...We started the day at the Great Wall of China.
I didn't realize we were color coded until I uploaded the pictures later.
And we ended our long day with a visit to the "Bird's Nest" home of the 2008 Olympics and a walk to dinner. My regret from that day is that we did not order the Peking duck at the restaurant. We were tired and not feeling adventerous, but we never did get another chance to try it on our trip.
Today we are going to a lunch event to watch the movie Stuck. Our local friend with whom we traveled is hosting it to raise awareness of the needs of children stuck in the sytem and to raise funds for their family's adoption of a little boy in Uganda. I am looking forward to seeing our friend and supporting them. I'm not really looking forward to watching the film with a whole bunch of strangers. I don't know enough about the film to judge it on my own, but I have heard it is pretty emotional. Who wants to cry in public? And while I believe there are children who need families stuck without one because of beauracy, I am also not sure what can or needs to be change. For some children that beauracy is the only thing protecting them from unethical, immoral, heart-wrenching adoption practices.
 |
| May 7th, 2012 |
A little over 9 months ago a beautiful baby girl was placed into our arms. She cried very little, but she was so very sad.
 |
| May 7th, 2012 |
But she is a determined little girl, and early on it was clear she was determined to enjoy life.
 |
| June 12, 2012 |
Even when life was confusing and scary, when life was a constant adjustment to new time zones and food and atmosphere, she had many moments of shining bright with happiness, play, and sheer enjoyment of everything new. Those are the pictures we posted.
 |
| July 26, 2012 |
But slowly we found a routine and her personality started showing through more and more often. Not usually out in public, but at home we got to see the curious, happy little girl who had charmed her Nanny.
 |
| August 20, 2012 |
Summer was a great time for her and our family. We all got to spend a lot of time together doing three of the things she seems to love most: eating, exploring, and being outside. We all loved her and she seemed pleased to be with us together, and slowly we got to see her relax a little more and start to love us.
But September was a little rough with the boys back in school, Daddy at work full time, and home alone with Mommy and Sunflower. Teething probably also contributed to the sleepless nights and nighttime screaming fits. So Sunflower started preschool which gave our days back a little more routine and Sweet Pea Mommy and me time.
 |
| October 2, 2012 |
And Sweet Pea's personality started shining for more people. "Wow! She has so much personality! She's so happy!" became a common phrase. (People actually always said, "such a happy baby" and I would look at them in confusion. Couldn't they see the sadness in her eyes? Didn't they know there was more to being a happy baby than not crying in public? But I could never really disagree, because well, she was/is a happy baby. I just knew there was more joy in her than she was showing at times.)
 |
| November 7, 2012 |
By November we felt like we knew this precious little toddler in our care. Others could also see her amazing zest for life and fun. Her laughter rang out even more often and loudly irresistible to resist laughing back.
 |
| December 13, 2012 |
And some might think transition is complete. Certainly in some ways the major hurdle is passed. She has accepted us as her family. This is now her new normal and she sees it as good. Oh sure, we see some sadness when she is told no or others want to hold her or she doesn't get her way. But that is good. She is not resigned or shut down; her laughter couldn't be as loud and full without her ever feeling the flipside of the emotion.
 |
| January 25, 2013 |
And now when I look through her pictures it is harder to find one where she is sad than one where she is happy. Those first few months I was looking for that one happy shot so people could see who we saw at home and at peace. Oh, she is still very serious at her play; like a little scientist experimenting with how toys, her world, everything works. But when she is interacting with people, especially her family, the timidity and fear are gone. She is one-hundred percent joy and delight.
 |
| February 4, 2013 |
But today we reach another hurdle, another milestone. For us it is a time to celebrate and for her it is a day of routine...meal, play, nap. But someday for her maybe it is a day of sadness. The day she was ours for as long as the time she lived with her Nanny. From this point forward the new normal of being of Chinese ancestry who is an American citizen with a white family will only become more and more normal. It is what it is for better or for worse.
There will be many points in her life as she grows older where her losses will need to be grieved, where her mind will comprehend a little more of what adoption means. Points where she tells us the gain of one thing (us) can not take away the pain of what she has lost (culture, language, first family). There will probably be a point where she wonders about her Nanny and her first family and we won't have the answers. Today she does not have those worries, but today she is one step further away from the answers she did have.
 |
| May 10, 2012 |
So we celebrate how far she has come and rejoice daily at her presence in our life for it is a huge blessing and joy. And we do our best to retain what we can of her past: 4000 pictures from China, everything her SWI and Province gave her, including facts of her personal story, and what we do know of her.
