Any Brides whose HTB is 'Ang Mo'?

[freakyfairy]

Happy New Year! Hope you gals had a good time over Christmas and New Year. Sorry I haven't been posting for a while, been a bit packed at work and busy watching DVD. I got my hubby this comedy series for Xmas and we've been watching it almost everyday.

Hi J Lo! Welcome to the thread. Where abouts are you staying in US? I've been hoping to head over there for holiday some time but it's just too far to travel to from SG hehe.

Hi Mrs N! Hows the weather over at your side? It's been raining here almost everyday but today has been a sunny afternoon. Heard that it's going to get colder again soon though.

Anyway, gtg. It's nice reading about everyone

Oh, and congrats to you, Georgina!

 

[mrs_n]

Hi Freaky nice to 'see' you around after a while. Been wondering where you disappeared! Now we know the reason.

Its been raining over here as well and there were strong winds last night. Though yesterday was gorgeous with sunshine all day.

In all its been a warm winter. Saw some roses blooming in the garden in church this afternoon! With this global warming every thing seems out of sync. Ha! Ha! The ones my FIL used to have usually bloom in June to Aug! So unless its some mutant species its way out of season for roses to be budding nevermind blooming now. Oh well shall have to wait for the really 'cold' weather to kick in yet! My hubby is hoping for it to snow so he can work from home!

 

[j_lo]

Hi Mrs. N my husband is an all round city boy who loves the nature! He was born and grew up in Philadelphia but hated it there, so he went as far west as he can go without leaving the States. That's how we ended up in Hawaii. He likes SG and don't mind moving there in the future. He hates the crowd but gave him broad-band internet and cheap computer parts and he's there.

Hi Georgina & freaky, I'm currently staying in Hawaii, far from home but still not that bad compare to the mainland US. Come visit me if you'll want to. I hardly get to meet many S'porean here. Oh Georgina I am so envious of you, you'll be heading home soon. How I miss all those good food! And I just came back from SG. hehe

 

[gottliebt]

Georgina Lucky u! So envious when heard that your hubby decided to work in Singapore. Wonder when will that be my turn. For now, I´ll be in Germany. U must be getting ready to pack everything to go back then. Actually one of the things that I was considering abt germany is that, Sooner or later need to learn the language one. Cos its my hubby´s mother tongue mah, so learning is the language is part and parcel of the whole marriage. So I thought better sooner than later, if not the older I get the harder it will be. Yah loh, so here I am stuck with learning a new language, which ain´t that bad. Its the having to resettle and find new frens all over again which is tough!

J Lo Hihi! Welcome! Hawaii! Wat an awesome place to stay! ONly thing I know about Hawaii is the University of the Nations founded by Loren Cunningham. Have u heard abt that? How often do u go back to Sg?

 

[christie79]

Hi hi gals!

Im dropping a quick hi! after being on a short 'honey moon' hehhhee

Got back to work just today and will be too tomorrow so i'll catch my snooze now then.

BTW a quick hi and welcome to J Lo

 

[de_luxe]

Hi Ladies,

Hope you are having a great year so far!

We hosted our 1st party as a married couple on New Year’s Eve at our place. Was a resounding success… I’m so proud of us!

We are settling down pretty well at our new place now, been staying home a lot, watching DVDs and reading… or growing old as my fren put it…

Pris How have you been? You sound more cheerful these days… keep ur chin up yah? Dun push urself too hard to learn German any faster than you already are. I’m sure you are already doing ur best. When we met at Coffee Club many moons ago you were already speaking rather well, I’m sure you’ve made improvements already. I know how frustrating it is not to be able to hold a decent conversation, other than talking abt the weather and the vocab they teach in class doesn’t really help much does it? I had that problem when I first went to France – couldn’t even buy newspaper!! Plus, I tend to understand the context of a conversation much better than actually speaking the language so it’s like a person who’s mute but can hear. I can understand but can’t speak!!!

I’m now having the same problem with my hubby’s parents and frens too. Now my MIL doesn’t even ask to speak to me whenever they talk to each other on the phone cuz it’s just too awkward. I know my PIL are really nice pple and I feel really bad abt it. It only makes it worse when my FIL say they are trying to learn English… they are already so old (he’s 70 this yr) and I’m sure it’s super tough for them.

His frens back in Germany are another problem altogether. Of course some of them are nice and will speak or at least try to speak English but they are a rare breed. Most can hardly speak English. The worst of the lot are his long-time friends who he knew since his teens. I dunno why those who can speak English dun speak to me and those who dun speak much English obviously dun talk to me, save for maybe 1 or 2 who still try somewhat. The first time I met them, we spent a week in a country house in Denmark with them for the New Year. I was practically in tears by the time the week ended. My hubby, at that time my bf, wasn’t too happy with them and has since declined to join them for anymore trips. He only sees them for drinks whenever we return. While I’m glad to have his sympathy, I also feel bad abt driving a wedge btwn him and his frens. The last time I saw them, one of the ladies obviously tot that since we’ve been together for like 3 yrs at that time, I would definitely speak fluent German and started babbling to me until she realized I couldn’t understand a word. For the rest of the evening she just pointedly ignored me and the whole bunch of them just sat there talking and joking in German the whole night. They are always the people I dread meeting whenever we visit Germany.

I guess it will never change until I can actually speak German fluently and I dunno when this will be as my work really doesn’t allow me any time to take any courses. Learning German also messes with my French (honestly, I sometimes think in a mix of French and German and confuse myself) and I’m really afraid that I will one day lose my command of French after trying so hard to learn it and to maintain it… I was joking with him a few days ago that maybe I could learn German when I’m pregnant and perhaps the kid will be born knowing how to speak German!!

