An Apple Cleft in Two.....

An apple cleft in two is not more twin
Than these two creatures.
(Twelfth Night, Shakespeare, 5,1,l. 223-4.)

Ben & Henry

Now that I have the visa and fly out in a couple of hours I will tell "the rest of the story"--at least so far.

I've known for some time that Henry is a twin. I don't know why he and his brother were separated. The agency representative here in Vietnam, who finally under intense questioning did admit that they are in fact twins, said that the orphanage made the decision to adopt them out separately. I suppose as far as they are concerned an adopted child is being separated from both biological family and culture and a twin may seem like one more sibling Maybe they felt that each child would get better care and treatment if they were adopted singly. Certainly both were severely malnourished and near death when they were relinquished almost a year ago.

Henry's twin Ben is with his new parents Joe and Katie--see their blog at http://www.journey4babyben.blogspot.com/. I have been in frequent communication via both email and telephone with them. My mother has met them as well as Ben. We are anxious to develop an ongoing relationship and make each other part of our extended family, assuring that the boys have continued contact with each other.

It is a situation not of our making but we are making it the best possible experience that we can for our boys. I am excited to get home and meet Joe and Katie face to face and watch the reunion of Henry and Ben.

Embassy Interview and Temple of Literature

I got up bright and early and took a taxi to the consular office to turn in my visa packet. I was going to hire a motorbike to take me, but it was sprinkling when I set out and I chickened out and went by taxi. I had been told I wouldn't have to wait in line but I couldn't get the guards to understand that. As a result I got there at 8:30, got through the security checks by 8:45, and was forced to stand in line with Vietnamese nationals waiting for immigrant visas until 9:45. When I finally got to the front of the line the person behind the glass told me I wasn't supposed to wait in line but should have just gone to the private interview room. Well, at least I didn't have Henry with me to have to stand and wait all that time.

I decided to walk back to the hotel--a pretty great distance but I wanted to make a stop at the Temple of Literature. This is the Temple of Literature--how could I be in Hanoi and NOT go to a place called the Temple of Literature? This is a centuries old place of learning dedicated to Confucius and the site of the first university in Vietnam.
These four pillars mark the entrance to the Temple--the four pillars of Confucianism.

There are five courtyards, one within the other.
Below is the Well of Heavenly Clarity.
There are dozens of stelea--stone markers on turtles' backs that have the name of graduates going back hundreds of years engraved on them.

The central courtyard had the obligatory gift shop--one of which had an assortment of water puppets.

This is the central courtyard, a shrine to learning.
There are four pools with lotus blossoms in them in the outer courtyards.

I got home with just an hour and a half to bathe Henry and dress him in his sailor outfit for his trip to the embassy. We had a 2 PM interview appointment and they said I must bring him. My mother has been sick since we got to Hanoi--she's really been sick since we went to Hoi An. She went out once since we got here to Hanoi and felt worse so she has stayed in the room to conserve her strength for the long trip home.

The visit to the consular office wasn't too difficult to do by myself. I strapped Henry in a snuggli and had a backpack with our supplies and it was a two dollar taxi ride there and back. I got there around 1:30 but didn't get called until 2:30. There were about ten other families there with infants and one family with older children--looked like a boy of around six and a girl around four years of age.

The interview was simple. I wouldn't even call it an interview. I signed a paper saying I would have Henry immunized when I get back to the US and I said I filled the form out accurately to the best of my knowledge. Then I paid the fee and was told to come back tomorrow to pick up the visa. I don't know why I had to bring Henry--nobody looked at him except the other parents. But it was fun to dress him up. This little suit is what he wore to the interview in HCMC with Mary Anne Russell. He has gained weight since then and it barely fits him now.

So it's all done except the plane ride home--which I'm sure will have its ups and downs. But thank goodness I got a phone call today confirming that I do have a bassinette for both legs of the trip home.

My last night in Vietnam. After a night on the plane we will be home!

Water Puppet Theatre

The day before yesterday I walked all the way around the lake looking for the puppet theatre. Yesterday with a better map I found it--only a couple of blocks from my hotel in the Old Quarter.

Henry enjoys our new room so much. There is a mattress on the floor where he can play and we don't have to worry about him falling off. And the twin beds can be pushed together so he can play on them with less anxiety about him falling off.
I ventured out at 2:30 to buy a ticket for the puppet show's 4 o'clock performance. It turned out all is booked for the next several days, but they did have one seat for the 2:45 show so I went right in.
The plot is much like the show in Saigon. The theatre is bigger and better and has a much better sound system. There were a few changes here and there. The above scene was somewhat like the other, but it included the man being pulled out of his boat by a big fish.
I did have a better program and could tell what was going on more. I thought this man and woman were catching ducks when I saw it in Saigon, but it turns out they are frogs. And what I thought was a cat that was interfering with them is actually a fox. They did not have the part where the man beats the fox/cat almost to death.

