Saturday, May 15, 2010

Jupiter Café

Live from Ethiopia

So, we are sitting in the Jupiter café, trying to get Internet access. Right. Slow as molasses. Mdh just threw the computer down in frustration, as it is taking 10 minutes to load one email. I imagine I will post this, once again, when I return. Fingers crossed for tonight.

Today, we saw Belaynesh. Saw the B today. She is great. She is a bit tight, but her head moves to both sides and she loves to look at things. Such a perfect baby. She remembered us!!! She glances around the room, this way, that way, then her eyes light on us and her SMILE takes over her whole face. She laughed for M., her tiny, little laugh.

They had dressed her in one of the outfits my mom gave to me for her, the blue pants with white daises and a long sleeve shirt, a undershirt, and a jacket. She was definitely warm enough, but the room had 9 families in it! And more babies and children. We gave her part of a bottle, took her outside to see her favorite tree and get some air. At the end, she fell asleep right on me. She was tired after our 2 plus hour visit. Then, a little cough on her part woke her up and she was back in the game. She is a dear, dear girl.

Miss B is the youngest and looks it, as she should. She is doing great, but I can't wait to have her come home with us. We thought she might, then were convinced to wait until Sunday, then found out the person who can let her come home with us will not be there until Monday.

So, tomorrow, we meet with the lawyer, all 9 families, then we can go on an outing to the country, by a lake or stay home. Meeting the babies until the afternoon is not possible, so I think I will go. M wants to stay home, which is fine. I will go.

We went to the University museum, which is lovely, but my favorite part was walking around, seeing the campus, seeing the students, even seeing from the outside, a class in session. Universities around the world, students in the library, studying, students outside, walking, talking, it was a touch-point to see it.

Today, we met a man, from France, who was adopted when he was young, who came to visit his birth country for the first time. He was adopted from Toukoul, 25 years ago, and found out, this week, that he has a birth father and half siblings. Neither he nor his mother knew of his birth family, but now they both were, in his words, “so lucky,” and met them. What a week. What a story. And he was so gracious, to tell us such an emotional story in a second language; it was amazing how much of the story he could tell us with out every word he needed.

What an amazing story, and the history of Toukoul mixed right into it. A rich, long history, with adoptee’s returning to do homeland visits, what a rich tradition our child is a part of. I am glad we are staying a YGF, the Toukoul Guest House. So familiar to return to the same place and feel like it is a small bit of home away from home.

The group of families adopting from France left today. Their process is very different and their Embassy issues the visa without a meeting. They stay for 4 days, and pick their babies up on the way to the airport. Such a different process, but interesting to learn about.

Our driver is here to take us the short jaunt right back to the hotel, so let me try, try, try to upload this!