Passport Application

We are finished with sputum samples.  Hooray! 

It was a challenge for Thandokuhle to produce enough spit for the sample.  Thankfully, the lab technician was very kind.  She said she sent a note with yesterday’s sample stating that it was very difficult to obtain the sample and asking them to use what little there was.  I believe a similar note was required for today’s sample.  Today the technician asked more details about the adoption and where we lived.  When we left she gave both girls big hugs and wished us the best.  It felt like we bonded with her due to all the time and effort that went into collecting these samples over the past three days.   Now, we are just praying that everything is fine with the tests so we don’t have to repeat them!

Following our visit to the lab, we drove directly to the Department of Home Affairs to apply for Thandokuhle’s passport.  The line is usually long and on some days they actually close the line because there are too many people for the office to handle.  So, the social worker from the adoption agency went and stood in line at 7am to make sure we got a spot (the office opens at 8am).  She said that by 7am the line was already out the door and down the staircase.  We arrived a little after 9 and were able to go right in.  (It felt rude to walk past all the people in the line but I was so appreciative of not needing to stand in line for several hours with two little girls).

The Department of Home Affairs is a little like the MVA.  We went to the first counter and said what we needed.  After reviewing some paperwork, the clerk agreed that we could proceed with the application.  Then we went across the room to pay at a different counter.  Then we went back across the room to the counter beside the first one.  There we turned in our receipt and received a numbered ticket.  We waited until our number was called and Thandokuhle got her passport photo taken (They couldn’t adjust the height of the camera for her size so I had to hold her up by her bottom to make her the right height but without being in the photo myself).  Then we waited some more.  Once our number was called again we went to a different counter and the passport application was filled out electronically by another clerk.  And that was that!  I was very happy that the social worker was there to answer all the questions and provide all the documentation.  I only had to show my passport and sign two documents. 

Now the waiting begins.  We have completed everything we can for now and are waiting for the 2-3 weeks it will take to process the passport.

Thandokuhle continues to make great progress with English and she says new words every day.  She knows the names of animals, items in the house, kitchen terms, shapes, and can count to 10. She still struggles with her colors so we are working on that.  Sometimes, there are some funny mistakes, such as “dolfish” instead of “dolphin”.  Miranda thinks “dolfish” is funny and I had to remind her that she’s not helping Thandokuhle learn correctly if she calls them “dolfish”, too.  Thandokuhle’s common phrase now is “Oh my goodness!”  I guess I must say that more than I realize.  Occasionally, there are Zulu words peppered into her speech but the majority is English.   She often answers questions with “no” then “yes” which makes it challenging to know what she really wants.  Sometimes the easiest thing is to show her the choices (i.e. different clothes, food options, etc) and let her point to what she wants.  All in all, we’ve been amazed at the speed at which she comprehending and speaking in English.