I don't remember this scene in the Saigon show. A young boy returns from college, his parents meet him, his mother has a baby strapped to her back. Meanwhile Le Loi, a famous Vietnamese historical figure, is also returning and they watch his entourage.
This scene was in both shows--three groups of boys race in boats.
This is basically the finale--twelve women puppets dance to a slow and elegant number.
For a few moments the bamboo curtain raised and we saw how the puppeteers control the puppets.
The puppeteers and the orchestra take their bows.

After the show I walked to the end of the lake where I was told there was a grocery store. What I found was much like the Tax Trade Center in Saigon. Then since I was already halfway around the lake I decided to continue around and make a full circle. Along the way I passed St. Joseph Cathedral. The location is much lovelier than Notre Dame in Saigon. There was a mass going on and standing room only with people lined up on the steps.
After I got home I gave Henry a bath in the shower. He really loves to be washed now--it's hard to imagine he used to scream. I know he will love the tub when I get him home.
This morning I walked to American Airlines to find out about a bassinette seat. I had trouble getting them on the phone and decided to just walk. It was a long way, but along the way I bought a genuine water puppet and also one of the women wearing a conical hat that my mother wanted. Also I got one of those paddle boards with four chickens that look like they are pecking the ground for food.
This is the far end of the lake, our hotel is on the top end. This is a good example of how beautiful the streets are here with the tall stately trees.
I sat down for a few moments of quiet contemplation but was soon approached by somebody wanting to take me around on a motorbike. The solitude was nice while it lasted!

So now I have to go over my paperwork to get ready to submit it to the embassy tomorrow. I hope the hard part is behind me and this is just a formality. I won't feel like Henry is truly mine until I get past this and get him back to the US.

Day Two in Hanoi

Henry wakes up without screaming now. Occasionally he goes into fits and I guess it is that last incisor coming in. Hopefully it will be in before the plane ride. Speaking of which I am trying to get in touch with the airline to make sure we have a bassinette for the ride home.
Here is the street around the corner from the hotel. I tried to make a simple walk around the block--but the corners are not square so I ended up lost. I turned around a retraced my path before I couldn't even remember where I came from. From now on I will at least carry the business card for the hotel when I venture out so I can catch a ride back.

This is the lake that is near our hotel, I think Hoan Kiem or something like that. It is really beautiful. I must say Hanoi is more beautiful than Saigon. The area we are in is called the Old Quarter, it is over 500 years old and more or less unchanged. There are hundreds of little shops within a few hundred yards of the hotel.
It is a thirty minute walk around the lake, and the lake is around two blocks from the hotel. Luckily it is a straight walk to the lake so it would be hard for me to get lost as long as I can find the lake.
I walked around yesterday looking for the puppet theatre to buy a ticket. I walked past it as all I had was the small map on the back of the hotel business card. Today I am going to go out with a better map and I think I can easily find it. I would also like to go to the Hoa Lo Prison (known to the US as Hanoi Hilton), the Temple of Literature, St. Joseph Cathedral. I think that is all.
Henry has discovered his shadow and enjoys waving his hands and moving his head as he watches his shadow move. I tried to capture it in a photo but of course it is very difficult to get him to continue what he is doing when he knows a camera is there, and then the flash washes out the shadow anyway. He also enjoys looking into the large mirrors. We are moving rooms in a few minutes, from the fourth to the first floor. Maybe my mother can venture out when there is just a half flight of stairs instead of five. I'll also be glad to move because I broke a cup yesterday. I ran over the floor with a towel but I fear there could still be a shard of glass that flew under something or in a corner and I'll feel safer when we've shifted.

Made it to Hanoi

Henry and I rest up on our last night in Saigon.
In the hotel room at Hanoi.

We made it to Hanoi after a somewhat manic flight. We left the hotel at 5:30 for a 8:10 flight and really had no time to spare. We checked four bags and the stroller. They had no problem with the number of bags, but two of them were overweight. She excused some of the weight but we still paid 450,000 dong which isn't that bad, around thirty dollars.

Still we had way too much carry on and it was miserable dashing to the gate and then the gate was changed so we dashed back. Had to go down a big flight of stairs, get on a bus, ride a long way to the plane, then climb stairs to the plane. Then all my stuff was put up in the overhead rack so I had no access to Henry's snacks or diapers.

Luckily a nice woman from near Can Tho sat next to me. She held Henry when he was fussy.

I know better how to plan for the long flight. I will check one of the carry on bags and just have one bag to deal with, and have Henry's stuff more accessible.

