Asher Day

While most of my family and friends were sleeping in America Tuesday night, we are here in China living Wednesday.  Asher Day!

After getting settled at the hotel and getting some fried rice for lunch, our guide picked us up so we could go get Asher.  Although he lived in foster care for years, the exchange took place at the Welfare Center.  This is the exact same place where we met Claire for the first time. 

The center is down at the end of this nice lane once you go through a guarded gate.

And the center itself is nice. They were remodeling when we were here in 2008.

But, it is not in the best part of town.  

Surprise for us.  He was brought in by his foster family!  When we adopted Claire, in this same Children's Welfare Center, we were not allowed to even see, much less meet, her foster mama.  Today we were blessed to meet Asher's foster mama and foster baba. 

They clearly love him very much.  I don't know if you can tell or not, but his baba was crying.  Letting him go was very hard for them and it just about broke my heart to watch. 

They came in with bags and bags of stuff.  Two bags of  just food.  One had a "Tianjin special food" and the other was full of apples and small oranges of some kind.  Those were gifts for us.  Then he had a suitcase. 

The suitcase was full of things for him.  A new outfit, new pajamas, a few toys, something to hang on the wall of his room, a box of Dove Chocolate and about 10 yogurts and 8 bags of potato chips!  And, no, they were not organic. 

He was also wearing a necklace that his baba made for him.  We were instructed to remove it for his shower and then put it back on him right away. 

Shortly after this picture was taken, Asher's Chinese mama and baba left the building.  As soon as they said goodbye, Asher fell apart.  He wanted to go with them and we all ended up crying.  The orphanage workers kept telling him that he was a man and should not cry.  You can't tell them that it's okay for him to cry.  They just think everyone, kids included, should suck it up and move on. 

Once he was calmed down, we walked out.  A little girl his age was walking by with her foster mama and they clearly knew each other.  She immediately started talking to Asher and he chatted back and this really helped keep him calm.  He held Paul's hand as we walked down the block to get a cab. 

And, he held her hand.  I don't know her name.  They told me, but I didn't catch it.  I wish I had. They had been friends for a while and apparently she is about to be adopted as well. 

Just before we got into the taxi, I looked back and saw that his foster mother was following us.  She saw me and waved and gave me a shhhhh signal.  She didn't want Asher to see her, she just wanted to see him go.  She waved at us when we pulled away.  I wish I spoke Chinese.

Asher was brave on the ride and then he crashed.  Fell asleep sitting up and Paul pulled him up into his lap.  When we got to the hotel, he was in a good mood.  But he announced as we went through the doors to the hotel, that he needed to go potty.  We didnt' know what he was saying, but Leo, our guide told us.  Just in time too!  Asher was dropping trou right in the lobby of the Marriott! 

Once we got into the room he was a flurry of activity.  Actually, he may give our little friends Casey and Natalie a run for their money!  If you know them, you know what I'm talking about.  If you don't know them allow me to enlighten you.  Casey has had to have dog food removed from her nose by a medical professional more than once and Natalie's parents had to call 911 when Natalie hid from her family and would not answer them calling! 

He turns the TV on every time he passes it, tried to run off with my camera, played with all his toys, inspected the whole room, peed in the potty numerous times, chased bubbles, stuck stickers and went into his suitcase for a piece of chocolate and a yogurt.  Not impressed?  He did all that in the 30 minutes that Paul was gone to exchange money.  I'm worn out already!

Around 6pm our guide came to walk with us to a restaurant down the street.  We wanted him to ask Asher what his favorite food is.  Asher said his favorite food is McDonald's!  McDonald's?  We don't DO McDonald's in the Gour house! 

Of course we will take him to Micky D's here in China at least once.  Blah!  But tonight we went to a local restaurant.  He ate meat.  He picked anything and everything that looks like a veggie out and put it on any other plate. 

Hello!  We don't eat much meat either.  We are going to be a rude awakening for this boy of ours!  I guess I better acclimate him slowly, huh?

But overall, he had a pretty good day.  He learned to say Okay, good and uh oh.  He calls us American Baba and American Mama!  Then when he talks about them, he calls his foster parents Chinese Baba and Chinese Mama. 

When we got back from dinner, we stripped him down for a bath and that was the cause a major meltdown.  I think he believes we won't give his clothes back.  He so does not want to go to bed either.  He has wound himself up good and tight and is fighting it, so I am off to help Paul try to calm this storm! 

Until tomorrow.