News About China

Today we received an email stating the famous hotel White Swan that specializes in American familes in the process of adoption will be closed for one year. It will be during the time we should be in China. There is a lot of tradition with the hotel including a red couch in the lobby where families have photos taken of their child in traditional Chinese dress. There is also waterfalls and plants to have photos taken. Mattel sponsors a huge playroom in the hotel for the adopted children. Mattel gives the familes at White Swan a special commerative Barbie for "Going Home." The Barbie is exclusive to the White Swan. While we are adopting a boy, it would still be cool to bring a Barbie home to his big sisters. The hotel is old and will be renovated. It will be even nicer for families that plan to travel late 2012 or after. It is just sad for those of us that will be there during the closure. Losing the traditions of the familes that have gone before us. Our agency is already working on plan B for adoptive families. Rumors are the travel agency that works for our agency has bought the famous red couch to preserve that memory. We hope so and hope it will be available at the hotel that will be the temporary White Swan. I was already planning photos on the red couch.