On the bright side the hotel did have a van to meet us. We were going to leave three bags and the stroller at the airport left luggage place, but the driver insisted on bringing it and now it is just stored on the first floor of the hotel.

The hotel is very nice. The room is very large and Henry has lots of room to play. The floor is cooler than I would like, but then I guess if it was carpeted it might be dirty. The only bad thing is that we are on the fourth floor and there is no elevator. My mother had a difficult time getting to the room last night. Tomorrow they are going to put us in a room on the first floor, which is just a half flight up from the ground floor. Also it is the only room on that floor so I will be less anxious about Henry crying and bothering people.

Today I will probably rest. Tomorrow there are a few things I want to see--Literature Temple, Hanoi Hilton, and Ethnology Museum. Monday I will probably go to the market and shop since all the museums are closed on Monday. Then Tuesday I drop off the documents at the embassy at 9 AM, have the interview at 2 PM, and then pick up the visa for Henry at 4 PM Wednesday.

Flight to Hanoi tonight

We decided to just book a late flight rather than go to the airport and wait around for space on something. We fly out at 8 and arrive at 10, and the hotel is having a car meet us. We are leaving out three largest suitcases at the airport left luggage counter so there will be less stuff to deal with.

Henry was picky today about eating. He ddn't want the green mashed potato stuff, but he ate the pasta. This is the first time he didn't eat whatever was shoved into his mouth. I guess he finally realizes there is plenty of food and he can start to be choosey about what he likes and what he doesn't like.

I went to get my hair cut today and I got the full treatment. Nobody there spoke English so I didn't know how to say what to do and not to do. He cut my hair, then he dragged a razoe across my entire face--including my forehead and the top of my nose. Then he put a white paste on my face then put cotton gauze on top of that. While that dried he dug in my ears with something. I don't know what because the gauze covered my eyes. Sometimes it felt like a feather, sometimes it felt like a blade.

Then the gauze was peeled off my face, which felt really clean. Then he put two or three different potions on my face, some of it stung. Then washed my hair and my face really good with cold water. Then he took a massager and rubbed my head for five minutes. Total cost 80,000 dong or around 5 dollars.

So this is our last day in Saigon. I feel like I've been here for a year, but then again it seems like I've had Henry for longer than a little over a week.

I'm not sure what type of access I will have to the blog up in Hanoi. I may be able to post to it but not view it like in Danang. Or there may be no problems. If I can't post again--I have my embassy appointment Tuesday morning since Monday is a holiday, then pick up the visa for Henry on Wednesday and fly out Wednesday at midnight. We will arrive in Texas sometime on Thursday.

Going on standby tomorrow

For some reason Mr. Hiep hasn't gotten Henry's passport yet. I paid a huge expedite fee of almost twenty times the regular cost but it's still taking the standard week to process. We had planned on leaving tomorrow at 6:30 AM for Hanoi, but now we have to wait for the passport. Hopefully it will be here by 9 and we can make our way to the airport and go on standby--since all the later flights to Hanoi are booked up. Then I have a 3 PM appointment at the embassy to turn in my application--if I can make it on time.

Anyway the flights out of Hanoi back home were booked up for Tuesday so we have a flight out for midnight Wednesday. So that gives me an extra day in Hanoi anyway, and I could turn the form in on Tuesday and get the visa on Wednesday.

I wanted to write a little more about my conversation with the INS agent Mary Anne Russell. There apparently is some kind of big problems in a couple of provinces. She got called out of my interview for five to ten minutes to deal with that. She seems concerned that if they "pull out" of the provinces, meaning I suppose not allow adoptions, the welfare of 72 children in the process of being adopted will be in question. Knowing that Henry was only fed enough milk to keep him alive until I coujld adopt him, I can't imagine what they would do with that many infants with no end in sight to their being kept at the orphanage and no guarantee of further aid coming from the agencies.

She also spoke about children being obtained in unusual and questionable ways. She said one adoption facilitator said he was walking through a cemetery in the middle of the night and just found several babies laying around abandoned. She also said some birth mothers who were tracked down in other cases had not been fully informed that their children were bound for international adoption. They were under the impression that they were being adopted nearby and would be available for visits in the coming years.

She was concerned about what I guess I would call "waiting children", and she said they don't always get adequate health care or their issues are not properly diagonesed and the adoptive parents aren't fully informed. She mentioned one child whose G&R had to be put off for two weeks while she was in intensive care. Another child actually died before the parents could get him home to the US.

This is just what I discussed with her during our short talk. She does seem very interested and concerned, not on any kind of witch hunt. I didn't get an idea that they wanted to close anything down--she was in fact concerned with keeping the troubled provinces open to adoption for the benefit of the children.

Overall it was a very pleasant conversation. We spoke about our travels throughout Vietnam and Cambodia. She seemed very genuine and proficient.