One afternoon, Asia & I joined the bride in search of her wedding gown. It was a fun outing!! Asia loved all the sequined dresses and lacy tresses. She tried on a cute white dress, and gloves & tiara's while the Chinese ladies gasped and giggled over her. She even managed to smile for a quick cell phone picture from one of the ladies in the shop (this is a big deal!!).
This opportunity has given her a chance to grow thru some cultural challenges too. Our girls receive large amounts of attention when we go outside (and that is being modest). Most of the attention is challenging to deal with on a daily basis, and some of their responses are quite merited (rude faces, yanking away from pokes & or people grabbing their arms/skin/hair, and sometimes screaming). The girls have gotten so much better in the past year, but this is part of life in a foreign country. Anyhow, I began prepping her for the BIG wedding day, knowing that she will receive even MORE attention than usual - since she will be wearing a beautiful white dress!Here are some things she is working on:
1. Smiling at people wherever she goes.
2. Responding to people when they speak to her, with a kind 'hello' or 'thank you' - we don't require her to speak in Chinese, but that is encouraged.
3. Using respectful responses if she is not comfortable with a situation, or asking for our help.
Being in a wedding here is a BIG choice for her, because it puts her in the center of attention (even more) in a sea of dark hair and dark eyes. Having blonde hair and blue eyes kinda sticks out!! ....She's a beauty, that's for sure!! I am constantly amazed at her maturity and ability to handle hard situations. She is such a gracious little girl, with a heart of gold. 
