Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Classic Onion Satire
Some great stories from The Onion
Patrick
Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress
November 5, 2008 | Issue 44•45
WASHINGTON—After emerging victorious from one of the most pivotal elections in history, president-elect Barack Obama will assume the role of commander in chief on Jan. 20, shattering a racial barrier the United States is, at long last, shitty enough to overcome.
Although polls going into the final weeks of October showed Sen. Obama in the lead, it remained unclear whether the failing economy, dilapidated housing market, crumbling national infrastructure, health care crisis, energy crisis, and five-year-long disastrous war in Iraq had made the nation crappy enough to rise above 300 years of racial prejudice and make lasting change.
"Today the American people have made their voices heard, and they have said, 'Things are finally as terrible as we're willing to tolerate," said Obama, addressing a crowd of unemployed, uninsured, and debt-ridden supporters. "To elect a black man, in this country, and at this time—these last eight years must have really broken you."
more at:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_finally_shitty_enough_to
Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job
November 5, 2008 | Issue 44•45
WASHINGTON—African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/black_man_given_nations
From 2001. Let's hope these days are over:
Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'
January 17, 2001 | Issue 37•01
WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."
President-elect Bush vows that "together, we can put the triumphs of the recent past behind us."
"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."
Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.
During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.
"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"
On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.
Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell.
Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: "That's hardly my area of expertise."
Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge's coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has "extensive experience" fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.
Bush had equally high praise for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft, whom he praised as "a tireless champion in the battle to protect a woman's right to give birth."
"Soon, with John Ashcroft's help, we will move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened time when a woman will be free to think long and hard before trying to fight her way past throngs of protesters blocking her entrance to an abortion clinic," Bush said. "We as a nation can look forward to lots and lots of babies."
Soldiers at Ft. Bragg march lockstep in preparation for America's return to aggression.
Continued Bush: "John Ashcroft will be invaluable in healing the terrible wedge President Clinton drove between church and state."
The speech was met with overwhelming approval from Republican leaders.
"Finally, the horrific misrule of the Democrats has been brought to a close," House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert (R-IL) told reporters. "Under Bush, we can all look forward to military aggression, deregulation of dangerous, greedy industries, and the defunding of vital domestic social-service programs upon which millions depend. Mercifully, we can now say goodbye to the awful nightmare that was Clinton's America."
"For years, I tirelessly preached the message that Clinton must be stopped," conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh said. "And yet, in 1996, the American public failed to heed my urgent warnings, re-electing Clinton despite the fact that the nation was prosperous and at peace under his regime. But now, thank God, that's all done with. Once again, we will enjoy mounting debt, jingoism, nuclear paranoia, mass deficit, and a massive military build-up."
An overwhelming 49.9 percent of Americans responded enthusiastically to the Bush speech.
"After eight years of relatively sane fiscal policy under the Democrats, we have reached a point where, just a few weeks ago, President Clinton said that the national debt could be paid off by as early as 2012," Rahway, NJ, machinist and father of three Bud Crandall said. "That's not the kind of world I want my children to grow up in."
"You have no idea what it's like to be black and enfranchised," said Marlon Hastings, one of thousands of Miami-Dade County residents whose votes were not counted in the 2000 presidential election. "George W. Bush understands the pain of enfranchisement, and ever since Election Day, he has fought tirelessly to make sure it never happens to my people again."
Bush concluded his speech on a note of healing and redemption.
"We as a people must stand united, banding together to tear this nation in two," Bush said. "Much work lies ahead of us: The gap between the rich and the poor may be wide, be there's much more widening left to do. We must squander our nation's hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent. And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it."
"The insanity is over," Bush said. "After a long, dark night of peace and stability, the sun is finally rising again over America. We look forward to a bright new dawn not seen since the glory days of my dad."
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784
Patrick
Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress
November 5, 2008 | Issue 44•45
WASHINGTON—After emerging victorious from one of the most pivotal elections in history, president-elect Barack Obama will assume the role of commander in chief on Jan. 20, shattering a racial barrier the United States is, at long last, shitty enough to overcome.
Although polls going into the final weeks of October showed Sen. Obama in the lead, it remained unclear whether the failing economy, dilapidated housing market, crumbling national infrastructure, health care crisis, energy crisis, and five-year-long disastrous war in Iraq had made the nation crappy enough to rise above 300 years of racial prejudice and make lasting change.
"Today the American people have made their voices heard, and they have said, 'Things are finally as terrible as we're willing to tolerate," said Obama, addressing a crowd of unemployed, uninsured, and debt-ridden supporters. "To elect a black man, in this country, and at this time—these last eight years must have really broken you."
more at:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_finally_shitty_enough_to
Black Man Given Nation's Worst Job
November 5, 2008 | Issue 44•45
WASHINGTON—African-American man Barack Obama, 47, was given the least-desirable job in the entire country Tuesday when he was elected president of the United States of America. In his new high-stress, low-reward position, Obama will be charged with such tasks as completely overhauling the nation's broken-down economy, repairing the crumbling infrastructure, and generally having to please more than 300 million Americans and cater to their every whim on a daily basis. As part of his duties, the black man will have to spend four to eight years cleaning up the messes other people left behind. The job comes with such intense scrutiny and so certain a guarantee of failure that only one other person even bothered applying for it. Said scholar and activist Mark L. Denton, "It just goes to show you that, in this country, a black man still can't catch a break."
