Day 2 Part 2

Well, it's about 4:00am here.  Believe it or not, I've been up for about an hour and a half.  In truth, we all (Except Hallie) woke up around that time.  We did go to bed around 8:00pm, but still.....   Perhaps it was easier to sleep the first day because we were so tired from traveling.  I feel fine, but I'm thinking that by 3 or 4 in the afternoon, I'll be wiped out.

The Internet connection thing here in interesting.  Indeed, it is true.  We are NOT able to get into Facebook, Blogger, or YouTube via a regular connection here.  Thankfully, I was told about GoTrusted which is some sort of IP Encryptor.  It seems to work fine in our room with our wired connection, but GoTrusted appears to be blocked down in the lobby over the public Wi-Fi.  The problem is that our wired connection seems to be much slower than the wi-fi.... which seems backwards, but it is what it is.  The only real problem I seem to have is that it takes forever to download videos to YouTube.  Otherwise, I'd put more on.

Part 2 of yesterday involved lunch, swimming, napping and going to the Chinese Acrobat show.  The show was awesome!  It was very typical of what you would expect, but it had a feeling of something.... different.  The acts were full of talent.  Full of flare.  Big Chinese costumes.  Amazing men that could balance tremendously flexible women on their hands.  Women who could juggle umbrellas with their feet (yes, I'm serious).   But the amazing part is that it seemed so..... local.  The theater was quite a bit smaller than what you would expect.  Probably seating for less than 500 people.  And it was maybe 1/2 full at best.  It seemed so low key.  But I'm telling you that if a show like this came to Omaha, it would be a packed house at the Century Link Center with tickets going for $50 a seat.  But here, it seemed like nothing more than community theatre.  But the TALENT was so..... incredible. Amazing.

And as I sat there in awe, I was quite surprised at the emotion that emerged from within me.

It was an emotion of PRIDE.  A tiny seed that began to grow from within my heart.  I am so PROUD to have a daughter that is Chinese.  I am PROUD that she comes from such an amazing culture of art and history.  Before, I always viewed Chinese in a traditional "We/They" dichotomy.  (Example:  I (We) was sitting in the audience, and (they) were performing Chinese acrobatics on stage.)  

But last night, I had this strange sense that I am now.... part Chinese.  That I, in fact, was watching "my people"' on that stage last night.  That everything I saw and did yesterday somehow was being pulled from within a part of myself.  I know it sounds really stupid.  But it's how I feel.

It reminds me over and over again that, just like with Zac, it is I who am the blessed one from this wonderful institution of adoption.  So many friends comment about how "lucky" Melia is for getting adopted.

No..... No..... No, my friends.  It is I who am the lucky one.  It is I who am the blessed one.