Any Brides whose HTB is 'Ang Mo'?

[de_luxe]

Hello from KL!!

I'm here for 1 nite for a biz trip... there goes my weekend...

Mrs N yeah, work work work work is abt everything i do.. sigh... we're just too understaffed n although my HB says i have a choice, he doesn't understand that the fact is i don't cuz the deadlines are not set by me. So it's either i work late & like hell to meet the deadlines or don't meet the deadlines and get screwed. Some kind of choice this is!!

Channelnewsasia still doesn't charge n is my substitube for Straits Times Interactive

cuclainne congrats!! Do take care n rest well... Yah the property/rent prices these days are madness... Are you looking to buy or cotinue renting? My sis told me that Jurong West & Seng Kang still quite affordable.

Georgina good luck w project baby! Jia You!! *wink* Our plans are on hold till we know whether we're leaving SG or not and if we have to leave then it's got to wait till we settle down wherever we go to.

EJ u walk 8km EVERYDAY?!!? Wow...hats off

Chris1 don't worry, you've not been there for that long, it's natural to still be homesick and missing your family. It does take a while to get used to it, then it'll be alright, though on special occassions homesickness might strike out of the blue. Do cut yourself some slack, everyone knows it's not easy.

Speaking abt how one copes with living with hubby... i've been having sticky situations. HB gets totally upset with me on some occassions when i get home late and the bathroom lights and some noises i make before going to bed wake him up. Also in the mornings when i snooze my alarm cuz i'm so tired i simply can't drag myself out of bed. When he gets at me, i get upset too cuz i'm already so pressured at work and really don't have the strength/patience to deal with this. In fact this morning we had a major fight over the stupid alarm just before i left for KL. I just find it so stupid but i don't know what to do.

 

[just_another_bride]

Hi Emi,
I love my kebaya and gown too, not sure when i'll get a chance to wear the kebaya again...as for gown, needless to say it is back with the bridal shop. Sigh, I want to relive the wedding. haha...had an absolutely fabulous time.

Chris,
The homesickness will get better. It's always tough in the beginning. When i was studying abroad, there used to be days when i would miss my family so much and feel miserable. It helped that HB was very supportive and always there to cheer me up. Trips to hard rock for their brownies definately helped! haha.

Marinated pork ribs annoyed me too. Couldn't make bak kut teh! haha. Maybe you can find a local butcher rather than buying the meat from a supermarket? They might be able to whip some un-marinated ribs from the freezer for you?

 

[eminozy]

heheh. deluxe.. not 8km. just 4km... return.

i emphatised you about the alarm clock thingy.Asians and westerns have totally different etiquettes to all these things- even things that we dont even think about or thought it is important which they in turn are particular about. Just have to figure and talk to him on whats the best way to make it better fr both of you. Dont fight, just argue constructively.take it easy... you have awhole lifetime to adjust!

Our constant argument is : WHY i cant sleep like a normal human being time wise. .coz i sleep only at 2am and wake up very late, He sleeps at 11pm and wakes up at 6am. hehehehha .

 

[de_luxe]

EJ I've similar sleeping patterns as you, except that the earliest i go to bed is 12am / 1am, and have to wake up by 6.30am to go to work. While he sleeps at 10pm and wakes up at 7.30am. Guess who will have trouble waking up??

 

[de_luxe]

A nice tale to share with all of you

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed: "Dear Lord: I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through, so please allow her body to switch with mine for a day. Amen.

God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish. The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman. He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners and stopped at the bank to make a deposit, went grocery shopping, then drove home to put away the groceries, paid the bills and balanced the check book. He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog. Then it was already 1P.M. and he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor. Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home. Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework, then set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing. At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh beans for supper.

After supper, he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed. At 9 P.M . he was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint.

The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said: "Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day. Please, oh! oh! please, let us trade back."

The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied: "My son, I feel You have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll just have to wait nine months, though. You got pregnant last night."

 

[christie79]

EJ Whales are cute and nice! So im not into eating them! Poor creatures leh! Yes i love salmons too! But im craving for chicken & pork lar..hehehe

Thanks Deluxe&Bride! Im trying not to think that much about it. Just making myself busy with making food and reading, heheh i'll be making nasi lemak later!
But Deluxe you're not alone, sometimes my hubby annoys me too. You see, im more into rice and fish than potatoes and he hates fish except canned anchovies. it's so 'leh jeah' i've to make a different dish of potatoes everytime i make dinner. So what i did was to talk to him nicely and tell him how i felt, i said 'I feel so difficult to make a different set of dish so if you can make your own dinner sometimes, i'll be really happy! He's ok with it for now, he's into frozen pizza and tacos some of the nights. LOL ..and also hubby LOVES to open the windows to sleep! IT's soooo cold mind you! He said it's nice! Can faint ah! it's like 10-14deg! So i said that im really cold and he gave me a very thick blanket on my own! You see! Sometimes it's annoying..but what to do? So take some time to tell him how you feel and the tone of voice is important. Also i kept reminding myself that we have come so long way to be married so it does not help getting into silly fights. So think it's give and take lah..

Bride there's no wet market here

there's only supermarkets except for the open fish market in bergen (which is another town) so i've to just tentatively make do with it..that's why maybe I've lost weight leh! 2 kg! and i can fit comfortably into my cheongsam again. heeee. Oh, why did you opt for kebaya? You're paranakan?

