September 2000

Susan Fowler travelled with Mark Weisberg.
To bring Maia Lin  home. She wrote this trip report

Two Bens, two  Marks, two Susansand twenty-five more distinctively named individuals joined together to form one big, happy family this September as we traveled to China to adopt our new daughters and sons.  From Vancouver to Beijing to Hangzhou and back to Vancouver again, Yulin and her terrific team conducted us with humour, efficiency, and grace through the Great Wall of Bureaucracy, making it possible for us to enjoy China’s palaces, temples, tea villages, markets, and menus. Some of us sceptics wondered how we could possibly do so many things in so few hours, but by the end of our trip, we had somehow completed every official requirement, maximized every photo opportunity, sought every available bargain, tasted every delicious dish – and fallen in love.  Fourteen happy, healthy, and beautiful babies sailed through Canadian Immigration with their exhausted, heavily laden, and extremely well fed Mamas and Babes.

We newbies were lucky. Our travel group included many experienced parents. Five families were second-time FOI adopters, and several had even been to Hangzhou. Trading tips about formula, diaper rash, bathing, Snuglis, shopping, and sleeping, we bonded with each other as quickly as we bonded with our babies.Our children – twelve girls and two boys – arrived from seven different orphanages in Zhejiang province. Some had traveled for hours to get to Hangzhou – an overwhelming experience for them as well as for their parents. But with Yulin and Camilla on hand to translate information about the babies’ schedules, preferences, and skills, the transition to their new families was guaranteed to be a gentle one. It wasn’t long before spontaneous smiles began blossoming on the faces of babies and grown-ups alike. The presence of extended family enriched the trip for everyone. And I’m not just talking about Yulin’s family, either – although the warm smiles and practical assistance of her brother, sister, and mother were more than welcome! We also brought our own multi-generational crew. Grandma Glena Mackenzie, a second-time traveler to China, graciously fulfilled Mackenzie/Swift tradition by giving little Kyra her first bath. Proud uncles George Ayers and Michael Brennan carried camcorders, guidebooks – and extra diapers. Meanwhile, Andrew Reid, Kathryn Wong, and Erin Chan put the lie to all those theories about sibling rivalry. Cheerful, curious, uncomplaining, and helpful, they offered living proof that babies don’t stay babies for long, and reminded us how much we have to look forward to as parents.

Children are the main focus of any adoption journey. But for many in our group, shopping came a close second. Luckily, suitcases and knapsacks are among the best bargains available at Beijing’s famous outdoor markets, where we also negotiated prices on clothing and souvenirs. For pearls, we chose the Indoor Market. In the company of the indomitable Ben Chan, we managed to out-bargain the likes of Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright. Of course, after a tough day’s shopping and sightseeing, we often found ourselves a bit peckish. Some of us satisfied our hunger at McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, or Kentucky Fried Chicken, but the rest of us ate Chinese. With the aid of Yulin’s sharp eye for a good menu, we rolled out of those restaurants as blissful as  our babies after their bottles – all for the price of that McDonald’s burger back in Canada.

On the flight to Hangzhou, I laughed when my husband, Mark, who was sitting to my left, spilled water all over his lap. I laughed again when Yulin, seated on my right, spilled her tea. But they got the last laugh. Flying back from Beijing, guess whose daughter’s diaper sprung a leak – not once, not twice, but three times? Wet baby. Wet Snugli. Wet Mama. Welcome to parenthood.

Ganbei!