Scary food, Buddhist Temple and Visa day

Today we got Alyson's Visa so everything is official and she will become a citizen when we land in LA. Technically once we had over our documents to the LA immigration officer I think. Our appointment at the US Consulate was a little nuts. Lots of shuffling around, some instructions from an official then we all stood and said our oath proclaiming that our paperwork was accurate. Then everyone clapped and said congratulations. That was it. It's all done. Alyson's stuck with us now :-) On the bus ride back she was yelling at the window at passing cars and we were joking that she was probably begging for help and saying this is all some kind of mistake, get me off this bus and find me a different family. But it's too late now. We're forever!! :-)
She says a lot of stuff in Mandarin but some is just baby talk and some is unidentifiable anyway. A shop keeper translated for us last night that Alyson said "go home." Meaning she was tired of shopping. Uh oh. That doesn't bode well for my daughter to tire of shopping!
Oh, at the consulate there were Reuter's reporters taping our group (40 families?) doing the oath etc so maybe a clip will show up on CNN or something.

Here's a bunch of pictures from last night and today except for the Consulate stuff. They don't allow cameras. Well, unless you're Reuters I guess.

Last night we went back to the restaurant with all the creatures out front. I had rice again. Big suprise. This time I took a few pictures of some of the creatures you could choose from.

Cute girl dressed in her red white and blue since it's her Visa day.

We've had many hot bus rides in the last couple weeks.

Today we went to the Six Banyan Trees Buddhist Temple. The Monks did a blessing for the babies. It was very nice in theory but I had no idea what they were saying and it was like 200 degrees inside the temple. It's hard to embrace the moment when sweat is dripping off your forehead.

Michael and Andrew climbed the 14 or 17 stories inside the Pagoda. Alyson and I waited in the shade, not that it mattered, it's still stifiling in the shade.

Incense.

I wish this picture wasn't blurry. At the base of the Buddha, there are stacked cans of orange soda. It was the funniest thing. Maybe Buddha likes Sunkist? I can't imagine why else it's on the altar. It was in a few different places too.

On the bus ride back to the hotel from the Temple. Awww.

After our hot trip to the temple we went to our hotel pool. Alyson seemed to like it at first then she had a total meltdown. We're not sure if she really hated the water or if she was just tired an hungry.

This is the daytime view from our hotel room on the 27th floor.

I guess that's it for tonight :-)