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Ladies,

Have been following your thread, but haven't got time to write and been MIA for a long time. A lot of newcomers! WOW! Just to share this story that a friend sent me, maybe you like to send to your hubbies to read. Can't stay long, my Dutch exam is on Thursday, need to study. Here is a story:

When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner
>>every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had
>>made
>>breakfast after a long, hard day at work.
>>
>>On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs,sausage, and
>>extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if
>>anyone noticed! Yet, all my dad did was reached for his toast, smiled at
>>my
>>mom, and asked me how my day was at school.
>>
>>I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching
>>him
>>smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got up
>>from
>>the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom
>>apologize to my dad for burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he?
>>said: "Baby,I love burned toast."
>>
>>Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he
>>really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said,
>>"Debbie,
>>your mommy put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And
>>besides, a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!"
>>
>>In bed that night, I thought about that scene at dinner...and the kindness
>>my daddy showed my mom. To this day, it's a cherished memory from my
>>childhood that I'll never forget. And it's one that came
>>to mind just recently when Jack and I sat down to eat dinner.
>>
>>I had arrived home late...as usual...and decided we would have breakfast
>>food for dinner. Some things never change, I suppose!
>>
>>To my amazement, I found the ingredients I needed, and quickly began to
>>cook
>>eggs, turkey sausage, and buttered toast. Thinking I had things under
>>control, I glanced through the mail for the day. It was
>>only a few minutes later that I remembered that I had forgotten to take
>>the
>>toast out of the oven!
>>
>>Now, had it been any other day -- and had we had more than two pieces of
>>bread in the entire house -- I would have started all over. But it had
>>been
>>one of those days and I had just used up the last two
>>pieces of bread. So burnt toast it was!
>>
>>As I set the plate down in front of Jack, I waited for a comment about the
>>toast. But all I got was a "Thank you!" I watched as he ate bite by bite,
>>all the time waiting for some comment about the toast. But instead, all
>>Jack
>>said was, "Babe, this is great. Thanks for cooking tonight. I know you had
>>a
>>hard day."
>>
>>As I took a bite of my charred toast that night, I thought about my mom
>>and
>>dad...how burnt toast hadn't been a deal-breaker for them. And I quietly
>>thanked God for giving me a marriage where burnt toast wasn't a
>>deal-breaker
>>either!
>>
>>You know, life is full of imperfect things...and imperfect people. I'm not
>>the best housekeeper or cook. And you might be surprised to find out that
>>Jack isn't the perfect husband! He likes to play his music too loud, he
>>will
>>always find a way to avoid yard work, and he watches far too many sports.
>>Believe it or not, watching "Golf Academy" is not my idea of a great night
>>at home!
>>
>>But somehow in the past 37 years Jack and I have learned to accept the
>>imperfections in each other. Over time, we have stopped trying to make
>>each
>>other in our own mould and have learned to celebrate our differences. You
>>might say that we've learned to love each other for who we really are!
>>
>>We share the same goals. We love the same things. And we are still best
>>friends. We've traveled through many valleys and enjoyed many mountain
>>tops.
>>And yet, at the same time, Jack and I must work every minute of every day
>>to
>>make this thing called "marriage" work!
>>
>>What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's
>>faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is the one
>>of
>>the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting
>>marriage
>>relationship.
>>
>>And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good,
>>the bad, and the ugly parts of your married life and lay them at?/FONT>the
>>feet of GOD. Because in the end, He's the only One who will
>>be able to give you a marriage where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker!
>>
>>Have a great day! May God bless your marriage.

 

[georginat]

de_luxe...sorry to hear abt your alarm clock argument. Maybe you can try to compromise with your hubby, is it possible for you to wake up at 7am, so at least you hubby still have 30 mins of good sleep? me and my hubby have different sleeping timing too but guess we are too tired for any argument so just ignore and sleep !!

chrisl, i dont know about norway, but in europe, there have those small butcher shops that you can buy un-marinated meat, maybe you need to 'racky' around to see if there is one nearby your place..meat is ex here too, chicken breast about $10 /kg, pork $12/kg, beef $12/kg...1 banana ( not 1 bunch) can cost $1 !but still have to eat , so need to buy anyway, somehow get used to the prices now !!at first , was like 'wah ! crazy! 1 banana A$1!' and the food prices here are not constant, eg, 1 day can be $5/kg for the ginger, next day $9/kg for the ginger, no price control at all.

 

[georginat]

de_luxe, EJ is right, asians and westerners have different etiquettes on certain things..they can be very paricular and sometimes self-centered (concluded by some gfs that married or dated westerners)i think in a marriage, tolerance is really a virtue !! when i got married, my mom told me i have to learn to tolerant and be patient...

 

[just_another_bride]

Hi Chris,
Hehe, I don't mean a wet market lah, but like georgina said, one of those small, local butcher shops. A similar equivalent from Singapore could be those new delicatessan shops found in Parkway or Great World? I think the ang mohs would have heart failure if we imported wet markets to their countries.
Alternatively, befriend the aunties from your local chinese restaurants! I am sure they know of the best places to get unmarinated meats.

As for kebaya, you're spot on. I'm peranakan on my mom's side.

Will you be wearing your cheongsum for the Norway wedding party?

 

[mrs_n]

Hey Liz nice to see you after a while. Good luck & God Bless for your Dutch exams.

Deluxe hope you've smoothed things out with your hubby. I don't like fights but making up is always nice.