I know that in China she learned to love animals. She points out every dog and cat with glee (I never worry about her eyesight because sometimes those animals are very, very hard for me to see). Even from the start she would whip her head around at the sound of a dog and smile large.
She came to us with the ability to make motorcycle/electric scooter noises. I wasn't sure it meant she'd been on one, but over time I have become positive. The pictures show she visited the SWI with her Nanny on a scooter (probably riding on the back of her Nanny in a baby carrier) and she absolutely loves wind on her face.
 |
| November 5, 2012 |
And there is more that I ponder and keep close for her. Because while it is her story to do with as she wills, right now while she is little, it is my duty to preserve it for her as best as I can and those 9 months and few days* she spent in China are an important part of her.
And I can spend a few hours grieving what she is not yet capable of grieving, because I am her mom. I will have years of that laugh and giggle and run attack hug. We will do everything we can to give her the best of us and make a great life for her because she has already given us the best of her by trusting us.
* I also believe the 9 months and few days she spent being formed in her mother's tummy are significant but happy 33.333/33.333/33.333 day just doesn't have the same ring to it.
A year ago today, we got the call that China had matched us with a child. I still remember the excitement, the writing the notes down on a confidential piece of paper that I wasn't supposed to use for notes, and spending the day on the phone and e-mail telling the world.
 |
| Sweet Pea, June 2012 |
We were excited, but nothing really prepared us for the amazing, fun little girl that she is.
Happy Referral Day, Sweet Pea!
Nobody should adopt that doesn't actively want to be a parent and add a child to their family. After all being a parent makes you very aware of how selfish you are...for some that makes them less selfish. For me, it means I have to confess more often.
So that is what I tell myself. I don't want a fifth child. Our family is just about perfect. Why mess with it? But I do want to adopt again. Maybe. Someday. But definitely not right now.
If we adopted again it would be through China's waiting child program, not the program we adopted Sweet Pea through. I'm open to foster care here in the US, but Oak says for him it is China.
But, no. Not now. Possibly not ever. My husband has always wanted 9 or 10 kids. We compromised at 4 when we got married. Somedays we wonder at that 4.
So what is my point? Ummm, I don't think you should adopt to rescue a child, but there are children who need families. And I believe there are families and people who need children.*
And my internet friend has put together a list of lists of the children who are waiting in China. These are children who have already been separated from their original families. Some with medical needs that need more care than an orphanage...or children's welfare institute in China...can provide. All whose largest need is for a family to call their own.
Click on the button below or on my sidebar to see those lists.
If you dare. Because children are a lot of work, but once you fall in love with one, the rewards outnumber every dirty diaper no matter how selfish you think you are.
*I realize this oversimplifies the complications involved in pursuing adoption such as the uncertainty, the agonizing wait, the potential for corruption in the process, the abysmal reasons for the need in the first place, etc. etc. but at the same time, it does all boil down to this, too.
1. On the same day you and your husband come home at the same time with a combined 10 new pacifiers (mine were free at MOPS.)
2. You move your 4 year old INTO your room so you can respond to the baby's cries just a little bit slower. (Often she self-soothes back to sleep in about a minute or two, but we weren't even letting her try because we didn't want her to wake Sunflower.)
3. You consider lying on the couch with Sunflower while she watches television and Sweet Pea is sleeping, even as Sunflower rolls and kicks the whole time, a wonderful nap.
4. Your main only goal for a day is to make sure you remember to get your children from their various schools on time.
5. You start to hate people just for their sheer awesomeness. Your response to frazzled moms who have lost sleep for a few days from teething is not sympathy but an internal rant that includes the phrases "stop whining" and "tell me about it when its been four months."
6. When swear words enter your internal...and occassionally external...dialogue.
7. When you know God wants you to turn to Him for help but you forget to even pray about it...except to say, but "God, the Bible says you grant sleep to those you love. Why don't you love us?"
I really am just trying to be funny, but yes these all did happen in the last week. I can't tell you how in public, out loud, around my children, I said, "we can make our own d**n scones" when the line at the fair was just too long. But let's just say that shows me I'm out of reserves. How long my husband has been without reserves...well, let's not go there.
