I woke at 4AM and couldn't fall back to sleep so got up and started the previous day's blog post. Fun fact, if you can't type very well and are working in the dark, a backlit keyboard would have been nice. I spent more time fixing typos this afternoon than I did typing content. I wrote for maybe 45 minutes and then got back into bed as I knew today was going to be a big day. We got up and ready for the day around 6:30. It was forecasted to rain all day and had already started by the time we opened the blackout drapes. Today's tasks include exchanging money with the bank agent, finalization of the adoption and swinging by the police station to get Blaize's passport started.
We ate breakfast with the couple from Maine and enjoyed getting to know them a bit more. I went up to the room to meet with the bank agent and exchange our money for the fees we'd need to pay today. They made it very easy for us which was nice. Then it was back to the room for another 30 minutes before back downstairs to go to the Civil Affairs office. We all loaded into the bus and took the same route to the office. Monday morning traffic is even worse than Sunday afternoon and add in the rain for extra excitement. I sort f think driving here would be like driving in NYC or New Jersey - there are traffic laws but I don't think they are enforced as tightly as back home. Haha
We went through the final paperwork stages of the adoption with a notary and adoption official. It was sort of like closing on a house as I can't remember signing my name this many times in a long, long while. We also applied our thumbprints to the documents and Blaize's right footprint to seal the deal. All told it was maybe 2 hours in the office and everyone's kids did great! Only one more paperwork step for today and that is to get the passport process rolling but that wouldn't be until later.
We all loaded back into the bus and headed to the hotel to chill for a few hours. Blaize hit the hay pretty hard and napped until we woke him around 2:30. Julie and I napped for a little while, too. It wasn't long before we were back down in the lobby and then the bus. We stopped by the Civil Affairs office to pickup the official who I guess needs to sponsor our expedited passport requests and then we went off to the police station. The process here was very easy for us and all we had to do was take a picture of Blaize and our adoption guide and official did the rest. We loaded back into the bus to return to the hotel.
We went back to the room and hung out for a bit. More and more of Blaize's personality comes out as he gets used to his new family. It was still raining but not too heavy so we decided to head out searching for dinner and the ever elusive coffee. We found Nescafe instant coffee in the convenience store across the road and then checked a few restaurants before settling on KFC. Yup, Kentucky Fried Chicken like back home - only different. We struggled through ordering some corn as a side, fries and a boneless breast. Sounds easy but took a lot longer due to the language barrier. Kudos to the cashier who worked with us as I am sure it was not easy for her either. The food was ok and the chicken was pretty spicy for being a non-spicy breast but I like spicy food, so it was all good.
We hung out in the room for the rest of the night and played, got ready for bed, hoping for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow's agenda is all sightseeing with the Terracotta Warriors on tap.
Operation Gotcha - Day 13
Operation Gotcha - Day 13
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