Connenting to China - A father's perspective.

OK, so I thought I would join in the fun and share some of my experience on our journey to our third peanut! I love the fact that Jess and Jordan are learning and soaking up everything China that they can. Books, jewelry, and beads are neat to read and look at, but I did not feel really connected to China by them. So I got something that is me and will connect me to China, a new tattoo! I had the wolf glyphs and claw already, but added the Kanji (Chinese characters) for "the wolf." Why a wolf? Because I really am, honestly, a wolf! The research and meaning of these Kanji was very educational. The Kanji for "wolf," which looks very much different from my tattoo, does not mean the four legged mammal, but actually sinister, cruel, deceiving, wicked etc. My tattoo literally reads "the wolf," which is the four legged mammal that we (OK, at least I) know and love.
An important activity to me and my family (including Jess) is watching baseball games, especially the Tigers! I also have a HUGE baseball card collection (read addiction). Collecting, sorting and playing with our cards is something Jordan, Jay and I do. Jay actually puts his Tigers and Brewers cards onto "teams" and has them play games! I felt that collecting baseball cards of Chinese players would help me learn about and connect more with China, give our newest child a built in connection to their birth county, a built in connection and activity with the Danielson family and a start to their very own baseball card collection! In 2006 a "World Baseball Classic" tournament was held. The card manufacturer Upper Deck produced insert cards of players from all 16 teams in the "WBC." These were a great place to start collecting baseball cards of Chinese born players as they have a brief text on the back telling about the player's highlights on their professional team in China, and have the Chinese flag on the card front! Just this past year four Chinese born baseball players were signed by MLB teams, two each for the Mariners and Yankees. Hopefully there will be more cards available soon for us to collect and enjoy!


Story about the China National Baseball team.