Mrs N CNY is from 17 Feb onwards… we’re trying to go away for a short break cuz it’s a long weekend. But everywhere seems to be booked out! Now trying our last resort… Penang.. to visit a fren.. My hubby is a village boy too. He still hates the city and never wants to go to Orchard or town on weekends but will be more than happy to drag me to places like Pulau Ubin, Bkt Timah Hill, Sungei Buloh and MacRitchie… Unfortunately I can’t hike much as I have a slipped disc and can’t overexert myself. I found out today that swimming is less painful than walking… wish I can spend my whole life in water!!

J_Lo Welcome on board! Always glad to see a new face ard here! Hawaii is a nice place, remember going there as a kid… not much remembrance though, mostly of some ship that we were on… when I was studying I wrote endless applications for an internship to the hotels there but being Asian, it never happened… Have you been living there for the past 10 yrs? Are you working?

Georgina Good for u! Hope u get a job back here soon! BTW, remembered u saying u wanted kids ASAP… is that still the plan?

Cuclainne Haven’t seen u around. Guess u r busy with little Sophie, how r u both getting on? Any new pics? Are u planning to go back to work after ur maternity leave? I’ve been reading some pregnancy books and all this childcare stuff sounds really tough… I’ve never really had any experience with kids and this is almost foreign to me… can’t imagine what I’ll do to my own kids… yeeks!

BTW, for those of u living overseas, do try to get some of the Prima laksa paste ready-to-cook packs if you still haven’t tried it. We just had one of those for dinner and it’s pretty good. I used prawn stock instead of just water to beef up the taste a little that’s all.

 

[cuclainne]

de_luxe, glad to hear that you're settling down well at your new place .. and a party .. woo hoo .. i would like to have one but am really bad at planning, etc .. heheheh.

Sofi is fine - she just had her second dose of Hep B vaccination a few days ago.. thank goodness she didn't have a fever - don't know how we'll cope if she did. I'll be going back to work in a few weeks' time but am beginning to have second thoughts about leaving Sofi .. even at the infant care at my workplace. I want to be there for her .. don't know if I can cope juggling everything. So we've decided that I give it a try and after a month or two, if I really can't cope, then I could give being a SAHM a thought.

Yeah so much information in books - most of the time we just rely on our instinct though..

 

[de_luxe]

Hi Cuclainne! Wow ur 3-mth maternity leave passes so fast! It's a gd thing ur workplace has infant care.. at least u can see her during breaks and lunch.. it'll be better than not seeing her at all the whole day and be exhuasted by the time you reach home and the last thing u'll want to deal with is a fussy/wailing baby - at least that's how i would feel. I think for me, it will be a all or nothing situation...

How abt ur appt? Are you renewing the lease?

 

[mrs_n]

Hello everyone!

J Lo looks like both you and your hubby are far from home. Never been to Hawaii before ... maybe someday! But I think for the next couple of years all our overseas holidays will be in the direction of S'pore and the rest of SEAsia.

Always got the impression from the TV that Hawaii was kind of tropical like Sg. Is it? Well whatever it is, I'm sure you won't have to get use to freezing cold weather and short winter days.

Ah Pris you'll eventually find your feet (& friends) in the 'new country', it will just take some time. I've lived in the UK for more than 5 years and I still struggle to refer to this place as 'home'.

De-luxe don't feel too bad about your hubby's friends. My hubby had some good friends whom he used to go mountaineering with when he was younger but as time went on everyone's life changed and now they keep in contact only via email or Christmas cards. So perhaps a similar situation has occured with your hubby's friends and all that is holding them together is memories of a long time friendship. It's probably a matter of the inevitable happening rather than a case of whether your understanding/speaking of German is good or not. So don't feel you're the 'wedge' between them b'cos I'm sure you aren't.

Anyway thanks for letting me know when CNY is. I've really lost track of holidays in Sg. My mum will tell me when I call her every week but usually whatever PH is over by that time.

Will have to take you up on your suggestion of the laksa paste. My place is so ulu I think I need to set up my own Asian provision store when I next go back in March. Ha! Ha! However, one thing I'm not taking back with me to the UK is curry powder and dried chilli. I have more than enough to last me for the next 10 years!!

Wah! Cuclainne you have been a mum for 3 mths already? Time passes so quickly. Sofi must be getting bigger day by day. Btw, is it too late to wish you Happy 1st Anniversary?

Hey Chrisl how's school? Bet you still wish you're on 'honeymoon'!

 

[j_lo]

Hi everyone,

Haven't really login and check the posting over the weekend, but managed to snick in today.

Mrs. N yes Hawaii is a tropical place just like S'pore. But with beautiful sunset and beach, nice weather(not during the summer though) and lots of rolling hills and nature all around. And no winter - that is my husband's favorite part! Though sometimes I prefer a place with 4 seasons. Right now my husband likes to say that this is the perfect place as it's almost exactly in the middle of where both our parents are. So no one can complain about being closer to the other. But who knows what will happen when we decided to move to S'pore later. We'll see ...

Hi Pris, sorry I am not really familiar with that university. Hawaii is an awesome place to stay in, but I just wish the standard of living isn't so high and there isn't earthquake and tsunami. But I guess I have to take the good with the bad! hehe

De-luxe no actually I only stayed here for like 4yrs when I was here for college and then came back recently (like 6mths ago). I just got my work permit right before I left for S'pore for my wedding ceremony. And now I am back looking for a job. The job market here is really competitive! There are simply not enough higher level skills jobs to go around. It's usually through net working that people get a job here. And even if the jobs make it to the papers,I have to send out the resume the day itself or the chances of me getting an interview for it is slim to none! Ai-yah-yah ... stressful!

