Author Archives: janishaag

(#13 in the Annie series) The day before we left Guangzhou Nikki asked Elsie, our translator, what Annie’s Chinese name means in English. It’s: Long Xin Zi We knew that Long is her last name, but Elsie told us that … Continue reading →

(#12 in the Annie series) Guangzhou was at the center of the massive tea trade that existed between China and Europe during the 19th century. —Wikipedia entry The thing about adoption in China is that you end up waiting. For … Continue reading →

(#11 in the Annie series) What girl doesn’t like new clothes? Aunt Jan was hoping the opportunity would arise to stroll into a Chinese kids’ clothing store (or two) with Nikki and Annie and have them pick out some new … Continue reading →

 (#10 in the Annie series) Wherever you go, go with all your heart. —Confucius (whose real name was Kong Qui) More than 30 embassies and consulates from all over the world have offices in Guangzhou, according to Wikipedia, many of … Continue reading →

(#9 in the Annie series) Moving day. And not just a small move, a large one involving getting a kid and her wheelchair and all our belongings to a train station across the city and into a crowded station, negotiating … Continue reading →

(#8 in the Annie series) As Annie napped on our third day in Changsha, I looked through her scrapbooks. She came to us with two of them in her pink Hello Kitty suitcase—one from her first home at The Butterfly … Continue reading →

(#7 in the Annie series) Here’s how China has changed, Nikki says, in the four years since she was last here: —There’s not nearly as much smoking in public as there used to be. Typically, only men smoke and fewer … Continue reading →

(#6 in the Annie series) We began our Wednesday when Wendy came to pick us up in the same clean van that took us to get Annie two days before. There was a different driver, but he drove with the … Continue reading →

(#5 in the Annie series) To be honest, when I learned that Nikki was going to adopt Annie, and I decided to accompany Nikki to retrieve this child from a place called Changsha, China, I did not automatically think of … Continue reading →

(#4a in the Annie series) This post is from the blog of Butterfly Children’s Hospices, the people in Changsha who first cared for Annie when she was found in such bad shape. It’s deeply moving and really gives the scope … Continue reading →