We got to the airport at about 4 PM, for a 6:10 flight. It was rainy and foggy, and I knew it was a bad thing when we checked in and our flight had no gate assigned. We got through security with minimal trauma, although Cheng Cheng was really upset about having to walk through the metal detector by himself. I had sent Hannah through first, and then I tried to get him to walk to her. He wouldn't budge. I finally just gave him a big push and followed as fast as I could. It is always interesting trying to explain that Therese cannot walk. I suppose she wouldn't mind crawling through the metal detector, since she is always wanting to get down on the floor, but I try to avoid it in public places.
We spent a very long time in the airport, very confused about whether our flight would go. I had to get our guide on the phone and shove the phone to an airline worker, to have her get the explaination in Chinese and then tell it to me in English. I had to do this several times and it wasn't fun trying to convince the people at the desk to talk into my panda phone. One guy thought I was just crazy and I basically forced him to take it. He wasn't happy but he did do it.
Here we are, early in our wait. The kids are still clean, and are looking at the book I brought about airports and flying.
Then we progressed to eating snack after snack, since it was dinnertime.
Several hours later I was letting both kids play on the floor. Books and snacks can only go so far. Therese threw several fits where she just screamed and bucked and snorted in my arms, and all the Chinese people were looking at me and, I assume, thinking what a bad mom I was because I couldn't keep my kid quiet. Not to mention she was yelling who knows what in Chinese. Several people sat near us and just glared when they noticed her feet. It is so much more noticeable when she gets down on them and tries to hitch around, or crawls. By about 9 pm I was feeling tired and belligerant, and I said to Hannah, "I don't know why I should hide her feet because people don't want to see them. It isn't my fault she is this way. It is the fault of people here in China. People here didn't take care of her." I have never done this in my life, but what I really felt like was giving some of the people a middle finger salute. Of course I didn't.
Finally about 9 o'clock, we were able to board a bus to go to the plane, which was parked out somewhere. They wouldn't take the stroller at the gate, so I had Therese in the sling, wiggling to get free, and the folded stroller, which is quite heavy and bulky, and my backpack and her backpack. Hannah had the other 3 carry-ons and was trying to help me with Cheng Cheng. The bus was almost at his waist level and of course he couldn't get up by himself. We managed to get on, and get off again at the plane, and I tried again to give the stroller to an airline person. He refused to look at me. I tried the other one and he pointed up the staircase and indicated I should take it in the plane with me. It was dark and wet and I was struggling to keep from dropping Therese. Hannah had both hands full but she found a third hand somehow and tried to start helping Cheng Cheng up the stairs. He balked and didn't want to climb them, but she had to force him to do it. I was trying to come up behind, attempting to drag the stroller. I was really at the point of just sitting down right there and crying, when a Chinese woman behind me said, in English, "let me help you." It was like having an angel come at just the right moment. She helped me lift the stroller to each step. We made it to the top and a pretty young flight attendant took the stroller and wedged it behind a seat in business class. It was such a relief. We got seated and Therese was totally wound up. Cheng Cheng was a little nervous but we told him there would be food, so he seemed to relax.
This is the evil laughing face, showing that we are in for trouble.
He didn't like the seatbelt at first but when Hannah showed him that everyone wore one, he accepted it.
A Chinese guy was in the window seat on the other side of Therese. She was cackling and laughing and then she leaned over and licked his arm. I about died of embarrassment. She stuck her tongue out again leaned over for another lick. He was trying to be polite but he looked like he didn't know what to say. That was when I had to pin her arms and hold her close to my side so she couldn't reach him. She wanted to grab his newspaper too. We were sitting there on the plane, with me as the straightjacket mom, and her shrieking and laughing hysterically. I wouldn't let go and she started to fall asleep. It was such a relief--she fell asleep before we took off, and basically stayed asleep the whole flight. I had a huge sweat puddle in my lap where her head was.
Cheng Cheng fell asleep soon after takeoff. He had kept wanting to hold my hand across the aisle, but the flight crew needed to go back and forth. When the food came, Hannah woke him up, and he was a very happy boy. I am sure that no passenger on that flight enjoyed their meal more than he did.
We got to Guangzhou about midnight, and after a long wait for the luggage we loaded up in a van to drive to the hotel. Kelly, our guide, met us after baggage claim and I know we talked to her most of the drive back, but I can't remember much about it. The best feature of the van was that the seats reclined. This is what the kids did the whole drive to the hotel.
We checked into the China Hotel, a Marriott, at about 1 AM. I was so tired I didn't feel fully coherent, but I remember the air-conditioning being so cool and wonderful and that people spoke English. We put the kids to bed, plugged in the computer to send messages home that we made it to Guangzhou, took quick showers, and collapsed into bed. We were so relieved that we were finally here, and we weren't going to miss our medical appointment.
