Giving and Receiving Ceremony and Travel to Hanoi

On Monday morning, January 8 (which would have been Sunday evening at home) Hoa from Holt picked us up from our hotel and took us to the bank to change some travelers checks.  That took about 1/2 an hour, and I was shocked at how insane the bank was.  I think I was expecting something like the banks in Japan, where maintaining one's proper place in line is practically a religious edict.  Instead it seemed to be a free for all.  People were shoving papers at the teller who was trying to help Dave and with the traveler's checks.  It was overwhelming with people talking and getting in everyone's way.  Finally, after filling out two forms and taking photocopies of our passports, they gave us the Vietnamese money and we left for the orphanage.  One of the other couples adopting through Holt was sharing a cab with us.

 

We arrived at the orphanage, and the orphanage director spoke to us and the other two Holt families for a few minutes.  (I should point out that it is very unusual for three Holt families to be adopting at the same time.  But, it is NICE.  It is really nice to have other people who know exactly what you are going through!  Also, one of the families, the father is a Vietnamese American, and although he is extremely modest in insisting that he doesn't speak Vietnamese very well, he has been a real HERO to us.  For example, on Sunday night, we were allowed to visit at the orphanage until 5:30 and then we were supposed to have the orphanage staff call a taxi to take us all back to the hotel. But, it was raining so hard, when the orphanage staff called the taxi company, they said they couldn't come because they were too busy with so many people needing taxis in the rain.  All this info was relayed to Thai (the Vietnamese American father).  We were allowed to stay at the orphanage an extra hour until the cab could come, but, we would have no idea what the orphanage staff was trying to tell us if he hadn't been with us!)

 

Anyway, back to the going away party on Monday morning- after the orphanage director spoke to us, we went into another room and had a going away party for the three children who were being adopted that day - Lana, Danny and Son (who is keeping his Vietnamese name.  There were candies and cake and a white steamed bun called Bao ("Pow") that had pork and eggs inside.

 

Lana had really warmed up to us the night before, but, the morning of the party she cried, and she cried on the way to the hotel. 

 

On Monday afternoon, we had the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, in which we promised to love Lan and raise her to be a good citizen, and said how much we appreciated how much she had been loved and cared for by the orphanage staff and her foster mom. 

 

After the ceremony we returned to the hotel.  Lan kept putting her shoes on, so, we decided to go out - we took a cab to the Supermarket - I cannot remember its name, but, it reminded us of a Japanese department store, with four levels of different departments from clothes to groceries to toys to furniture.  We bought her two shirts and two pairs of pants (grand total of $10 for everything) and then two coloring books, some colored pencils and a fish shaped pencil sharpner ($1.80).  Then we went to the grocery - she showed us the kinds of boxed milk she likes, and she was happy to get a bag of shrimp flavored chips.  Yes.  Shrimp flavor.  Yum.  NOT! 

 

From the Supermarket, we went to Bread of Life in DaNang.  I am going to post about this more - all adopting families going to DaNang need to know about Bread of Life - they have Ham and Cheese sandwiches and BAGELS!!  It's also a charitiable organization, so, I will post about this later.

 

Lan fell asleep watching Strawberry Shortcake in English.  I woke her up at 11:00 to go to the bathroom (as her foster mom had told me to do), and we had to wake her at 6:15 to leave.  She refused food, but, did drink some orange juice.  That was a mistake...

 

She threw up in the cab on the way to the DaNang Airport.  THEN, when we finally got on the flight to Hanoi, she began to sob inconsolably, crying for her foster mother.  THEN she started throwing up.  And she threw up again and again.  She went through three of her own outfits, and one outfit belonging to Max, the five year old son of one of one of the families traveling with us.  (And I felt awful about that, because Max's mom had only her carry on luggage because China Air lost all their luggage - so, she had Max, her new son Daniel, and herself, all with only 2 pieces of carry on luggage!)

 

She threw up the last time as we landed, and I couldn't imagine where it all came from, since she had only had orange juice for breakfast and had already vomited several times.  It was awful.  She was screaming for her foster mom.  The Vietnamese people on the plane looked at us like we were monsters.  The European people on the plane looked at us like we were lunatics.  It was wretched. 

 

We finally got our luggage at baggage claim in Hanoi, and she and I changed our clothes and we shared a cab with one of the other families (it was Max's family - David has been happy to have Max around, as Max, age 5, think David is the best thing since sliced bread.  Max reminds David of Gabe, so, all is well.)

 

Things went better after we arrived at our hotel.  We are staying at the Somerset Westlake, we are serviced executive apartments.  We have two bedrooms, two baths, and kitchen and eating and living area.  It's very nice.  We could finally unpack and Lan seemed much more comfortable.  She is a little shadow to me and will not be in a room without me.  (She sat outside the bathroom door while I took a shower.)

 

I have to stop typing as we have our first appointment at the embassy.  More later,

 

Gretchen