Free day and other business

Today is a free day for all the families. Unfortunately for me, I wrote Kiana's Chinese name incorrectly on a document I had notarized in the states. Shiyan is spending her day at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou taking care of our paperwork, and she needed me to go along with her to re-do the document and have it notarized there. While I was there, the consulate employee informed me that their paperwork has our old address on it and they cannot issue Kiana a visa unless their records match the U.S. records. Shiyan said she would take care of it. I hope and pray it can be done quickly because we're supposed to go to the consulate tomorrow to receive Kiana's visa!

Shiyan had more to do at the consulate and had prepared me to take a taxi back to the hotel. So I hailed a taxi and we drove off. A few blocks away the car stalled. The driver restarted the car, but it lurched and stalled again. So he let me out of the taxi and ushered me into the taxi behind him. This little passenger exchange really made me nervous! Could it be a coordinated kidnapping? Did the first driver fake the car trouble? Just before the car stalled the driver had received a phone call on his cell phone. Shortly after the new taxi was on the road, the driver received a phone call. Could this be some shady coordination that would turn out unfavorably for me? I was memorizing as many street signs and landmarks as I could on the way back to the hotel, just in case I needed to guide somebody to my rescue! Fortunately I arrived back safe and sound, so I don't need to remember anymore that somewhere on the way back we passed the Global International Trade Center or the Five Countries Shoe Market :)

So I'm back in the hotel, and Sheryl and Kiana just got back from bargaining in the local shops. Now it's time for lunch.

Tonight we go as a group to eat at a Cantonese restaurant. Otherwise the day is free. We do plan, however, to take Kiana swimming for the first time, and we're looking forward to it!