Not your average day in the country...

Today our group took a trip out into the countryside near Nanchang. People in the countryside are very poor and make a living growing rice. Our guide explained that China is shaped like a chicken and Jiangxi province is in the chicken's stomach... she said that is why most of the rice in China is grown there. The fields were green and lush with the wet rice paddies, but the living conditions were startling. As we walked down the village street, the children rushed the group. We were recommended to bring candy and the children had expectation in their eyes. Before long, children were climbing out of the woodwork. The people of the village were very friendly and obviously curious about us strange looking people walking down their street carrying Chinese babies. They came and tried to communciate with us, friendly and curious. Eliana's cheeks were stroked and pinched as ladies asked me questions I couldn't answer. We continued deeper into the village and were confronted with the smells that so often accompany such poor living conditions. A small girl walked behind us, bare footed with a look of cautious curiosity. I couldn't help but think of Eliana living in these conditions... it is heartbreaking.
Likely the children from our group were from a village such as this. Our guide gave the impression of "seen one village, you've seen them all." While Eliana almost certainly didn't come from this specific village, it is likely that she was born to parents that lived in another very similar to this. My heart went out to the women we past as I wondered how many of them had been forced to give up one or more of their children due to poverty and government policies, penalties and fines. People can be fined a years wages, have their salaries cut in half or even lose their jobs completely for having more than their allotted number of children. Furthermore, with no way to financially support themselves in their old age and no way to maintain use of the land they work without a son (the government won't renew their land leases), they are put into impossible situations. There is no way for us to understand what it must be like for them.
After our visit, we left the heat and odors of the street and got back onto our air condidtioned bus to ride comfortably to a very nice restaurant in Nanchang. It was certainly a lesson in contrast. We had yet another meal of new chinese dishes... no cashew chicken around these part it seems. Some were good, some not so good, but at least today everything seemed to be identifiable. I was sorry to see all of the leftover food on the tables as I wondered how many of the children we had seen earlier wouldn't have enough today.
We headed back to the hotel for the afternoon. Right now Eliana is napping, Milan is taking a swim with a few boys from the group. I know he is wishing our boys were down there with him. The pool is beautiful... it is completely tiled like a huge shower, no plaster can be found. The pool room is also beautifully painted. I am sure our boys would love it.
I am including some cute pictures of Eliana here. She is so serious when other people are around. Our group has sort of dubbed her the serious one. She doesn't easily give up a smile for anyone else. Alone in our room however, or at the breakfast table, she is all smiles. Her giggles are the kind that are almost silent with a squeak at the end. She is so very precious as you can see. When you all meet her back home, you may not see the smiles right away, but you will have seen proof that she does have a sweet little disposition regardless of the serious exterior. We are more in love with her each day and are convinced that she was meant for our family.

Day 5- Eliana