More Than Tourists

Today is our last day in China and one of the most significant. Although all of the time we have spent here in this country has been exciting and truly memorable on so many levels – from meeting many wonderful Chinese people, to immersing ourselves in their culture, to absorbing thousands of years of history, to experiencing the incredibly delicious (and sometimes too varied) cuisine – all of it was also wrapped in the beautiful context of connecting our family to a young girl growing up without one. So today, after just a week together, Maia Fujing became an American citizen (or will officially when we land in Chicago) by way of a process and an oath that millions of immigrants have taken part in before her. 

Our trip has not been without its challenges. Just getting here from the U.S. and traveling within the country has been long and demanding at times. And being in some of the more modern parts of China, it's sometimes easy to forget that this is still a developing country. The water, even in fine hotels, is not drinkable. We have mostly avoided eating fresh fruits and vegetables. The smog is thick and oppressing at times. Traffic in the big cities we've been in is treacherous and makes New York look tame. Many public bathrooms (especially for women) are not western style and have pits for commodes (squalid squatty potties according to Nancy and Chris). Meetings have been delayed and rescheduled. Itineraries have been vague and changing. 

The language barrier has also been more difficult than we anticipated. Few people in China speak English and those that do are not very proficient. And in fairness, we only speak a few words of Mandarin (a language where inflection can render four different meanings to a simple two letter word) and we don't recognize many of the written symbols, all of which means conversations are nearly impossible. Even simple requests like finding a restroom or ordering a drink without ice (bu bing if you need to know) can be tricky. And cultural idiosyncrasies – like vague explanations that are meant to hide negative realities – only add to our frustration at times.

But all of these inconveniences fade away in the light of why we are here. Beyond simply being tourists visiting this amazing country for a few weeks, we have been fortunate to come as invited guests of the Chinese government, to be part of their ongoing efforts to find caring homes for the hundreds of thousands of abandoned children – children that sadly exist in every country in the world – and to commit to raising ours in a loving home to the best of our abilities.

We also made a pledge to Maia and her caregivers that although she will soon become an American citizen, we will always help her to remember the place she comes from and the people who call China home. Having spent this time here together, that part will be easy.