Any Brides whose HTB is 'Ang Mo'?

[eminozy]

hi hi... heheh. now i can be semi active in here, as i have already managed to get my act together...sorta. we will be moving into our new apartment in east malvern end of the week after a tenacious...yes tenacious ..hehehe look for a place and fighting for it.

Thank you for the well wishes and comments for the fotos *blush*

Deluxe! wow.. you're all settled in Nth Melb? We should all hook up soon-- A BBQ perhaps? I just went to meet Margie yesterday. we had BBq at her place. it was very nice , we even had time to watch her MOB TV. i was super impressed! hehehehahaha.shes the other one in Melb.
I will PM u my mobile number... ok?

later girls!

 

[eminozy]

alamak deluxe, u cant accept PM... email me [email protected] of your contact ok?

we are rite now hovering in oakleigh before end of the week. so excited and broke.. we bought so many new things for our place! hehehhah

 

[de_luxe]

hi there EJ, have emailed ya. we still looking for appt. North Melbourne is only temporarily..

 

[snoozy]

Hi de_luxe,

I tried to pte msg you .. but u dont accept pte msg. can you pte msg me regarding renting of place in north melbourne?

 

[mrs_n]

Hi Fruitchick thanks for your advice and the tip for the tax forms unfortunately I can't use that as a source - haven't got any. It's just too bad that the home office didn't appreciate all the trouble you took. I was telling my hubby the other day I doubt they had the time to check all 20 documents thoroughly but ... since it was 20 they wanted, 20 they shall get. One bad experience with them is more than enough. The first time we applied for my 2 year spouse visa they refused to process it and sent everything back. All because the application form was outdated by a few weeks. Tbh there wasn't much difference between the old form and the new one except that the new one was in colour, had two extra questions wanting to know if the applicant was a terroist

and a much higher fee (typical). My hubby was really pissed off because they could have just inform us to pay the difference but no we had to resend everything again by registered post. So this time round we are pretty determined not to let such a thing happen again.

The visa fees is too expensive (£750) to risk jeopardising the application just for the lack of a few pieces of paper. Just out interest why did you have to go down to the HO? Didn't you apply for your ILR through the post? I guess they could have change the rules since you applied.

The present fees for applying ILR in person is £900. Postal applications are not much cheaper but there is still alot one can do with £150.

Besides Croydon is too far away. Anyway hope all your wedding plans are coming along just fine.

bride bride long time no see. Is your thesis all done and dusted?

Hey deluxe hope you are settling down in Melbourne. Hee! Hee! With EJ and Margiel etc around you won't be lack for kakis to hang out with.

I guess after working so hard in the last few months you can take some time to chill out. Or is it too hot? Do you want some of the cold european air blown over to Oz.

Ha! Ha! Chrisl yah I'm keeping myself wrapped up. Though I don't think where we are is as cold as where you are.

Anyway keep warm and take care. When are you going home? CNY is just round the corner isn't it?

Wonder how Cuclainne and Gina are doing? Anybody know if Cuclainne has given birth yet? Hee! Hee! Looks like 2008 is going to be baby boom year. We are expecting some company in summer too.

 

[de_luxe]

hi there mrs N... ur office reno is over now i hope? weather here has been slightly better in the past 2 days, much cooler so wouldn't need imported chill from Europe for the moment... heee heee... we've seen 2 apts that we like, waiting for agents to respond if we can either one or not... keeping fingers crossed. We went to window shop furniture at Ikea and a place called Freedom... got a shock at the prices, seems higher than expected, esp cost of beds and mattresses.. trying to find items that are not made of particleboards (had bad experience w these) but that's rather tough at Ikea tho..

Have been in touch w EJ, but not MargieL...

Is Cuclainne due already? Time seems to have flown by!

Mrs N - didn't quite get ur last line... r u preggies too???!! Do tell!

 

[margiel]

Hi De Luxe, welcome to Melb! Yes heard from Emi that u are here oredi, just me being too passive to take the initiative to get in touch with u but yet also waiting to meet you

You can PM me or get my contact number via Emi (not convenient to type it here lah). Have you settled down with your barang barang oredi? Hope to catch up with u soon

Yes Mrs N, your last sentence put me in guessing too?!! Isit true on what De Luxe has asked?