 

[cuclainne]

de_luxe, we've decided to extend the lease - there just wasn't enough time between looking after sofi, sourcing for cheap plane tickets and accommodation for our trip to stockholm etc. our previous agreement ended in dec but till date i have not signed a new agreement *yikes?* the landlady has also decided to increase rent by $200 but since the aircon unit in the bedroom has not been working, we want to negotiate - either she replace the aircon and we pay her the increased amount or she don't replace and we retain the normal rent rate. So far there has been no response from her and it's time of the month for us to pay rent again. Sigh ..

Mrs N, nope it's not too late!! Hehehehe .. we attended my friend's wedding on that day and then dropped Sofi off at my parents'. We watched One Last Dance, a mafia-like movie (a Hong Kong/ Singapore collaboration) at VivoCity and then planned to have dinner at a fancy restaurant. We decided on Flutes at Fort Canning but after climbing those steep steps, we found that the restaurant was closed *darn it* so it was down the steps again. Thankfully we had rented a car so we were able to drive ourselves to Halia at Botanic Gardens and had a fabulous meal.

How have you been?

 

[georginat]

hi ladies !!


yes, de_luxe, having a baby is in the plan .hope will have good news by end of this year !!

pris, you r right !! better learn any languages when still young, easier to catch up...me will have to learn spanish as fast as possible !!


hawaii sounds good, J Lo..at least its a tropical place, not too cold end of the year..i dont really like cold weather, maybe so used to warm weather..

nisa, you can try www.zuji.com.sg to buy your airtickets..i had bought a few tickets from there before..i bought the ticket to mardid via TG for $1020 before tax , no service charges too..can try and see how...

 

[cuclainne]

hi georgina, i bought my tickets to stockholm from them before too. malaysia airlines is having a promotion so i had called them - zuji charges a bit more than them so we're trying to get tickets directly from the airline.

 

[christie79]

Hi all!

Phew! It has been a busy period since FH left and im still trying to get used to 'crawling' to work again. Haha..Mrs N school's hectic as have to start the new year and im also planning the school's CNY's celebration plus also incharge of some other things as well. SIGH! Looks neverending! But looking at the nice/cute chn sometimes makes my job easier as they're rather adorable! Oh there's this new toddler in our school who is soooooo super cute and with big round eyes/soft curly brown hair! Wah really melts one's heart away.. By the way, finally saw your photo in multiply and can put a face to whom im 'chatting' to all these while..haha..

Cuclainne Hey i couldn't believe that Sofi has been out for a few months already! Time really flies! Hey you can also try www.airfares.com.sg they have some promotions there i think. And about accomodations, can try B&B?

deluxeGee thanks for the recommendation of the laksa paste, i'll go try it 1st then maybe bring a few pkts over in june. As for your language issue i can totally understand that. But have you been talking to your hubby in german to practice as and when? Better take care yourself ..heard that water therapy is good..

J_LoHi! Wow..hawaii, you might be a beach babe!? As for me im in SG still in the midst of planning my June wedding to my Norwegian guy, Yup! Long distance! For 3 years now already! But we had spend the New year together in SG and also did some wedding stuffs together,..like taking wedding photos, MTM suit and even got our wedding rings. BTW just curious but how long is the flight from Sg to hawaii?

Georgina ! How's married life so far? Wah so as to say you'll have no problem finding local SG food when your food cravings kicks in even during the middle of the night if you have your baby! Hmm..im still trying to find the best way to ship my instant sauces and my dad's chilli sauces and xo sauces there leh haha..

ok GTO, post soon again!

 

[georginat]

yes nisa, sometimes you get better deals directly from airlines´websites. KLM and air france sometimes offers cheap fares, like $850 above but of course, must travel during off-peak season..

hi chrisl !!! married life is so far so good at the moment...not much changes yet, maybe till we find our own place and settle down then maybe will see the changes (like have to do more housework, cooking...) Can you checkin all those sauces instead of shipping them seperately?? you can go to the airport earlier , like 2 and a half hour earlier to checkin so that you can have excess baggage allowance , sometimes they will close one eye (if your baggage is 35 kg) !! Ship to norway will be too ex !!

 

[cuclainne]

Hi Chrisl, have bought my ticket to Hong Kong from them before. We're trying to find a cheap apartment to rent there (cos it's so horrendously expensive to stay in a hotel - 2 rooms) and if we're self-catering, helps to save money at meal times. I have found a few places but waiting for replies - Elias wants someplace easily accessibly from the city centre on the subway so it's been a real headache trying to find someplace that suits him and his budget as he'll be paying for it.

Georgina, where in Madrid are you staying - at his place, parents', etc? Still you must be enjoying yourself there - when's the next honeymoon?

are you counting the days till you return to singapore?

I used to send food to elias via post! hahahaha - used those big boxes and stuff non-perishables in them, covered in bubble wrap. The boxes I sent to his dad and mom arrived safely but his, they broke the big bottle of chilli sauce i had sent and since he took a few days to collect it at the store, didn't have a pleasant smell. hahahaha - served him right!

 

[de_luxe]

J Lo Whereabouts did u live b4 moving back to Hawaii? What industry are u in? It's amazing how tough the job market is there! The job market here is picking up by leaps and bounds. There were so many ads in the recruit section yesterday, it came in 2 parts. I've not seen it like this since years... Good luck for your job search!

cuclainne I can imagine ur fustrations with the apt. If i were u, i would just pay the current rate for this month. All the foreigners i meet here all complain abt the incredible lack of rights that tenants have. Happy belated anniversary BTW! When r u guys going to Stockholm?

