Amelie decided just about the time we were settled in at the Yinchuan airport waiting to leave that she was comfortable enough with me to show us another side of her personality. TEMPER TANTRUMS. Complete with throwing her water cup and food at me and flailing around like crazy. The flight to Chongqing was chaotic because of this. She did sleep for half an hour, but her behavior was amazing. By the end of the first flight we were positive that she was placated at the orphanage. This made her description in her paperwork make sense and the behavior of all the nannies on Gotcha Day. “Give her what she wants and she will stop that piercing screaming.” They made us get off the plane in Chongqing for about 15 minutes while they cleaned the plane and Amelie took this time to wig out on both Mike and I. It felt like everyone in the airport was staring at us and she was throwing things and screaming. We got on the plane for the next flight to Guangzhou and more screaming and screaming. I am sure that her ears where bothering her when we ascended and descended. Poor Nadia had the hardest time dealing with the screaming and burst into tears herself at one point and I didn’t blame her.
Amelie’s behavior was so much like the most spoiled toddler you have ever seen in your life. I won’t go into any more details, but it was safe to say that our day of travel was HARD, HARD, HARD.
Once we arrived in Guangzhou we put Amelie in the stroller and the airport seemed to distract her. Our guide Grace was waiting for us outside of security and when she said, “Hello, I am Grace with Bay Area Adoption” I wanted to give her a hug just for saying something familiar. As we rode through Guangzhou to our hotel my spirits began to lift because the city looked so cosmopolitan. When we got to the Holiday Inn Shifu and the guy in the check in booth spoke to me in English I wanted to sing the Hallelujah chorus. Then we opened the door to our room and I said, “Praise Jesus!” Smoke free, big and a clean carpet. Here is my reaction after walking through the suite.
We are on the executive level and it includes internet, breakfast and access to the club level where you can get snacks and drinks all day for free. They have a happy hour with food like the Novotel in the evening. Our room even has a tiny kitchen, but the refrigerator doesn’t work. I am just thrilled that the girls have a place with room to roam around and we don’t have to worry about the filth of the floor.
View from our room.
