Chinese Fire Drill

One of the crazier aspects of China that I have yet to write about is the traffic. Apparently things like lanes, traffic lights, stop signs, and other directions that we take for granted in the U.S.A. here are merely suggestions. Suggestions that most of the drivers here don't heed! I promise that no matter where in America you think you have seen crazy drivers, it can't compare to China. The buses, taxis, and other vehicles pass literally within fractions of an inch of each other as they jockey for position and no one seems to give it a second thought. Add into the mix pedestrians, bicycles, and an odd assortment of other motorized vehicles (today we literally saw a bicycle with a motor added to it; not a moped, but a bike with something like a lawn mower motor mounted on it!) and it is almost like watching the 3 Stooges just to sit and look at traffic. All of the news that we hear about China and India being the reason for rising gasoline costs at home appears to be more hype than anything. Gas is just as expensive if not more so here, and most of the people are either walking, riding bikes, or public transportation. Personal vehicles are just too costly for the commoner here. Occasionally we have seen luxury cars like a BMW or Jaguar but it is very rare, and I can't imagine wanting to risk that kind of car in this traffic. The highways aren't much different, there is quite a bit of shipping, but no more so than in America and the trucks that they use to transport goods aren't nearly as big as at home.

Today was one of my favorite days so far on the trip. First off we went about an hour outside of Guangzhou to a park area, but since it was still raining we didn't stay there for very long. Then we came back to town and stopped at a traditional village where the people still grow and sell fruits and vegetables. It was very cool to see the common people and the way that they live. The lady in the picture was selling fresh starfruit that she had grown, and other people were just going about their daily life. There were  a few Taoist temples where the people pay their respects to deceased family  members. The Chinese call it ancestor worship, but it seems to me that it is not too different than the way that we put flowers and other items on the graves of our loved ones to honor them. One of the things that I find very cool about China is that there are several major religions and no one is judgmental about the religion of someone else, and everyone seems to have a lot of knowledge about all of the various religions. Whether you agree with what they believe or not, there is something beautiful about seeing the passion of the different people worshipping in their own way.

Audrey had a good day. We got our first big belly laugh today. Thanks to everyone for all of the words of advice and encouragement. She definitely has had limited interaction with men, her orphanage director told us that there are only two men who are there regularly and neither of them are caregivers, so she hasn't ever seen a man in that role in her life. The good news is that I still have never changed a diaper in my life (Go Mommy!). I think once she gets home and isn't exposed to her native culture and people on a daily basis she will make great progress.

Tomorrow we go for Audrey's health exam. We already know, from our time with her, what the result will be. She is every bit the healthy 16 month-old, who is ready to come home and meet the rest of her family.