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/black_man_given_nations
From 2001. Let's hope these days are over:
Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'
January 17, 2001 | Issue 37•01
WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."
President-elect Bush vows that "together, we can put the triumphs of the recent past behind us."
"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."
Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.
During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.
"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"
On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.
Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell.
Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: "That's hardly my area of expertise."
Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge's coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has "extensive experience" fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.
Bush had equally high praise for Attorney General nominee John Ashcroft, whom he praised as "a tireless champion in the battle to protect a woman's right to give birth."
"Soon, with John Ashcroft's help, we will move out of the Dark Ages and into a more enlightened time when a woman will be free to think long and hard before trying to fight her way past throngs of protesters blocking her entrance to an abortion clinic," Bush said. "We as a nation can look forward to lots and lots of babies."
Soldiers at Ft. Bragg march lockstep in preparation for America's return to aggression.
Continued Bush: "John Ashcroft will be invaluable in healing the terrible wedge President Clinton drove between church and state."
The speech was met with overwhelming approval from Republican leaders.
"Finally, the horrific misrule of the Democrats has been brought to a close," House Majority Leader Dennis Hastert (R-IL) told reporters. "Under Bush, we can all look forward to military aggression, deregulation of dangerous, greedy industries, and the defunding of vital domestic social-service programs upon which millions depend. Mercifully, we can now say goodbye to the awful nightmare that was Clinton's America."
"For years, I tirelessly preached the message that Clinton must be stopped," conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh said. "And yet, in 1996, the American public failed to heed my urgent warnings, re-electing Clinton despite the fact that the nation was prosperous and at peace under his regime. But now, thank God, that's all done with. Once again, we will enjoy mounting debt, jingoism, nuclear paranoia, mass deficit, and a massive military build-up."
An overwhelming 49.9 percent of Americans responded enthusiastically to the Bush speech.
"After eight years of relatively sane fiscal policy under the Democrats, we have reached a point where, just a few weeks ago, President Clinton said that the national debt could be paid off by as early as 2012," Rahway, NJ, machinist and father of three Bud Crandall said. "That's not the kind of world I want my children to grow up in."
"You have no idea what it's like to be black and enfranchised," said Marlon Hastings, one of thousands of Miami-Dade County residents whose votes were not counted in the 2000 presidential election. "George W. Bush understands the pain of enfranchisement, and ever since Election Day, he has fought tirelessly to make sure it never happens to my people again."
Bush concluded his speech on a note of healing and redemption.
"We as a people must stand united, banding together to tear this nation in two," Bush said. "Much work lies ahead of us: The gap between the rich and the poor may be wide, be there's much more widening left to do. We must squander our nation's hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent. And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it."
"The insanity is over," Bush said. "After a long, dark night of peace and stability, the sun is finally rising again over America. We look forward to a bright new dawn not seen since the glory days of my dad."
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784
I Think I See The Light At The End of The Tunnel Now
This is a letter my good friend Jerry penned regarding the president elect. It really touched me, so I have decided to republish it.
Good job Jerry ol' Boy!
Patrick
PS More of his stuff at http://greater-apes.blogspot.com/
"Not in my lifetime."
For the entirety of my life, that was the answer I gave to the question “Do you ever think there will be a black President.” Call me cynical, I’m only 40 years old, but I never thought it would happen. That is, until four years ago.
I remember the moment. The Democratic Convention was on the television and as I passed through the dining room, I heard someone introduce the Keynote Speaker, some guy I’d never heard of named Barack Obama. Now, I stopped to give him a bit of attention, well, because he was black, truthfully, and I figured I’d give a brother a little respect. Moments passed and I found myself standing flat-footed and stock-still in the middle of the room.
Oh. Shit.
What the hell was going on? Who the hell was this? Why haven’t I moved? And, seriously, why am I holding my breath? There was something happening at that moment, a “rumbling”, a “shift”, if you will, and it brought up something in me that I had to give voice to. Standing in my dining room, speaking to no one in particular, I said, “I think I just saw the first black President.”
I had no sense of when he would get there. I was still of the mindset that Kerry would defeat Bush and hopefully get two terms. I figured in eight or twelve years, he’d get his shot. But Bush was able to steal Ohio and, still drunk and high from his reelection party, drove this country into the ditch then climbed out and danced on top of it like Michael Jackson at a courthouse. Things got a lot worse, our nation’s mood got darker and Barack saw the unique opportunity to make a difference.
Like many, when Barack got in the race I thought it may have been too soon for him. I was in the John Edwards camp [cough!utterdisappointment!cough!] for most of the run-up to Iowa, but Barack’s debate performances pulled me into his camp by the time the primaries started. I was still skeptical though. Not of Barack, not at all. I was skeptical of Us. I believe the US is a great country that regrettably has very racist tendencies, so I in no way thought it would be an easy road.
But Barack knew how to play the game. While I repeatedly heard television pundits say that Barack needed to get “passionate” and “show some anger,” I knew what was going on. I knew that Barack had been a black man his entire life and understood that there was a fine line between “showing some anger” and being an “angry black man.” He played it cool and got it done.
I’m not a crying kind of guy. I tend to keep things pretty level and close to the vest, but sometimes moments resonate with me on a primal level and I have no control over that. The first time I heard my son sing a lullaby back to me that I had sung to him his entire life, for example. Tears flowed. Ten minutes after the election was called for Barack, I reached for the phone to call my mother and it hit me. I walked away from the phone and went to find my son. I held him and I cried. At three years old he doesn’t understand the difference between tears of joy and tears of sadness. He doesn’t understand what this moment means to someone like me.
