Monday, October 20, 2008

The courier said that he is picking up our power of attorney from the U.S. State Department today, where he took it Friday, and will then take it to the Chinese embassy.  Our agency said it will take 48 hours to arrive in China via DHL.  All weekend I had thought that it was already in the air on the way to me.

In the middle of Tiananmen Square I got the message through our guide that if I didn't get some paperwork soon, the orphanage would have to take Aidan back.

After tomorrow our guide will no longer be with us unless we need her for some official business. 

My head aches.  I am going to be alone in a very expensive hotel that I did not plan money for, without a translator, without a driver, and without a travel group, and responsible for two dependents.

My travel mate found out in the afternoon that she would be able to pick her daughter's passport up tomorrow morning, a day early, so they will fly out after that.  I also found out, through rumor, that we are the last China adoptions being done by our agency-the program has become too unpredictable for them.  So no one has any real reason to care what is happening here with us.  The least my agency should be doing is arranging a new hotel stay for us.  I can't even read the phone book and the Internet costs 40 yuan per 10 minutes-not a lot, but it takes time to search for hotels in another country.

We all had supper together one last time-my travel mate's family and mine.

We didnt' eat at McDonald's this night, but here are my travel mate, her mother, and her daughter.

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