Day 8: Shopping for China Gifts

We didn't have anything formal on the agenda for today, so Maeli and went shopping for gifts and souvenirs while the boys swam at the hotel. I wanted to get something for Maeli to have for each "Gotcha Day" until she turns 18. So with my list in hand we went shopping with Ann, an adoption advocate. She helped us send Maeli's birthday package in April so it was great to meet her in person. Lots of adoptive families go shopping with her because she knows where to find the best prices and knows where the stores are located.

I wanted to make sure we purchased a couple Chinese dresses for Maeli to wear for family photos and special occasions. She found a couple of headpieces she thought we needed, lol! Her sense of humor makes me laugh!


After silk and tea set shopping, we went to the pearl market. I was fascinated by all the pearls stacked in the shops. China is known for pearls and jade so I wanted to make sure we brought some of each back for Maeli. We purchased a pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings that were made out of a strand I picked out. The clasp says happiness in Chinese and will be a great graduation or gotcha gift for when she turns 18.

Ann took us to a traditional Chinese restaurant for lunch. She said this place in particular is very popular and she was right! It is natural to eat at the same table with people you don't know if there aren't open tables. We sat with someone for a few minutes and then had the table to ourselves. Maeli ordered her favorite, dumplings, and a mystery dish that I later learned was chicken feet! You can see them in the photo below... I ate the dumplings and beef I ordered, but let Maeli have the chicken feet! :)















After lunch we went to the jade market. It was neat to see the many shops lined with hundreds of pieces of jewelry. I couldn't imagine trying to make a decision without Ann's help! There are so many different colors and options! Ann helped us pick out some nice pieces and we made our way back to the hotel after a day of shopping success. The boys spent the day hanging out and swimming in the pool. We ventured out for dinner with Coco that night. We went to Paddy Field's an Irish restaurant where the guys could eat Western and the girls could have Chinese. After dinner, we said goodbye to Coco until we meet again in America at the end of July. We can't wait to see her again and look forward to spending the upcoming months together at home.