I’ve always considered myself patriotic. But there has always been an enthusiasm gap. I haven’t said the Pledge of Allegiance since elementary school. I stand for but don’t sing the National Anthem. I believe in the promise of America but have always felt America had only given the promise lip-service. That black people’s citizenship was, to an extent, only provisional. Minorities’ in general to be honest.
No longer. A threshold has been crossed. America has shown that it’s willing to start embracing all of its people. For the first time in my life, I feel fully American. When promoting the American Dream, I’ll no longer feel like I’m lying.
Unfortunately, it took a disastrous Presidency to get us here. Citizen’s had to get to the point where the road ahead was so dire that they were forced to set aside their bigotry.
Now we’ve got a lot of work to do. Our economic troubles aren’t suddenly fixed. Our standing in the world isn’t healed. Racism and bigotry aren’t gone now (just ask your gay neighbors). We’re not out of this yet.
But at least we can see the end of the tunnel now.
Barack Hussein Obama is the next President of the United States.
Sweet.
-Jerry Williams!
November 5, 2008
Oakland, California
Good job Jerry ol' Boy!
Patrick
PS More of his stuff at http://greater-apes.blogspot.com/
"Not in my lifetime."
For the entirety of my life, that was the answer I gave to the question “Do you ever think there will be a black President.” Call me cynical, I’m only 40 years old, but I never thought it would happen. That is, until four years ago.
I remember the moment. The Democratic Convention was on the television and as I passed through the dining room, I heard someone introduce the Keynote Speaker, some guy I’d never heard of named Barack Obama. Now, I stopped to give him a bit of attention, well, because he was black, truthfully, and I figured I’d give a brother a little respect. Moments passed and I found myself standing flat-footed and stock-still in the middle of the room.
Oh. Shit.
What the hell was going on? Who the hell was this? Why haven’t I moved? And, seriously, why am I holding my breath? There was something happening at that moment, a “rumbling”, a “shift”, if you will, and it brought up something in me that I had to give voice to. Standing in my dining room, speaking to no one in particular, I said, “I think I just saw the first black President.”
I had no sense of when he would get there. I was still of the mindset that Kerry would defeat Bush and hopefully get two terms. I figured in eight or twelve years, he’d get his shot. But Bush was able to steal Ohio and, still drunk and high from his reelection party, drove this country into the ditch then climbed out and danced on top of it like Michael Jackson at a courthouse. Things got a lot worse, our nation’s mood got darker and Barack saw the unique opportunity to make a difference.
Like many, when Barack got in the race I thought it may have been too soon for him. I was in the John Edwards camp [cough!utterdisappointment!cough!] for most of the run-up to Iowa, but Barack’s debate performances pulled me into his camp by the time the primaries started. I was still skeptical though. Not of Barack, not at all. I was skeptical of Us. I believe the US is a great country that regrettably has very racist tendencies, so I in no way thought it would be an easy road.
But Barack knew how to play the game. While I repeatedly heard television pundits say that Barack needed to get “passionate” and “show some anger,” I knew what was going on. I knew that Barack had been a black man his entire life and understood that there was a fine line between “showing some anger” and being an “angry black man.” He played it cool and got it done.
I’m not a crying kind of guy. I tend to keep things pretty level and close to the vest, but sometimes moments resonate with me on a primal level and I have no control over that. The first time I heard my son sing a lullaby back to me that I had sung to him his entire life, for example. Tears flowed. Ten minutes after the election was called for Barack, I reached for the phone to call my mother and it hit me. I walked away from the phone and went to find my son. I held him and I cried. At three years old he doesn’t understand the difference between tears of joy and tears of sadness. He doesn’t understand what this moment means to someone like me.
I’ve always considered myself patriotic. But there has always been an enthusiasm gap. I haven’t said the Pledge of Allegiance since elementary school. I stand for but don’t sing the National Anthem. I believe in the promise of America but have always felt America had only given the promise lip-service. That black people’s citizenship was, to an extent, only provisional. Minorities’ in general to be honest.
No longer. A threshold has been crossed. America has shown that it’s willing to start embracing all of its people. For the first time in my life, I feel fully American. When promoting the American Dream, I’ll no longer feel like I’m lying.
Unfortunately, it took a disastrous Presidency to get us here. Citizen’s had to get to the point where the road ahead was so dire that they were forced to set aside their bigotry.
Now we’ve got a lot of work to do. Our economic troubles aren’t suddenly fixed. Our standing in the world isn’t healed. Racism and bigotry aren’t gone now (just ask your gay neighbors). We’re not out of this yet.
But at least we can see the end of the tunnel now.
Barack Hussein Obama is the next President of the United States.
Sweet.
-Jerry Williams!
November 5, 2008
Oakland, California
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Into the "normal" times
Well, I have been a bit hesitant to post anything in the past few weeks because of all the adjustments that have been taking place. I'll say that it was a very rough start for us. I now know why they say that having 2 is much more than double the work. When you have one, you can pour all of your attention into that one child. In many ways they begin to act like little adults as they mimic your behavior. Add a second and all of a sudden you have 2 *children*. Every second of your day is occupied by managing their interactions (at least until they learn to do it themselves). So, these past weeks I have been tied up trying to teach Anh and Tam how to live together. Finally, finally, they are starting to PLAY TOGETHER! Yes, yesterday morning they were having so much fun together that I actually had time to wash the dishes. Sure wish I had gotten pictures of that! Here is a cutie to show how they sometimes get along....
