Second Email Update

November 21

Changsha

Tomorrow will be our last day in Changsha, then it's on to Guangzhou for the last part of the adoption process. We've spent the last few days doing the tourist thing while we wait for our Chinese paperwork to be processed. Yesterday we visited the Hunan Provincial Museum to see the artifacts excavated from a 2000 year old Han dynasty tomb. There were lots of pots and clothes and stuff, but the centerpiece was the naturally mumified remains of a noblewoman who had been buried in the tomb. Today we toured the Changsha Social Welfare Institute #1, which is a state run combination orphanage and nursing home. Four of the babies (but not Hope) were adopted from this orphanage. We also toured the Hunan embroidery museum - it's apparently one of the crafts that the Hunan province is known for. We've explored a little around our hotel on foot - it's amazing! Everyone looks at us, but they're all very friendly and seem quite pleased to see our babies. Our hotel is near an elementary school and all of the kids on the street want to try out their English on us.

Hope is really coming out of her shell. The first few days she was quiet and very serious, but over the last few days shes become much more playful, smiling and laughing and clapping her hands. We can't wait to get her home so she can meet everybody. As you can see from the attached pictures she's quite fond of taking all of the toys from her buddy Lillian - she'll rule in daycare!

That's all for now. We have some more sightseeing to do tomorrow and then it's on to Guangzhou. I probably won't have time to email again until we get there.

Scott

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