First Day or G&R -3

The trip here was thankfully uneventful. We left our house at 4:30 Friday morning and arrived at our hotel on Saturday midnight. Something like 36 hours travel time but it passed fairly quickly. Japan Airlines was really good. The service was fantastic with lots of nice hot towels and beverages.
Today we withdrew 4.8 million dongs from the bank. I just like how that sounds.
The traffic here is non-stop. It's a symphony of horns and cyclo/moped engines 24 hours a day. It's surprising but very few people were walking. The mopeds/cyclos are 4 deep in one lane.
We just explored a bit around the hotel today. A lot of stores were closed since it's Sunday. There are a lot of banks and coffee shops - actually more banks than coffee shops. Also a lot of the small side street are themed. Like one street had all sporting good stores and another had 1/2 block of vegetarian restaurants. To picture the weather, it's like the hottest and muggiest day in August where a 2 hr leisurely walk leaves you drenched in sweat.
We're quite comfortable at the Somerset Chancellor Court. It's a very nice hotel. The pool is lovely and there's even a little children's play room and a swing in the court yard.
For dinner we went to a Zen macrobiotic place where one of the locals, an American who's lived here for some years ordered for us. We had pumpkin soup, brown rice with tofu and veggies and buckwheat noodles with tofu and veggies. The whole meal was $7, including tip. It was close to the Notre Dame cathedral and we could hear the choir singing during part of our meal. I hope all of the spiritual forces during our meal keep us healthy.
The Giving and Receiving ceremony is still scheduled for Wednesday. I have a serious case of monkey mind where a gazillion thoughts are just zooming through my head.


Street food. Looks delicious but did not eat here.

Baby Shower

Mmmmm Cake

On Monday I was given a baby shower at work. It was really magic. Everyone was so generous. We got many many outfits, books, toys even a jolly jumper and such warm hearted wishes.
Throughout this whole process everyone has been supportive, excited and genuinely happy for us. We have met wonderful people through the user group and TDH and our family and friends have opened their hearts to us.
Even though there's a lot of preparation for this trip and even a bit of stress in involved it's a very happy time. It's all good.

We booked our tickets and one bag is packed

We are leaving Fri May 29 for Ho Chi Minh City. A few days over 3 months from the date of the proposal. It will take 26 hours to get there. We're flying to Chicago, Tokyo and then HCMC with Japan Air. Apparanty the baggage allowance is two bags per person at 23 kg each. God bless them.
The Giving and Receiving ceremony date is set for June 3. This is the day we make the 4 hour trip to the orphanage at Tra Vinh to meet our son and legally adopt him. What a day that will be.

Hoang Xuan's birth mother

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We received some documents from our agency, TDH last week. Among them was a form called Consent for Giving Up A Child. It names his birth mother. She is 28 years old. Her occupation is casual labour. Her circumstances are "My situation is very difficult and poor. I am unable to care for my child. It is an illegitimate child. I am never married". She signed the document with a fingerprint.
I am thinking about her a lot these days. What a heartbreaking situation. I know she did her best for him while she was carrying him. He was born at the Tra Vinh General Hospital. He's a healthy boy. I'm sure she loves him.
I wish her all the best. She gave me her child.