 

[fruitchick]

Mrs N, I can't believe this! The application now costs 750? I applied in Jan 07 for my indefinite leave and it was 350 by post and 500 in person. I applied in person as I was too paranoid that they would reject my application and so went there in person. Its soooo expensive its ridulous! The price seems to go up by hundreds in a short period of time. When I applied in Jan 2005 for my first spousal visa, it was only 250 in person, and 150 by post! 2 years later, the price have gone up by almost 2 times! Unbelievable!

Sounds like everyone on this thread are welcoming little ones this year!!!! Congratulations to all! Makes me feel almost left out!

Wedding plans are not coming along. Good news is I got my dress etc sorted but the rest I am not going to bother now. There is too much to do and too complicated I just want to bury my head into the sand for the time being and panic at the last minute. At least that way, I won't have time to contemplate!

 

[cuclainne]

hello hello everyone .. i'm still around though it'll be very very soon that i'll be giving birth to my second one .. my last gynae appointment is on the 16th and i'll be telling him when i'd like to be scheduled for the c-section .. so exciting!

Mrs N .. do my eyes deceive me or do you have some exciting news of your own to share? heheheh ..

 

[mrs_n]

Hi deluxe reno's over for the time being. Next phase will begin sometime in April. But its on another part of the building so probably won't affect me that much. I hope so anyway.

Ha! Ha! Ok ok you and Margie can quit guessing.

I'm 10 weeks. We were ttcing for a few months and were beginning to think that it was never going to happen so it was kind of a nice Christmas surprise. We are pretty excited but my SIL is even more so. She has finally found the incentive to clear her overcrowded house off baby stuff!

Fruitchick I know. I was so shock when I downloaded the form and saw the price. It even costs more than my airticket to singapore! Oh well it's good to take a breather from wedding planning. Everything will fall into place in no time.

 

[mrs_n]

Cuclainne

Looks like pumpkin's going to pop out soon eh?

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi ladies,

Been MIA. Ke ke ke...

Mrs N, Congrats! So happy for u! If we do come for the airshow, I see you with yr big tummy. Are u still going back to sg for easter?

Fruit chick, success with your preparation. You're not being left out. I'm still waiting until I finish my course.

Cuclainne, Nice to see you at the MRT! You are really good at recognising us.

All the best in your delivery!

Hello to the rest of the ladies!

 

[christie79]

hi hi ladies!

wow! Congrats Mrs N Looks like the 'baby dusts' here are working!

yup, im going back for CNY, in maybe 2 weeks time. Im still looking ard for airtickets as want to find something cheaper so i got extra $ for shopping there heheheheh

Nisa im keeping my fingers cross for you that all will be well! take care now esp you're in your last trimester

thought of names for pumpkin yet?

Fruitchick Eliz you gals are not alone lah im too! Im still a little apprehensive in that leh..im a bit frighten lah hehe..

 

[fruitchick]

Chrisl, I don't think I am close to ready for babies - doubt I will ever be.

Mrs N, have you taken the life in the UK test? I briefly flipped through the book and its SO HARD - worse than studying for my degree! Gosh!

Can I ask all you ladies who've had your wedding - did u have a gatecrash? I'm contemplating having it but my friend said its only fun if the groom has a hugh entourage (of his close friends) accompanying him but I doubt we have many friends who will be able to fly to Singapore for the ceremony. Can you share some customs you've had esp cantonese ones as I'm cantonese - my parents are not fussy on what to do but I just want to make it memorable for us but also for everyone espe the few overseas guests we have who are flying over.

Any ideas?

 

[de_luxe]

cuclainne all the very best for your pending delivery...

eliz seen ur new webby, ur stuff looks really nice... gd luck with the biz!

Mrs N THAT'S GREAT NEWS!!! CONGRATS!! Trust u to be so elusive abt it! BTW, what does "ttcing" mean? Great then that the reno's on your side is over, not too gd to be breathing in all that dust and paintwork while preggies... How are you feeling? Any morning sickness, cravings and the like...?

fruitchick I waver when i think abt babies, sometimes i think i'm ready and other times i look at those kids throwing tantrums and babies screaming away, i shudder and think that i'll rather live w/out them... my HB thinks they're all fun and laughter, but i guess when the time comes we'll just deal with it... there's no such thing as a perfect parent, right? We just do the best that we can and move on, no need to stress abt it...

My mom is cantonese too, so we had some customs to follow such as feeding of tang yuen, tea ceremony (us to elders and our juniors to us). Our foreign guests (his parents, brother, niece and cousins) took part in the tea ceremony too. But we had to brief them just before it and they watched my family first to figure out what it's all about. We also knew that they wouldn't have any ang baos with them, so we prepped some (i.e. their share) for them to use... think it went all well and good, they seemed quite amused! His niece was so cute... she was so pleased to get another ang bao (she got one for being flower girl too) and her dad allowed her to use the money to buy all the sweets that she wanted... $16 is a lot to a 5 yr old!!

