Written about the day of October 30, 2012
Our Consulate Appointment was 10/30 at 10am! We went with a few others from our group and waited to be called to the window in the tiny room where we went for our appt. We had to answer a few questions. Before that we all stood up, raised our right hands (Craig was holding Ava, and we looked over at her and she had her left hand raised while we were saying our oath!- I about lost it!)
This was our group!
After our consulate appointment, they said Ava's visa would be ready for us by 5pm the next day.
Sweet big sisters!
Best Friends!!
The afternoon after our Consulate Appt. I was able to get Ann from Red Thread to take us shopping. (Rather, RUNNING!) Ann supposedly knows all the places to go where people can pay wholesale prices. We didn't do a lot of shopping, but there were a few keepsakes that I wanted to get for Ava, Laura and Christine. Well, I had always heard that most people just spent the day trying to keep up with Ann, but I didn't know what that meant until I actually experienced it! This is Ann, in the grey, pushing Ava in the stroller. Really she was running with Ava in the stroller, and me, Craig, Laura and Christine were jogging behind her just in order to keep up, it was CRAZY!!!
Guess why the picture is blurry?? Because Ann was RUNNING!!!! Besides the workout and the realization that we were ALL out of shape, Ann took us to some incredible places! I had to just keep close behind her because she took Ava in her stroller up and down escalators.... I guess Ann wanted to push the stroller, because I guarantee you if I would have been pushing the stroller we couldn't have gone as fast, and I wouldn't have wanted to use the escalators! (Not with a stroller!) It was a wild day! I'm sure anyone watching us would have had to laugh. Ann running pushing a baby in a stroller, and a line of protective mother ducks running behind her to keep up with their baby!!!
I was able to get Ava silk Chinese dresses in every size up to size 14 for $3 each.
We went to the pearl market and each girl got a strand of pearls for $30 each. Ann told us that they should be valued at about $300-$400 US dollars.
Ava was such a little trooper! It was a long day, but she didn't fuss, or whine! She's such a happy girl. She spent most of her day with Daddy, while Ann, Laura and I ran from store to store.
This was one of the markets Ann took us to. It was nice while we were inside, but a little miserable when we were outside. It was drizzly rain and chilly. We rode the subway, and at the end of the day Ann helped us find a taxi to take us back to our hotel. Standing out in the rain in the dark, waiting for a taxi to take the 5 of us back to our hotel was not fun, but the rest of the day was an adventure that we will never forget.
Hey Michelle, loved seeing the catch-up photos of Guangzhou; especially since we are going to be there in a few days. I'm interested in the places Ann took you or having Ann take us. Can you email me any info on that? I paid WAY too much at the Silk Factory for my shirt and Anna's. I'd like to get something nice for the rest of the family, but can't afford what I paid in Beijing! Any tips you cannot share are appreciated!
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