Anyway very hard to fight with my hubby as he hardly loses his temper.

Gina I'm ok. Also busy studying for 'Life in the UK' test which I don't quite know when I will be ready to take it. I managed to read 6 out of the 9 Chapters but don't ask me if I remember anything because I don't!

So boring everytime read a little bit and then feel soooo sleepy. How to pass test like that!

Chrisl your hubby sound a bit like mine. Did your hubby build his own house? My hubby did most of the work on his own so he knows where to knock holes where the pipes and wires are. Yeah he does his own plumbing if there's not a major problem. People in Europe are a bit more relax especially if they live in the countryside. You'll get used to it eventually.

Oh dear maybe you should wear more clothing when you go to bed. At the beginning my hubby complained that it was too hot because I liked the heater on but eventually we compromised. We turned the heater off and had two duvets instead so he had the option of throwing them off whenever he wanted too.

bride you must be back into the swing of thesis writing. Hope its going well. Just think of the light at the end of the tunnel. Not long more to go yah?

Emilia jo sounds like you're going to be really busy in the next few weeks/months. Golly that is some major expedition. Having to trek all the way to another country just to get grocery supplies!!

How far is Munich from Innsbruck?

 

[eminozy]

Chrisl- WHALE apparently taste like chicken/rabbit! heheheheh

Georgina... UNBELIEVABLE!!! banana $1 for 1. Canberra. CEKIK DARAH-cut throat.sheeeesh....whats worst is Canberra being the centre for pornogaphy and politics too... its crazy. I think i better stop rambling about Canberra. Sorry. heheh Oh well. what to do. Elisabeth..thanks for the nice toasty story.

I think de_luxe's husband will be more infuriated if he cant have the last 30mins of peace before he wakes up. I always feel the first 20 and teh last 20 minutes are the most crucial for human beings- its the start of deep sleep and then the start of waking up. slow process... so how like that?

 

[christie79]

I have to 'racki' then Bride Gina , cos in my area, don't think i see any

anyway i'll ask hubby again tonight!

Huh??! That's strange leh Gina..no control over prices..is that the normal stores or asian food stores?

Yup Bride I'll be wearing my gown and cheongsam. As think would be exotic..heheh the normal here are the 'bunard' that's the traditional wear for brides but im not norwegian mah so cheongsam lor! hehe..But i wanted to try on ..see how it goes lah..i'll ask my MIL see if she would like me to put on or not..

Mrs N My FIL built their current hse and some parts of this hse im staying. You see it is an 'old' new hse, about 300-400 yrs old on the old parts and there's a new part which is about a few decades old coz PIL was living here previously before they built the current one they're living next door. Cool right? Building their own hse, that's unheard of in SG! hahah..Hubby is very hands-on, making things and doing things norwegian style. Generally Norwegians are pretty good at home improvements and also making their own wines etc..Cos everything is expensive so have to 'DIY'

Eliz Thanks for the story! And Good luck for your exams!

EJ Is that so? How was it done? With sauce? Deep fried? Steamed OR?? You tried rabbits too? Hmm..i got really turn off and felt 'yucky' the other time in France just by looking at the skinless heads and bodies in the chiller sections of the supermarkets..poor thing.

Reminded me of my pet rabbits i got when i was smaller. I used to have them in the free MacDonalds waist pouches. If anyone of you could remember those given (or bought?)when we get the set meals apparently then in the 80s. I used to have them around the waist and the tiny bunny's heads popping up thru..heheh so cuteeee!

 

[happydonut]

hey Christine and Emilia,

Living up in Norway I have to post this and clarify that whale meat does NOT taste like chicken or rabbit!
Whale meat IS red meat and tastes like beef!!! !! fairly bloody too!
Only the non-endangered 'Minke whale' is allowed to be hunted in Norway. This year's quota is 1052 whales. Whaling is a 'NORTH' Norwegian thing, eating whale meat is not so common place in the south.
Since it is red meat (like beef), so it should be best cooked like a beef steak... I prefer to eat it a little rare, on the stove, or best on the BBQ, then it is juicy and not dry.
Well you can make a stew out of it as well, not tried it deep fried and really don't think it would taste as good steamed!

Chrisl, the major food shops do sell meat that is not marinated.. Frozen chicken and pork you can buy quite reasonably at REMA1000.

Clare

 

[liz4jeroen]

Thanks Nrs N n Chrisl. Actually I am a bit lost. I don't know who is who now and where except some.

O whale meat! Sorry I am an animal environment protector. Even though it is a non-endangered species, I am against hunting whales, polar bears, seals... Sorry gals!

Over here, Dutch also DIY. I am just amazed by my FIL, he is such a handy man. He can also cook and sew. In August, we are going to renovate our kitchen to make it bigger. My hubby likes to DIY.

I must agree fruit are expensive even here. Only eat bananas and orange. Tropical fruit are too expensive! Gosh! esp water melon! I miss a lot of fruit. If I go back to SG, I will attack the fruit first! Ha ha ha... I love fruit!

Got go liao n cook!

