February 2007

Helena's Report

Helena traveled to Nanchang with her parents James & Beth Hendricksen to adopt her sister, Ava. Helena offered this story.

My name is Helena and my family just adopted a little girl from China named Ava. We travelled with families from all across Canada. I loved travelling with all the families and I tried to help them by entertaining the babies when they were fussing. I found China to be a great experience. I especially liked all the different places we went.

In Nanchang, we went to the People’s Park. While we were walking I saw these air bubbles that you could float in on the little lake in the park. I asked our guide Cindy if I could go on it and she told me it cost 20Y for 5 minutes (that’s not a lot). I decided to use some of my money for a ride. First you took off your shoes and stepped inside the plastic bubble. After that they filled it with air and rolled you off a ramp and into the lake. At first it felt cold and I was afraid I would drown, but you got used to it after a minute or two. Running was hard, like a little hamster on its wheel!  You could crawl, run, skip or jump inside of this amazing ball.

I also enjoyed the Great Wall. The walk was very steep, like climbing a mountain, but very enjoyable. In the hills there was a big sign with the 2008 Olympic motto “One World, One Dream”.

At the wall, I bought these little toys, but I found out later that I had not bargained hard enough, and had made myself the victim of a rip-off. I learned quickly after that and made a really good deal on a Great Wall hat. My bargaining skills got better and better each day. Too bad there wasn’t more shopping time!

The Summer Palace was extraordinary because it was humungous and beautiful. They had a large marble boat, lots of interesting things and lovely sculptures and scenery.

We went to several markets on the trip. They were all very crowded and the people would always tell you things were “good quality”. You’d have to bargain hard to get the price you wanted (you should always walk away, then you’ll get your price). They had millions of fake things, like Rolex watches and Billabong shirts (I bought two).

I would love to go back to China again, except for I would buy more things for my friends next time. My sister is doing great. She loves to push buttons. She loves our dog too. Being a big sister is terrific and very entertaining. I hope the future groups will have as awesome a time meeting their babies as we did.

The (Almost) Forgotten Adoption Group

In the Spring newsletter, we apologized for not publishing photos for the group of families that travelled in February 2007
(we did, though, publish stories by Patrick Forde who Maeve claims as her father, and by Helena Hendricksen, older sister to Ava) .

A the time, the excuse was that the editor had lost the photos that had been entrusted to his care. Parents organized.
And have since collected and supplied the photos. So here, we have – albeit very late – the photos and a bonus -- yet
another tale of the February 2007 trip by Girard Hengen, father of Bryn.

We’d still be in Nanchang if not for Gary. If you are travelling in China by bus, it's good to have a heavy duty mechanic on board from Saskatchewan who knows his way around a Cummins diesel engine. We were on our way to the Nanchang airport on Feb. 9, babies on our laps — babies we had only known for four days — when our bus driver had to either crash into an Audi that had strayed into our lane (I know, hard to believe in China) or get out of the way by stalling the bus. So wisely, we were stalled. Gary works with heavy equipment in Regina, so I knew, being from the wheat province, he would use good old Saskatchewan ingenuity and concoct something to get the bus running. And he did. Thank-you Gary, who with Tamara are enjoying their daughter, Cassandra.

We left Nanchang, and Jiangxi Province, on that Feb. 9. Our group was a diverse one, spanning Alberta to P.E.I. Some arrived early in Beijing, such as Paul and Monica of Edmonton, parents of little Claire, to experience Chinese culture, including the joys of a hutong bathroom. Also arriving early was Mei, who has family in Beijing, and Mark, of Kanata, parents of Julie. Aggie and Rob of Burlington first stopped in Hong Kong for a family wedding. They were a source of information, and inspiration, as they brought Kate to her homeland to welcome their second daughter, Elizabeth. Aggie's parents Jane and Lee also accompanied us, as did Marcus and Lucilla, Kathleen's mom and dad. Kathleen and Pat, of Waterloo, spent time in southeast Asia before meeting up with the gang in Beijing. The family was excited to have Maeve join their clan.

Most of the rest of us crossed paths in Vancouver, on the long flight to China or in China itself. Rae and I arrived early on a frigid cold winter day, Feb. 2, at the Saskatoon airport to begin our journey with Shea and Darlene, Shea's mother. We shared this journey almost from Day 1 with Shea, a fellow Saskatonian, and were thrilled to know that Caia would soon be joining the Hamilton clan. In Vancouver, we met the other Edmontonians, Beth, James and Helena, their nine year old daughter, prior to departing the next day. Their little Ava, the group's first crawler and walker, was a joy to watch and behold. 

On the day of departure to China we met Sou and Thong of Newmarket, soon to be proud parents of Ashlee, who celebrated her first birthday on the day we returned to Canada (Feb. 15). Also aboard were two couples with abundant humour and lilting accents. These would be the Maritimers from Summerside, P.E.I., where they apparently grow good potatoes and better people. Carolyn and Marvin are thrilled to have Kennedy in their family. Kevin and Catherine are a couple with two children and so much more to give, which makes Roshandra a very lucky girl. Also a part of our travelling family was Sara, who lives with Joanne in Nova Scotia. Sara is the older sister of the group, and we all think of her often.

The trip was a blur then, and it remains hazy. We remember Gotcha Day, the first night, noodle-eating girls, lasting friendships, loud bus trips, good food, bargains galore ("hey lady, hey lady"), Cindy's frantic phone calls for a new bus (see Gary above), the Great Wall and the Zoo and the sights and the sounds, leaving Nanchang, leaving Beijing and sharing our journey to Bryn with all of these great people. We are truly blessed.

—Girard Hengen