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<\/a>This was our first meet up after the HK reunion. It was held at Chung Ying<\/a>, one of Birmingham\u2019s foremost Chinese restaurants. There were some new faces, including Jessica Emmett, Sue J. and Claire M., plus some partners and family members. As a \u2018reunion\u2019 it was somewhat chaotic as we had three tables (two round + one square) shoved together in the middle of an already crowded and noisy place. The Birmingham meet up and the one that followed in London made us decide that private meeting space was essential for successful adoptee gatherings, not just for the noise factor, but the need to provide privacy for those who don\u2019t want to disclose their life story to the entire world. One of the husbands had brought a laptop to show photos from the HK trip, but it was difficult to really appreciate it; and it was very difficult to talk properly and to get to know more about each other.<\/p>\nOn the subject of \u2018reunion\u2019; my older son was very scathing when I told them I was going to the HK Adult Adoptee Worldwide Reunion (CAAWR) in 2010<\/a> \u2013 \u2018how is it a \u201creunion\u201d when you didn\u2019t grow up together and you don\u2019t know each other?\u2019 \u2013 I honestly don\u2019t know where that boy gets his sarkyness from! There\u2019s no explaining or convincing him, but I have felt at ease from the first time I met Debbie, Diana, Jill, Linda and Maria and her friend in Manchester in June 2010. I had only just made the firm decision to go to HK, and it was fantastic to meet other people first, before flying out such a long distance into a known unknown. It was equally great to be able to meet up so quickly afterwards, to share photos and experiences. As we had only met for the first time just before the trip in September, we were still at the stage of sharing general information, so I think that those who were taking part for the first time and who hadn\u2019t gone to HK didn\u2019t feel left out.<\/p>\n One of the big stories from Hong Kong was our group trip to the HK Immigration Department to apply for ID cards. That is a story in itself, but think \u2018In Epic Battle with Faceless Bureaucrats \u2013 Faceless Bureaucrats won the day\u2019!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Blog post by Kate Gordon: This was our first meet up after the HK reunion. It was held at Chung Ying, one of Birmingham\u2019s foremost Chinese restaurants. There were some new faces, including Jessica Emmett, Sue J. and Claire M., … Continue reading ![\"Birmingham](\"http:\/\/www.hkadopteesnetwork.com\/uk\/files\/MG_0010-150x100.jpg\")
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