Halfway through January 6th

I know I said I’d write more about yesterday, but I've changed my mind. Maybe Angie can fill you in on all the details, but I’m moving on to today. Right now it’s 3:15 in the afternoon, but 2:15am back home. It’s very strange trying to figure out if I should write “today” or “yesterday” when I’m referring to local time. I’ll do my best to keep it straight.
After I typed this morning’s message (regarding the 5th) we ate breakfast again at the hotel (I’m sure this isn’t going to change until we come home). It’s been colder than we expected here in Guangzhou – think Disney World – so our packing isn’t fitting the weather very well. We decided to venture out shopping with a few couples from our group at one of the local shopping areas. It is SO different than America. We walked down several smallish roads (packed with people) selling stuff in these little shops. I’ll have to take a picture of one, because they are basically all the same tiny size and completely PACKED with stuff. They are organized by specialty it seems. On the street we walked down, there were several food/dry goods stores and clothing stores and small restaurant type shops. There was an engine repair store, shoe store, smoke shop, and a whole bunch of others. This went on for blocks and blocks and down side streets. It was absolutely fascinating. (no “stuff-mart” here – for those of you that have seen Veggie Tales). Every once in a while there would be a small alcove type thing where it was obvious the shop keepers and others lived. Just about everything is quite dirty and old. Most of the stuff is still in it’s original packaging so that although the outside looks old, the inside is still new.

Ok, so we proceeded down these streets until we reached an area where the street had been closed to vehicles. This was starting to turn into a more modern (using the term loosely) area. There was still shop after shop after shop, but they were bigger and newer. We walked for about two or three blocks down this street when we reached a big open area. The road was blocked off on all four streets and the buildings very obviously much newer. We noticed across the way what looked like the entrance to a mall type structure thing (it’s all so hard to describe!). We went in and sure enough it was like a mall… sort of. It was more like a four level mall – with escalators- but again there were these small, packed out type shops. The only difference between the shops we had just left and the ones we were seeing now was outside vs inside.

Still looking for baby clothes we asked as best we could if there were any baby shops around. People pointed us this way and that, but we didn’t find what we were looking for. I did, however, find this big store that carried cell phones and nothing else. Think of the Old Navy at the Oxmoor mall with lower ceilings and nothing but cell phones in glass counters and you’ll have 80% of the picture. We then decided to go back, frustrated we didn’t find a baby store.


Angie, Melissa and I stopped in a “Chinese Claires” shop while the rest of the group said they were going back to the hotel. A few minutes later, Angie says the other couple found an English couple on their way back who pointed out the store we should be looking in for baby clothes! Now we were back on the trail. We made our way back up the street some, and entered a skinny “department” store. Up on the third floor we found the baby department, but all the sizes were strange (for example 80 or 60 somethings) and it was organized differently that we’re used to back home. As a matter of fact I don’t think they are organized at all, but I’m sure the locals know how to find what they need. Needless to say, we found some things and didn’t find others. All told it’s been a very interesting day so far.


The weather has been nicer today – probably in the 70s. I’m wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt and am mostly comfortable. For those that have asked, the view out our window is of the Pearl River (it reminds me a lot of the Ohio). You can see our hotel here at this link --> http://www.lhw.com/property.aspx?propertyid=257

Most of the pictures I’m posting next are from today (while you are all sleeping)!

I almost forgot the most important part… Chloe! She’s doing great. Not talking or babbling a whole lot. She giggles some with Melissa, and I think she definitely likes us by her outward appearance.

She's alert and interested in what's going on around her. She poops well for those of you interested in that. Already has dirtied 3 outfits in the last 24 hours. Keep those emails and blog comments coming. You all are awesome! Enjoy the pictures.


Dave