If ur hb and overseas guests are arriving some time earlier, you can also do the dowry and betrothal gifts. Are you doing the "si dian jing"?

His parents did the bridal bed set-up bit and sticking the double happiness everywhere, with my mom's help. My mom did the hair combing ceremony for me, but he didn't do it cuz his mom doesn't know and it was too troublesome to teach or for my relative to do it for him.

We had a boy (my cousin) "kicking" the door of the bridal car, and my hb and him exchanging an angbao and a pair of oranges.

As for the "cheong men", i disagree that it'll only be fun if the groom has a huge entourage of his close frens. I guess it makes a difference to some extent cuz they are like "xiong di" and the male bonding blah blah, but it's really not the be all end all. His foreign guests can form part of the entourage, even if they are ladies (u might want to be more leniant with them)... Does he know any of your male relatives and/or friends? They can also be part of the entourage. It would help to have at least 1 local to guide him on what to do.

My HB lived in SG for 8 yrs, so he had his soccer mates with him but all ang mos and blur blur, dunno wat to do... hahaha... he was quizzed on our dating history (10 questions) and each wrong answer he had to do a forfeit which was mainly the "suan tian ku la". Although they were all very blur, they were very gung ho and on... i think they had much more fun than i did waiting upstairs alone in my room!!

Other forfeits my frens tortured their hbs with include
- singing songs,
- push ups,
- forming the word "LOVE" with their bodies,
- putting the bride in another room and making the guy guess where she is,
- beer drinking (1 can per floor),
- waxing their legs,
- having the HB agree to the wife's wish list (e.g. no housework), the wish list was later signed and framed up!!

Well, that's all i can think of for now. Let me know if you need more ideas. Have fun with the wedding plans! My sis is supposed to be getting married in Sept... if she actually gets round to planning it! Haha..

 

[eminozy]

ha hahhhh

MRS N..congratulations! wahhh baby dust is in hyper mode i think.so happening!

Nissa... good luck for ur C section.

De_luxe... see you tomorrow.

fruitchick.. nothing come in cheap nowadays, unfortunately.. good luck though.

we are now settling in pretty well in the suburb of malvern east. things are going to plan. the loans we are on though... is very very tough... heheh i cant imagine if we decide to buy a place ..i think it will be even more insane.

I am excited to have lunch with the girls tomorrow. margie and de_luxe.

 

[fruitchick]

Woah de_luxe, your wedding day sounds very elaborate! I was not even planning on sticking any stickers or decorating my house and didn't even think about si dian jing? Don't even know what that is but my parents didn't say anything so I presume no need? I don't even think my mum wants the roast pig although she keeps changing her mind! I'm not planning on having a bridal car too!

I am quite confused/agonised when I think about the wedding plans as my parents are so easy going they say anything also can but it would actually be more helpful if they could tell me what they want me to do. Also, you are lucky your husband was in SG for 8 years so at least he's more familiar with customs etc. My in-laws etc + husband is clueless and I want to make it meaningful for everyone without making it too onerous for me but still don't know how to go about doing this.

Chrisl, you are cantonese too. What did/did you not do customs wise?

 

[mrs_n]

Liz I'm still going back for Easter. The midwife said it was ok to travel so long as I did those exercises they recommend for long journeys. Should be midway through the 2nd trimester by then so its about the best time to travel I guess.

Chrisl you haven't got your tickets yet!! Well hope you will find a really cheap ticket soon. But its off-peak now isn't it so shouldn't be so bad.

deluxe I'm fine most days. Thank goodness! Though Christmas week was the worse didn't feel like eating anything and worse of all I seem to have gone off cooking. That could be a good thing though as the husband has been taking over the cooking. Ha! Ha! Only problem is he's been trying to experiment with all the ingredients in the fridge and we have ended up with some weird tasting food.

fruitchick the Life in the UK test isn't difficult to pass if you study for it. Though I think part of it is not so much to test you on facts but also of your understanding of the English language. The difficulty is the studying for it bit as parts of the book are so boring. I found the easiest way to get things into one's head without sleeping is to read through the book and then try the practise questions. I found a website which allows you to practise as many times as you like for Free. In the two weeks to the run up of the test I practised everyday much to my hubby's amusement. It was a great help as I managed to finish the test in about 5 minutes.