It is only the last few weeks that the sleep issues have become such a problem. Her bad sleep habits going from bad to worse, Oak going back to work full-time with no flexibility until the semester is in full swing with all the computers functioning, everyone having to get up for school...those combined to put us on the edge and having to find a solution.
But there is the rub. What is the solution? We've spent the last 4 months teaching her that crying for us...instead of a demanding screech...would get her needs met by us. But what are her needs in the middle of the night. Is she grieving, in pain, hungry, or just wants to get up and play? How to know and how to help her? We've tried letting her sleep with us, but she is even more restless. We've tried rocking her, but she just arches her back and screams until she is back in bed. So now we are trying leaving her alone for just a little bit longer. Making it just a tad bit harder for her to wake us up. Is that the right thing to do? I don't know. But we need sleep. She needs a family that is functioning.
So now you know a little more than your probably needed by what I mean when I mentioned sleep issues these last few months. I am seeking God for guidance. Many of my friends are praying for us.
And so I want to end with this. God is good. He has strengthened us many a day when I thought I would not be able to function, stay awake or hold my temper. We have had some really fabulous time as a family. Sunflower is basically back to herself though still trying to negotiate a better relationship with Sweet Pea. The boys have pitched in with chores keeping us ahead...or at least not horribly behind...on house work. And He has given us* Sweet Pea. We are immeasurably blessed by her presence in our lives. She is doing wonderfully, wonderfully well (aside from those pesky sleep issues) and our family cannot imagine life without her.
*Please don't take this to mean I believe God knit together Sweet Pea in her first mother's womb just so we could have her in our family; but I do believe He took her bad circumstances and our painful desire to bring good to both of us. It would be impossible for me to view Sweet Pea as anything other than an amazing blessing of God in my life.
Today was a really long day. Really long. This does not bode well for our flights home Wednesday. Don't get me wrong, Sweet Pea did amazingly well for a baby leaving her home Province and out all day, but Mama reached the end of her rope. Somehow we didn't get lunch, an early dinner of noodles was good, but my room service fried noodles are too spicy. Oak says I'm cranky...but then I think we all are...except Sweet Pea.
We started with packing to go, but since Sweet Pea wouldn't be happy if I put her down or passed her off Oak had to do it all. We also talked to the kids back home on Facetime. My sister is now staying with them. It is great to see them, but I'd love to give them some kisses and hugs. (Sunflower does kiss the camera on the computer...but that isn't quite the same thing.)
Then we had breakfast at the Chinese side of the hotel. Our guide had said we could pick either place and the Chinese buffet was open until 11:00 a.m. but for a moment we were panicked. They said no buffet is this way, but it is closed (at 10:00 a.m.) but once we convinced them we WANTED to eat at the Breakfast Tea Hong Kong Style all was good...and the food was great. The food at the Galactic Peace has all been excellent. Huckleberry got to try quite a few different things...most of which we don't know what they are called...like a tea flavored tofu?
Then we went to check-out and wait for our guide. While waiting we used the free lobby wi-fi to facetime the kids again. We knew Auntie J would be visiting with my sister and the kids and might like to see her new niece. We were right...she did.
Then the long part of the day. We decided to check the Ergo...and I don't think it would have necessarily helped, but hard airport chairs and walking between terminals are not the best place to sit for two hours holding a wiggly baby. I finally went to change Sweet Pea's diaper and found a waiting room for mom's with small children. It had couches and was quiet so Sweet Pea and I had a pleasant half hour there...until she needed a new diaper. Which we changed in a rush as our plane started loading...oh wait, the bus to our plane started loading. It was very difficult to hold onto a bus rail and a baby who decided to go from a little fussy to all out screaming. I didn't blame her. I would have cried if I could. But out came the magic cheerios and all survived.
Really it was just little moments of more intense crying and arching her back than we've seen all week, but it is only reasonable and we were asking a lot of her. The confined places and stuffy heat was getting to all of us. She always settled quickly...as long as Mama held her. She even slept through descent once she was relaxed enough to sleep. But we had an hour delay AFTER we got on the plane and it was another 30-45 minutes on the bus to the hotel.