Georgina All the best to Project Junior! Start reading those baby books!

Chrisl I rarely speak to my HB in German as my vocab is too pathetic to hold any decent conversation. He mostly laughs at my pronouciation. I have a hard time making sure that every syllabus is pronouced. I've never done water therapy but did both physio and acupuncture. Physio tended to provide only temp relief whereas acupuncture was slightly more painful, but cheaper and more effective.

When i was studying in France, my mom used to FedEx stuff to me abt once in 6 mths, usually all the sauces, titbits like the chilli tapioca chips, bwa kwa and other barang barang. Since I usually dun need so much, i'll just ask my frens what they want and get my mom to dump it in. I guess it's ex, but it's faster than shipping so won't spoil and prob cheaper than excess baggage.

If u gals are getting the laksa paste, u can also check out their other sauces. I've not tried them yet but i suppose it can't be too bad. I gave my PIL and SIL a pack of Hainanese Chix Rice Mix once and i think they liked it.

 

[georginat]

$700 is a good deal, nisa...MAS is not bad too..now its getting colder here, expecting snow the next few days in northern part of Spain (which supposed to snow last mth !!) Parts of europe experienced strong gale last week especially in germany and england...hows freaky, mrs.N and tootsieroll doing?

my back's aching !!!:-( hubby said because its cold and i didnt wear thicker clothing to cover my back so the cold air 'went in' my back, thats why it hurts my back !!! dont know true or not...hmmm..

nisa, i live opposite my in-laws' place, that is the other apt they have and they rent out to students so we stay with 3 students (which has a room)..when i wake up, i will go to my in-law's place for meals, go out with my MIL to buy some food or watch TV ..i seldom cook, only cooked 4 times before !! yes!! miss SG..the weather !! hope it wont rain too much in feb.. plan to go bali in april but will depend on his work afterall..

de_luxe, i dont speak spanish to my hubby too coz i cant speak a decent sentence, i can only speak single words..will take time to learn but hopefully can speak some sentences in another few mths !! My MIL said she learns english, i learn spanish , see who learn faster !!! stress man !!!

 

[cuclainne]

de_luxe, the husband told me that he's going to do exactly that. i was a bit surprised the first time i saw the tenancy agreement - basically the owner can kick us out but we would have to pay if we decide to leave before the agreed contract expires. so we've basically got no rights .. i had it checked by a friend who's a lawyer and she said that it's normal to have it done like this. hmm .. plus we've changed the lighting fixtures along the walkway in the apartment (half of lighting track fell down - when i tried to move it cos it was in the way, it caused some spark and we've had to do re-wiring). we've also spent a lot of money on chemical overhauls of the aircons, and we paid a plumber close to $400 one early morning cos the pipe was choked and we were in danger of being flooded by sewage water. imagine if it had seeped out of the bathroom, we would have to deal with her wooden floors!!!! and we've not asked her for any money, despite it saying in the contract that any excess above $150 will be borne by owner. i've kept all the receipts though ..

some more the husband is 'dreaming' of buying a bigger fridge - i told him no!! if it's our own place, i don't mind spending money on it but as of now, we don't even know what the heck is going on.

we are planning to go up in april cos that's when the cheap tickets are available. i've not had much luck with finding a place to stay but yesterday my MIL called the husband to say that a colleague of hers is going to rent out her 2-bedroom apartment while she is away at her summer cottage. maybe this is a blessing in disguise when i didn't get the reply but got this news instead?

georgina, i had rash on my arms and legs when i was in stockholm last. had to rub myself with lotion every night but once i came back to this humidity, it went away. i hope sofi won't have to go through this cos it itches a lot.

not heard that about the back though .. the husband said i should keep my neck covered though as i would be more prone to getting a cold if i didn't. of course when i did, he just had to call me a walking meatball with legs .. hmmm ..

 

[christie79]

Hi ladies,

Georgina / Deluxe, have you checked whether as spouse of spanish/german citizens, are you entitled to some free language integration course? Or rather do their embassy provide language integration here in SG? Might be good if they do, so you can practice mah..

Georgina think im almost similiar to your case, next time after my marriage in norway, we'll be living in the house just beside my FMIL's place..hehe..neighbours as well..Hey! That's in another 5-6 months! And im getting stress! Think im having some pre marriage anxiety now...Do any one of you gals get that before? Having all the Qs in your head? Being far away from your current family..friends...in so unfamilar place..sigh..a big step. How do you gals managed?

cuclainne If you're going Norway then i might be able to help as i know and been before some reasonable B&B but as for Sweden im not too sure then but it's good that you got a timely news from your MIL. I got the rashes too when i get home to SG the other time but on my arms only. Think it's eczema causing it to itch so much, ice helps for me. How's sofi? I hope she's a good gal! I get pretty excited whenever i see some toddler clothes nowadays..especially all those girls' ones! So cute! Haha..i have a softer spot for girls than boys..hee..don't know if it's a case of pre marriage anxiety acting up again!

 

[cuclainne]

Chrisl, thanks for the offer. We won't be going to Norway on this trip but maybe some day yah .. I will definitely visit you and Clare.

Sofi is growing well. She's learning to play now and that makes me feel very very worn-out .. hahaha, but it is worth it. It's just so unfortunate that I will be back to work on Monday which means I won't get to spend much more bonding time with her as I had. sigh ..