 

[cuclainne]

thanks for the well wishes, ladies .. i have been taking it easy cos this pregnancy hasn't been easy - feeling more tired and sick all the time. sofi has been having an eye infection and has been whisked to my mom's place to recover ..
she's been quite a handful since she's learnt to crawl and has the uncanny ability to seek out dust ..

hehehe .. i am the one who gets annoyed at elias for coming to bed late .. since i am a light sleeper, i wake up at the slightest noise and elias certainly does that when he is getting ready for bed .. because he can come into the bedroom several times before he finally calls it a night - he would come in to check up on me and sofi, then he comes back again to pick up his dental mould, then he comes back again and picks up PJs, then he walks into the kitchen to boil water (he leaves the door to bedroom open so each time he walks past, i can see him).. it annoys me because once he falls asleep, he really falls into a deep slumber leaving me to wake up each time sofi cries in the middle of the night and i have to wake up earlier than he does so i end up being quite tired despite turning in earlier .. so exasperated! his complaint is that the room is too cold cos i turned the fan on high - we are using a fan when our air-con broke down. so now i turned the fan in such a way that only me and sofi can get the breeze and he still sleeps under his thick quilt!! once i checked his pillow and it was wet but he told me that it was the nicest sleep he's had! huh?! whatever la .. hahaha .. it's quirks like these that makes us individuals and we just have to learn to accept it ..

chrisl, i don't know how you can sleep with the windows open - we did it during spring cleaning (this is in the day) and it was cold .. can't imagine how it gets at night .. elias always steal the blanket from me .. hahaha ..

 

[cuclainne]

here is a photo of sofi, pretending to be shy ..

 

[eminozy]

heheheh. No. never ate whale meat before or rabbit. wanted to eat whale meat but no time BUT WILL never eat Rabbit... like u said .. TOO CUTE!

Aaahhhh ok..so its red meat. Thanks Donut!

Well, I think i got mixed up with alligator/crocodile. I think those taste like chicken/rabbit.AND NO i never ate them too. No way jose. The most exotic i can go is Venison. Thats about it. No cats or dogs or frogs, but if i am given a chance to eat whale... I will

Oh ya.. I ate kangaroo actually.Kangaroo bolognaise.

hehehhe. It definitely taste Gamey... oh dear i just remembered i tasted horse in Munich... AAArrgghhh ....hmmm. so yeah i guess i have eaten quite a fair bit. But eating horse meat is so scary visually for me, as i could see black velvet thundering across the mountains.....never again!

heheh. REMA100. i bought my cheap smoked salmon, caramelised goats cheese and potato chips that tastes so amazing somehow. I dont know why?

nisa...hehhe.sofi's so cute! helooooo little one!

 

[cuclainne]

i ate rabbit before!!!! it was ages ago when i went to langkawi .. my parents ordered takeaway fried chicken rice for me but the white meat tasted kind of sweet .. the next day we went back to the same makan place and they said it was rabbit .. alamak!

i've also eaten frog legs .. a friend took me and elias to eat frog legs porridge .. yummy! elias ate the porridge with the sauce .. stayed away from the legs ..

ooh .. me and my mother were just reminiscing about reindeer meat in sweden .. i've also had moose meat and reindeer salami before .. yum yum! oh dear .. seems like i'm quite game to try anything .. hahaha ..

thanks, ej .. this girl can pose for camera now ..

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Nisa,

Congrats on yr coming 2nd baby! Sofi is so adorable! I miss being with kids. Only have to wait to have my own after another year.

Ciao again! Back to study! Sigh!

 

[cuclainne]

Thanks Elizabeth .. how are you and Jeroen?

 

[mrs_n]

Cuclainne little Sofi isn't quite so little now is she?

Well hope you're not working too hard. You sound tired out.

Hee! Hee! I think blanket stealing seems to be the norm among husbands. Mine does the same too.

Hi Liz how did the exams go? Oh Paul was asking how was your trip to the airshow? I bet you will be looking forward to a bigger kitchen.

I'm not into exotic food either. Last time when my friend's spanish boyfriend cooked paella he put rabbit in it and I ate everything on the plate except the meat. Just couldn't bring myself to eat rabbit. Give me vegetables any day. Unfortunately with the floods, harvest this year looks bad and vege prices are expected to rise! Have to start thinking of growing my own perhaps.

Chrisl wow that's cool. You're certainly living in a house with lots of history. So do you heat your house traditionally with a fireplace? I once visited my friend in the North of Scotland and her parents lived in an old house too. They didn't have modern heating just a huge fire place to warm their living room. It was nice and cozy though. However her bedroom didn't have any form of heating and it was absolutely freezing as it was in the middle of winter. It didn't seem to bother her but I was shivering like mad. She had an electic blanket which was great! At least the bed was warm even though the room wasn't.

Yeah building one's own house is practically unheard of in S'pore. DIYing is also not very popular either. Ha! Ha! Perhaps that's why my parents were impressed with my hubby because he fixed their shower and put up a new mirror and shelf in the toilet during his first trip to my parents place. Now whenever we go back, he is always looking for something to fix. He was even considering bring his tools during our last visit! Can you imagine transporting a saw, chisel and whatever he's got in his toolbox in our suitcase all the way to SG. Wonder what the customs would have thought of that!!

 

[cuclainne]

Mrs N, nope she is not so little anymore .. and no longer light too .. hahaha ..

oh, i've been reading that parts of the UK have massive flooding right now .. I do hope that you are alright and not affected by it ..

