Update from Guilin

We are now in Guilin, having arrived this afternoon by train. What a beautiful area. The train ride took about 5 hours, and we saw lovely rural areas, rice patty areas with men in traditional hats plowing with water buffalo and oxen. The run down areas looked almost beautiful because of the back drop of the mountains and lush greenery. We are at the waterfall hotel, and are settling in for the night. We will go on the Li River cruise tomorrow and I will post pics of what I hear is an amazing area.
We have managed to find some very good food everywhere we go. One night we stayed in our room, the kids tired, and ordered room service. I ordered spagetti and meat sauce(known for my less than adventuresome palate) and when it came, it was spagetti, but with stir fry peppers, onions and barbeque pork. I tried to tell the room service lady this is not what I wanted, but it looked good so I kept it. I ate it and it really was very good, the barbeque a little fatty but meat tender and sauce good. Riley ate half the plate, and I told Curtis to try the meat. He loved it and said he was going to order it the next day. Well the next night we ate in the hotel restraunt. They brought the menu and it had pictures of all the dishes for us westerners so we can just point. I saw the dish and read the english title. Conger Eel. I felt an overwhelming nausea hit me, only topped by Riley's reaction. However, the next day he bragged to every one that "he ordered and ate eel and it was really good." Good or not, I know what those things look like and it aint every happening again!
June has settled into a pattern of needing and wanting me, crying if I am not holding her, tolerating Riley and sometimes laughing at his crazy faces, but HATING her daddy. Curtis cant get within 5 feet of her without her shaking, and I can feel her heart beating like a little humming bird. She is terrified of him. I told Curtis, just think of how she will react when she is a teenager if she is already this way towards you now. Seriously, this is very normal in adoptions (internationally) because she probably has limited history with men in the orphanage. Of the 4 families here together with our agency, each child has selected a favorite parent and each one doesnt want anything to do with the other one. For some it is the mom, for others the dad. We know this is ok, and dont worry about it. She will come around as she is less frightened of it all. And besides, I react to Curtis this way often also. Scream if he is closer than 5 ft to me. :)
I am still amazed at how young June is in her skills and emotions. She wants to be held next to me like a baby and rocked. She will not try to feed herself and eats about 2 ounces per feeding of congee(rice mixture) . She must have a stomach the size of a peanut. She is not demanding and will sit with food in front of her and waits patiently for me to feed her, even when she is hungry. She has eaten everything I have given her without protest. She only stays awake 3 hours before she whines and lets me know to put her on my shoulder and then she is out in 60 seconds. Really sleeps alot. Like a tiny baby. But she sleeps at night until I finally wake her each morning.
I do think that the orphanage she was in was a good one and that they seemed to care when they handed her to us. The director told me much, and they gave me the camera back I sent and it is full of photos. They also gave me a photo album with many new pics of her that are wonderful: Her with her friends and caretakers and pictures of the outside of the orphanage. But, honestly, I dont care how "good " of an orphanage they are in, it is not the same as having a family to help and love you. My heart is broken for those who stay behind, most of them with no one coming for them, ever. I cant take them all. I can only take this one. Not to help her, but to help me. To help our family. We wanted her and needed her when she didnt want or think she needed us. But many people could and should open their hearts to the many children in this world who just needs somebody. We are done. Maybe someone out there can take the olympic torch from us and come for another waiting "June".
cindy