How are your preparations coming along? You've decided to go back to Norway after the wedding - what about work?

 

[j_lo]

Hi everybody,

Looks like the board is getting pretty active again, or is it cos I haven't been reading it for sometime already?!

Georgina: To tell you the truth, snow is fun and all, but I simply hate falling down on the icy street after a heavy snow storm. And the wind blowing sure makes my skin really icky and dry. I just love spring where everything turns green once again and the weather gets just warm enough for a nice afternoon picnic at the park. And the changing colors of Fall. Where everything is bright red and yellow and gets cold but not too chilly.Perfect!

Chrisl: Oh I finally found someone who has maintain a long, long distance relationship! Me and my husband have been together for like 10yrs before we finally got married last Dec. And around 4yrs of it had been long distance. Me in Singapore and him in States. But thank goodness we made it and I from what I read, you guys will be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel soon! So happy for you! Oh and yes ... it took me around 12-13hrs to get from S'pore to Hawaii with a stop over at Japan. Getting to S'pore is slightly longer due to the air turbulence than the other way around. Interested in coming here for your honeymoon?! = )

Deluxe: Yeah looking for a job here is tough. Right now the local consider it easier than before looking for a job, but I don't really see how easy the job search is getting for me. Maybe they know something I don't ... hmmm. My mom had been been telling me about how many jobs there are right now back home, but I am stuck here in Hawaii for at least the next 2 yrs. Guess it's just a case of "too bad" for me. I have lived in Philadelphia for a short period of time before moving back to S'pore after like 9 months there. Have been in the Marketing Communications, PR line for 5 plus years now. So will be looking for jobs in that industry. Have been getting a few leads recently, hope something pend out soon.

Okie, so much from me. Hope to hear from the other gals soon. In the meantime have a nice day everyone.

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hihi ladies,

I've been MIA. Ya, I read all your threads. But too busy to write. Want to share good n bad news!

Bad news is I fell coz of the terrible storm last Thursday. So scary! Have a bad cut on left knee and bruise on right knee. The cut seems to take a long time to heal. Painful too. The skin is so tight that it hurts. I guess probably the winter is drying. Well, well, well...

Good news is one the photos for my engagement actually won 4th place. My photographer, Stephen Loh, sent it for the contest. Have a peep! Never ever thought my photo will be competiting with ppl all over the world. Probably those who are about to get married may want to get him to do your photos. Who knows, you may be the next one in the winning list in the next round!

I am tempted to do a post wedding photo outdoor, very addictive!

Simply not enough after got my book for my wedding photos. First have to convince my hubby! Hee hee!

www.agwpja.com

It's 4th place under "Engagement Portraits"

I started school again, so busy busy busy as usual! SIGH! Wish there were 48 hrs!

Ok ladies, will try to write. Keep well ya!

 

[liz4jeroen]

o ya! Do have a look at the other winning photos! Gosh! They are so beatifully captured! That is why I want to do an outdoor shoot!

 

[gottliebt]

Hihi gals! HOw r u all? Nice to read abt each of yr little stories! For me, I´m getting busier with my ever-increasing pace of german - but I´m not complaining, rather have it this way than slower. And its snowing cats and dogs in Germany. SO beautiful and such an answered prayer from God. Was getting quite sick and tired of a dark, gloomy winter. Everything is bright and cheery now...admist a chaotic traffic condition in the morning. Hahah.

Anyways, Deluxe Thanks so much for your long reply! =) Its so heart-warming to hear yr experience and just to know that I´m not the only person having a difficult time. Well communication wise, things are getting better. As in, I´m starting to understand more, even when ppl speak fast. But not all the time so there´s always room for improvement. Now, main thing will be my hubby´s friends (same prob as yrs). I realized that its normally those ppl who have been to university and the lawyers and accountants who talk super fast and don´t really bother abt whether I understd or not. I had a dinner appt last sunday and it was only my hubby and i, his fren and the gf from his fren. And with 4 ppl, i thot i wld be understd stuff. But NO, They were talking so fast and about movies (which honestly, they are significantly older than me - so the movies topic was out of my era, like different generation. ) So, yah, I couldn´t understd their pace of talking plus the topic wasn´t the easiest to join in too. Was quite pissed off after that, cos I really hardly understood anything. Hubby said that we don´t have to meet up for a long time until my german gets much better - or until his frens begin to realize that its so inconsiderate to leave me out. Its not even like the grp was super large or anything. Its like 4 ppl! And I felt like I was invisible. On the brigher side, that was a one-off thing and the other ppl that i have a social connection with, are usually quite good - they enunciate their words properly and speak a little bit slower with me.

Okok, I got to go take sm pix of the lovely snow and post on my blog. Will post agian soon!

 

[liz4jeroen]

 

[georginat]

chrisl....most ladies will have pre-wedding anxiety , so dont worry..i had too about a few weeks before the wedding..just dont think too much, take things one step at a time, everything will turn out fine eventually..Hows yr wedding preparation? will you have a dinner banquet in sg? r u going to ROM in sg?

HI elizabeth...saw the pic, very artistic but cannot see both you and yr hubby's face !! the winners are mostly amercians, at least 3 singaporeans make it, not that bad..

great time to shop in europe now !! in europe, normally only have sales twice a year, in madrid, people practically rush to the sales !! so scary like things are free, dont have to pay for the things bought, queue before stores open and rush in to grab the things ..went to massimo dutti, some of the shelves are empty !! never seen such thing sin sg before even for GSS !!


take care ladies, see you around soon !!

