Beijing Zoo

Hi again all. Today, after completing the last (I think) paperwork that we'll be required to do here in China, we headed off to the Beijing Zoo. Actually, while I was with the group doing paperwork, DoT, C, M and E and A went to the Silk Market. DoT and I had been there before, but this was a first for E and A, and C and M. They got back to the hotel room about an hour after I did -- which gave me a bit of time to try to organize things. The hotel room doesn't have any place to put clothes, with the exception of a very small closet. So, with all our clothes, toiletries, what seems like a complete pharmacy of medications, two strollers and two cribs, we're a bit short on space. Everytime I need to find something (usually fast - to stave off a screaming fit) I can never find it. So, today I decided to organize myself. Hopefully I'll have better luck finding stuff in the future.

So, as I was saying, after lunch, we all headed to the Beijing Zoo to see the panda bears.


This really bad picture is the best one I got of a panda bear. They were mostly all inside the "Panda House", which was a bit dark. And if I used my flash, the picture just ended up being a big, bright flash of light on the glass between me and the bear. This photo was taken without a flash. So it's a bit dark. He's laying down, in case you're having trouble making heads or toes of this photo.





This second really bad photo :-) was also taken at the zoo. Surprisingly, what you don't see here is a crowd of people around us. I must admit, I've never really liked zoos all that much because I don't like the idea of the animals being caged up to be gawked at. Well, now that I'm here in China, I think I like it even less. It is unbelievable the attention we draw. If we stop the strollers for one second, it seems inevitable that a crowd gathers. White folk stand out in many places in China, but white folks with Chinese babies are a real novelty it seems. And twins... well don't even get me started. I know it is just a difference in our cultures, but I must admit I'm getting really tired of feeling like the centre of a freak show. And often the Chinese people seem to think that touching the babies is fine. It's all done with a smile and lots of head nodding but it's starting to wear on me. I feel like we can't stop moving. During the first couple of days with the twins we couldn't stop the strollers moving because they'd start yelling (and that occasionally still happpens), but now we can't stop without drawing a crowd.

The Beijing Zoo also had lots of other animals -- not all of which we had time to see. We did however see the monkeys, giraffes, and lots of different kinds of birds (including some Canada geese!). It really is a lovely spot - lots of water, huge trees and nice walkways. In all it was a very pleasant way to pass an afternoon.

Tonight we are hoping for another good night of sleep. We probably had our best night last night. Maybe because we were all exhausted after the trip back to Beijing, but we actually had to wake up the girls this morning. Actually A woke up at 5:30 a.m. and it took about an hour to get her back to sleep, but after that we all slept until about 8:20 a.m. Then we really had to rush to get up, dressed, fed, etc., etc., before we had to be in the lobby to have pictures taken for our immigration paperwork (at least I think that's what the pictures were for). Tonight, we got E down at about 8:30 p.m., and A was well on her way when I came down to do this blog. Tomorrow morning we'll get a wake-up call at 6:30 a.m., since we leave for the Great Wall at 8:30 a.m. It would be nice if we all slept until the call comes.

So, tomorrow the Great Wall and a Jade factory. Then Monday we have our medical checks done in the morning, and we're planning some shopping in the afternoon (the pedestrian mall you referred us to MJ). Oh, and speaking of shopping, today I order Chinese silk dresses for E and A. They will be ready in 3 days. I've asked for them to be about the size I expect they'll need when they're 3 or 4 years old. Don't ask me why this age. It just seemed a waste to get them to fit them now, since they'll have grown out of them so soon. They steamstress who is doing them asked, in Chinese, whether I also needed a dress or a jacket, but Mary (our guide) explained to him that I had twins and they both laughed. I'm not sure whether that means I'll never have need for nice clothes again, or that I won't be able to afford nice clothes for myself. In any case, I didn't really want anything for myself, so I didn't mind.

I'm still having trouble posting comments to this blog, so for now I'm continuing responding in the blog....

Chantal -- Thanks for the comment. Re: the eating -- hopefully it will all sort itself out in Canada. Right now E is surviving on congee, baby mum mums, arrowroot cookies, Nutrios (a Cheerios rip-off), and all kinds of fruit (particularly bananas and apricots). Oh, and tonight she had noodles. A is still sticking to the formula. We're thinking of trying to sneak some rice cereal into it to see if she'll take that. But haven't done it yet.

PF -- Yup. I think that's it for paperwork. At least until we're back in Canada where it will all start again (birth certificates, SIN cards, Canadian citizenships, health cards, etc., etc.)

mom -- Can't wait to get back to Canada (and to the cottage). Although I really am not looking forward to the flight. And the adjustment to the jetlag. Someone told me today to expect the adjustment to take the girls about 12 days (1 day for every hour time change).

MJ -- A is definitely bigger. Her last medical info said she was 8 kg, whereas E was only 7 kg. Don't know now what they weigh. But A is definitely bigger. Medical checks on on Monday. They were supposed to be today, but no doctors were working on a Saturday. We're back in Canada on July 14th, back in Ottawa sometime around the 23rd.

Okay, that's it for today. Have a great day, all!