But then we ate some noodles, got something to drink, gave her a fresh bottle, and she was the happiest we've seen her yet. One of us only had to be within 6 inches for her to play with toy after toy and giggle and laugh. Then we went down to the pool. Oak and Huckleberry went in with her while I watched by the side (I wanted to be ready to take her for bed as soon as she seemed fussy.) She loved it...splash, splash, splash. Finally we got out just because the rest of us were tired.
Now she is quietly sleeping. She let me get her dressed from her suit into her jammies with hardly a peep (this is progress because changing is usually a little difficult.) She ate her bottle...after Daddy came up and remade it...Mama didn't do it quite right...and fell asleep. She really is a dream. Now I just have to make sure I eat often enough and somehow get a back brace, and we should make it through the rest of this trip just fine.
A good night's sleep is probably the first place to start. I've heard the beds at the China Hotel Marriott are actually soft...
We are very glad we were allowed to visit the SWI. The road to Yugan is now a very nice paved highway, so it only took us about an hour and a half to get there. We left at 8:00 a.m and were back in Nanchang before noon. In addition we'd gotten a little lost in Yugan so the assistant director of the SWI met us and directed us to the gate.
As soon as we got there Sweet Pea's Ayi swooped her away...and I swooped after her. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go every where, but I was following my baby no matter where she went. Maybe I shouldn't have let her hold her, I'm not sure what attachment therapy would say, and Sweet Pea actually didn't seem all that pleased with it, but she wasn't crying and I knew I had forever with Sweet Pea and this woman did not. She clearly loved her. All through the hour we were there she would randomly tear up causing me to tear up and Sweet Pea to look at both of us with curiosity.
The first place the Nanny took Sweet Pea was the kitchen. She pulled out some steamed buns and was about to feed her. But my guide and the assistant director told her she'd already eaten and we all moved to the director's office. They gave us each a bottle of water, though I was the only one that took mine and drank it.
We sat awkwardly staring at each other on very nice couches. The SWI is under renovations and apparently the couches were the first thing. Then I asked about seeing my friend's daughter and the room of another baby who had already gone home. After much discussion I did not understand the answer was yes.
By then Sweet Pea was starting to fuss a little (still in her Ayi's arms.) They asked me if she was tired or hungry. I said, probably both. Since we were out of rice cereal and she hasn't been terribly fond of the bottles we've given her...she's drunk just barely enough really in this heat...I asked if the Nanny could show me how she prepared a bottle and away she went. Up to flights of stairs to what I presumed was the Nanny's room and Sweet Pea's old room. (I was wrong.)
There was 4 little cribs, 4 baskets with babies in them, a full adult bed, and a little sink/bathroom area. The Nanny rinsed out Sweet Pea's old bottle and made up a bottle the consistency of paste as had been described before. At this point my guide and the assistant director of the SWI, Oak and Huckleberry had caught up so we continued down the hall to visit my friend's baby's bed. Then we moved on to visit my other friend's baby. It is possible that at this point all the Nannies in the building were following us...not really, but there were a lot of women around.
And I took a lot, a lot of pictures. Then I realized I had not taken very many pictures of the room I thought was Sweet Pea's so I asked to go back. At that point my guide looked at me blankly. Then she said, "Did you not know that Sweet Pea did not live here? She lived in her Ayi's home...like foster care."
So I don't know whose room we went to make up the bottle in, but I have pictures of the 4 cute babies living in it.
While taking pictures of my friend's baby, the Ayi fed Sweet Pea her bottle. She asked if she could cut the nipple so the paste would flow better. We said sure, but once she did it all the other ladies said, no, too much and made her swap to a different not cut nipple. So while we have the bottle they gave us with her, we now have a different nipple top. Perhaps not an important distinction, but a detail I want to have right for her later in life.
When Sweet Pea had mostly completed the bottle, the Nanny handed her to Huckleberry. Sweet Pea did not like that and started to cry in earnest, so I took her back and kept her from then on out. She seems to have a marked preference to be held by me now which I think is a great step on the road to attachment. My back does wish I'd strengthened my muscles by lifting 20 pound bowling balls, though. She is so short and wide there is no good way to distribute her weight. Even the Ergo can't quite do it.
