Wednesday, August 16, 2006

FAQ's

When will you travel?

The short answer is: We don't know. The longer answer is: We cannot travel until we get travel approval (TA) from the CCAA, and a consulate appointment (CA) with the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. Because of holidays and a tradeshow in October, consulate appointments are hard to come by during that month. So, if we are unable to get appointments in September, it may be November before we go. We should know one way or another by the end of August.

How do they know Lu Yu Fei's last name is Lu?

In China, parents cannot legally give their children up for adoption, which is why many babies are abandoned with no information about the identity of their parents. The orphanage names the children as they come in. All of the babies from Zoe & Molli's orphanage, the Lu'an Children's Welfare Institute, have the same last name: Lu, for Lu'an.

Which flights?

We are looking at flights out of Chicago and Newark. They fly over the top of the world, nonstop to Beijing. They take about 13 hours.

What will you do in China?

We'll spend the first day or two sightseeing in Beijing, where we will see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. By the third day we'll travel to Anhui (pronouced An-way), where we will get Zoe. Then we'll spend the next 4 or 5 days there, doing some sightseeing, possibly visiting her orphanage, filling out paperwork, and officially completing the adoption. Next, we'll fly to Guangzhou for another 4-5 days, where Zoe will have a medical exam and visa pictures taken, and we'll have our consulate appointment. Once that's all done, we'll head home.

Who are you traveling with?

We are bringing Doug and Katie. Linda and Don are bringing Jason, Ryan & Sean. My mom, and Jerry's parents are coming, too. We'll probably all fly together and stay together the entire time.

Are you crazy?

Yes, a little.