian Mei a cubs fan...

Day Sixteen - More Uncle Jon

2007-10-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

Of course we couldn't leave without saying goodbye to the fish. Actually, I was more concerned with Lian falling in than I was in posing, but the photos came out great in any event.

Day Sixteen - Checkout

2007-10-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

And of course, more of Lian with Auntie Suzy and Uncle Jon...

Day Sixteen - Checkout

2007-10-03T20:57:00.000-04:00

While proceeding to check out auntie suzy and lian enjoyed a moment by the pirate ship...

Day Sixteen - Group Shot

2007-10-03T20:55:00.000-04:00

And of course, wrapping up any great trip is a group photo at the White Swan.

Day Sixteen - Red Couch plus

2007-10-03T20:54:00.000-04:00

and of course, the family...and sisters in matching new dresses.

Day Sixteen - Red Couch

2007-10-03T20:53:00.000-04:00

More big sister moments...

Day Sixteen - Red Couch

2007-10-03T20:52:00.001-04:00

Of course, the red couch wouldn't be the same without including the big sisters...

Day Sixteen - Red Couch

2007-10-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

Once everyone was settled (so to speak...lots of crying...) we were able to capture the moment. Anna is second in from the left.

Day Sixteen - last day in guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:50:00.000-04:00

so, tradition has it that the last day entails a picture of the girls on the red couch...of course, organizing a photo of six one-year olds can be quite the scene...of course, had to get one photo or two or Lian with the girls...

Day Fifteen - the pool

2007-10-03T20:48:00.000-04:00

quite a view of the pool...I intentionally did not include any photos of suzanne and jen at their request...and thankfully, no one got a hold of my camera so sorry to say for all the ladies out there, no photos of me...

Day Fifteen - At the pool

2007-10-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

again, more of dad with his two girls...

Day Fifteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:45:00.000-04:00

Hanging out at the pool. Dad with his girls...needless to say, no photos of me!!! But our day consisted of basically reading a book by the pool..it was absolutely relaxing.

Day Fourteen - Dinner

2007-10-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

Again, can't say enough about our gracious hosts, tremendous individuals. Anyway, we had a great dinner and then sat down again to try our hand (once again) at a game of solitaire...we didn't win...

Day Fourteen - Dinner

2007-10-03T20:41:00.000-04:00

So, after a brief respite in the hotel room, we ventured to a friend of the Jukanovich family the Carlson's for dinner....

Day Fourteen - Lunch with Lian

2007-10-03T20:39:00.000-04:00

So, after the examination, Lian and I decided to do lunch. Of course, a short stop by the fish pool inside the hotel provided the perfect opportunity for Lian to sport that precious smile...

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:38:00.000-04:00

View from the hotel room...

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:36:00.000-04:00

More from the exam...and one healthy child...

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

and more from the exam...yes, there is no privacy in any of this with uncle jon and his camera, however, I was also on video duty, so not many more pictures after this...sorry.

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:34:00.000-04:00

And we finally were able to weigh Ms. Anna Mei...

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:32:00.000-04:00

and we waited....

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:30:00.000-04:00

First the photo op, next the examination...and like most hospitals in the US...we waited in the waiting room...

Day Fourteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:28:00.000-04:00

After breakfast we ventured out of the hotel, past the warriors protecting us and onto the street and headed for Anna Mei's health examination and photo op.

Day Thirteen - Finally over...

2007-10-03T20:27:00.000-04:00

but not before we found a Papa John's spotting...

Day Thirteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:26:00.000-04:00

More from our walk around the hotel...and yes, that is the moon...

Day Thirteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

So we finally settled down in guangzhou and suzanne and I took a walk around the area. We stayed at the White Swan Hotel which was a five star hotel compared to the Nanchang hotel...quite a different atmosphere. Anyway, we found the secret passage to the hidden pool and took in some photos...

Day Thirteen - Guangzhou

2007-10-03T20:23:00.000-04:00

Mom and girls dancing up a storm...

Day Thirteen - Gaungzhou

2007-10-03T20:21:00.000-04:00

Our first american style meal in decades...yes, I ordered a burger and fries....with a beer...but no not a budweiser, I stayed with the chinese beer...

Day Thirteen - Airplane

2007-10-03T20:18:00.000-04:00

Our airplane ride was from Nanchang to Guangzhou, where Anna Mei took her first airplane ride with mom and dad.

Day Thirteen - Airport

2007-10-03T20:17:00.000-04:00

More from the airport and eventually made our way onto the airplane where fruit snacks were enjoyed by Lian.

Day Thirteen - Nanchang leaving

2007-10-03T20:16:00.000-04:00

Finally leaving the hotel, the cat is at the entrance to the August 1st bridge...and the airport...

Day Thirteen - Nanchang

2007-10-03T20:15:00.000-04:00

Lian sporting her new dress with Uncle Jon and commenting on the photos...

Day Thirteen - Nanchang

2007-10-03T20:14:00.000-04:00

Finally our last day in Nanchang...Lian and Auntie Suzy scrolling through photos...

Day Twelve - Last one

2007-10-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

Forgot one more from mom and the girls....what a smile from Mom and Anna and funny face by Lian Mei

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:11:00.000-04:00

And Mom with her girls...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:10:00.001-04:00

and Mom and Lian enjoying the moment...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:10:00.000-04:00

Lian enjoying the cake...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:09:00.000-04:00

and we huffed and we puffed and finally all the candles were blown out...pardon me for not actually capturing the actual moment as I was videotaping at the same time...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:07:00.000-04:00

and the candles were lit and we all sang happy birthday...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:06:00.000-04:00

More from the birthday party. And the last photo is our you spell Anna's name in Chinese...okay, it isn't actually Anna I believe that is spelled but her name that was given to her initially...but I am going with Anna b/c I can't quite remember her full chinese name that was given to her...i know bad uncle...but ask my sister she'll know.

Day Twelve - Nanchang Birthday Party

2007-10-03T20:04:00.000-04:00

After shopping for porcelain, I got myself a little tea set (which will most likely sit on my shelf as a display piece) we had a birthday party for all the newly adopted at our favorite restaurant.

Day Twelve - Nanchang Lake

2007-10-03T20:02:00.000-04:00

Last of the pictures from the lake, suzanne at the top of the steps beside the drum that I played a quiet tune...okay, I just hit the drum a couple of times no big tune... and then we ventured back to the hotel, where Jen, Suzanne and I went to the porcelian shop...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Lake

2007-10-03T19:59:00.000-04:00

Yes, quite the scene inside the temple...and a huge drum...which yes, I banged on it a few times, much to the dismay of our guide...

Day Twelve - Nanchang Lake

The gardens below in the pavilion were quite amazing, and the fish well there were plenty of fish in the small ponds.

Day Ten - Nanchang

2007-09-23T11:22:00.000-04:00

Nothing quite says Nanchang like a hazy sunny day. But the smiles from Lian, Jen and Suzanne brighten the moment.

Day Ten - Nanchang

2007-09-23T11:21:00.000-04:00

Of course the view from the top of the pavilion was amazing. Suzanne agreed to pose but then flipped the switch and somehow got a hold of the camera...Of course, Dano and Anna found there way into the photo.

Day Ten - Nanchang

2007-09-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

After taking the elevator to the top floor of the pavilion we were able to be witness to an amazing show. Below are three photos and a clip from the show.