EJ ya very happening. This thread getting very dusty yah?

Hope you Melbourne girls have an enjoyable lunchdate.

You can come back and tell us all about it.

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Deluxe, Thks! Crossing my fingers that this yr will be better. Well... there're more competitors now. So nice! That you ladies can meet up! Enjoy!

Hi Mrs N, Good to hear that. I was talking to Jeroen abt whether it is possible to travel if I do get pregnant later in the year. We are thinking of at least going back to Singapore one more time for a longer period. He feels v peiseh to go to yr place in Jul as you'll b in the 8th month. He doesn't want to disturn u n Paul. Ke ke ke... I guess Paul must be so excited! Ke ke ke.... V funny, I sometimes wonder whether Jeroen is going to be able to look after our kids in the future. After I saw him playing with my Godson and his sister in Singapore, I was surprised to see that he is very good with kids. Ha ha ha.... They like him so much! ; D I guess we are going to have 3 kids in the family. Me, Jeroen and our kid (if God wills it). I am also like a kid! Ha ha ha ha....

Wah! I never know that it is so expensive in UK to get the permit! I am already complaining Netherlands is so expensive! They are not making things easy for us!

It is normal to be frightened over whether having a kid. It is a phase where all couples go through a mixed feelings esp for the women. It takes time to prepare before, during and after. I feel it is important to be ready and not rush or press by society or parents. It is very important for the women to be supported by their other half and family (mothers) during and after. I am reading at the moment on a child's journey and A secure base. Very interesting insight! Hope the hospital allows me to embark on my research and I will do up a website to share with women on preparation and journeying during pregnancy and after. : D

 

[christie79]

wah this thread suddenly comes 'kicking' heheh

Fruitchick my folks also didn't ask for much lah..also very chin chye..i did a minimum of the customs. E.g.

1) I did away with 'si dian jing', 'pin jing', roast pig, an chung, auspicious hour etc etc

2) My mum and dad did 'haircombing' for me.

3) I asked my little cousin('armed'with2oranges)to open the door for hb and then the tea ceremony thereafter and oh as i had some xi stickers left after pasteing on envelopes for invites, i had them pasted on my big make up mirror only. Else there's no xi stickers/words in any other parts of the hse..

4) as for gatecrushing (my hb was also alone as his folks can't make it last min

anyway it's just for some fun else it's rather 'boring' for the guests to see that he just come in the hse and get me) i did a simple one lah..asked my hb to eat durian food (choose between durian crepes/puffs/cakes and wash it down with a can of tiger beer haha..dun think it's simple task for him lor cos for him he almost threw up and turned a little green! - such a cute memory itself now looking back

5) I gave ang pows for all helpers and such (MUA, photographer, jie meis etc)

relatively simple for mine lah! really a minimal stress wedding

I still had time to go hotel slowly and took a nap before MUA arrived for dinner makeup. What are your plans? When's your AD ah? Have you settled your gown part?

Mrs Nyeah! Very late right? Im beginning to feel like a norwegian kekekek! anyway the best fare now is 9120NOK = $2k+ SGD flying with luthansa. KLM is worse..with 9950nok! Reason is that they have promo for 1 mth ticket but im going for about 2 mths...and i didnt want to travel with airfrance cos transit waiting time is 5hrs! Tried that! No joke waiting for that long! hmm..got to find out more these few days..

EJDeluxeMargie have a great time!

 

[fruitchick]

Hey girls, thanks for sharing your wedding experiences with me as its very helpful to me.

Chrisl, I think my wedding will be more like yours as what you've done or haven't done is exactly the way I was going to do mine - my HB is not keen on gatecrashing as he thinks its embarassing for him. Sigh!

My AD is on 7 Sept so although I still have time to think through the plans, my in-laws are keen to know what they're in for as they will probably come so I'm starting to think about things now. Did many of your HB's side come to the wedding? My HB says he's going to be very alienated as there will be 95% of my guests and only 5% his,

I think my day will be relatively similar to yours but I may just start in the afternoon, have the gatecrash at 4 Seasons, pop out for a few photos and then back for dinner/tea ceremony. Not sure yet but this is the plan.

I've sorted my dress actually. Bought a white dress when I was back in Singapore last Oct and also managed to get a pink one made as an evening gown - see pink is my favourite colour! HA! And just last week, I bought 4.5 inch high shoes! Whoopee!! So excited! Now, all that needs to be done is for me to exercise, and lose lotsa weight to look nice in the dress. That's not going very well though. Sigh!