And if you follow the link on the right -------> I am trying to keep all my newest photos there.
And if you follow the link on the right -------> I am trying to keep all my newest photos there.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Further thoughts
Parenting two toddlers is challenging in an of itself. But, when one of the toddlers is a new addition, coming with her own complete personality, things get a little crazy. Tam has been waking every night screaming in a way only she can scream. Eventually, Tam will share a room with Anh, but until we can quiet this screaming a bit, we have been sleeping with her in our bed. I swear, the scream could wake the dead. Until last night, she would wake up and then thrash around not letting us get close to her. For the first time last night, she let me comfort her during her nighttime scream. I feel like it was a little miracle and a step forward.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Back home
It has been a week since we touched back down in the U.S. and it has taken me this long to get around to typing on our blog! Yes, things have been crazy and challenging and exciting and fun. Anh and Tam are starting to work out their differences, which has been helped along by having two parents who are not as stressed and tired as we were in the beginning. Getting back into our normal routine has also helped as well as having the most amazing preschool teachers/friends who always manage to be the calm within life's craziness. Deb and Chris have really helped me regain my sanity this week, when I thought that the sky was falling (and they probably don't even know it).
But, I am getting ahead of myself.....
Our trip back to the U.S. was a bit better than we expected. The kids slept most of the way with just a couple of minor melt-downs in the middle of the ride. The staff on China Airlines was fantastic - so helpful and friendly - I was really impressed with the service on this flight. One thing I noticed was that the only person on the flight who were put off by having children on board was the boorish American in front of us. It was just our luck that Tam lets out a scream that could wake the dead anytime she wakes, even for a second. Not much we could do about it and it was always very short lived (like less than 30 seconds at most and usually just for a split second). Anyhow, this guy kept turning around and staring at us like somehow that was going to make it stop. Let me tell you, I definitely felt his pain, since it was my ear she was yelling in each time!
It took us more than an hour to get through the new immigrant line in San Francisco, so by the time we picked up our luggage, rented a car, and drove over to Oakland, it was about 11 pm. That night sleep came easily for all of us! Our flight back to Eugene was sort of a comedy of errors.
We left Oakland at 1:30pm, 30 minutes later than we had intended, for a 4:20pm flight. Of course, traffic leading up to the toll was horrendous and it took us an hour to get to the rental return. The rental return is a bit off of the airport, although there is a tram that takes you to the airport in about 15 minutes. So, we end up at the ticket counter at close to 2:45pm. We were holding paper tickets, requiring us to see a ticket agent. Just our luck, there is only a single ticket agent and the electronic ticket booths aren't working properly, so many people are waiting to see the agent. By the time we actually see the agent it is now 3:30. No sweat, the security line is short, but we are picked for *extra* screening. This of course takes time, because they have to hand search our luggage and make us go into the "air puff" chamber. Luckily, the TSA at SFO is good at getting people through quickly and we were off again. We managed to get to our gate 5 minutes before boarding, phew. Anh had been sleeping this whole time in his carseat on wheels, so he was none too pleased about being woken up to board the plane on foot. He refused to let me change his diaper, so we board without. The carseat didn't fit in our assigned seats, so the flight attendant moved us to the back just before the plane was due to push back from the gate. It was at this point that Anh tells me he has to use the potty and in the split second when I am deciding that we will have to go before the plane takes off, he has an accident in the isle. Poor Anh! So I run forward to get a new diaper and some wipes and as I return the flight attendant asks me if there is any way I can do this in my seat! Uh, no. So here we were, holding up the flight and I was working as quick as I could to strip Anh, clean him with the only thing I could find - a dry face cloth - and rediaper him. I must say that I did it in record time and everyone on the plane around me was very supportive (thankfully). Anh fell back asleep as I put him back in his car seat - phew, we made it by the skin of our teeth!
I will say that coming home early was really good for our family. We are finally getting our clocks reset and feeling like normal people again. That is not to say that we are getting enough sleep yet! Tam wakes up a lot during the night and to keep her from waking up Anh, she is sleeping in our bed instead of the room that they share. This means that Patrick and I are waking up a lot (remember, she screams when she wakes up). But, at least we are in our own home, sleeping in our own beds, with our friends around us and some semblance of a normal life to live every day.
But, I am getting ahead of myself.....
Our trip back to the U.S. was a bit better than we expected. The kids slept most of the way with just a couple of minor melt-downs in the middle of the ride. The staff on China Airlines was fantastic - so helpful and friendly - I was really impressed with the service on this flight. One thing I noticed was that the only person on the flight who were put off by having children on board was the boorish American in front of us. It was just our luck that Tam lets out a scream that could wake the dead anytime she wakes, even for a second. Not much we could do about it and it was always very short lived (like less than 30 seconds at most and usually just for a split second). Anyhow, this guy kept turning around and staring at us like somehow that was going to make it stop. Let me tell you, I definitely felt his pain, since it was my ear she was yelling in each time!
It took us more than an hour to get through the new immigrant line in San Francisco, so by the time we picked up our luggage, rented a car, and drove over to Oakland, it was about 11 pm. That night sleep came easily for all of us! Our flight back to Eugene was sort of a comedy of errors.