Anyway, a few more good-byes and some tears and our guide thanking the Nanny for us and handing her some money, we got back into the van with the Assistant Director. (We also met the director of the SWI, but I confess I was mostly just watching my baby like a hawk or taking photos.) Sweet Pea fell asleep almost immediately so I was able to transfer her to Oak and take pictures myself at her finding spot. Then we dropped the Assistant Director back at the SWI and went back to Nanchang. Apparently we were supposed to have lunch with them, but because of the construction they told our guide to take us out in Nanchang and send them the bill...which she did. It was an excellent meal.
So those were the details of the day. I'll share the details of the SWI and the countryside when I have time to sort through the pictures. Most of the emotions of the day are for Sweet Pea. But I will say, it went really well, we are glad we went (if for no other reason than just to learn that she was in foster care), and while Sweet Pea slept all the way back to Nanchang, this afternoon she was very happy and playful...if a little more attached/clingy to me. All together it was a positive experience. We are all glad we went.
Okay, I'll admit, the paved road and air conditioned mini-van nicer than mine at home helped make it good, too.
Thursday morning in China we leave at 8:00 a.m. to visit the SWI (Social Welfare Institute) that Sweet Pea has been living in for the last 9 months. I've seen pictures, but I really don't know what to expect...in terms of what it will look like, how it will impact us all emotionally (including Sweet Pea), how much we will be allowed to see or photograph, and who we be able to meet.
We will also be able to visit where she was found and take pictures. Just thinking about that makes me emotional. 9 months ago we were camping in the mountains while our baby girl was being separated from her first family. That is sad all around.
Now I don't think Sweet Pea realizes it is sad yet. She is a crazy happy baby. She and I just spent the last hour giggling at each other until she was ready for sleep. (The guys were downstairs using the cool pool.)
But I don't think she could be this happy and playful without a lot of loving care given her at the SWI. I think we can also assume they gave her a lot of food. Whatever bits of that we'll get to witness tomorrow will be something to treasure forever. Not everyone is given this opportunity. I feel very blessed that we have been honored in this way...
...if a little nervous about an "at least a 2 hour" drive, a visit to her finding spot, and the SWI, and whatever emotions it triggers in our hearts, most of all in the heart of my newest tender baby.
Oh my feet! We had an excellent day, but 3 days of walking is enough for me. Good thing tomorrow is fly, then meet our daughter (in the hotel), then take it slow as we get to know each other. I know I should be anxious or excited or a whole mix of things, but mostly I just feel peace. Finally she will be in our arms. How ever it all plays out doesn't matter; there are too many possible scenarios to guess and worry about, so why bother. We will find our stride in time. I am just so happy and content to be finally at the start of our journey together. I may play a different tune tomorrow, but today I feel more peace and contentment about our daughter than I've felt this whole, long process. While I believe we are Plan B, C, or even D for our daughter, I feel complete confidence that we are the perfect Plan D for each other (hmmm, she is plan A for us...but hopefully you understand what I mean without all the appropriate caveats).
So no profound blog post...and no energy to do my photos from today justice. So you get one photo and a quick run down of our day. (This is mostly for my good friend in Colorado and for helping me remember.)
Tienanmen Square first, then a walk through the Forbidden City. We must have been moving pretty slow because towards the end he really rushed us through the Royal Garden...which is where I would have loved to have spent the whole time.
Poor Oak was a little anxious when I would lag behind taking pictures, but I always had someone from the group in my sight...even if I did have to run to keep up occasionally. It wasn't too risky since everyone in the city was going the same direction.
Then we took a Hutong Tour. I had to google that before I came, but I know the rest of you know what that is. No? Well, we rode in rickshaws around the old part of Beijing and stopped at one person's home. Our guide was named "Potato," but he told us we could call him "Spud" if we like. At some point I will post pictures of the home, it was very interesting. Oak purchased a painting of the Chinese characters of Sweet Pea's Chinese name. It was fascinating to watch and Huckleberry said it was the coolest thing he had seen in China. I guess Tienanmen Square didn't make much of an impression.
Then we went to a Chinese restaurant (not on our agency map, but arranged by our guide) and had the best meal we'd had so far. It even included a tomato and egg dish I remembered from my last trip to Beijing 15 years ago. It still tasted just as delicious. I had our guide write the name down in Chinese so we can order it in Nanchang. So excited about that! Sure we want to experiment and explore, but I also want to fill up.
