Today we made our way to Bo Yang city. As some of you may know, Bo is my middle name. My parents chose it because when I was living in China for the first 10 months of my life, my Chinese name was Bo Tong (波彤). Between the time of July 30, 2007, and May 31, 2008, I was cared for in an orphanage in Bo Yang city in the Jiangxi Provence of China. Today, we met the woman who was in charge of the orphanage at the time of my adoption. Her name is Mrs. Wu. My dad still remembers her voice, and often thinks about it as well, when she announced, “Brad, Caroline! You’re first.” This is the woman who handed me to my mom for the first time. We still have the pictures. This was the woman who helped make our lives as a family possible.
Today, we met Mrs. Wu and she still remembered me. She said hello the best she could without knowing English, shook my hand, and pulled me into an embrace. She was my first mother figure I suppose. She is a very nice woman who clearly cares a whole lot. She remembers “Bo Tong” and my parents. And while the building I lived in was being torn down, there was still a banner hanging, that Mrs. Wu had made to welcome me back to where I’m from.
We looked at the files, asked questions, and also met the man who took over Mrs. Wu’s job (however after the single baby law was taken away, they now take care of the elderly instead of abandoned children). After this, we drove around the city that I was born in. It was absolutely crazy to think that things could have turned out differently, and I could be living in Bo Yang, speaking Chinese, working the family farm, not knowing that any of you existed across the world. I am eternally grateful for my family and the universe for bringing us together. My life is definitely for the better (no offense to my birth city though!).
We also had dinner with Mrs. Wu later with Lucy (our tour guide) and Mr. Chen (the travel agency boss) with us as well. It was a lovely dinner where we tried new Chinese food, asked and answered questions, and just enjoyed each others’ company. I will for sure remember Mrs. Wu and what she has done for me and my family. She is such a nice lady, and I just wish that we could understand each other so we could talk, I could share my life, and she could share the memories and what she’s been up to.
Tomorrow we head to see a village in the outskirts of Bo Yang city. It is very likely, that my birth parents live(d) and work(ed) on a farm like that. Leading them to need a son, rather than a daughter. So they lovingly took me to a bus stop, to be taken to Mrs. Wu to live the great life I have now.
-Ellie ( 波彤 ) 😊
Wander Tales by PC, PB, and Ellie 