 

[georginat]

Mrs.N...i heard from news and saw the flood scene on TV, looks pretty bad..i bet prcies of vege and fruits will go up, just like here

bloody hell !!! now the bananas cost about $7.99 to $9.99 per kg, and the stupid brocolli, cost about $5.99.kg last month now costs $8.99/kg..prices just go up like no body business..now got to budget what to buy , at least to tight over this crazy period...have to stop eating potato chips for the time being, spent alot on snacks ..heehee

nisa, sofi is so sweet now !! i must 'work' hard with hubby and try to have a girl !! haha!i heard the property prices in sg is rocket high at the moment...we also have thought of getting an apt 3 years later in sg but if prices too high , think got to shelf the plan longer than expected..

chrisl..my FIL also built his own house in Spain.he is an architect so he knows the 'lobang' to get cheaper materials..and yes, they have to DIY home items themselves, like the solar cover for the swimming pool, the BBQ pit, the BBQ tables....coz the workmanship and tradespersons fees are high there unlike in sg..

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Nisa,

Jeroen and I are fine. He has been very busy at his work and he will be on leave next week. Both of us finally get holidays but will be busy working on the house. I, spring cleaning, making ringpillows, he, putting on shelves, doing up kitchen, cleaning the shed... We'll be going to Paris for 2 days as promised to his youngest brother to bring him there. Probably we take a short trip to Germany for our first wedding anniversary. No plans yet. But we will surely cook for our family here. Life has changed for me after marriage. Better than before!

Hi Mrs N (Sharon),

It rained in the early morning at the airshow. To me, it is cold most of the time thought there was sun. It was the chilly wind. The airshow was fantastic but I was so tired that I dozed off at some airshows. Too tired to keep my eyes open! Ha ha ha... Poor Jeroen, his hard disk didn't save his photos which happened to be the best part of the airshows: Red Arrows and the Thunderbirds. He is very sad! He took a lot of photos! Well...

My results was a surprise, better than expected. Praise the Lord! The results give me more assurance and confidence now to use the language. But after the tests, my sinus gave me a headache. Too much of the stress! But the examiners were very friendly and nice, that helps a lot to calm me down during my oral.

I was feeling nervous! I dislike oral most! It was quite a funny oral test. I was so dramatic in answering some questions! Ha ha ha... the examiner laughed! Well... can't help it. I was a drama teacher! Ha ha ha... Still I have to keep learning and practising to prepare for my internship. Now sometimes when I write English, I end up spelling Dutch or the other way round. Gosh! My mind is confused! Ha ha ha....

O yes, I do look forward to a bigger kitchen. But first he needs to get someone professional to look at the structure of the wall. The wall seems to be the supporting wall so the calculation to place the steel beam has to balance out the weight of the upper level. Would Paul know how to calculate? Then after that we can start our renovate ourselves. We have plan A and B. Plan A is too cramp, using the space of the kitchen. You were here, you saw how small it is. The other option is to break down the wall between the kitchen and the living room. Hope all this can be done by September! I hardly see you online. Do you go online these days? Is UK still flooding? Weather is really crazy! Yesterday over here it poured and stopped and poured again and very strong wind too! Whenever there is a strong wind, it just freaks me out! I won't step out of the house! Don't want to be blown away by the wind again! Ha ha ha....

 

[mrs_n]

Oh no Liz Jeroen must have been so disappointed! Well maybe next time. Paul said if Jeroen wants to see an airshow again you can consider coming to the one in Warrington. It is not too far from us so you can stay a few days and not be so tired and rushed.

I hardly go on MSN these days. I tend to rush off by 9ish and come back about 6ish so by the time cook dinner I'm quite tired. Sometimes I go in on Saturday mornings too. But things are slowing down now. August many people go on holiday so not much goes on even in church.

Unfortunately the UK is flooded in the Southwest (I think near where you went). It seems to get worse everytime. However on our side of the midlands we seem to have escaped the worse of it this time round but with rains expecting over the weekend! Who knows what will happen?

Oh your plans for your new kitchen sounds exciting. Don't think Paul would know how to calculate steel beam. He built the framework of our house with wood.

Most houses in the UK are made of wood as they are hardly more than two stories high. But if you need some assistance on calculations, one of my friends might be able to help as she's a structural engineer. I can ask her if you want.

Anyway good to know that you are coping well with your Dutch.

Gina & Cuclainne thanks for your concern we are fine. Don't want to think about the high prices of vegetables and fruits. Too scary. Even strawberries are very expensive this year and don't taste as nice and these are from the farm shop down the road!

 

[christie79]

Sofi is gettting really adorable day by day Nisa! Any chance for us to catch a glimse of her in magazines? Well i remembered there were some of the children in my ex pre school into child modelling and appearing in magazines and commericals.

Stay well during your 2nd pregnancy! haha yes luckily for us we have seperate blankets each, and mine is much thicker with more feathers then Gaute's. And maybe im starting to get use to the weather here..dunno lah..sometimes the weather is so strange here, like yesterday it was 25 degC then today it's 15DegC. MIL said that i should be kept warm and will try to make FIL& Hubby to carry the portable fireoven up here next to the room to get some heating soon (as i hv to last thru the harsh norweigan weather esp winter) ;P

Thanks Clare gaute said that here it's quite a drive to get to the nearest store Rema1000, so we can only get some from ICA or Coop. And dunno why most of the time we're unlucky to find no unmarinated meat

so i told him that if we see some next time i'll 'grab' and buy! And as for the whale meat i don't think im able to sink my teeth into it yet..a bit too cruel for me

Eliz Good to hear that you&Jeroen are getting on fine!