We left Oakland at 1:30pm, 30 minutes later than we had intended, for a 4:20pm flight. Of course, traffic leading up to the toll was horrendous and it took us an hour to get to the rental return. The rental return is a bit off of the airport, although there is a tram that takes you to the airport in about 15 minutes. So, we end up at the ticket counter at close to 2:45pm. We were holding paper tickets, requiring us to see a ticket agent. Just our luck, there is only a single ticket agent and the electronic ticket booths aren't working properly, so many people are waiting to see the agent. By the time we actually see the agent it is now 3:30. No sweat, the security line is short, but we are picked for *extra* screening. This of course takes time, because they have to hand search our luggage and make us go into the "air puff" chamber. Luckily, the TSA at SFO is good at getting people through quickly and we were off again. We managed to get to our gate 5 minutes before boarding, phew. Anh had been sleeping this whole time in his carseat on wheels, so he was none too pleased about being woken up to board the plane on foot. He refused to let me change his diaper, so we board without. The carseat didn't fit in our assigned seats, so the flight attendant moved us to the back just before the plane was due to push back from the gate. It was at this point that Anh tells me he has to use the potty and in the split second when I am deciding that we will have to go before the plane takes off, he has an accident in the isle. Poor Anh! So I run forward to get a new diaper and some wipes and as I return the flight attendant asks me if there is any way I can do this in my seat! Uh, no. So here we were, holding up the flight and I was working as quick as I could to strip Anh, clean him with the only thing I could find - a dry face cloth - and rediaper him. I must say that I did it in record time and everyone on the plane around me was very supportive (thankfully). Anh fell back asleep as I put him back in his car seat - phew, we made it by the skin of our teeth!
I will say that coming home early was really good for our family. We are finally getting our clocks reset and feeling like normal people again. That is not to say that we are getting enough sleep yet! Tam wakes up a lot during the night and to keep her from waking up Anh, she is sleeping in our bed instead of the room that they share. This means that Patrick and I are waking up a lot (remember, she screams when she wakes up). But, at least we are in our own home, sleeping in our own beds, with our friends around us and some semblance of a normal life to live every day.
Friday, September 05, 2008
I guess I have not been nearly as diligent with blogging during our adoption experience this time. Is it because this is our second time around, or is it just that life has suddenly become so much more complex? Maybe a little of both.
Yesterday we got Tam's U.S. visa in what was a pretty anti-climactic experience at the consulate. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad there was nothing exciting about obtaining a U.S. visa for our daughter. When we adopted Anh, the U.S. was still requiring 2 interviews here in Vietnam, the first for a I-600 approval and the second to apply for the visa. At that time, it was very nerve wracking because the interviewer at the consulate seemed to try to give all families a really hard time. Your appointment might be at 1:30 and you would arrive at 1:00, only to find out that he was on a break. Then you might sit around for a couple hours before he was ready to grill you. The torture would commence and you would begin to wonder what you had done wrong and why your country was treating you like a criminal.
This time, we arrived at our appointed time, paid for our visa, and then 15 minutes later signed some paperwork and were approved. Amazing! And, we had Tam's visa in our hand 2 hours later. They have definitely streamlined the process on this end of things. I had been concerned about someone questioning Tam's age, since on paper she is 10 months old, but in reality she is more like 14 months old. Pretty obvious when you see her, but they didn't even blink an eye.
Today was our last full day in Vietnam and Patrick and I spent the day trying to finish up last minute shopping. We have determined that prices of goods and food have gone up between 30-50% since we were here 2 years ago. Still quite inexpensive compared to U.S. standards, but growing ever closer to our prices. It is also interesting to note that you still see the same exact wares in shops here that were available 2 years ago. The more thing change.....
Well, we are on a plane tomorrow night and will be back in the U.S. on Saturday evening, West coast time. Hopefully, when we are home, the internet will be a bit better and we can start to post some more of our pictures!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
The challenges of Two
Again, no new pictures because the internet is flakey.
This past weekend, we went as a family on a home stay out to a village outside of Hanoi. The village was beautiful and *quiet*, something you really enjoy after being in Hanoi for a little while. I really want to say something amazing about the trip, but the reality is that it was actually kind of boring. Even though I had asked our guide whether he was accustomed to small children, and even though he loves kids and spent much of his time with Tam, it wasn't a tour really set up for two toddlers who needed naps and to run around from time to time.
From Hanoi, we drove out to the town, which was 50 Km and took about 90 minutes to drive because everyone drives so slowly here. The town itself reminded me a bit of a small town in Italy, with narrow cobble stone streets lined by stone houses that came right up to the street. There was even a town square that looked like a piazza, although not quite as charming as an italian piazza. Patrick and I had a chance to wander a bit in town and enjoyed the mystery of discovering what was around the bend. All the people were so friendly and the children absolutely loved having their pictures taken. We spent about 15 minutes taking pictures of posing children and then showing them the shots on the camera - they thought it was so cool!
The kids both fell asleep on the car ride to town, so we went straight to the family's home. Of course, as soon as we arrived, they both woke up and that was the end of a nap for either of them. From there, we had lunch and then sat around for quite a while not really sure what was going to happen next or when it was going to happen. Eventually, our guide, Han, took us to a couple of temples, but the most excitement came when Anh and Tam had a chance to pet a baby cow, see a big frog, and pet a water buffalo. What more could a child really ask for?
