Security on Lockdown in Zhengzhou

Summary: Long day of travel Sunday with little to eat and a whole lot of security checks.

We left Beijing after a quick breakfast. The security checkpoint at the airport took almost an hour. Apparently they are using Windows 98 on the baggage check -- I'm guessing based on the blue screen of death I noticed on the large CRT monitor when they finally let me get my things following a VERY frisky lady patting me down. At least she was wearing latex gloves.

The flight to Zhengzhou was uneventful after that and gave us a chance to meet two more couples who were adopting older children like us. We were the only three families flying to the next stop; the others opted to leave earlier in the morning to take a high-speed train instead.

After we collected our bags, we headed for the airport exit to meet our new guide when one of our members was stopped by local police. She looked in our direction which led to all of us being pulled aside for a spot check of passports and a general grilling of our reason for being in this city with its severe air pollution. After several minutes of scrutinizing our visas and requiring phone numbers and addresses of every place we'd be stopping while in town, they (seemingly reluctantly) let us go.

We piled into a small bus for the 1-hour ride to the downtown Hilton hotel. About 30 minutes into the trip, we passed a toll booth and on the opposite side, the bus was waved down by military police. I really wanted to get a picture of these men dressed in black with bullet proof vests and automatic rifles, but based on the way the heated conversation with the bus driver went and how they stormed on the bus demanding to see passports, I admit I was just a little intimidated. We would later ask our guide about China's concern for terrorism and she claimed threats like that didn't exist in China -- I can see why with that show of force towards 3 couples looking to adopt.

When we arrived in the city, our first stop was at a bank (yes, on a Sunday afternoon). We needed to exchange money for the gifts and fees required on Monday morning when we finally meet Sera in person. Carrying the amount of money we were required to bring in cash has been a major cause of stress for me. It's not every day you walk around with roughly NINE GRAND in your backpack. And with a conversion rate of roughly 6:1, I was none to pleased to be handed a tower of 100¥ bills (the largest denomination available in China) to the tune of 42,600¥. I felt like I was holding enough money in my hands to buy an entire apartment building in Zhengzhou while Chinese locals were standing in lines beside me to get money for dinner. Needless to say, I was sweating as I tried to pile the large stack of bills into my backpack without drawing attention. It may sound weird, but I will be glad to get rid of this money tomorrow so that I don't have to worry about keeping it safe in a strange country!

Once that was done, we finally made it into the Hilton, our home for the next week or so while we get to know Sera and fill out lots of paperwork to get her back home to NC. We had to meet with the entire group (the first time we met many of them) as our new guide went over the itinerary for the next few days as well as what to expect when we meet our new child.

About 30 cents for 6 oz soda

The next stop was in the lobby to meet everyone for a trip to Walmart. Yep, they have Walmart in China, although it only vaguely resembles what we think of in America. There were 3 floors. While some families had to get formula and diapers, we were there to grab a few snacks for the hotel room. We stuck with recognizable brands despite the price being higher than local competition. While there were some really unusual options, the strangest thing we picked up was the cucumber-flavored Pringles.

We passed on the spicy quail eggs

On the way back to the hotel, Angela and I broke off from the American contingent to grab some food at a Subway. It would be the first thing we ate since breakfast in Beijing nearly 10 hours earlier. Stepping into the restaurant was like being back in the states -- the smell of the bread was tantalizing (when's the last time you said that about Subway fare). I have never been so excited to eat a BMT as I was that evening. Yum.

We played it safe with cucumber flavor

Back in the hotel, we ate devoured our sandwiches, chips and a drink while watching a little TV. We laid down on the bed for a little nap around 6:30 PM and ... I just woke up. It's 2 AM here. We'll be meeting Seraphina (and hoping it all goes well) in a little over 6 hours. Nervously looking forward to the introductions.

P.S. We were told that there was going to be a large, international medical conference next week in Zhengzhou and that was the reason for the heightened security. Anyone not local (including Chinese from outside the area) were being checked upon arrival in the city. It appears that the internet connection will be equally scrutinized. While writing this post, my connection has dropped numerous times. Although it can be frustrating dealing with Time Warner or Verizon back home, this trip is a reminder that we really do have it better than most.