Mrs N yes my hse is heated by traditional fireplace. 1 downstairs in the living room and 1 upstairs in the living room. But MIL is thinking of getting another fire oven for me from her place(she's not using the other one much) to be placed near outside our bedroom upstairs in the kitchen so i could stay warm. There are also other modern electrical heaters but as they are more into conserving energy so a fireplace is more preferred then those. So now there's no heaters in the daytime, only when the temperature dips more in the evenings, then gaute will start the fireplace for me when i complain that it's much too cold. Hmm I've to learn starting one myself too these days..as everything's so DIY! Kekeke

Hahha! Paul sures scored well already on his 1st visit!

Gina Yea i have to budget too as paiseh, not working now then hubby is the one paying and don't want him to pay too much mah..
And oh you're thinking of getting an apt too!? Hubby and i were talking about it too. It would be good to have a place to stay in SG whenever we're back for a holiday. While the rest of the time we're not, it could be out for rent..but dunno what's the best choice, HDB or Pte Condo?

Hey i've a thing for girls too! hahahah i'm already thinking of potential names both english and chinese! LOL While i leave boy's name to gaute! And im making it a bit tricky for him and told him that i would love to have both boys and girls with same initials on ther names hahah!

 

[cuclainne]

Chrisl, she is still a bit too young for that but maybe if she wants to go into that when she is older .. a friend of mine wanted to use some photos of her playing on a laptop for Get Online .. i don't know what it is but they had wanted to use it for a campaign, something along the lines of 'you're never too young to start' but me and Elias were not comfortable in letting them use personal photos .. if they were taken professionally, then maybe we might have said yes ..

 

[christie79]

Hi gals,
do any of your hubby a bit picky abt food? I've run out of idea of what to cook for dinner

He don't like rice(except for wif curry) and fish..haiz! I've tried looking thru internet, but on most webpages, it's too western for my taste..any suggestions har? I've also flipped thru all my receipes..

He also don't like fried rice, and sweet sour pork as well as porridge is no no for him

 

[christie79]

and forgot to add, im still waiting for my stove/oven to be ready! (fuse not connected yet) so cooking is a little restricted..with only a hotplate and a ricecooker

 

[georginat]

chrisl..u so funny !! running out of idea what to cook !! u can steam food using ricecooker? maybe u have to write down what to cook each day..everyweek we have fish, chicken and pork or lamb or beef (try not to eat too much red meat!) so if today i cook fish, then tomorrow will be cicken, the next day pork, then again fish, chicken....steam, panfried, deep fried....luckily hubby not very fussy about food and eat whatever i cook (whether nice or not !!) haha!!

 

[christie79]

ah yo hahaha! My MIL commented to him the other day that ''YOU(Hubby) should learn to eat your wife's cooking, you can't always keep running back to your mother for dinner!'' LOL and then the day before PIL were having grill and he went over and got some grilled pork chops and potatoes! (That was after the dinner here!) He was happy like mad, and burped so loudly after eating it! LOL i was laughing like mad, dunno what to do to him. He said he missed potatoes...'Hey!' i said ''thankfully we're neighbours with your parents or else you've got nowhere to run to get your quick fixes'' LOL he's a pampered child!

 

[georginat]

chrisl...i guess your hubby is used to eat western food so now have to eat more' oriental' food, cannot adjust to the tastes yet... we eat rice like 2 or 3 times a week, pasta and potatoes..i think potatoes are like rice to them. actually grilled food and baked potatoes easier to cook !!!

 

[christie79]

Would like to grill but don't have a griller yet lei! Hopefully there'll be soon when the guests come wth their wedding gifts next week! Gosh after this i'll go and print the place cards already! Haven't finish!

BTW, i was pretty surprised when my MIL asked me and hubby to list out our 'wishlist' for the wedding on what we hope guests will give for the wedding. (in our traditions are angpows) but i was surprised lor..

Another thing to add to the culture difference

 

[mrs_n]

Ha! Ha! Chrisl Yah I was surprised about the giftlist (wishlist) thingy. Apparently its quite common over here people set up a giftlist with a dept store and the guest see what is on it and buy off it. The idea is to prevent the couple from ending up with 10 toasters or something ridiculous like that.

My hubby got no choice have to eat what I cook. MIL live in town now and I don't think his SIL would want another mouth to feed.

He is more used to my cooking now and I'm increasing my spice level everytime. And that is after almost 2 years. So I guess you have to give your hubby time. I tell him its for his own good. Must practise otherwise when go to Sg he can't eat my Dad's cooking! But to be fair I alternate with Western cooking every now and then. And that keeps him happy. Besides I usually cook enough for two days so its not an everyday affair. I take my hat off to Gina who masak everyday!

I guess if you are not used to western cooking it can be quite hard to get ideas. But don't worry lah! Wait for your oven and stove to come first then you can start educating him. If he is still too picky then tell him to go and cook his own dinner!

 

[cuclainne]

Hi ladies .. so far no problems with food .. elias prefers local food so sometimes i have to plead with him to eat weatern food .. hahaha .. he prefers rice over potatoes. that's why on the plane ride to stockholm, he was already lamenting on how he's going to starve when he is there .. no nasi lemak, mee rebus, prata, etc .. aiyoh, worse than me! hahaha ..

chrisl, i think it's nice to have the wishlist .. at least you will get some items for your new home yah ..

 

[christie79]

Hahahah good idea Mrs N! Tell him make his own dinner LOL he had already been stocking up frozen pizzas and taco wraps in the fridge!