After a quick tour through town with our guide, we went back to the home, where Han cooked us a wonderful meal that included dishes with dragon fish, beef, chicken, and lots of veggies. I think that Han's specialty is cooking, which he does really well.
We had a choice to stay at the home overnight, but because there were no real beds and no A/C, we decided to stay in a hotel close by. This was one of the most basic Asian hotels we have ever stayed in. Anh, Tam, Patrick, and I shared one queen bed - wow that was tight - and the bathroom was typical - a hose frome the sink faucet to a shower head that was placed in the middle of the small room, soaking everything. Have you ever sat on a toilet that was totally soaked by the shower? At least the place was fairly clean.
In the morning, we woke early to a downpour! We piled back into the car for the trip back to town and to the local food market. Han gave us a quick introduction to bargening for our food and then we purchased the ingredients for our breakfast, including fresh eggs and morning glory. All this while dodging raindrops :-)
As usual, the kids were quite the hit, even when Anh became really upset because he was so hungry (he is accustomed to eating as soon as he gets up in the morning). A couple of those UHT milk boxes did the trick on the spot until we went back to the home for breakfast. After the market there was more sitting around aimlessly at the family home until after breakfast. On our way back to Hanoi, we stopped at the silk village, which was quite a disappointment. It probably didn't help that we arrived close to lunch time, when everyone was closing for a nap. Even still, I was surprised that the shops there didn't seem to have the quality of clothing that you can find in Hanoi.
Getting back to the hotel in Hanoi was actually a relief. I never thought I would feel this way, but travel right now is very hard! Tam needs 2 naps a day, Anh needs 1 (and both at different times), and there is a constant need for food for both. Anh will sleep in the carrier, Tam barely even tolerates riding in the carrier, and get them together and there is fierce competition for laps, carrier, food, attention etc. Because of this and just wanting to get home to a routine, we have decided to come home as soon as Tam's visa is ready this week. I'm so sad about not getting down to Hoi An on this trip, but I also know it is the best for both kids - to get them home and back into a routine. Anh misses his preschool and friends and Patrick and I need to figure out our life as a family of 4!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Updates
Hmmm, where to start?
Well, Anh is having a much harder time adjusting to a new sister than we were expecting. He is acting like a baby with the whole goo goo ga ga thing and wanting a bottle etc. If Tam comes near me, he becomes very clingy or tries to crawl all over me. On the other hand, Tam is very physical and tends to fight to get her way, which is, I'm sure, a result of living in the orphanage. She will walk right up to Anh and smack him on the face and poor Anh, who is so gentle, just stands there stunned. For the first few days he would just come crying to me that Tam hit him, but by then it was too late to redirect her. Unfortunately, he has now started to become physical with her - pushing and kicking her just to make a point.
Well, it sounds worse than it is, and most of the time they get along just fine. In fact, Tam seems to adore Anh and follows him around copying everything he does. He is very gentle with her and loves to kiss and hug her (which she sometimes even allows). Tonight I caught a cute picture of them playing together, which I would post if the internet was working properly.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Water Puppets, finally
This is our third trip to Hanoi and we have spent now a total of 6 weeks in this city alone. In all this time we have never visited the Hanoi Water Puppets show, until yesterday. All 5 of us went to the early show and it was well worth the price of the ticket ($2.50). Anh sat with rapt attention for the entire show and was even bobbing his head and tapping his leg to the music. He has not been able to stop talking about the show since we left and I have promised him a return visit before we leave Hanoi. Looks like it is going to be a mother-son experience, since Patti and Patrick are not too interested in a second performance. Tam, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the show, but by halfway through was squirming in my lap.
http://www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org/news.htm
Afterward, we went out for Fanny's Ice Cream, a must in Hanoi if you like ice cream. Anh had his favorite, ginger, and went home with a big smile on his face! Ah the little things in life that make you happy.
Our trip to Vietnam, this time, has definitely had a different quality than any other trip Patrick and I have taken. We are staying in a very Western hotel, not eating out that much (we have a kitchen), and even not getting around the city as much as we would normally like. This is partially due to having two small children to cart around, partially due to misplacing Anh's carrier for a few days, and partially due to the hotel being situated a little out of the old town section of Hanoi. It certainly doesn't feel like we are in Vietnam and I suppose this is what many of the families who come here experience. It is a shame, since I think Vietnam is such a wonderful country and so rich in culture. So, we are getting off our laurels tomorrow and going out into the country for an overnight homestay. We have hired a guide, Han, who was recommended through one of the yahoo groups, to take us out to a village in the country where we will spend time with a local family and learn the art of haggling in the market. I'm excited for Patti to get a flavor of Vietnam outside of Hanoi - I hope she is feeling hearty tomorrow :-)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Adjusting to a new family
Everything is going surprisingly smoothly with Tam. She is old enough to communicate when she is hungry or needs her diaper changed and she is still sleeping through the night. Actually, Anh is having a much harder time adjusting than the rest of us. He has hit the terrible twos with a vengence. Yesterday we tried to visit a monestary in Hanoi and he spent the entire time running around, putting his feet on everything, and just plain making as much noise as possible. What ever happened to our sweet little boy? It doesn't help that I managed to lose our Ergo carrier that Anh will sleep in at any time. I didn't realize how much we relied on the carrier until we didn't have it. We did borrow one for Tam, but it is just too small for Anh.
We are planning on going to the water puppets tonight, so hopefully he can sit still for one whole hour.
Will post more pictures when I have a chance.
