Pearl slept until 7 o'clock this morning. I, however, was up by 5. I guess that's an improvement from my usual China wake-up time of 4 am, so I will count my blessings.
Pearl moved from sleep to wakefulness silently and warily. She looked up at us as we surrounded her crib and our smiles were met with a darting, restless gaze. It was strange to see a three year old wake up silent, and it unnerved me.
Finally, Pearl reached out to clasp my outstretched hands, but she wanted nothing to do with Angry Driver or Bean. She stoically permitted me to change her diaper, dress her, and comb her hair.
Breakfast followed in the hotel restaurant, and it was a lot like I imagine a blind date with a person with borderline personality disorder might look like: Pearl liked eggs and then she hated eggs. She tolerated congee and then realized she didn't care for it at all. The bread with strawberry jam was greeted with tightly pursed lips and a firm shake of the head. Warm water (apparently Chinese toddlers drink their water warm) and milk were acceptable. Cherry tomatoes were delicious but then, suddenly, they were rejected and hurled to the floor. Only watermelon was loved unconditionally and eternally. I finally had to cut off the watermelon supply due to fears of non-stop diarrhea, and so I was summarily deemed intolerable also.
After breakfast, we decided to try out the hotel pool. Pearl did not want to take off her perfectly good clothes in order to put on her swimsuit. In all fairness, it did look like I was trying to stuff her into a constrictive nylon ladybug costume, so even though the little swimsuit was absolutely adorable, I can't say that I blame her for not being enthusiastic about the idea. She did like the ladybug cover up since it had a zipper she could zip herself.
The pool was a big hit with Pearl. Even Daddy ("Ba Ba" - cue pointed finger and big toothy smile) and Big Brother ("Ge Ge" - complete with concerned look every time he dove underwater) were allowed to approach Pearl while she swam, but she insisted on staying in. Mama's arms the entire time. Naturally, I was glad she had fun during her very first swim and she definitely looked adorable in her ladybug swimsuit, but I've never liked standing in giant lukewarm tubs of communal bath water, so the novelty wore off too quickly for my taste.
After baths and showers, Pearl actually allowed herself to be successfully put down for a nap with a bare minimum of fuss. We then returned to the mall for lunch and an afternoon of being the free diversity education series for the good people of Jinan.
Lunch was not my favorite. I'm pretty sure that we ended up eating at the Chinese version of a Country Kitchen or Shoneys. The noodles were good, but no one liked the beef with carrots (beef too fatty) or the pickled sauerkraut noodles. Since every other dish had a hilarious English translation (think Happiness Meat Sinew) and the waitress seemed to highly recommend the dish given her repeated pointing at the picture on the menu, we assumed that "sauerkraut" must have been a translation error and we hoped for the best. Sadly, this was not the case and so much of the pickled sauerkraut noodle plate went uneaten, at least by our family.
The afternoon activity was a trip to the play area in a manic hell known as KidsWant. KidsWant is what Toys R Us would look like if it had about 5,000 pounds more sugar, no personal injury lawyers, PCP circulated through the heat vents,and a law mandating that children wear either 10 layers of clothes or no clothes at all times. For 50 yuan per child, Pearl and Bean got to pass through the gummy gates of Kids Want and frolic in the enclosed play yard for a whole day. We survived for about two hours before Mommy and Daddy decided to pull the plug on KidsWant.
Both kids really liked the little trampoline, the spinning inflatable climbing tower, the merry-go-round of foam airplanes, and the slide that terminated in that bane of infectious disease doctors everywhere: the ball pit. Even on a Tuesday afternoon, the play area was packed. Angry Driver and I were totally on board with the whole concept at first. After all, Bean wasn't whining and Pearl became more sassy and confident with each trip down the slide.
Then Angry Driver pointed out the parent holding a small boy over a trash can so he could poop. We started to have doubts, but said, "Eh. That's just what parents do here."
Next we saw a kid naked from the waist down run streaking across the room. Ok, so that wasn't so hygienic but this is still a cool place, right? And it is too cold to have the kids play outside...
Then a mother held her son over the trash can to urinate. This doesn't seem so remarkable but they were a good foot from the trash can when the feat was attempted.
Finally, we noticed a boy with split pants and a naked bottom scooting down the slide.
Suddenly, it was all just too much. Between the bodily fluids, the repeated stares at the white family with the Chinese toddler, the manic Christmas music playing over the loudspeaker featuring children singing in some creepy variation of the English language, and the exposed genitals, we all decided we'd had enough.
Time to go.
My bottle of hand sanitizer seemed woefully inadequate. Angry Driver glanced at the tiny Purell bottle and asked if I had any more in my purse - perhaps enough to bathe in.
Dinner was at McDonalds. Normally, Angry Driver, Bean, and I do not care for McDonalds, as we prefer to actually eat food that tastes good. Tonight, however, we all just wanted something - anything- that would call to mind home and familiarity. The helpful employees immediately pulled out a photo menu that they must keep behind the counter for illiterates and dumb Americans. It was just what we needed and after much pointing and gesticulating, we sat down to eat some wonderfully unimaginative french fries, burgers, and McNuggets. Pearl loved the fries and the nuggets. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you have taste buds), the burger received a negative review that took the form of a stink look accompanied by a gagging sound.
Baths/showers all around on our return to the hotel were followed by quiet activities until bedtime. Pearl learned what a kiss was and permitted each of us to kiss her cheek. She then tried to kiss us; her kisses took the form of her face briefly making contact with one of our faces. The concept of puckering and smacking the lips did not seem to be within her grasp at all, but her attempts were still pretty cute.
Then I rocked with Pearl and sang to her while she softly whispered "Mama" and moved my hands to her leg, her knee, her foot, and back again to her leg. She patted my hands, my face, and my neck. She stared deeply into my eyes and solemnly declared "Mama". As I lifted her into her crib, she giggled and smacked a big wet kiss right on my face, triumphantly proclaiming "Mama!".
I started the day as just another nanny for Pearl. I was strange looking, but I was just another woman in what likely has been a long string of caregivers. Tonight, I am something else entirely. I am "Mama". I have been claimed.
They say you never forget your first kiss. I certainly won't forget this one.
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