August 2002

Such a Long Journey

Our journey to China this past summer was memorable in many ways, not the least of which was receiving the ten month old baby girl who has subsequently turned our lives upside down in a wonderful way. We had been looking forward to the possibility of this journey from the time we began our discussions with Yulin in November 2000. After several false starts around travel schedules and flight times we arrived in Vancouver prepared for a long trip and began a quite unexpected journey.

Our eyes were opened not just to another country but what seemed like a whole new world, steeped in a rich history and distinct cultures, languages and traditions. It was as if we were seeing China through the eyes of our new daughter, Olivia XinRu, who was seeing it herself for the first time outside of the orphanage. We observed the history in the architecture and treasures of the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. We savoured distinct cultures in the rich local foods and regional dishes which never failed to delight and even entertain. We struggled with Mandarin in the markets and with the intricate beauty of Chinese characters and calligraphy everywhere we looked. We also encountered the strangely familiar presence of Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds, among other western images. Our trip was too short but it was a great beginning for the longer journey we have undertaken with Olivia.

We arrived back home with a number of 'postcards' from our experience, images which marked our time together in china with the other families with whom we travelled. Even more than the countless pictures and videos taken with our cameras these are personal observations, which registered for us the reality that what we were experiencing would change our lives forever.

Among the images which we will not forget soon were:

- The welcome offered by Yufen, Jonshure, Yu?, Michael and Faye, who not only guided us effortlessly through the official paperwork we faced but also took care of the details which allowed us to enjoy the sights of Nanjing and Beijing.

- The nervous anticipation of the eight families loitering in the foyer of the Mandarin Garden Hotel in Nanjing a day after arriving in China, as we awaited the bus from the orphanage in Lianyungang.

- Bartering for silk embroidery with Yulin in the market in Nanjing (and for countless other items anywhere she discovered a bargain).

- The incense rising to the sky in the Buddhist temple of the Lamas in Beijing as people prayed.

- The exhausted group of 'real men and women' who stumbled back into the bus in the parking area near the Great Wall in Badaling after braving a hike on the Wall in what seemed like 40 degree temperatures.

- The great picture which Sara drew of her family, including her new baby sister, Ellen, while we all awaited results of the childrens' medical examinations in a Beijing clinic.

- Negotiating over the price of a piece of calligraphy with Steve and Jessica patiently translating in Mandarin, while Lian Han observed.

- The first engaging smile of recognition from XinRu upon her arrival in Nanjing.

- The haunting music of the choir practicing under the juniper trees in the Temple of Heaven and their hospitable gesture of opening a space in the circle to let us join in.

These 'postcards', among the many actual photographs which we have acquired or have been sent since arriving home, have seen us through plenty of sleepless nights and challenging days as we re-arrange our lives and our home around the needs of an active one year old. Our trip to China was the beginning of a much longer journey which has only just begun! We are grateful for both the opportunity to experience China for the first time and to do so through our daughter's eyes. We are also thankful that we could begin our journey with Olivia XinRu in such fine company.

Lois and Hugh Kirkegaard