We are planning on going to the water puppets tonight, so hopefully he can sit still for one whole hour.
Will post more pictures when I have a chance.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Photos from the orphanage
Here is the link to photos from the orphanage - just scroll down and look for the recent photos. There are a bunch more photos on a second camera that we have, but we don't have the cable with us. We will load them when we return to the US.
www.pinsonjaron.shutterfly.com
www.pinsonjaron.shutterfly.com
THE BIG DAY
Yesterday, Monday, was really the BIG day! In the morning, Patrick went off with Loan to apply for Tam's passport. During this trip, Loan let us know that the G&R would be scheduled for Tuesday, but the time was unknown, so we should be available all day. At noon, we boarded a small bus for the 90 minute ride out to the orphanage. Just before we got on the bus, Dr. Hong told the families that we would be having our G&R on the way back from the orphanage! This was going to be a LONG day. There were 3 families going to the orphanage together, including us, and there were 9 adults and 3 kids between us. What a difference from our private trip to pick up Anh two years ago.
I hardly recognized anything on the trip until we got almost right to the orphanage and then I remembered that last bend in the road. Everything was pretty chaotic when we first arrived. Tam was handed to me, but she wouldn't let go of her nannies. Unlike Anh, who was so laid back about the whole process, Tam wouldn't let either of us touch her at all for the first 20 minutes. The nannies bathed and changed her into her new dress for us and then tried again to hand her to us. Well, it turns out that Tam is VERY independent! She was walking around from room to room sitting with all the different nannies and playing with all the babies. When she would finally let me pick her up, she didn't want to be held for more than a couple of minutes before she needed to be running around again. I think we are going to have our hands full :-)
All of the nannies and the orphanage director seemed to be happy to see Anh. They were all thrilled that he was a Ba Vi baby, although I don't think anyone really remembered him. Of course, he spent much of his time in Vientam with a foster family, so it is not surprising that they don't remember. For his part, Anh was very reserved and wouldn't let any of the nannies touch him. He even was afraid of Dr. Hong, who he has been looking forward to seeing for months! He was, however, quite concerned about always being together with Tam. Whenever she would walk away, he would insist on following her and he was very attached to the fact that she is his sister (although he keeps insisting that he is Tam's older *sister*)
On the van ride back, we had our first leaky diaper - all over me. Thank you Asian diapers (and these were huggies). No matter, as it turns out, Tam is almost the same size as Anh, so I can get rid of all the new diapers I bought. Once we had the right size diaper on her, all was well (although my nice G&R clothes were still all wet). Anh thought it was very cool to be able to share his diapers with Tam and once she was dry again, he decided that she should sit on his lap, since she is his baby.
The G&R was held with 2 families from Ba Vi and 4 families from Dong Anh who had picked up their babies in the morning. The babies were all doing quite well and the only disturbances came from Anh, who decided that this was finally his stage. He became so animated and did his best to tell anyone who would listen about his trip to pick up Tam.
It was at the point of leaving the G&R that everything started to fall apart. I was holding Tam and she started screaming bloody murder. The only thing that would calm her was to be held by her nannies. Every time they would put her back in my arms she would start wailing again. It was incredibly sad because it seemed that she was distraught about being taken away from her home. My heart was breaking for this little girl who was being ripped away from her home where she was queen bee to go with these strange looking people to some unknown place. It was definitely clear to me that she was suffering immense loss. And of course, as soon as we all got back into the bus, Tam's screaming set off all the other babies. They were all only calmed when Dr. Hong took Tam so she could settle down. Now I know what it is like to be in a bus full of wailing babies.
Luckily, Tam seemed to be calm with Patrick, so when we arrived at the hotel (at 7pm), he took her straight up to our room. The happy ending to the day was that she was very happy back in the room. She is curious and smart and adores her brother! They played so nicely together and Anh is just the best big brother. Tam immediately found Anh's new puzzle and tried to put it together (she was doing pretty well, too) and when she had a little trouble, she called for Anh and he went right over and helped her. The best part is that she fell asleep easily and SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! Anh had a little fit at bedtime because he wanted mom, Tam, and Anh in the big bed and dad out of the room. I'm not exactly sure what that was all about, but eventually he ended up going to sleep in his own bed.
Well, we will see how day 2 goes. I have a feeling that she will not let us put her in the carrier, which may keep us in the hotel more than I would like. At least there is a nice wading pool here and a couple of kids play areas. And hopefully Grandma Pat Pat will be able to manage for short stints on her own :-)
We are pretty much free until next week sometime, when the passport will be ready. The only thing left to do is to apply for the U.S. visa for Tam, but that cannot be done without a passport, so there you have it. In one day we met our daughter and almost completed the process. Plan Vietnam is so efficient and doing such a good job it is just a shame that the program with the U.S. is ending.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Vietnam Take 2
Well, here we are back again in Hanoi waiting for another child. As the locals would say "same, same, but different". Everything feels so familiar and just driving from the airport was enough to remind me of how much I love the country! We are staying at a different hotel (this time we have a 2 bedroom apartment). In a way this is very sad because we loved the Lucky so much, but it is also nice how convenient the Hanoi Towers is. We have everything here - a kids playroom, pools, a grocery store, a coffee shop - what more could you ask for when adjusting to a new family member?
