One Child

We've been doing as much exploring as we can while we're here, soaking in all the culture and traditions we can! This morning we headed back over to Shamian Island to get Amanda's TB test site checked (all clear!) and then shopping for me while BahBah and Amanda hit the playground - everyone was very happy! ;) We stopped by the White Swan Hotel before we left, which is where all adoptive families used to stay before they began renovations a few months ago. They have these beautiful red velvet couches in one of the lounge areas and it's been a long practiced tradition to take a picture of the adoptive child on the couch as a sign of good luck. So, after a lot of arguing about her itchy dress, we finally coaxed a quick smile out of Amanda - hopefully enough to bring us all the luck we need! ;)

The afternoons have held many adventures for us as we've been venturing out about as far as our legs will carry us in the areas surrounding our hotel. Yesterday we discovered a beautiful quiet area near the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Foreign Language School. It was the perfect place to let Amanda run around and explore at her pace. The school is apparently an excellent private school, and the houses surrounding it are huge, single family, European-style houses where the rich and famous live!

This afternoon we found Luhu Park, which was HOPPING with activity. People were playing badminton, hacky sack, roller-blading, bike riding, and taking in the beautiful scenery.

 We've also discovered some of Amanda's most favorite things to do - go up and down (and up and down and up and down...) stairs

and spot dogs! She's obsessed with "go go's" (doggies) and must point to them anywhere and everywhere we go. The only problem is that she isn't at all comfortable with them anywhere near her. :) I think our dog, Meg, will be both her wildest dream and worst nightmare coming true!

So as we walk around this city, we're also struck by the fact that every family, every mother, and every father we ever see only has one child. We've asked our guide, and now friend, Jack, many questions about the one-child policy. The people of China don't like it at all, and the wealthiest have found ways around it (like going to Hong Kong to have an additional child). However, the vast majority of people have realized there's really no choice but to accept it. Not only that, but the law is so heavily enforced that neighbors, co-workers, and even friends will report a woman who gets pregnant with a second child. If a woman is working and gets caught by the government being pregnant with child #2, she gets fined, loses her job, and the entire company will lose their benefits for an entire year. So, in an effort to avoid this, companies require that all women have an ultrasound every three months to be sure they're not pregnant with a second child. Jack's wife works for a bank and must also adhere to this policy and has had ultrasounds through her work every 3 months since their 11-year-old daughter was born. Although the policy may have curbed the population growth in the last thirty years, the government is also beginning to realize the strain it's putting on the younger generations in taking care of their elder relatives. The policy will likely change in the future, but for now it still stands.

So, as we walk around this city of nearly 13 million people and I see so many parents with just one child, I think about our sweet daughter and wonder about her mother's circumstances. Was this her first child? Was it her second? Was it the heart condition or poverty or bureaucracy that caused her to give her daughter up for adoption? These are questions for which I'll never know the answers. So instead, I'll accept knowing that God placed her in our family for HIS perfect reasons.