What a World We Live In!

I am sitting at the Honda dealership getting an oil change, wirelessly connected to the internet in the lobby, writing this blog about going to China to get my son in a week while my Blackberry is simultaneously accessing the latest news releases from the Olympics, which just happens to be the same place I am traveling to next week. Connectivity is a crazy thing. It allows me to do all the above but it also allows my employees to call me any time day or night with any problem – big or small. And believe me there’s plenty of both. I’ve gotten three calls in the last three days before 8am – no emergencies, just needed information. I don’t even speak to my wife before 8am, ever.

Anyhoo, we got some disappointing (but not devastating) news today from Mike, the adoption agency’s travel guy. Because of the murder of the American in Beijing this weekend, and the subsequent tension it has raised, they have cancelled the tour of Beijing we were supposed to have the first few days we get to China. This means no Great Wall, no Forbidden City, no Tiananmen Square and no Olympic Village or Birds Nest. I know the agency is just trying to protect us, but I am MAJORLY BUMMED at missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not only to tour Beijing (how many times does the average American get to China in their lifetime?) but to be in Beijing during the Olympics! Hopefully someday we will be back in China, either to allow Tyson to revisit his country of origin or (fingers crossed) for our second adoption. But we’ll never be there during the Olympics again. Very bummed. Maybe we can convince our guides to “swing by” the Birds Nest on our way to or from the airport so we can see the stadium with the cauldron still ablaze.

Don’t get me wrong. I know the real reason we are going to China is for Tyson, but ever since I found out we were going to be in Beijing during the Olympics I have been getting more excited about the short time we were going to be there. I had big plans for dancing on the Great Wall. So now, the game plan is for us to fly into Beijing on Friday night, stay in the hotel one night and fly off to Chongqing (Tyson’s home town) the following morning. Since we will be spending a few extra days in Chongqing, they are going to try to organize a fun tour of that city instead. The only problem is that Chongqing is sort of like the Cleveland of China (but without the Rock & Roll Hall of fame - and the Yangtze hasn't caught fire yet). Big, industrial, smoggy, lots of container ships going in and out of port, lots of cars, and more smog. The travel books and websites don’t have much to say about the city – which is amazing because they have something to say about every little place in China – except Chongqing. Very sad. I hope there is a zoo or historical landmark nearby to keep us snapping pictures.

But you know what picks me up? Aside from that AMAZING American win in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay? (And by the way, if you haven’t watched that race yet, go there now http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_hd_swb_hl_l0194 . Quite possibly the most amazing finish I have ever seen. Woohooo!) Ok, but what really picks me up is that we’ll be getting my boy soon, and an early trip to Chongqing may translate into seeing him even sooner. Keep that it your prayers, please.