The (continuing) Saga of Ariel the (Zuni) Pond Fish!

Sorry about my hasty (i.e. enthusiastic, happy!) post earlier about a mere fish. I actually sent it BY MISTAKE to the Blog... I did notify Tristan of the mishap (and for him to delete the post!).... But I think that I should at least correct typos in the meantime, as follows:

"Ariel The Fish seems to alive and well. She/he was seen 
frolicking at the top of the pond at feeding time
A small step for the "Fish Whisperer" (as I am sometimes called!), a Giant Step for Sustenance of 
Life when it wishes to be sustained." 

Ariel had been pulled out of the pond in February and placed into a "Hospital Tank"  (as the expression goes among pond/aquarium people) in our kitchen in Zuni, following observation that the fish was evidently not very comfortable in the cold winter pond water. I since determined that Ariel is afflicted with a common ailment among such fish - swim bladder malfunction - which manifests itself primarily in the fact that the affected fish has trouble swimming stably and at at different water levels. BUT that ailment is often accompanied with bacterial infectious conditions, affecting especially vital organs. So Ariel was treated primarily with tetracycline medication, for a sustained period of weeks before being finally released to the pond, as the water became warmer... Upon my departure to China; with instruction "not to resuscitate" (i.e. not bring back to the inside Hospital Tank!) if the fish were to drop again to the bottom of the pond and succumb to its possibly continuing unhealthy condition.

I am digressing here.... But the TADALA boys are somewhat aware of this situation... And its unfolding WAS tied to the China trip after all!

- Posted by Granpa Roger in Zuni, NM

Did I mention....

.... That Ariiel The Fish seems to ne Alice and well?? She/he was seen
frolicking at the top of the pond at feeding time
A small step for thé Fish Wisperer, a Giant Step for Sustenance of
Life when it wishes to be sustained
- rt

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Aaah...the joys of everyday life!

JUST LANDED IN SF! A few hours - one more plane!

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Hummm... Sorry: this is FRIDAY, July 24. We occasionally get our dates
mixed up here!
- Yé yé

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JULY 24: departure for USA from HK!
Last leg of our Adventure before our most anticipated welcome in
Albuquerque by the "banner waving squad" and many family members.
Actually, a long stopover in San Francisco will make the return trip a
little longer. We arrive at Albuquerque in mid afternoon, on same date
as departure from HK, following MANY HOURS of flying!
- Posted by Yé yé

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Nice video - Ally happier as days go by!

Trying to send up video again!

This one is worth the effort; Ally is in a good mood and keeps saying
"Ally wa aai knee" : Ally loves you (approx.)
Enjoy if you get the video!

- Posted by Yé yé

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JULY 23: easy early morning after momentous might. Looking forward to
last breakfast at the Marriott. We all agree that breakfast is
certainly a nice meal and we shall be missing simply walking
downstairs to the opulent offerings we have enjoyed at both Chinese
hotels so far in this trip. We have to start thinking about the fact
that Ally has certain preferences (even though she does eat many
things altogether) for breakfast which Tristan and Amy may not yet be
ready to offer, such as plain rice, corn on the cob, and all flavors
of a local dumpling- like item phonetically called "dipshung". She is
also a prodigious eater of fruit (especially bananas, nectarines).
We'll finish packing up and get ready for final US formalities and the
trip to HK.
- Posted by Yé yé

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JULY 22: last full day in Guangzhou. Finishing shopping for family,
friends & associates (T-shirts!) AND packing it all up! We are
scheduled to leave for Hong Kong by bus tomorrow afternoon July 23: a
short stay in HK unfortunately (one night layover before flying home
on July 24); Amy wish that we had a longer visit in that city!
Hoping that remaining paperwork gets completed at the US Consulate
without trouble.

NOTE: at posting time - i.e. Wednesday afternoon/evening here - Amy &
Tristan have received news from the local Consulate - this is wholly
unexpected and has apparently only recently been implemented - that an
additional piece of information is needed here to process Ally's
immigration/citizenship documents: a certain USCIS form originating
here has to include explicit mention that she is a child "with special
needs". This information is on file in Albuquerque, but needs to be
faxed to the local Consulate and included in Ally's dossier here.
Several other families find themselves in a similar predicament. It
appears that this should NOT be too serious a situation and Tristan
started this evening to prepare to contact the USCIS Office in
Albuquerque by phone, as soon as it opens next morning (Albuquerque
time) to address this issue.
Ally is being prepared for night-night so as to leave Amy & Tristan
fully available to call the US.
We need for all this to fall into place tomorrow morning (our time
here) in order to obtain full immigration/citizenship for Ally prior
to departure for Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon... We are down to the
wire indeed!!