Btw, i've joined several online recipe forum/page and hopefully i can brush up my cooking skills the stove/oven is here but the cables for it are still not. (hubby ordered a different type as the current one which comes with it is not matching with our fuse) so as you know lah..the system is so slowwww....haiz

The giftlist thingy is cool right? I hope we'll get the things we need then

Elias's so flexible Nisa! Good for you! Don't have to 'headache' haha..

Im so nervous for the wedding this saturday. Starting thursday, we'll be helping with baking, deco and such...and later tonight we're putting up the tent..praying for good weather...and my parents are coming tomorrow. Gee! Im so excited to meet them at the airport!

 

[georginat]

Hi Chrisl!! congrats again on yout forthcoming wedding in Norway dont be too nervous on your big day, girl.. ya, Mrs. N is right, if he is so picky, ask him to cook his own food !!!Got someone to cook for him still picky then he needs to be 'spunk' !! haha!!

dont worry, practice makes perfect, after a few months your cooking skills wil definitely improve and you can improvise the recipes to suit your taste.

nisa, luckily our hubbies have 'international taste bud'.hee hee..he likes beef rendang, prata too..

 

[de_luxe]

Chris1 have you tried www.epicurious.com? It's a US-based site and the recipes are pretty reliable. I usually alternate btwn Asian and Western every weekend. Generally he's not too fussy. Have you tried cooking pasta? Can do a fusion Pasta Goreng... that's what we used to do with spaghetti when studying in France cuz there aren't any of the thick yellow noodles there.

 

[pinkpony]

Hi ladies.

I have to drop a note as reading through this thread as I've so much in common in the discussion!

Yes, my Aussie HTB eats everything too. BUT, he doesn't like my favourite fishball noodles and laska! In fact, he detest them! But loves prata, fried carrot cake, mee goreng and kopi-o!

Another one is the 'wishlist'! He calls it 'cash register' as its like ticking off the box of what you want in the list. But I think he has gotten my influence of Ang Bao.. so last wedding we went, he gave them a 'check' instead. LOL!!

And one of you mentioned about the homesick thing.. yes, I am so close and sticky to my family that I always tear the thought of living away from them. Sigh. That's my only worry.

Anyway, its National Day tomorrow. So for those out of SG, and any country proud fellow ladies, wear colour RED tomorrow!

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Chrisl,

COngrats! Everything will be in its place. We also DIY for decor, some food and other stuff as well. Hearing your story brings back memories. Soon it will be our 1st anniversary.

About food, though my hubby is not picky but he doesn't like porridge and some Chinese soup. I cook them once in a blue moon. He doesn't complain but just eat. Still, I just cannot cook often. The other thing he can take very well is chilli and spicy food. Better than me! Ha ha ha... Like Gina said: practice makes perfect. I improvise a lot too! Sometimes the cookbook has too many ingredients that I cut down and make my own. It was a diastrous when I first started cooking, cook too little. Poor hubby doesn't say much but I know he has not enough, hahaha.. coz I was still hungry after dinner or food is too blend. Now, I am better but sometimes headaches on what to cook also esp when I have no time. SOmetimes, my hubby cooks. Hee hee... Inevest in some good cookbooks. I have so many now.

Mrs N,
What are you busy with? Church? Jeroen likes the idea of going to the airshows hear your place then we can stay at your place and don't have to rush. He said next year we shall do that! Ha ha ha... I told him Paul and he can go to the airshows and we two can do something else. Hee hee... Good idea?

 

[margiel]

Hi girls
Heee really funny to read about our husbands with Asian taste buds

I am married to a German and we are living in Melb now. My hubby love beef rendang, prata, oriental/ indian/ malay food and as well as anything that is associated with COCONUT & MANGO!!! He can even make his own bubble tea with 'pearl' and... oh ghosh cant remember the name of the white cubic shape and jellish kind of coconut stuff that starts with the letter 'n' lol... He can tahan more spicy food then me! But he is also one of those who doesnt like porridge, soupy stuffs and has allergy to anything 'under the sea' as well as nuts. Meal preparation is alright for me hehee he will eat down whatever i had experimented be it nice or not. Really a blessings to have international taste buds husbands or husbands with great loving hearts hehehe

 

[rizaclark]

Hello there

Margiel..

If not mistaken, the word N you are looking for to identify the jelly is Nata DeCoco...

Nice to meet you, I'm Riza Singaporean now living in Denver, Colorado US.

To everyone, Happy 42nd Birthday for Singapore.

Riza

 

[margiel]

Yes Riza! It's Nata DeCoco!!
Happy 'National' Day to all Sg ladies here

and Happie B'day Singapore!

 

[mrs_n]

HaHa! Liz that sounds like a good idea. The guys can go and watch aeroplanes the whole day and we can go jalan jalan.

Not so busy now as compared to the last few months. Things will start picking up once September comes.

Chrisl not to worry I'm sure your 'cooking' problems will be solved in no time. Otherwise you have to do as Gina says 'spank' husband! You might have to ask for a 'rotan' in your wishlist.

Cuclainne Ha! Ha! Your hubby is the one who advised me not to remove the chilli seeds when I make the 'rempah'. So now I don't. And actually Elias is right, tastes better. Paul doesn't say much just tells me that the food is nice and drink lots of water!

Welcome Margiel! Ah! Another German wife.

