Visa delivered

After lunch we came back to our hotel to hang out until Lee came to deliver Ani's visa and immigration packet.     

I actually went out on my own for a little mom time.  I walked to the park and did some fast walking to get a little excise in to counteract cramped hotel living and slow walking with Ani.  It is a beautiful park. I haven't been able to look around so much on this trip as opposed to last summer.  The focus is on Ani.  It was nice to get out and enjoy China.  I do really like this country so much more than the first time we came in 2007.

When I got back, Ani was doing her time-telling game on the ipad.  A bit later we realized she was crying.   Had she had too much of the educational games?  Were her eyes hurting from all of the close work she did today? I held her in my lap and rocked her for quite a while.  Still, she was sad.   

Eventually we tried to call Lee to speak with her, but could not reach her.   Finally we understood her asking to go to one - first floor.  We went down at 3:00 pm; Lee was to arrive at 4:30 pm with the visa.  Even ice-cream did not make things much better. 

We contacted another of our helpers,  Cici, who spoke with her.   It turns out she was very worried because it was afternoon and Lee had not yet shown up and she was afraid she would not get her visa. A little girl should not have to worry so much. 

After reassurance from Cici that her visa was on the way,  she perked right up. But, we could not leave the lobby.  In all, we waited an hour and 45 min in the lobby for Lee.  After talking with Cici, she was very excited again and I had to keep reminding her to be quieter.   

Lee finally arrived with the papers and she was so excited.   One more full day here and then we begin our long journey home.   We leave the hotel at 9:00 am Friday and arrive home at 8:40 pm Friday.  If only it were only 12 hours rather than the actual 25 due to the time warp we go through. We are all ready to come home. 

School 4

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qCeT7KkBxcU

This link is a youtube video about Ani's school.   I had found it a few months ago when trying to figure out where she was.   We showed it to her after not being able to get into the school.   She really likes to watch it.  Something familiar and comforting. Watching it, we can see how she has been able to develop her musical talent. 

At this school she finished the second grade.  I do not know how that matches our grades, though.  She was worried that she had to go into the 4th grade,  or school 4 as she refers to it.   Frankly, I was pretty worried as well. 

However, today she eased those worries for both of us.   Looking for something to do on this rainy day, she got out the letter flash cards I pulled out of a neighbor's Little Free Library right before we left. I laid them out and she put them in order with a little help.   

Then she took a handful and began copying the letters over and over.   She writes incredibly well and very small for someone who can't see that great.   She then pulled out a book and copied the title and the first couple of pages.   (Yesterday she told me she didn't like books,  well she did like braille books, but not books for your eyes. )

And then she said "black" and proceeded to write that along with a bunch of other colors in English!!  She has been holding out on us!   

Numbers were next.  She wrote numbers to

100. I wrote 1 + 1 = to see what she would do.  Yes,  she knows all her math facts including multiplication and division.  She got one 2 digit multiplication problem wrong because I think she wasn't seeing it correctly so she gave herself a 99% and a star when she was done.   

School 4, Mom?? Yes?  Yes,  Ani, you can do school 4!  She have me a big smile. 

On another note regarding school,  towards the end of this video, you can see a girl following a raised pattern in the walk.  About a week ago,  Ani showed me this in the subway and said school.   I figured out this is the pattern they teach the kids for getting around the city.  Now I see it everywhere.   It is a bunch of raised dashes and then dots when you come to a possible change in direction or a crosswalk.  Before we met her,  I just saw it as an annoying surface to walk on. Now, I know it is a way for the blind to be independent. 

I think being in the school was a much better place for her than being in the orphanage.  

Marnie

Departing Shanghai for Guangzhou (last Friday)

Found a pic from last Friday that got stuck in my outbox:

Fitness room

Found our hotel has a small fitness room with some hula hoops and a large blue ball, but we couldn't stay long due to a class at 7:30. They don't let the kids use the exercise equipment here like they did in the last hotel.

Walking around the park