Tuesday morning we got up and had breakfast. Then we met the Hameloth Family in the lobby to connect with Ann who was going to be our shopping guide. I let her take a look at my list and she got us 2 cabs and she was off like a bullet. At some point she told us that we walked too slow which cracked us all up because we thought she was crazy fast.
The first stop was the wholesale market for hair clippies and pony’s. Mike believes that I purchased enough for everyone I know. HA HA! But the prices are irresistible and some are definitely gifts. Then we went up a couple flights to a shop with silk outfits. We ended up getting some beautiful outfits for the girls for now and some in bigger sizes for the next 2 years. This time we only got ones that were pants and tops, no dresses since Nadia doesn’t like those much and they look way cute in the pant sets.
The Hameloth’s found these cute little practice chopsticks so we grabbed some for Nadia and she really got a kick out of that. They also scored on a backpack and wallet. Then we hopped on the subway to head over to the shoe market. As you know I loved how many awesome pairs of shoes we got for Nadia at such good prices on our last 2 trips. We went to 2 different places and found some great shoes. Nadia is currently the most excited about her light up “How to Train Your Dragon” shoes that have the dragon named Toothless on them. Or as she likes to call him – Herbert. Just like last time I got several sizes up for both girls. 11 pairs total for $50 and most are leather. I got Nadia these totally adorable black boots with wild sequins on them since she loves her boots. Those who know me well know that I love the thrill of the hunt for a good bargain and I love to shop in China.
11 silk outfits for the girls, 1 silk shirt for me, 6 sets of practice chopsticks, 11 pairs of shoes for the girls and boatloads of hair stuff. Total spent? $141 plus Ann’s fee and transportation.
After that Amelie was just about to hit meltdown mode so Ann put us back in a cab to the hotel. And she accidentally told both cab drivers to take us to the White Swan, but we were staying at the holiday inn. By the time we realized our cab fare had doubled and the drivers were totally frustrated. We headed over to the island to grab our clean laundry and then just stopped and ate sandwiches at Subway. It was the easiest thing to do, no translation necessary. We got Amelie down for a nap and she had a major fit about going to sleep that would have worn me out, but Mike took care of everything. Once she woke up it was just playtime and laughing and seeing her relax a little more. We headed out for a late dinner at Pizza Hut. Now I know what you might be thinking, Pizza Hut? In China Pizza Hut is a nice restaurant. This one had a huge menu with everything from calamari to fancy deserts. We got a pizza for us to split, mashed potatoes and a chicken spaghetti dish for the girls. It was all great and we were once again amazed by the amount of food that Amelie can eat. And she totally flips out if you cut her off or if the food is all gone. She just eats and eats and eats. Many meals on this trip I think that she has eaten more than me and she just screams if you don’t keep shoveling it in. We grabbed some ice cream on the way back to the room and got the girls back to the room for bed.
While we were out Mike took a lot of street shots of the pedestrian shopping area that is so fun and lively near the hotel. This really was a whole lot more our style than being on the island. I know that adoptive parents like to stay over there and it certainly can make you feel safer, but I like being in the mix of the people, not just the sanitized portions. Every time we have been out on that street though Mike has caused a crazy sensation with Nadia on his shoulders. People stop, gawk, point, stare, say things in Chinese and tons of people just give us a BIG smile or thumbs up. There are quite a few people who look totally confused and one woman said, “Chinese children?” like she couldn’t process what the deal was with us.
2 photos for Jen.
Amelie continued to show us her sweet personality and we can see a playful side of her now that we had not seen before. She babbles a lot more now and when Nadia starts singing she will sing too which is really cute. She is trying to imitate the things that Nadia does and likes to run around the hotel room yelling “JIE JIE!!” at the top of her lungs.