[KarenInCa]

Reading responses reminded me of a few things:
-Congee is the main food staple in China. They serve it at every restaurant. It's actually quite good....blend of small pieces of chicken, broth and over cooked rice, to make a porridge.
Continue to offer your child congee at every meal (it is at every buffet), as this is probably what they're used to eating, and it will help with their bowel movements.

If your child does not have a b. m. in the first 2 days, (and the child is at least 12 months old) you can combine 1 part honey to 2 parts water in a feeding bottle. Our guide helped us with this, and it DID help. **However, doctors caution giving honey to children younger than 12 months old.**

YES- snacks for both child and you....
Child-
goldfish crackers
an entire box of cheerios (travel with just the bag inside of the suitcase. It travels well, and becomes vacuum sealed in the airplane)
raisins
I combined all three of the above as a "trailmix" sort of food, in a snack bowl.
Also, dry baby rice cereal.

Gerber makes a great snack bowl with plastic teeth on the lids so they can put their fingers inside, and don't spill the contents.
Be careful though, a lot of the children shove food in their cheeks without swallowing till it's almost dangerous. Our daughter was great for this act. It must be from being fed on a time schedule at the SWI. They are not used to being fed on demand so they tend to hoard the food at first, in their cheeks.

Adults- (in a carry on bag)
Loaf of bread
Tubes of peanut butter and jelly. And we were glad we did, for those days that baby was too tired to go out, and we didnt want to pay for room service (fairly expensive).
Powerbars
Chocolate (in plastic baggies)
Almonds.

And you are so right about smiling and eye contact. Give them as much as possible.