We are HERE!!!

We have made it to Beijing!

When we checked in, we were told that everything was all set, that pretzels had been ordered, they would not serve peanuts, and all was fine. Then near boarding time, a manager came over and told Eric that they were no longer sure what would be served and wanted to know if it was peanuts would we get on the flight anyway. How could we not? We requested again a peanut free zone of a few rows around us. Then we waited to board, and they put us on first. Once on board the service manager told us that the pretzels had arrived and no peanuts would be served. Yay! We celebrated with hugs all around. Then she left and a flight attendant said that peanuts had been delivered!!! Ughh! Then she left and came back and said no, pretzels….. I cringed each time and tried not to envision an emergency over the north pole. My stomach lurched, rolled and gurgled. It turned out Pretzels after all. Thank god. Matthew was able to eat all of the food on the menu and it was pretty good. They served a main meal of cod with black bean sauce and stirfry vegetables/rice. There was a “mid flight refreshment” which turned out to be a swiss cheese burger and Haagen Dazs ice cream. Yum. Then towards the end of the flight they served an omlette and fruit. I didn’t eat too much at that last meal. I felt pretty full from all the rest. The flight was unbelievably smooth and comfortable. The kids did great, although Matthew did not sleep at all and Mary Alice not until the very end. I tried to sleep, but it was difficult to sleep deeply. It is about 3pm here and 3am at home, so I am doing pretty good for the middle of the night. We are waiting now at the gate for our 5:30pm flight to Shenyang. It takes about an hour and we will be met by our guide and taken to the hotel. Mary Alice is sound asleep, stretched out on the chairs and Eric is snoozing too.

About 5 security people (all at once) did a very thorough check of our carry-ons and made us take out ALL liquids and gels, scissors and opened and smelled everything we had that they were unfamiliar with. We were not allowed to take any of them on in the carry-ons, but they gave us the option to check one of the bags with these items inside. Unfortunately, I forgot the length of our layover and offered to check the bag with the food in it. It was hard to think straight as they were rapidly opening and spreading out all of our belongings at once. I was afraid of losing track of things, as they were doing the same thing with other passengers standing in between our bags. One man wanted me to check Matthew’s Epi-pens, and Eric said “medicine” which did not impress him, and he said “check” but when I put my hands around my throat and said “he could die” he paused, and then I said “allergy” and he said “Oh” and gave it back to me. They even made us check Mary Alice’s crayons and her card game. Who knows why? Another man took my tiny bottles of Purell and asked me to go to a different counter with my passport. The woman looked at me, studied my passport, wrote some things down, and then another woman poured out some Purell onto a flat metal stick and lit it on fire. She said “See, See” and showed me that it was burning. I said “Oh!” and then they said I could go. I am going to pack much differently for the flight from Shenyang to Guangzhou. Live and learn. Eric and Matthew said that they saw a sign that says as of March 1,2008 NO liquids or gels are allowed in carry-ons in China. Wow, that would have been helpful to know before packing. Hopefully, this information may help those of you reading this who will be traveling soon.

I forgot to tell about the wonderful porters who met us at the baggage claim. There are tons of them and they were eager to assist us. One young man helped us and loaded our luggage onto his cart and took us right to the check-in counter, waited while we checked in and then led us to the security check. He was very helpful and friendly as this is a huge airport and many directions and wings.

I am glad it is almost the end of the day here. I will be really ready for bed when we get to the hotel.

And tomorrow we will meet Ling. With all the excitement and drama, it is almost easy to forget the ultimate purpose for our travel. I cannot believe the day has finally arrived. I keep imagining our meeting in my mind. I hope I don’t bowl her over with my excitement or any wayward tears that may escape. She will be my daughter tomorrow. Wow.

Update from Shenyang:

We made it to Shenyang! We are settled into the hotel now. The flight was very smooth and fast and with no hitches (and no peanuts)! The hotel is very beautiful and comfortable. I tried to unpack and organize us a little bit and now we are off to bed. It is now 9PM here. Tomorrow's the big day.

What a Happy Mother’s Day.