James Lie: More pics! And we have our certificate!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

More pics! And we have our certificate!

We got our adoption certificate. Lisa, above, worked very very hard to make it happen. The paperwork must be perfect and they had some issues with the MC of our last name. It's all ok now.

The rest of today was fairly low key. We stuck to the hotel. James is very very attached to Joe and cries when he sees him go out of the room. However, he is settling at times. We played a lot in the hotel room. We did go out for a walk. That was nice and we did have dinner with Lisa. She's our most awesome adoption guide.

Now for some food pics as promised!

Spicy Dry Fried Green Beans. Joseph ate this dish at another restaurant but didn't like it tonight. I have to say I agree, they were slightly less fiery at the other place and thus better for us.

Looks kind of funky eh? Kind of like Andrew Zimmerman's show? Well this dish ROCKED. Lisa picked it of course. It's Sichuan fish of some kind in a really wonderful spicy broth with greens. This one hit the back of my throat and I started sneezing.

Some kind of cooked pumpkin with sticky rice. This was sweet and James and I both really liked it.

Sichuan spicy noodle with meat. It was good and spicy!

James Lie Lie and Joseph

The view from our hotel, very hazy today.

Part of our hotel room. We have a two room suite, it's been useful.

We are hoping to go out and about tomorrow with Lisa our guide. She has plans to go to a leather jacket factory, a park and dinner with a good friend. We are most excited for the latter and our keeping our fingers crossed it all works out.

We miss everyone in Philly. And finally last but not least -- GO PHILLIES!!!!

Love, Kelly Joe and Joseph

7 comments:

Unknown said...: This has been the most excellent adventure!; October 16, 2008 at 10:35 AM
MicPhilly said...: I will tell you that I would of tried the Green Bean dish instead of the fish one! lolol

Yes, PHILLIES! Rock! Tell it to the entire world!

I love the pictures.; October 16, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Erin said...: Love the video and he's such a cutie. Keep them coming. Do you head to Guangzho soon?

I know you know this already, but the Phillies are going to the World Series!!! We're all very excited here.; October 16, 2008 at 10:42 PM
JABster said...: Great pics. It looks like everything is going swimmingly. It will be really fun to get all these kids together in Guangzhou, even if only for a dinner!; October 17, 2008 at 3:02 AM
Christina said...: Yea!!! Congratulations on getting the certificate!!! Love the video of Joseph and James! Love, Chrissy; October 17, 2008 at 9:25 AM
JQ72 said...: Congratulations on getting the certificate! :):) The pix are awesome, and both your sons are GORGEOUS! The food looks yummy! :)
Kevin and I are sending big hugs and all of our love to the whole McLaughlin Family - Kelly, Joe, Joseph, James, Hannah and Seamus :); October 17, 2008 at 12:51 PM
Unknown said...: Hello - it's been more than a whole day.

We need updates!!!; October 17, 2008 at 3:03 PM

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About Chengdu

Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province, the most populous province in China (map). Sichuan means “Four Rivers,” referring to four of the more than 80 mighty rivers spilling across the province. There is much diversity in the Sichuan landscape - the east supports one of the densest rural populations in the world, the west rises in giant steps to the Tibetan plateau where green tea shifts to the Tibetan staple po cha (butter tea) and Confucianism shifts to Buddhism. In fact, Chengdu provides the main inland city access to Tibet.The remote mountains of Sichuan, bordering Gansu and Qinghai provinces, are the natural habitat of the giant panda, the shy animal that has become synonymous with China. Visitors gravitate to the Panda Breeding and Research Center located in Chengdu, which houses the world's only giant panda breeding and research center.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (35-330 AD), the imperial court appointed an official to supervise the fast-growing brocade industry in Chengdu, which was then known as Jincheng, or Brocade Town. When it was discovered that the brocade turned brighter and fresher after being washed in a nearby river, the river was given the name Jin Jiang, or Brocade River.

Since ancient times, Chengu, which is surrounded by mountains in all directions, has tried to reach out to the outside world. As early as the third century, Chengdu had already opened the famous Southern Silk Road that started in the city and continued to the ocean. The earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed in Chengdu.

During the Five Dynasties era (907-960 A. D.), Chengdu was for a time the capital of China, and hibiscus was planted all along the city wall. Because of this, Chengdu became known as the City of Furong or Hibiscus. Today, flowers and trees grace the wide streets and the city’s many parks.
Agriculture and light industry are the mainstays of the region and brocade is still manufactured along with other textiles and handicrafts.

An old adage says China is the place for food, but Sichuan is the place for flavor. In Chengdu, visits can enjoy delectable Sichuan (often spelled Szechuan in the west) cuisine, the hot and spicy food known all over the world. Common preparation techniques in Szechuan cuisine include stir frying, steaming and braising, but a complete list would include more than 20 distinct techniques.

Sichuan pepper and chili pepper are some of the ingredients in two of the region’s signature dishes: MaPo DoFu, which is a spicy tofu with a meat sauce; and Gong Bao JiDing (known in the west as Kung Pao chicken) named after a Qing dynasty government official named Ding Baozhen who is said to have particularly enjoyed it. There are many conflicting stories about why Ding Baozhen favored the dish, including one that claims that a chef invented the finely chopped dish because Baozhen had bad teeth.

In Chengdu, chili is as common at mealtime as rice is across the rest of China. So is Sichuan pepper, known in Chinese as huājiāo (花椒; literally "flower pepper.”) Despite its name, Sichuan pepper is not related to black pepper or chili peppers; it is the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum.

Although many dishes live up to their spicy reputation, Sichuan cuisine also includes recipes that use little or no hot spices, including Tea Smoked Duck.

Despite its fiery cuisine, Sichuan is one of the most laid-back regions of China, where entire village populations lull about in teahouses, playing mahjong and gossiping. There is a saying that holds that the tea houses of Sichuan rank first in the world, while those in Chengdu rank first in Sichuan. Even in busy Chengdu, locals find time to shop, cook, eat, and spend hours relaxing and socializing in teahouses.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

More pics! And we have our certificate!

7 comments:

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