Tuesday

We ventured out to find a grocery store today. I definitely felt culture shock. There were so many people everywhere. To cross the street you have to walk right in front of traffic, kind of weaving through the cars—a little nerve racking to say the least, especially with your 5-year old daughter in tow. But, that is how they do it here.
EVERYONE stares at the three of us, but they stare at Isabel most of all. It is very uncomfortable, so I think I have to take my outings in small doses. It will be interesting to see how they stare after we get Kate.
There are many children here, and unlike the media portrays in the U.S., there seems to be equal amounts of boys and girls. We are right next to the city center and a large mall, and I saw a lot of families shopping with their kids.
Isabel wanted grilled cheese for lunch today. Instead, yes, you guessed it, she had more rice! This time with a little roast duck. There is a food court connected to our hotel. Very handy.
We are all excited to meet Kate tomorrow (and a little nervous). Our appointment at the Civil Affairs Bureau is at 2 p.m. They do marriages in the morning, and adoptions in the afternoon. We tracked down the other family—they are due to arrive sometime this evening. Hopefully they get here safely.
Later: We went out again, this time with a little ammo. Armed with a camera, the staring wasn’t as bad. I just held it up as we walked along and pretended to shoot multiple pics. It worked like magic! My new secret weapon… with the added benefit of pics to post to the blog.