This is the sixth installment in a series of columns I am devoting to the adoption journey my wife, Claudette, and I started in 2005. Hank Bond, publisher and editor of the Greenup Beacon, asked that we share our story with you. Maybe you have an interest in adoption or know someone who does. If so, I hope this information is helpful.

As we found ourselves in Beijing, China, after 18 hours on a plane, we were shooting photographs and video so we could archive as much of Wu Si Yan’s (Josie Claire Siyan Hapney) culture as possible.  An entry in our website dated Jan. 26, 2007:

“It is 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 27 (Sat.) here (12:30 p.m. on Jan. 26—Fri.—in Ironton). Claudette is already half asleep and I’m heading there myself! We will write more Saturday evening, which will be early Saturday morning in Ironton. One thing I will note is how much the English language is used in Beijing. I hear Chinese people speaking a lot of English and I see both Chinese and English equivalent words on signs everywhere. Also, I’m very proud of Claudette and her very first flight on a plane.”

“I’ve flown a lot in the past but she would never fly—until God sent Josie into our lives! And boy did Claudette pick a major flight to break herself into the world of flying! I have to say that XM Satellite radio, iPods, books, and, most importantly, knowing Josie is in China waiting for her family to get her and take her home made the extensive flight much easier! I was also glad we were upgraded to Economy plus, which gave me much more legroom. We had three seats to ourselves. This helped out a lot! I took the five-hour flight hiatus (while we were stranded on the runway due to a radar problem) and worked on my dissertation some!”

On January 27, 2007, we enjoyed a day in Beijing, per our website entry:

“It is now Sunday, Jan. 28 (12:33 a.m.). We had a very busy day touring Beijing on Saturday. The day started with breakfast in the hotel. I enjoyed some great lasagna, while Claudette enjoyed some toast and a type of corn flakes cereal. I had six cups of coffee, not because I am a coffee addict, as everyone knows, but because the cups are very small. I told Claudette I would never survive the days during which I teach at SSU (Shawnee State University) when my classes are back-to-back-to-back with coffee cups that small!”

“We enjoyed seeing a jade factory and the Great Wall of China. We ate an ‘Americanized’ version of Chinese food (at a restaurant not far from the Great Wall) complete with a very large Lazy Susan with dish after dish (I loved it; Claudette tolerated it!).  It was there when a man and a woman came up to us, tapped me on the shoulder while I was eating, and asked me where in Kentucky I live.  They noticed my UK hat.  Come to find out, they live in downtown Greenup!  That was wild!” 

“Then, as we're leaving the restaurant, a man stops me in the lobby and lets me know he and his wife are both UK grads (during the Eddie Sutton era; I said ‘during Eddie's curly-do days’!).  On top of that, as Claudette and I are walking to the bus, a woman in a red sweater stops me in the parking lot and informs me she is a University of Louisville fan, and she and her husband hold season tickets!  They had UK season tickets during the Bill Curry era, but soon gave them up and jumped ship to U of L.  We had a nice chat about Rick Pitino!  What a truly small world!”

“Summer Palace (an imperial retreat during the Qing Dynasty) was nice (and very extensive), with the exception of being hounded to death before going in by street vendors trying their best to get us to buy their products.  We took the approach that we would not make eye contact with any of them and kept moving.  It worked great! 

After visiting Summer Palace we went to a pearl factory, and then came back to our hotel where we ordered food via room service.  We were exhausted!  Keep in mind it is like being up all night long when we are accustomed to being asleep at those U.S. hours!” 

“We took a nap and then had a nice web cam chat with Brock, Blake, their cousin Tanner, Dad (Terry, Sr.), Larry (Claudette's Dad), and Patty (Claudette's Mom).  We chatted and saw them for around an hour.  Isn't technology amazing!”

“(We took) photos of our day.  I took 140 photos and Claudette took some digital video. We will have more touring tomorrow morning, and then fly to Josie's province!  We'll write more then.  Claudette and I are now enjoying bottles of Evian water with Kool Aid singles packets in them; we were craving something American (I guess, technically, the water is French!) after a day full of China!”



Terry L. Hapney, Jr., Ph.D., is a professor in the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Marshall University, and an eastern Greenup County native. He may be reached at hapney@marshall.edu.



It was nice to see a familiar face from home in Beijing!

Here's a view of the Great Wall of china. Several adoptive parents and we were discussing the fact that one slip of the foot could mean disaster for that person!



The Chinese people we encountered at Summer Palace seemed to "break their necks" to look at all of us in our group. It was "superstar status" for the 5-year-old daughter of one couple traveling with us. The adults couldn't take their eyes off her, and the Chinese children asked to have their photo taken with her. We were told that most Chinese people have never seen a blue-eyed, blonde-haired person during their lives.