I will forever have sweet memories of this place where I met my son Kyle. There is a lot of beauty here. The city is built on a spring and the skyline of mountains can be seen all around in the distance. That said...I cannot say I am sorry to leave this place for our next adventure and ultimately, a new beginning.
The feeling we get when I walkoutside of our hotel room is one I can only describe as assault. The heat and humidity is oppressive and makes me want to make a run for the relative cool of our hotel. My body is acclimated to cool English summers (or what passes for summer in England). This heat and humidity drains me. I know the mercury will rise as we head south, but even so, I am looking forward to being in Guangzhou.
We are a curiousity here. Westerners in general don't often come here. Any non-Asian would be stared at. Non-Asians with two Chinese kids in what probably seems like an unreasonably large double stroller with a platinum blonde in tow...well, we get stared at. And photographed openly. I wonder how many QQ status updates we are in. QQ is the Chinese equivilent of Facebook.
I don't find the staring to be particularly rude, and although I would not take pictures of someone else's children without their permission, I don't really consider it that rude when they're doing it to us...because I don't believe they intend for it to be rude. I just keep repeating to myself "different culture, different culture".
Laura is not sharing my benevolent attitude. She's had her picture taken not so subtly by many groups of young Chinese people. Her presence seems to bring the level of points and stares that you'd expected if someone with two heads suddnely walked in your midst. I think it is the hair.
Our guide said Laura "looks like an American movie star"!
I will carry these images of Kyle's home province with me...
Black Tiger Spring
Anyway...Jinan is a link to Kyle's past that is about to be severed. Part of me feels guilty for taking him away from all that he finds comfort in, all that is familiar. Part of me knows that we will all be enriched by having him as part of our family. It causes me some pain to know that there are so many things he just doesn't understand and just cannot grasp.
I am eager to leave because I will find familiarity and comfort in Guangzhou. I am eager to leave because each day down brings us one step closer to home and our new normal. Whatever that is remains to be seen. But as much as I want to get out of here, part of me grieves for what will be lost when we do.
To end this on a less maudlin note, the boys are doing really well together. There is a lot of "monkey see monkey do" which is good and bad. Kyle is picking up a lot of what Zack does and says but Zack is also reverting back to the grunting and pointing for things that he sees Kyle do. He is a smart little boy and has quickly figured out that we not only do not understand his words but we are speaking some sort of strange gibberish. Zack and Kyle enjoy playing together...the sharing and competition are funny to watch and I'm sure the antics will continue for many months and years to come. I will just say that meals and trips to the potty are a lot like an olympic sport. Cheers, people.
Not your everyday sight in downtown Jinan.
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