Miss Lala I usually wear a red jumper. Its a bit nippy even though its still summer. Maybe I should look for a white pants or skirt than can be a walking flag!

Hi Riza!

Happy National Day! <font color="ff0000">Majulah Singapura</font>

 

[pinkpony]

Hehe... yeah, noticed the trend of our the-other-half liking coconut and spicy kind of food. not the soupy and 'watery' stuffs.

Too bad, I simply loves my soup. I grew up with habit of having at least a soup to complete a meal

I've a habit of cutting out receipe of the food section in the Magazines/Lifestyle in Newspaper I read. It has since grew to at least hundreds pages now! Hehe.. just a little thought to save some dollars on cookbook. LOL!

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Ladies,

Happy National Day!

Good idea Ms Lala for cutting from Mag. I collect Mag from the supermarket. They even have cards. They are free, only thing is it is in Dutch. Ha ha ha... Force me to learn Dutch. I have bought some second hand Dutch cookbook, again in Dutch. Usu my hubby ends up reading it for me or he cooks it. A good excuse to make him cook! Ha ha ha....

Mrs N, yeah! Onzzzz!!!!! We will plan for the next year! Cool! Looking forward to it! A good excuse to go UK! Jeroen probably will be going there for his course and exam on his own with his college next year. Not sure when!

RIza, did you happen to write me an email sometime back? If u do, peiseh for not replying, was very busy back then.

Welcome newcomers!

 

[gottliebt]

Hey girls
So interesting! I enjoyed reading all yr experiences about cooking. Heehee. The funny thing is that my husband said, one of his biggest fears is not being to take so much Asian cooking when I eventually do start cooking in Germany. In SG no problem lah, cos there´s food everywhere, but in Germany he´s at my "mercy"hahah. And then wat happens? I started cooking 1 yr ago and since then, I think he ate everything I cooked and except for 2 or 3 dishes that were really cannot-take-it, he loved everything else.

And the funny thing is that my hubby like cannot stand spicy food at all loh. But He´s so much better now, I train him hahah. And when he´s hungry, bo pian loh. haha. The first time I cooked curry about 3 yrs ago, my parents-in-law loved it but he had to run to his room, cos the coconut smell was too strong for him. Poor thing. And miracle of all miracles. I cooked SIngapore curry last Saturday and he LOVED it. Talk about God changing tastebuds. I think my hubby´s a pure example that with God all things are possible! Woo-hoo!

Oh, and He loves soups and porridge leh. That was smth that surprised me too. We eat fish soup together (Like yu2 pian4 tang1)and I cook either plain porridge or porridge with chicken. He brings any remaining porridge to his office for lunch too. Hmm.... am I Asianizing him too much?!?

Chrisl I understand how u feel. I started without a kitchen too and couldn´t cook properly, jus a hotplate, NO rice cooker and a make-do sink. Aiyoh. I think I cooked like rice with whatever meat I could find. I think mainly fried stuff with a bit of oil, garlic, onion makes everything taste nice. Oh, I found it useful to pray for my hubby too! I used to ask God to make his tastebuds more flexible. And guess what? It works!!!! =)

Mrs N Hey, how r u? Nice to hear that u r having a more relaxing time now. Abt which time of year is Liz gonna visit u? So fun! Wanna come too! But atlast, my hubby needs to start studying for his exams beginning from Oct 2007 and last till March 2009. Is that crazy or is that crazy. Geez. And what on earth is "rampah"?

To everybody else Happy birthday Singapore! Wow, can´t believe that I miss SIngapore during National Day and in the past, I don´t even bother to watch the parade on TV. Not that I do it now, too busy with getting ready for my SIngapore trip - flying off tomorrow. And haha. For the first time, taking Singapore Airlines! Will see how the service´s like.

 

[gottliebt]

Oh any way to meet up with any of you staying in Singapore? How about Nisa and daughter???? =)

 

[mrs_n]

Liz sure thing! Hee! Hee! So exciting. I'm not too familiar with this airshow business but I'm told by a reliable source that this is the nearest one to us.

Hey Pris I think its not just Nisa and daughter now but Nisa + bump + daughter + hubby!

I'm fine. Yeah I'm'relaxing' now but feel I shouldn't be relaxing and should have my nose buried in that 'Life in the UK' book! I think Liz's trip will depend on when the airshow is? Your hubby interested in aeroplanes? You &amp; your hubby are most welcome to come and stay with us my dear. The more the merrier.

What is Stephan studying that his exams last for a year and a half? Poor guy that is some marathon exam.

'Rempah' is a kind of a paste I suppose usually used in Malay, Indonesian and Eurasian dishes. There are many types but I usually make mine out of ginger, garlic, shallots, chilli and nuts (usually whatever I can find in the house: peanuts, cashew and recently macademia) occasionally I will add in belacan. Don't dare to use belacan too often otherwise my hubby will complain about the smell.

Anyway have a safe trip back home. I'm sure both of you will enjoy every minute of your time there.

God Bless!

Miss Lala I used to cut out recipes and stick them into empty exercise books too. But I left all of them in Singapore! Talk about fish soup. I miss the seafood soup in the foodcourt in Pearl Centre. Used to work around that area so frequented the place alot. Ha! Ha! So happy I managed to recreate something similar using Knorr's vegetable stock with fish, crabsticks and vegetables. At least can satisfy my cravings for nice clear soup. Western soup is usually a bit too creamy. Nice to have once in a while but not all the time.