Everything is such a lush green here and the weather is very heavy. They are calling for rain and thunderstorms for the next week, but I have heard that there has actually been very little rain so far. The traffic is as I remember it, craziness with a touch of insanity. We haven't ventured out much yet, but it will be interesting when grandma has to start navigating the streets here. I think she is in for a bit of a shock, but hopefully that will be overcome by her excitement to have her morning pho.
Tomorrow is the BIG day and I can't believe that it is upon us already. Patrick will go and apply for Tam's passport in the morning and then we will all go out to the orphanage in the afternoon to pick her up. We are hoping to snap tons of pictures for all the families still waiting to travel so we have our work cut out for us.
Everything is such a lush green here and the weather is very heavy. They are calling for rain and thunderstorms for the next week, but I have heard that there has actually been very little rain so far. The traffic is as I remember it, craziness with a touch of insanity. We haven't ventured out much yet, but it will be interesting when grandma has to start navigating the streets here. I think she is in for a bit of a shock, but hopefully that will be overcome by her excitement to have her morning pho.
Tomorrow is the BIG day and I can't believe that it is upon us already. Patrick will go and apply for Tam's passport in the morning and then we will all go out to the orphanage in the afternoon to pick her up. We are hoping to snap tons of pictures for all the families still waiting to travel so we have our work cut out for us.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Approval to travel has arrived!
Early this morning I woke up and decided to check Patrick's email. This is NOT something I ever do, but I felt compelled for some reason. And there, at the top of his inbox, was our approval to travel and pick up Tam! Unbelievable, we are really going. As soon as I can, I'll post our letter from the Embassy as real proof :-)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunni Patterson
Probably the most powerful thing I have stumbled upon at Country Fair. Sunni is amazing, moving, beautiful.
Pictures from Country Fair
Anh and I spent the weekend at the Oregon Country Fair a couple of weeks ago. We actually had a job working in one of the child care booths and were able to camp inside the fair - a very coveted arrangement. It was a ton of fun for Anh and a bit exhausting for me, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. If you haven't been to the Country Fair it is like nothing you have seen before! Check it out here:
www.oregoncountryfair.org
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Over another hurdle!
This morning we got our I-600 receipt from the US Embassy in Ho Chi Minh city. This is the start of our "real" wait. At this point, the USCIS in Vietnam will decide how they would like to investigate our daughter's abandonment and then whether they will approve her adoption. It can take 60 or more working days from this point (which is 3 or more real months). The hope is that they will approve her adoption and grant her a visa to return with us to the US. Once we receive notification of favorable approval, then we can travel to pick her up fairly quickly. I'm sure this summer is going to go *really* slowly!
Monday, June 09, 2008
We finally have some smiling pictures of Tham. Wow, I can't believe just how cute she is - I just want to go scoop her up. We are still waiting to hear that our I-600 has been submitted to Ho Chi Minh, but are hoping that happens during June sometime. After that, we have about a 3 month wait for approval, if all goes well. The long and short is that with a smooth process, I am hoping to travel in late September or early October.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
More about Tham
Well, I was a little confused, to say the least, by the information on Tham's medical report. I states that she was born on November 8, 2007 and currently weighs 9 kg and is 75 cm long. This is HUGE for even a US born baby at 6 months old, but I figured that maybe she was just big. Then I saw her most recent pictures (below) where she is STANDING without holding on and I thought "there is NO WAY this child is 6 months old", but all I had to go on was the stated birth date.
I looked at development charts for Asian children and decided that even if she was 9 months old she would be in the 97th percentile for height and weight, so I was guessing that she was probably between 10-12 months at the time of the pictures and medical.
Needless to say, I was not terribly surprised when my agency told me last night that she was actually abandoned on November 8, 2007 and was probably 5-6 months old at the time. Aha, so I was dead on! So, now we are going to have to decide on a birthdate for her if we don't want to keep the November date (not to mention that we are still trying to find a name). I sure hope that we can also find out more information about her history, although I seriously doubt that is going to be possible.
I looked at development charts for Asian children and decided that even if she was 9 months old she would be in the 97th percentile for height and weight, so I was guessing that she was probably between 10-12 months at the time of the pictures and medical.
Needless to say, I was not terribly surprised when my agency told me last night that she was actually abandoned on November 8, 2007 and was probably 5-6 months old at the time. Aha, so I was dead on! So, now we are going to have to decide on a birthdate for her if we don't want to keep the November date (not to mention that we are still trying to find a name). I sure hope that we can also find out more information about her history, although I seriously doubt that is going to be possible.
Monday, May 12, 2008
More pictures of Tham
These pictures are very recent (days old) and I have to say that she looks older than the 6 months she is suppose to be. Already standing and all! Here's to a speedy process so we can be with her when she takes her first steps (if she hasn't already).
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
And then there were 4!
We have a daughter! I just got the referral from our agency for an 8 month old baby girl from Vietnam. She is in the same orphanage that Anh was associated with. I really can't believe that we actually have the referral, although we are not out of the woods yet. Vietnam is closing their adoptions with the U.S. as of September 1st because of all of the accusations that the U.S. is making. The U.S. has claimed that they have evidence of baby selling, although I'm not entirely sure I believe that it is happening to the extent that they claim. It is a difficult time right now in the world of international adoption - China has slowed to a snails pace, Vietnam is closing, Nepal is closed, Guatemala is all but closed, and even adoption from Africa seems problematic.
Well, for now we will enjoy these lovely pictures of Tham and hope that our paperwork goes through OK and that we come home with her in another 5 months or so.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