 

[eminozy]

hi there ladies...
names emi, chinese-malay heritage getting married to chris a polish-russian german. chris converting to islam in april and we are having our solemnization in australia and then later having a malay wedding with western stylings in singapore... just thought of getting married a month ago and now having headache to organise the singapore one in dec....feels liek i am running outta time... thought that i have ample time,,,,NOT... Ü

talk to u guys soon!

 

[georginat]

pris..like me, hubby and his friends speak spanish....last weekend we went to his good friend's place to play game, world of warcraft, have you heard of it? its a boardgame and its in spanish...and i played the game 'blur blur' for 5 hours !!! from 10 pm to 3 am !!

his family members only speak spanish so most of the time i just 'listen' and smile !! luckily MIL still makes the effort to speak english, only a word at a time ..we are like 1 chicken and 1 duck talking ..sometimes hubby will translate in english for me eg, if they want to ask me something..but somehow i never feel frustrated or left out, maybe because my attitude is 'bo cham' (cant be bothered) so far...better still, dont have to talk too much !! haha!! everytime i see any of them, i just say 'hola!!' (hello) and when i am going out, i just say 'adios' (bye) !! Always think on the brigther side..for those inconsiderate people, just 'listen' and look around, smile and then look at your hubby and then look around again !! like what the cantonese said 'chiao lei do on'!

 

[cuclainne]

i can understand what you ladies are saying about the language barrier - each time elias' friends come, they would inevitably switch to talking in swedish cos they find it so much easier than english. but thankfully i think they are aware that it's painfully hard for me to be part of the conversation when they do this so if one is talking in swedish with elias, the other will talk in english with me so i don't feel left out.

i think it's time for me to start picking up the language again .. sianz especially since i don't have much time (taking care of baby, going back to work, etc).

 

[eminozy]

hi georgina ..spanish is quite easy actually if u practise ..it actually feels very malay! and swedish is nice to hear too... like snella, tak fir mott..... you guys would probably catch up if u go and stay in your husbands countries for a few weeks... i learnt languages that way.... Chris speaks english all the time but i always tell him its fine if he spoke a different language with his friends even around me.. i kinda like it coz i l know that i will soon understand what they talked about. I still speak spanish but i already forgotten scandic language as most of my friends are not around me anymore... but its all good.. take it easy!

With Chris´ mum, we are still at a learning stage... i speak a little Polish to her.. i can understand more than speak.... but yeah.. its all good. love the challenge and multiculturalism!
i cant wait to get married and have kids and listen to how my kids speak... SUper ROjak i think! i am sure my kids wont sound like me or chris! coz we are going to live on a neutral country where we both dont belong there.hhehehe

ciao chicas!

 

[cuclainne]

hahaha EJ, i believe you meant snälla, tack för mat(en). mott means moth ..

a few weeks is not enough to learn the language - i was in sweden for two months. i picked up some basics but it's not near enough to hold a decent conversation. it also doesn't help that each speak with their own speed and accent .. plus they think that speaking english to me is good because then they can practise .. hahahaha.

your FMIL must be pleased that you are picking up the language .. polish is not an easy language to learn yah.

elizabeth, it's been a long time since you were last in here yah .. how are things for you and Jeroen? and how's the business coming along?

georgina, have you gone shopping yet? are you counting down the days till you set up home in singapore?

 

[eminozy]

hehehehhahah...thanks CC. yeah i can speak but my spelling do sucks big time! which part of sweden were u at?

 

[christie79]

Hi ladies,

Cuclainne Wedding preps are still undergoing but not much actually, most things are done only left the cake, wedding songs, Ang pow box, printing of invites and maybe a Flash show of our photos(that's Gaute's homework! Heee!) but we're still pending our photoshoot from the bridal shop lah and im SOOOOO encited to see that!

About work, i'll hand in my resignation on 1st week of may & last working day's late may. Hee..planned already! As there'll be 2 PHs that month! I did verbally told my boss and she knows about my wedding and relocation plans. So till then i just have to do my best at work as i don't think i'll be teaching children for a period of time. So in a way miss teaching young children after all these 8yrs leh..

Georgina Thanks for your encouraging words gal! Im trying to think positive now

Wedding preps as above stated still left the cake, DIY printing of invites and angpow box, the songs and flash show. Not a banquet but dinner in the function rooms of 4seasons hotel (windows east and west). We're expecting about 70guests. It'll be a solemnisation and dinner thereafter celebration/get-together. I don't want typical 'yum seng' chinese sit down dinner...as i personally find that it's too rigid and most of the time there are too many people and poor bride&groom don't get to eat anything much just entertaining is enough to stress. So for us, you're sure to see the bride&groom 'attacking' the food (in a demure way lah!) hahaa..
BTW, you enjoyed your shopping?? ;-)

emilia Welcome welcome! When's your AD? In Dec 07? Have you any venues yet already?

Jlo I see! The distance not too bad. Sounds good to have honeymoon there, the other time i saw this documentary show on discovery travel&living and they featured a resort there. Wah! So romantic and seemed so super relaxing! But a little steep too! haha..

Eliz Hey! Your photo looks really nice! I like that cute balloon! I show you mine the next time i have it from my BS. I look fat leh as im 'bah bah' by nature! haha..

Pris Hey long time no hear liao! Hope you're hanging on there and relying on God's grace.

Pris Deluxe Georgina You're not alone on the language part too as my FFIL's name sounds like 'HELL' as his name is 'Ovekjell' and i can't seemed to pronounce that and when i do Gaute said that it sounds like im saying the word 'HELL' in norweigan (Their words really sounds alike) Im now thinking that i should find an excuse to call him 'Papa' like what Gaute calls and maybe add that as it's the chinese culture to address PILs not by their names as it's considered rude...hope that'll do the trick!

