Wednesday, July 25, 2007

US Consulate Appointment






Kristy continues to show us more of her personality everyday. She is slow to wake up in the morning, is wired in the evening, loves the pool. Actually she is fearless in the pool which kind of scares us. We are starting to get some actual words out of her. She can say hot, doggie, gone-gone, shay shay (thank you in Chinese).
Our guide took our paperwork to the US Consulate in Guangzhou this morning and was able to get them to change our swearing in ceremony from Friday to today. We went to the consulate in the afternoon, went through several security checks, had our passport copies compared to our faces, then as a group (with 23 other families) sweared that all the paperwork we have filled out is true to the best of our knowledge. We received Kristy's Chinese passport with a US visa. When we go through immigration in Chicago and the customs officer stamps her visa she will be a US citizen. We don't have an pictures since cameras were not allowed in the consulate.
This morning after breakfast we walked around to take in the local culture. We walked to the park and found that there was some kind of celebration going on. The speakers were all speaking in Chinese so we did not know what the reason for the celebration. They had speakers, singers, dancers, and a presentation of hand to hand combat by military personnel. I have attached pictures of the performers. Tomorrow our guide will take us to the Guangzhou Zoo to see the pandas among other animals.

No comments:

Our Itinerary

July 13: Columbia, SC to Chicago. Chicago to Beijing

July 14: Arriving in Beijing, Staying in Wang Fu Jing Grand Hotel in Beijing

July 15: Sightseeing the Forbidden City and the Great Wall

July 16: GOTCHA DAY!

Fly from Beijing to Guangzhou at 07:50am,

Arriving Guangzhou at 10:55am

Kristy joins the family in the afternoon

July 17: Registration and notarization

July 18: Apply for Kristy's passport

July 19: Sightseeing Six Banyan Temple and Family Chen’s Temple

July 20: Free day

July 21: Free day

July 22: Free day

July 23: Free day

July 24: Getting legal documents, taking visa photo and Physical exam

July 25: Visa appointment at 11:00

July 26: Swearing in ceremony at the Consulate, getting the visa

July 27: Fly from Guangzhou to Hong Kong

July 27: Hong Kong to Chicago.

July 28: Chicago to Columbia, SC

Map of Chinese Provinces

Map of Chinese Provinces
Shan Le Jiao is living in the Guangdong Province

Guangdong Province Map

Guangdong Province Map
Shan Le Jiao's orphanage is in Shantou City