The day started with a 3 hour bus ride to Jinjiang (pronounced "GIN-john", said quickly). Along the way, we saw surprisingly little typhoon damage, though we were on the highway. Once in Jinjiang, we stopped by a local store, and picked up 4 bags of cakes, cookies and crackers that the kids at the orphanage probably never get. I included about 40 moon cakes, since the moon festival is coming up soon. When we found the orphanage (which took a bit, since there were no street signs anywhere), it was on a very busy little street, with several of the orphanage workers out front looking to greet us.
We got a very warm welcome, and Xie Len Ying, Rachael's nanny, had come in on her day off to be there for the event. Those of you who know Karen (Murphy) Wilson may recognize a resemblance... I think Len Ying looks like what Karen would look like if she were Chinese. Maybe it's just me.
We got an extensive tour of the orphanage, which is clean and appears well-run, though the children live in abject poverty. The one luxury they get is that there was air conditioning in most of the nurseries. They've increased in size, so the orphanage director, Ms. Wong, gave up her office and conference area to create a nursery and playroom. We got to see Rachael's crib, her playmates, and the room she called home for 367 days, and shared with 9 other children. There were many special needs children, and lots of kids running around in awe of the 7 Americans that came in with video cameras and babies. Rachael was glad to see Len Ying, and took a bottle from her for a few minutes, but really wanted to get back to Dad and Mom. BIG change from her Gotcha Day, when Rachael would wail and lurch for her nanny every time she saw her. After a tour of the 4 floors, and many discussions, we boarded the bus and went to lunch with two of the orphanage workers. Sadly, Len Ying had to go, but we still had lunch with the director and assistant director of the orphanage (see previous post for fish pictures).
After lunch, we went off in search of where Rachael was abandoned, which was in a small village about 10 kilometers from the orphanage. Regretfully, we only know the village name, and not where, so just drove around the village for several minutes getting a feel of the place, and shooting lots of video to show Rachael in the future. It was both sad, and provided a sense of peace and closure to see how well cared for she had been, how much love she had gotten, and get a feel of where she would have grown up. Although it's the site of several large shoe factories, it looked like the major industry in the area is stonecutting and finishing of the naturally abundant granite. There are literally hundreds of small shops in the region where large granite slabs are finished into tiles and architectural slabs, and are then carted around on VERY odd little trucks that appear to run on a variety of means, including some on steam. Like as not, her family was involved in either shoes or stonecutting.
After seeing Rachael's village, we went to a local hospital in Jinjian, which is where Emma was abandoned (Chuck's daughter). We got to see the exact bench where she was left in the hospital lobby, and took copious photos of Chuck holding Emma, as well as the surrounding area. It was liberating and emotionally intense to stand at the spot where, perhaps, Emma's mother stood, watching her be discovered and taken away. I wonder where Rachael's mother stood, and what was going through her mind.
All in all, it was a very long day, and we were gone a total of 10 hours. However, I wouldn't have traded it for the world. It was, perhaps, our one chance to forge a personal connection with her caregivers and orphanage, and to be able to capture a slice of her hometown. With the incredible, constant construction and development in China, her village may be completely changed or replaced with high-rises in 10 years.
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