The Postcards

"Somewhere only we know" - Keane

Daddy loves this song. He took allong his mp3 player... He must have listened to the sont about 200 times; in the plane, the bus, the hotel room. Since it's impossible to snap everything, they bought a few postcard to complete the picture set. The others links below are video montages of the other pictures.

1. Beijing
2. Xi'an
3. Guilin
4. Shanghai

The Trip - China 2005

Daddy made a DVD about their trip to China in 2005. Adoption was not a project at the time; they simply wanted to walk the Great Wall and see the Forbidden City and the Soldiers with their own eyes. Mommy has a bachelors degree in east asian studies but never had the chance to go, we they went. The DVD is beeing transformed and published so everyone can see...
Zàijiàn!

The Obsession

Ramblings from a sleep deprived future dad.

I think my daddy is obsessed somehow. Not only he contantly thinks about coming over to China to get me, but everything reminds him of the adoption. The most insignificant word or phrase read in a magazine or the internet without any meaning whatsoever has a strange way to relate to this virtual non-yet-existing relationship. I don't think he can honestly help himself. It is a constant reminder that THE day will come and the celebration will begin... The fun part is when he goses out looking for it. Well, he's not realy looking, but he puts himself in situations where he's gonna demonstrate his illness: the toys compultion (how's that for a reminder).

They went shopping tonight. I don't know about you but when you're waiting, like, forever and you go at Renaud-Bray, you can expect the slap in the face! He was going in for magazines and dvd movies but didn't find anything interesting. So intead of walking out, he started to look around. The unexpected was the fact that there's a whole new toy department just for kids in there with books, cd's, dvd's, books for parents, dolls, building blocs, matchbox cars ... Name it! It's all there. One thing they don't have though is trolleys and that's a good thing; because he problably would have filled two or three of thoses with some random junk that I don't even like to play with. I'm sure he'll be back to the store soon, there's just too much stuff and selection to walk by and not go in.

Mommy said that they'll stay away from the Toys'r'us. Last time they went, they were just as excited as the other kids, running everywhere in the alleys, pointing at stuff they wanted to buy, arguing about what is more educational and what is not, calculating the cost of my crib and everything they will try to fit in my new room... Theses guys are waiting for me, driving themselves allmost mad - to the point where I do believe it's getting unhealthy - and I don't think anyone can do anything about it. (or will...)

Maybe because they know they have to wait an unbearable 16 months; the fact that they're so far away from the gotcha day. Or maybe because they just submitted the file to *ccaa* creating this unreal obsession about planning everything they can possibly think of... to occupy their minds since they didn't seem to have found anything else better to do. Nothing else to do, helplessly waiting, they have all the time in the world. I sincerely hope it's not going to be like this all summer 'cus they won't last - they will not get through to next christmas... God have mercy on their souls!

The Pictures

How hard can it be?! I mean, dad ... Come-on! Make it right this time!

Dad took some pictures of the living room. Apparently, the Chinese government wants to see how the living room looks like... The thing is, the pictures submited were too dark - the nice lady at the agency couldn't see the couch enough. So dad took some more pictures with all the light on this time. Flash here, flash there - flash everywhere ... Then, the pictures were magicaly transfered to the screen machine with buttons but dad still looked upset : "still too dark", he said! The pictures were then tranfered again to another machine with buttons, but this one has more screens. Sitting in front of it, he displayed all the pictures and started saying strange words like "Gamma correction" and "contrast", "brightness", "mummmpff", "pfffffff - too dark - nehhhh" and some other words I'm not allowed to say.

Today, mom will take the little plastic thing that I'm not allowed to touch and bring it to the shop to print the pictures and deliver them to the agency. Hopefully, it will do.

______________________________________________________

It did not do!! The pictures on the plastic thing were no good. It could not be printed. Mom called Dad and told him that he'll have to snap the living room aaaagain... They started arguing about not beeing able to print on some machines and beeing able on others and the plastic thing having some booboo's on it ... Mum told him that she did her best but the machine could not read the plastic thing or somthin'. Daddy realy wanted to send the pictures today ... So he kind of lost it! He left work without saying bye to anyone, ran to Bureau en Gros, bought a photo machine that makes pictures just like at the shop, went home and re-snaped the living room with the light of day comming through the opened blinds. Print - go - com'on!

Perfect, he said! The pictures were perfect.

Then, he jumed in his car, drove like a maniac to the agency or where he thought the agency was, could not find it because he forgot to read the address right. Called 411 to get the right adress but they don't have it, they have no clue what Enfant du Monde is; no address, no number, nothing. He drove back home faster than before going through red lights and stops, ran in the house, got the address on the internet and confirmed with the agency that it is realy on H-Bourassa West not East. Right! Ok! 'Jumped back in the car, drove back to Montreal like there's no tomorrow dodging other cars and people crossing the street, u-turning where I don't think it's allowed and parked in a spin using the lever thing between the seats... Woooof!

My daddy is officialy crazy.

The Report

The social worker's report is ready. The weird lady called dad to tell him that he could go get it and deliver it to the nice lady at the agency. So that's what he's gonna do with mum this evening. It's allmost ready to go! All thoses papers... Hummm... They gather them, collect them, go abolutely crazy for them and what happens next? They send everything away! Oh yes and I mean everything: the pictures of the house, of mom and dad, the reports ... The whole shabang. I don't think I'll ever understand what in the world they are doing.

How about you just come down here and GET MEEEEE!

The Vacation

Mum and Dad just came back from Maya land. They don't seem more relaxed than before though ... Maybe they got bored over there; they should have brought more toys to play with! I think they enjoyed their trip overall. I know dad liked the night shows, he likes music a lot there was some pretty good musicians at the hotel, so he had a good time. Mum liked climbing the pyramid. She was sored for a few days after that though... Dady too!

Now that the social worker sessions are over, mum and dad are waiting for the final report so that they can send it to the agency. After collecting all thoses papers, they'll finaly be ready to send the master dossier to China. Only a few days left before getting on the waiting list!

Zaijian!