Well…we did it! We’ve been to the US Consulate and gotten sworn in! Tomorrow we will get our visa for our daughter and the packet that will make her a US Citizen upon our arrival in the States.
The US Consulate is right next to the White Swan hotel…only some offices have moved half an hour away, and we had to go there. We were part of a large group who were sworn in by the very cheerful American Foreign Service agent. We had to swear that our form we filled out was true, to the best of our knowledge. And that was that.
All the others there had babies or children up through about age four or five. Ping Ping was very impatient because she wanted to be done with this and off to visit Yi-Yi (which is the correct spelling for The Happy of Happy’s name.)
The two girls want to buy a birthday present for John (which I am to keep a secret, though I had to fund it ;-) and Ping (who told us through Simon the Guide that she’d rather be called Ping Ping) is going to stay overnight with her. Then, Friday, Yi-Yi will come to the hotel one last time for John’s birthday. Simon even ordered a cake. ;-)
Now, I’m off to have the jade chop we bought our daughter fixed. We bought it at the Jade Factory in Beijing, but they got the character’s wrong–we did not have the correct ones with us. So, now I have to go down to Susan’s Place and ask the nice guy who serves me tea if he can fix it for me.
Congratulations! Ava and I (with our daughters) would like to take you girls out to lunch sometime when you get back. Let us know when is good for you.
So happy for you!!!
It sounds like you’ve had a fabulous time. Is it going to be hard for you to leave, or are you terribly excited?
Jenn
Happy B-day #3
Am anxious to meet my new grand-daughter. May I join Nan to come on 11-01?
Re: Happy B-day #3
Yes!
O frabjous day!
Mazel Tov!
How old is Ping Ping? What does “Ping” mean? How well does she speak English? She sounds delightful, and I look forward to hearing about all of her adventures in America.
A Chinese friend of mine told be that you should never shorten a double name. The double name is abundance, and to shorten it is to limit it and reduce it. For example, Yi Yi is Happy Happy, but if you shorten it then you cut her happiness in half!
She is 13, almost 14. Ping Ping means Peaceful.
She has very little English, which is the big stumbling block now.
WHOOT!
I’m so happy for your family – congratulations! These updates are so delightful. Thank you for sharing your joy.
God Bless you & your family!
Congratulations!
Congratulations on the new addition to your family! I received your postcard in the mail today and will affix it to my wall as soon as I buy some tape.
Congratulations! Reading this saga, the only comparison I can come up with are the fairy tales I was told as a child. I’m used to the tragic, I’m used to ubiquitous suffering, but here is a straightforward, unambiguously happy story. I’m astounded by it, but I know it to be real. The goodness of it all is like a logic bomb to my grim New England mind. Once again, congratulations.
Thank you. Boggles my mind, too. Didn’t really hit me until I was driving along on Wednesday…then suddenly I started laughing out loud!