we had a beautiful day today.

Today we went to China Beach at the Sandy Beach Resort and pretended we were guests there:). First we went to the ocean, where Jasmine was terrified. She screamed, not happily, when the water came up around her feet. We then went to the swimming pool by the ocean where we got the same reaction, but after a few minutes we played on the steps of the pool with no problem. Maybe we'll start swimming lessons in a few months when we get home:)

I actually had a real salad and vegetables today. I spent more money on food today ($25.00) than I have spent all week, but it was well worth it. Normally, I have been spending $3.00-$5.00 per day for three meals a day, but it seems that no matter what I order off the menu, it ends up being "pho", which is the traditional Vietnamese food consisting of rice or noodles, vegetables, "meat"... which I definitely do not eat... especially since many times it looks like tracheas and who knows what.

So we walked around all day, and went into a little play room that they had at the resort. I hope the photos will upload, otherwise we will have to do it tomorrow when we get to Hanoi. We fly early in the morning and get to Hanoi after a 1.5 hour flight.

we've moved on ......

Now we are in Danang for just a day and a half.... and it is still raining. We should be getting Jasmine's passport later this afternoon.
Plus.... we've had a huge transformation from a shy little girl to non stop talking and mischief. The photo tells it all. She laughs, then right when I go to take the picture, she sticks her tongue out. And now there is a smashed cookie al over the hotel room floor. She still is withdrawn around strangers. She will stop eating if the waitress walks up to the table or someone says something to us.

Today, our big trip was to the grocery store again, but it was much more pleasant this time. We could actually get down the aisles. I think that today was her first taste of ice cream ever.

We're going to the beach tomorrow no matter what, then off to Hanoi on Sunday morning.

Here's a photo of what I am talking about... plus the lovely view from our hotel.

The site will not let me upload photos today. Probably a weak connection. I'll try later.

still waiting in Tam Ky....

We're still waiting around here... and it's *still* pouring down rain. Jasmine does not like to be in the room, so we basically sat on the front porch of the hotel the entire day yesterday. This morning we went to the "grocery store".... kind of like one of our K-Marts... sort of:) Today is "Teacher's Day", so there were literally *thousands* of kids there.... I am not exaggerating...... We could hardly get down an aisle way. We bought some crackers and stuff for our flight to Hanoi, as well as a little aoi dai, a jacket and a cute blouse. Some things are so cheap here, like clothes. I think I paid the equivalent of 50 cents for the blouse and $2.00 for the coat, but other things are much more expensive than the US.. like diapers for example.

Tomorrow morning, we will take a van back to DaNang where we will pick up Jasmine's passport. We'll probably go to China Beach and maybe do some other sightseeing over the weekend. Then on Monday, Jasmine has her physical exam and I have a Visa interview on Tuesday. We will get the Visa on Wednesday and most likely fly home on November 27.... Two weeks here total.

Here she is sitting on the porch coloring. She is actually smiling, laughing and playing alot today.

Our first breakfast together....

We are stuck out in the middle of nowhere for the next few days. There is nowhere to go, no shopping .... nothing... plus it is still pouring down rain. We got so bored that we decided to go for a walk in the rain. We saw water buffalo, pigs and dogs, as well as a few people.

This morning we had our first breakfast together. She let me at least put food into hand and then she put it into her own mouth.... an improvement from yesterday. She likes noodles, chicken, banannas.... of course.... and granola bars... a new treat. Here we are soaking wet (me anyway)... having breakfast.
And here is the sleeping beauty.

Giving and Receiving Ceremony........

Yeah, the little princess is finally officially mine now. She's not too happy about it yet. She cried for the first hour or so, then we took a bath and got cleaned up to go downstairs to have lunch. I couldn't get her to eat one bite of anything. I ordered something that looked like what they would get to eat three times a day in the orphanage, rice, chicken and vegetables, and she wouldn't even look at it. Next I tried a bananna, her favorite, and no luck. The waitress/ attendant wanted to feed her, and I told her no. I want the food to come from me now, and no one else. Hopefully, if she gets hungry tonight or even tomorrow morning, she will take food from me.

The G& R Ceremony was not what I expected. I don't know why, but I expected more people to be there for some reason. It was just the nanny, the orphanage director, Jasmine, me, my in country representative, and the Department of Justice official. We signed the forms, the DOJ gave a speech about how many orphans need homes since the war, then I said something like she will have the best schooling, care, and love. That was it. Very short and simple.

The princess is napping right now. It has been raining pretty much non stop since I got here, with the exception of one day. Today, it is pouring sheets of water... not raindrops.... just like the first day I got here. It's a jungle out here! So, here we are in the town of Tam Ky which is the capitol of Quang Nam province. Everyone said, "you don't need to bring alot of baby clothes, toys and supplies because there are stores everywhere. Well, I am glad that I brought all of the stuff I did, because nowhere have I found to buy baby clothes or supplies either in Hoi An or here. If it's not raining tomorrow, we will take a walk and see what we can find. Might as well, .... we are stuck here for at least 5 days.

last day in orphanage....

Yeah.... this is Jasmine's last day in the orphanage. She is not happy for the first few minutes she sees me, but each time her reaction gets better and better. She smiled much more today, allowed me to give her a bananna for the very first time, and played really well.... until one of the nannies came in.... which is always when things go south. I gave the orphanage director Jasmine's little dress and shoes for tomorrow because she will bring her for the ceremony.

Earlier in the morning, my in country facilitator's cousin (Thao) took me shopping. It was much faster having her around to talk for me and show me the correct place to buy things such as a Vietnamese child's CD, and other gifts for Jasmine such as a Vietnamese flag. She is a language student at the local university and I really couldn't understand very much that she said. I guess that Vietnamese women hold hands when they are walking down the street... which we did:) That was a little different for me:) especially when the sidewalks are not that wide and there are usually motorbikes everywhere. She took me to the Central Market in Hoi An which is the ancient city where I am staying. The city was relatively untouched by the Vietnam war. Here are some photos.

meeting with Grandfather...

Yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to meet with Jasmine Tam's grandfather. It was a very emotional experience, but I learned much about the circumstances of her birth so I will be able to tell her when she grows up. Her grandfather is a rice farmer who also fought and lost an eye in the Vietnam war. His land is owned by the government since this is a Communist country, and his crops are frequently destroyed by flooding, storms and typhoons. The worst typhoon occurred in the history of Vietnam in 2006 right when Jasmine was being born. When she was born, he had to collect scrap metal and sell it just to buy milk for her. I told him I would bring her back in 5-6 years so he could see her again, and he was very happy about that.
I am very grateful I had rare opportunity to meet and interview a relative.

Here is a photo of Jasmine and her grandfather. Later she had a bath.... which I was privy to taking photos:)

Today is my last day in Hoi An. I have to move to another hotel for one night because this hotel is booked up tonight. As I have mentioned before, I am having to stay here an extra day due to someone's "meeting". Next, we will go to Tam Ky for the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, and will stay there 5-7 days waiting for the passport and Visa.