Latest word plucked off the grapevine is that the latest batch of referrals has been processed, and it includes dossiers from waiting parents with LIDs (log-in dates) through the end of May.

There's been speculation about this for a week or so, but it's now being confirmed by some agencies. The CCAA folks have processed a batch of referrals that's not six weeks' worth, not a month's worth, but just about a week's worth of dossiers. In other words, the wait is streeeetching out.

On the other hand, the latest this humble typist has heard of the labyrinthine workings of the CCAA Matching Room indicates that they don't care about dates, they care about numbers -- working... more

I was up late last night wrestling with glossy photo paper and HP imaging software trying to print up photos for an album. It occurred to me about halfway through the project that I should be doing this for myself someday, and for my progeny, who might appreciate having an actual book with pages in it as opposed to an imaginary folder inside a virtual directory contained in a laptop that will no doubt be considered a quaint antique by the time the aforementioned progeny are old enough to be curious about such things.

I remember leafing through photo albums with... more

As you, gentle reader, should be able to tell, this humble typist is getting excited about the prospect of going back to China.

It was an interesting day today in Chinese travel news. For one thing, China announced the bullet train is coming to Lhasa. What does that mean? It means you can step into a train car in Beijing and, 48 hours later, step off in Tibet. That's sort of like going from Washington, D.C. to Juneau, Alaska in two days. (My favorite part of that Xinhua report is the last paragraph:

As for the so-called 'ecological disaster' that some foreign media reports have played up, Puncog... more

This is the hyperlinked version of a letter I just sent a possible traveling companion.

Thus far, it looks like my upcoming itinerary will run something like this:

Day 1-2: Depart West Coast US, land in Hong Kong two days later (crossing the date line). Day 3: Spend a night in Hong Kong being bleary and wiggy. Next day, wander around a bit. Day 4: Pop over to ... more

First, My Attentive Spouse points out that, regarding the prior rumor-mongering, 1. the TAs are somewhat more independent of the Consulate appointment (they're issued by the CCAA, who send them to the American agency, who then fax them to the U.S. Consulate to set up the appointment) and 2. the Consulate has finished moving off Shamian Island. I had a vague memory this was taking place, but sort of lost track. I think they're still just across the Pearl River.

She also notes that during the April Trade Fair, it's not unheard of for adopting families to stay "out in the burbs" (whatever that means in relation to Guangzhou). And that she looked up rates at the Victory Hotel. Normally... more

A short note that brings thoughts of Shamian Island and my family's relationship to it: The rumor mill has it that some Travel Approval letters have already been mailed and may be arriving today or tomorrow. We believe this means they contain Consulate Appointments scheduled before -- or during -- the April Trade Fair: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org/april_trade_fair_notice.html

The Consulate is on Shamian Island; this is (so I hear) also where most of the delegates (? vendors?... more

Brian Stuy (he of the occasionally contentious Research China) has apparently made it possible for adoptive parents to call home cheap from Guangzhou.

I think it involves some of this fancy VOIP stuff -- Voice Over Internet Protocol, using the net to carry your voice for way way cheaper than the phone lines we're used to using.

Here's the letter that's been doing the online rounds (with some additional links from yours truly to help explain stuff):

I wanted to let all of your soon-to-be-travelers that two stores on Shamian... more

Undisclosed sources reveal an untold story: whispers abound in the proverbial grapevine of a second flight departing from the CCAA laden with referral folders. This bird is slated for takeoff sometime next week, possibly as early as Wednesday. These folders could be replacements for the ones that were lost (and now, as far as we know, are mostly found).

Or it could be that because they were sending those, the Matching Room Mystics decided to send along a few other new files that happened to already have been touched by the Magic Stapler.... more

Here's a video of an Oprah spot on China Care, an organization started by a former American exchange student to China dedicated to helping out hard-to-place kids and raising money for orphanages in rural areas.

This translates into getting surgeons to fix cleft palates, heart ailments, spinal tumors, you name it, as well as sending some money to some pretty poor places.

The video's got the patented Oprah emotional manipulations -- lots of footage of orphanages with that droning violin pad sound and the single-handed high-note piano (think... more

Latest referral rumors:

Of the batch of 60-something referrals that were misplaced somewhere between the CCAA office in China and the adoption agencies (and eagerly waiting parents-to-be) here in the United States, the courier service found 38 files in a warehouse in Ohio. Apparently, a box containing two plastic packages had burst open, and one of the packages tumbled out. Or maybe a disgruntled courier employee was trying to outdo Ricky Jay's card-throwing skills and practicing with large manila folders to master a new level of awesome ability. It's hard to tell at this point.

This gives... more