We got back to the hotel and we planned, just Oak, Huckleberry and I, to go to the Summer Palace. Our guide wrote down the name so we could take a taxi. It would be about an hour ride. However, when we went downstairs the hotel staff said the Summer Palace closed at 5 and we might not make it in time. So after a few pointing at map and time questions we ended up taking a taxi to the Temple of Heaven. We had an awesome time. However, while when we got there some of the main attractions in the park were open, by the time we'd explored and decided which part to pay more to see (Oak and Huckleberry didn't want to walk through EVERYTHING, and I can't say I blamed them) the attractions, like the actual Temple were closed. It was okay, though. The grounds were beautiful and we saw several different musical performances. Plus it was a real joy to be able to stop and take pictures on my own timing! Looking forward to Nanchang for that reason, too...though the real reason for going outweighs that by a long shot!
So I should...and will...tell you about how we got back to the hotel, but lets just say it was a grand adventure and we did make it by 8:00 p.m. Now we are finishing packing...very quickly...and then off to sleep. We meet our travel group at 4:30 a.m. (yes, China time) in order to fly to Jiangxi Province! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!
Okay, I'll admit it. I am completely exhausted. I don't think it is jetlag so much as I climbed this today.
Though I declined the invitation to go further after awhile, Oak and Huckleberry went on for a little bit longer.
But before we went to the Great Wall of China we had breakfast and facetimed with the kids back home (where the first question they asked was "where is baby sister?" and the second statement was "we went to the MALL today!" Then we went to a Cloisonne factory. It was fascinating to see how it was made and there was some really beautiful things...none of which we purchased.
Then we went to the Great Wall of China. Personally I was hoping for the section of the wall that has the sky lift and toboggan, but no this part required all leg power. I am pretty sure it is different from the part I had visited before, so that was nice. It really is an impressive wonder. We chose to climb the "steeper but less popular side." Since we made it back safe, I am glad we were able to avoid crowds.
Though the popular side didn't look all that more gentle! But one man from our travel group did go up both for a ways and agreed with the description.
We were pretty hot and tired by the end, so we bought some drinks and Huckleberry picked out his postcards and we sat for a little bit with others waiting for the time to load the air conditioned bus.
Then we went to a Jade Store to have lunch. The food was very good, the information about Jade was very interesting, and everything was very pretty. Again no purchase.
Now at this point I was so ready to go back to the hotel, but we had one more stop to make. It was nice to visit the home of the 2008 Olympics, but I think I would have been equally as happy creating this photo in Photoshop.
It might actually have turned out a better photograph that way...
Then we had one more 1/2 hour to get back to the hotel. Some of these roads and buildings are starting to seem familiar.
It is so very different from the Beijing I visited 15 years ago. Maybe because the area is different or maybe because it has just changed that much.
Our guide filled us in on a lot of Chinese history ancient and current as we traveled around in our bus today. Often he started a phrase when talking about current culture with 10-15 years ago it was very different. He has also taught us 6 Chinese words. We get two more words tomorrow.
Finally we were back at the hotel. It was only a little after 5 and we wanted dinner. We checked out the Chinese restaurant in the hotel but decided to take the walk to the other restaurant we'd already been to (similar menu at half the prices...) It turned out fine and great, but I was not sure we would be able to cross the street. The street light was broken AND the local flea market was just ending so there were people, cars, buses, bikes, and even dogs everywhere. On the way back it seemed empty in comparison.
But we made it across eventually, had a tasty dinner of snow peas, stone pot chicken, steamed rice, and the dumplings we liked before. Our tea was bitter fairly quickly, but we enjoyed trying out one more flavor.
Then we stopped at the grocery to get a few more cokes, some chips and cookies, and laundry soap and headed back to our room. Oak and Huckleberry went swimming and I looked at my pictures from the day. Now it is 9:00 p.m. and we are about to turn in. Tomorrow we tour until 2:00 p.m. with our agency and if we can sustain any energy I'm still hoping to squeeze in the Summer Palace in the late afternoon. But we'll see. It is more important we feel rested and healthy when we meet our new daughter the day after tomorrow!!!!!!
I didn't realize we were color coded until I uploaded the pictures later. 
And we ended our long day with a visit to the "Bird's Nest" home of the 2008 Olympics and a walk to dinner. My regret from that day is that we did not order the Peking duck at the restaurant. We were tired and not feeling adventerous, but we never did get another chance to try it on our trip.
