Wal-Mart Day

WRITTEN BY JAY

What a night! We (Ali, Mom, and Dad) went to bed last night @ 8:30, we were very tired from the big day. The little, and I mean little, girl woke up @ 4, so we got up and played for an hour or so and took a nap for our big day of shopping( and first full day together) .

After breakfast, we all boarded the bus and headed to Wal-Mart. We were supposed to go to the zoo as well, but the weather put a stop to that. The only time it hasn’t rained or snowed has been when we get off an airplane. Wal-Mart was interesting to say the least, it was two stories and very much the same as back home, yet very different. The “roll back prices” signs were everywhere, but the merchandise was more of Dollar General quality.

We all (the group) received many stares, since we were a bunch of fair-skinned people now holding Chinese babies, all 11 of them as beautiful as we all hoped for and you can imagine. A few of us dads, myself included, had video camera in hand recording the store and the kids. We were asked not to video shortly after we made our way into the store, but we just found more creative ways to get footage. I was particually intrigued with the “ meat department” and “deli”. Notice the quotations, because these descriptions need to be used loosely. The “meat department” consisted of various meats, packed on ice, for all to grab. The people pick their own cuts and pieces and put them on the scale to be weighed, then it gets put into a bag, very different then what we are used to. The “deli” had all kinds of finger foods and premade foods. Popcorn in bags, chicken wings, chicken feet, blackened pigs head ( the whole head!!!), cooked duck hanging on a rack all available for your culinary pleasure. The sight and smell will be imbedded in my memory forever. We all picked up a few outfits and toys and groceries and checked out. This particular Wal-Mart had over 40 check out stands and only about 15 open! I felt like I was back home! Also inside this particular Wal-Mart, there was a store that sold the infamous squeaky shoes, Grandma bought 3 pair for Ali. The bus got back to the hotel at 11 and the rest of the day was ours.

Grandma and Amanda scheduled massages, 100 RMB for an hour or @ $12 U.S.! JoAnn took a snooze and we (Ginnie, Mallory, Ali, and myself) didn’t feel like staying couped up in our room, so we walked back over to the market we first went to here, and ventured further into the downtown shopping area.

The Fords (Randy, Stacy, little James, and baby Mia) went with us. I don’t think they were comfortable at first, but got into the adventurous spirit shortly after the 4 block hike through the poorer area. We went into a few 7 level department stores and had lunch at a downtown McDonalds. James really liked that! We took a few pictures here and there and all decided to make our way back to the hotel for a group meeting we had at 5.

After the meeting, Mal, Gin, Ali and me went and ate dinner at the Chinese retaraunt here in the hotel. We tried a “hot pot”, which Chongqing is known for, a spicy, spicy noodle dish. Well, it was spicy!!!!! The rest of the meal was interesting, not quite the same as what you’d get in a Chinese place home, but we ate and were glad we tried it, although we won’t be eating there again. Everyone is sleeping, it’s 10 or so and we have to get up early because we go to the orphanage tomorrow to see where our babies came from. I’m off to bed as well! Love you all and miss you all! Chase, Daddy got you a really cool action man!! Love you so much buddy!!!!!!!! Talk to everyone tomorrow night, or morning, depending on what side of the globe you’re on…