- Posted by Yé yé Roger

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JULY 21: practically counting down days til return trip home! We ARE
having pleasant times here certainly, but most kids in the group are
looking a little frazzled and the parents themselves are just doing
their best to essentially maintain peace for the time being; most of
them are doing well at it, a few are having special difficulties with,
for example, adopted children with very special needs. All agree that
"As soon as we get home, things will stabilize".
A certain number of families among the group (total: about 23
families) are prepared to go home today and tomorrow.
And of course, in the meantime, other family members back home are
anxiously waiting to meet the new arrival(s)!
We have decided that today we will go to the large Liuhuahu Park -
complete with lakes, great vegetation (and a lot of shade: we'll need
it, since the weather here is a bit warmer & more humid than
Beijing's) and activities for kids. The park is located close to the
hotel.
We shall also try to sqeeze some pool time; the water is nice & warm!

- Posted by Granpa Roger
By the way, we have putchased lots of T-shirts featuring Chinese words
for Granpa(s), Granma(s), Uncle(s), Aunt(s), etc...

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JULY 20: we are scheduled to go back to the Health Care Center for TB
test follow up. The Center is located on Shamian Island, a leafy oasis
(complete with palm trees) right off the city of Guangzhou, connected
to the mainland by several bridges (auto traffic is actually
restricted on most of the Island).
It was once a concession of sorts: the British and French were granted
imperial permission to set up their warehouses on the Island, while
Chinese people were barred from access to the area. Remaining
architecture reflects that semi-colonial past and has been restored
into chic restaurants and hotels... Accompanied by many shops catering
- at relatively good prices - to the tourist clientele.
We plan to have lunch there and complete shopping: numerous family
members to still purchase for, as well as Roger's many staff members!
- Posted by Granpa Roger

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JULY 19: uneventful day. No special official appointment ahead
(until Monday July 20 - result of Ally's TB test performed July 18.
Amy says "No worry about the test": it is good to have a nurse aboard!)
We go for a morning tour of a large historical site: the Chen Clan
Ancestral Hall. It is a massive compound, combining shrines, a
Confucian School and a "commercial center" of sorts for the Chen Clan
who built it in 1894. Actually, according to the available literature,
many villages from surrounding predominantly Chen populated areas got
together to built this complex in the Guangzhou trade city.
Indeed, Guangzhou is sometimes better known as Canton, and has been a
busy trade center for a long time. The first Europeans (Portuguese)
settled here in 1557 and Jesuits appeared in 1582. The British East
India Company was trading here by 1685. Trade between local merchants
and foreigners was regulated by imperial edicts, but the introduction
of opium by the British in 1773 led to a series of restless,
troublesome periods in the history of the region.
After 1978, with the "open door" policy introduced by the Chinese
regime, the Guangzhou area became the first province to experience
capitalism, Chinese version.
Later, we go to a Tea House to learn more about tea customs in China.
And then we'll explore for a suitable supper place down the street
(and away) from the hotel!
- Posted by Yé yé Roger

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JULY 18: medical visit and start of the paperwork to get Ally into the
USA: Amy has heard that actual citizenship might be in the cards for
Ally, including a "swearing in" ceremony. Most parents, now with their
adopted kids of various ages (all the way up to 11 yr old) and
"special needs", are anxious to get back home, to a less hectic life
for the kids!
- Posted by Granpa Roger

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JULY 17: departure for Guangzhou, located South of Beijing (about 2.5
hour flight). To finalize (health) formalities regarding Ally and
prepare for her entry into the USA. It all should go fairly smoothly,
except perhaps for part of the medical checkup scheduled for July 18:
some shots/vaccinations might be in order! We will be in Guangzhou for
almost another week (leaving Thursday, July 23 for a brief overnight
in Hong Kong before flying back to the USA) - ouch!!
This post is a little late: had to find Internet access outside the
COSTLY
connection at the hotel!
NOTE: sorry for the occasional misspelling of "Mariott"!
- Posted by Granpa Roger

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July 16: a good day!

Big news - Ally's fever and other symptoms of infection have gone
away, thanks to Amy's judicious and timely intervention with
antibiotics. A good day ahead for ALL of us. And good timing: tomorrow
we travel to Guangzhou, to go through additional formalies (entry into
USA for Ally).
We decide to take a taxi trip to a couple of sites of interest, armed
with little notes for cab drivers from our Guide Sherry, bearing
appropriate Chinese characters to get us to and fro our destinations!
We look and find a big toy store: lots of items in stock - similar to
"Made in China" stuff back home.
It is funny in a way to just think that in this locale, "Made in
China" actually means "locally made". So we ARE buying genuine local
stuff!
Actually, we do end up locating a number of items for kids, friends,
and associates (Roger had almost 2 dozen employees to bring souvenirs
for!) which are a bit more Chinese looking than the rest of the
merchandise.
NOTE: Ally is impressed with everything about dogs - "go go" (chinese
for "dog, dog!") she exclaims at the sight of dogs or puppies. Just
wait til she gets home!
- Posted by Yé yé Roger

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Meanwhile, back in Zuni..,

Ally's cousin Maya just turned 6 months old!

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