 

[georginat]

hi emilia jo, welcome !!! everyone told me spanish is much easier to learn than german or french..hmm...i didnt really put much effort to learn it but i have to soon..hopefully can speak a few sentences with my PIL the next time i back to madrid..

nisa, yes !! i went shopping !! bought quite a few items , quite happy with them H&M has really nice kids clothings !!

that man ah !!! found a job in sg and going to start work on feb 6 and when he agreed and signed the appt letter to work for the sg company, he got a reply from a US company that they are offering him a job in australia, canberra and the pay is double what the sg company paying him..so most probably we will relocate to aussie instead of sg..will see how, will go back to sg first then decide..oz worst still..cannot bring food into the country, i will miss lots of sg food then !! :-(

 

[cuclainne]

EJ, i was mainly in Stockholm but i also spent some time in Åre, Göteborg, Jönköping and Vaxholm. i'll be going again soon, to show off the baby to family and friends. this time, i'm bringing my mother along and i'm planning to do a day excursion to Sigtuna. We would also like to go by ferry to Helsinki/Tallinn or by train to Copenhagen. We'll only be there for 17 days so everything requires almost military-like precision planning .. hahahaha.

chrisl, that's such a shame - would you be able to teach kids in norway? btw, i think clare was looking for you

which part of norway will you be relocating to? maybe then i can visit you and clare .. i heard that lofoten is lovely!

georgina, hahahaha - you tell me. the husband was saying that we would probably go with two bags and come back with five .. all containing sofi's things that we'll buy in sweden. i already pre-warned him that i'm going to spend, spend, spend on her clothes there (they have some really nice stuff, don't they?). alamak .. so has he decided yet? the pay might be better but the taxes are higher there too ..

don't worry .. i'm sure there's plenty of singaporean/ malaysian restaurants there .. another place for me to come and visit then .. hehehehe ..

 

[eminozy]

if you guys dont mind me asking...what are your partners profession that allows them easy way to get jobs in aust and sg? did your partner informed the companies that they want the job because of u guys? i think chris will have issues in that due to his specialization.we have been trying to think of ways on how to get chris a job over this side of the world. He is a sports scientist!

Georgina- i can tell u about canberra if u are worried!i am familiar with it being an ´ozie´ for the pass 6 years!

Chrisl- thanks, hopefully my AD will be on the 14th dec at chevron and if not 21st dec at pasir ris club place... i am not sure about it coz my mums been enquiring on my behalf. but i definitely prefer chevron.

 

[georginat]

i am sure you will be back with 5 bags (3 bags full of sofi's stuff !!) really more beautiful girl's dresses , those cute embroideries you can die for !! Ya lor. we have been working out the living expenses there..the rental is quite high at the moment, cost of living is high too and the income tax is high too !!! must calculate carefully first before decide..

emilia jo, my hubby works as a senior software engineer..its easier to find jobin the IT sector, infact he had 3 job offers in sg, 1 in oz . The oz offer is very good , so still comtemplating where to work but will work in sg first then decide from there..

for your FH, maybe he can try finding job with Ministry of Youth and Sports (something like that), the university ...i think its a very specialized job and its easier for him to find such job in europe and the states...perhaps oz will be easier than asia..

if we decide to go canberra , i will ask you abt canberra then.. now still in the midst of 'deciding'.

chrisl..4 season hotel recommended window east and west to me when i made enquiry abt the function room for my wedding dinner but its 2 seperate rooms , 6 or 7 tables in each room but i have 15 tables so i didnt take up the rooms, i went for oriental hotel's garden suite instead..
The hotel will provide you the invitation cards , does it? but you have to print the insert yourself. i printed the insert myself too.I DIY the angpao box myself too.

My hubby and his family complained they didnt get to eat the food !! haha !! we opted for chinese sit-down dinner in the end (at first wanted wetern dinner) coz have quite a few old relatives so better to have chinese food...

shopping is great here !!! having big sales now..i think most european countries are having sales now..now thinking how to pack the things back home...hmmm...

 

[eminozy]

georgina..where are u now? i am currently in austria...gna go back soon though... yes.. my god.. the sale is to die for... H&M for me have surpassed GAP anytime! but i love shopping at Mango here ..ist more towards ZARA and cheap! an german brand s.Oliver is a fav as well! not forgetting United colours of benetton!!!!aaarrghhh..as u can see.. am broke ...so broke now!

ya...we have thought about unis and govt...chris did try apply last year but he did not get in.. i think coz he is asking for too much? which i made him! hehehehe....but its ok....he said that the sports dept was very confuse too and he never saw a lab that have all these machines and people dont know how to utilize them.... its kinda funny..u know how our govt sometimes wants the best of things but do not really have proper people they are willing to pay to make it work?

 

[cuclainne]

georgina, i will definitely go shopping at H&M especially since i've been saving up for the last few months for this trip .. heheheheh!

i just found out that the husband will be going to korea for work in april and may .. he said he might be able to get out of going in april but he must go in may .. and that means that we can't celebrate my birthday together .. so sad! he suggested that me and sofi come up during the last day and he will extend one more day so we can spend two days/ one night together there but i can't justify spending about $800 for what is technically a one-day trip.. aiyah!

 

[tierfreundin]

hi all..
i'm new on this forum.
short intro: i'm in austria, have been here for 3 years and getting married to an austrian in 11 days!! =)
emilia... what are you doing in austria? there are not many singaporeans here. at least not that i know of. how long more will you be here?

