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| Colouring at one the FOI Party |
Me: Car? Car is che.
Ping: Oh. And how you say, how you say mmmmmmm JUMP!
Me: Tiao.
Ping: No, not french. In CHIIIIIINA.
Me: Yes, Tiao means jump in chinese.
Ping: Okay. And how you say book in china?
Me: Shu.
And this went on for the 10 minute drive back home (thank goodness for Google Translator!). Just word after word in Chinese. I know that may not seem like much, but it is really the first time where she was intentionally asking about Chinese words. Maybe the second time where she showed an interest in speaking Chinese (I think the 1st was when she tried to sing Happy Birfday - no wait, the 1st time was when she was swearing at me in Chinese, but I won't count that one).
I would like to think that with the wonderful weekend we had of Chinese New Years parties, with all the friends both Chinese, non-Chinese and adopted, that maybe she felt just a little bit better about her place in life. That maybe she felt somehow "safer" in our family after seeing so many other children who where "China" with "you no China" parents. Maybe all the fun and games, great food and laughter made her feel even a little proud to be Chinese. To see her brothers and sister playing with all the other children, regardless of nationality, to see them playing her games, making her crafts, doing "China" things, maybe just maybe somewhere in that mess we call life, she found a little bit to be proud of, a family to feel safer in...
Ping: Daddy, you so FUNNY when you try to speak China! HAHAHAHAHahahahahahahahaaaaa!!!
... orrrr, maybe she just thinks I sound crazy, and likes to laugh at me.
She gets that from her mother you know. :-)
The parties looked fantastic! I am so glad to hear that Ping is feeling a little more comfortable talking about China with you "you no China parent"! That is definitely a step. I can see the benefit of the China adoptive family get togethers now that you posted this.
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