 

[georginat]

hi tierfreundin,

congratulations on your forthcoming wedding !! must be very excited huh?;-) also, welcome to the thread !!will you be having a wedding reception in singapore as well? we just had a lunch reception with my hubby's family and friends..30 people vs 150 people in singapore !! and he grumbled getting married in sg is so expensive !!

yes, nisa, H&M !! i bet you will buy clothings up to 1 year old ! lucky sofi!! then next year go back to sweden and buy another year of supply !! haha!! if we have kids, my hubby will be sweating..

EJ..i am in madrid now, oh yes !! talk about ZARA and MANGO.they are having big sales now, i bought some tees for 2.99 euro each...great buy, so happy !! (me happy, but not my hubby)

 

[cuclainne]

welcome tierfreundin.

georgina, i suspect my husband would be in the same shape too if we had kids instead of just the one. i bought a lovely jacket from H&M (my only splurge from the last trip) and i can't wait to see what other nice buys there are there. there are a few other nice clothing stores in stockholm but i had to refrain myself from going in lest i just had to buy something .. budget budget!! hahahahah ..

where is mrs n, tootsieroll, pink candy, denise etc are ...???

 

[tierfreundin]

No, we are having a super mini "wedding". Getting registered and going for lunch with his family and in summer a celebration with his friends. I think it's so much nicer to have wedding reception in Singapore. At least my friends could attend... and it's not freezing.

By the way, have you all heard of
http://www.overseassingaporean.sg/
I find it good. I found contacts of other Singaporeans living in this part of the world.

 

[georginat]

tierfreundin..when we first planned for the wedding, we wanted it to be in singapore because the wedding date was in dec and its cold to have wedding in madrid then. I only invited relatives (8 tables !! my mom has 7 sisters/brothers and have lots of cousins) and 3 tables of friends and 4 tables of parent's good friends. I only wanted close friends and relatives to share th ejoy with us and alas we needed 15 tables !! my hubby got a shock !! haha!! Hard to have small wedding if you have a large pool of relatives !!

i will check out the website

nisa, me too, trying to refrain, so many things to buy , really, so tempting !!

oh ya, girls, be careful, if you have plans to go BKK for holiday...we went to Jim Thompson House Museum in BKK and bought some stuff from the store then and last week all of our credit card details were used in London !!! MY MIL and my friend's mom only used the card in that store so we reckoned must be stolen from there. Luckily the banks found the transactions suspicious and blocked them..and now i cannot use the card..also good lah ...cannot charge = save $$$ !!

 

[gottliebt]

Hi girls

Have been busy... my german course is into the last month soon and the pace has been hectic x10. Well, I think I might study more german after this course is over... cos I think I wld speak like a native 13 or 14 yr old once this course is over and I do want to speak better than that!

Georgina Hey, I know wat u mean abt being bochap. But very difficult leh. I can´t be bochapping all the time when my hubby meets up with his frens with me. Cos I´ll be staying here for a pretty long time so I think got time limit one leh. Problem is that some ppl really don´t bother to include u! I told my hubby, I realize that Germans like to talk abt themselves and they like to talk in general! I observed that hardly anybody really asks questions or IS interested in what other ppl have to say. And that´s why hubby told me he read somewhere that GERMANS are the most individualist ppl in the world! No kidding, honestly. SO that explains why I have a hard time trying to be included in a conversation. Cos the typical conversation is ppl talk I listen and ppl don´t really bother to ask me what I think abt stuff, u know... one-way coversation which really isn´t a conversation. And it doesn´t help when its a culture thing. Of course not everybody is like that, but a significant enuff no. of ppl are. I think in comparison, Spanish ppl are more warm, like more group-oriented.

 

[cuclainne]

Georgina, it must have been such a shock for you .. and to have happened at Jim Thompson House Museum is a surprise, thought it would be safe there .. but lucky that the banks blocked the transactions yah .. otherwise you'll have to pay - not nice at all!

ladies, i was thinking of applying PR for the husband (have planned this for a while, just haven't gotten off our lazy butts to do it) - do you know if he's liable to serve ns if application is approved? it says on the ica site that main applicants under professionals' scheme are exempted but they didn't mention about applicants who are sponsored by spouses.

 

[eminozy]

heya girls...sorry for the dissapearance.. alamak.. tierfreundin. a bit too late... hehe i just got back to singapore like last monday... gna be here for about 5 days and cabuting back to Australia. Which part of osterrich are you at? i was in innsbruck, for the last 2 months... getting our marriage paper ready and all and the austrians are not that easy to deal with! heheheh

Georgina... i love madrid! i prefer it to Barcelona.... maybe coz i dont need to know Catalan there.

Anyways girls.... I am now busy just going around venue to venue looking at them. And it seems am a bit late but hmmm... still trying...

oh yes... I LOVE shopping euro style. i bought a few gap stuffs last july in london for like 2.99 each too! heheheh LIFE IS GOOD! and right before i left for singapore, i bought s.olivers sneaker/suede maroon laced boots for a bargain of 38euros.... AMAZING.
i am a happy camper now!

 

[gottliebt]

Cuclainne Hey, I think first generation PR don´t need to do NS, but if u and yr hubby has a son, then yr son is liable to do NS, cos he´d be second-generation PR. That´s what I understood from my fren who married an australian. Hope that helps. In any case, better double-check with the authorities first.

 

[eminozy]

good news! i signed up with chevrons! now its time to go back to Oz. I cant believe i managed to make my wedding gown, booked a venue, reserved the make up artist/baju and deco! woohooooooooo!