Everyone is either pregnant or contemplating having children I wonder what is wrong with me as I am not planning on having any although I'm hoping that things will change in a few years time but just the thought of being soley responsible for another person is pretty daunting!

 

[christie79]

Hi Fruitchick!
You're better in the sense that at least your hb's family can make it. For my hb it's becos of his brother and mum who's a school assistant teacher can't make it due to school timing wise. So it was rather last minute then i know about it..i was a little disappointed. So it was only my hb who's alone here afterall so he was a little nervous.

So you mean to say that your HTB will meet/fetch you at 4 seasons? And then go out for some outdoor photoshoot? Then coming back for tea ceremony then dinner? So i supposed you had ROMed? Or doing on that same day?

But it seems like the guests will have to go along with your photoshoot outdoors then? Or do you expect them to come during just for the dinner and tea ceremony? But either way sounds ok..but then you have to make a note on the invites (printed yet?)

Good for you! 4.5inch!! wah you might consider wearing another shoe for outdoor photoshoot else walking in that is, for me, a challange hehehe..

Im trying to exercise too and eat less cos i gained 7kg since i got here! Now my face is so puffy and jeans are tight .. Gosh! hahaha

dun worry abt that yet lah! Im also like that sometimes..sometimes i want but sometimes i changed my mind..so i'll just take it easy now..go for a break in SG then come back then decide again heheh

Hey i'll pm you for more wedding advices and hope to help you more from there ..cos dun want to rob this thread..

 

[georginat]

Hi Ladies !!

been MIA for quite a while..just back from Madrid a few days ago, been resting then....

First of all, would like to congrats Mrs. N so glad to hear the good news !!! Do rest well and eat well, especially must take folic acid, even till now ( i am in my 5 mths now, i still take folic acid)...

just got the amnio test result, confirmed its a boy..so i 'threatened' hubby next one better give me a girl !! haha !! so many testings and scannings to do....also just went for detailed scanning and the sonographer said the baby is quite big, bigger than M size..think better eat lesser now, i dont wish to have a big baby and have difficulty in giving birth...coz me so small size, already walking like a duck now...

Nisa, whens your c section for pumpkin? the doc
advised me to go for c section too..

so nice to hear the girls meeting up in melbourne...

chrisl, u coming back for CNY?

 

[liz4jeroen]

Hi Fruitchick,

All the best in your preparation for your wedding. Having kids will come only once you're settled. What're your reasons for not having kids? Sorry mine wedding is simple and I only have engagement n tea ceremony in Singapore. Didn't really go thru the Chinese custom. Can't give you much tips on that.

Hi Gina,

Why is the dr advising for a c section? I just cannot understand. Natural birth is the best for the baby if you can go through it. The baby has to go through the phase of natural birth unless if it's a complicated case, then there's no choice. Sorry to say the drs nowadays need to be educated on the importance of natural birth! SIGH!!! Do you go for preparation for delivery? It will help you greatly. There is a testimony of a lady who took some herbs from a naturopathy (who is my friend) gave birth within 2 to 3 hrs. Herbs are natural and safe, gd for mother n child.

I do have a favour from ladies who are expecting. Would you be able to take videos of you and your baby while you're feeding him/her? Solely for myself on learning how to observe. Let me know who is willing to do so. PM me ja! Thks!

Chrisl,

So nice you r going back for CNY! I have not gone back for one. I have put on weight and I can't even put on some of my pants. Friends said I look better but my mum warned me not to put on anymore! Ke ke ke....

I forgot to share: I have been observing mothers massaging babies. If you know how to massage your little ones, it helps them to sleep well and also to build a bond between you and your little angels!

If you needs tips, feel free to ask me. I'm into mother and baby! Guess after my study I really hope to be able to work with expecting mothers and babies! So exciting! Ke ke ke....

 

[christie79]

Gina~Good to see you back!

When's your EDD? Actually boy also good lah..at least can be a good 'kor kor' to younger sister ;P

Yup me coming back end month, want to meet up??

Eliz~Good to know that you're working on something you like very much!

Would love to learn from you!

 

[mrs_n]

Hee! Hee! Chrisl looks like you need to go back to S'pore for rehabilitation before you get too 'Norwegian'.

If you are going for two months, then our paths might cross as I'll be going home for Easter. Maybe we can all meet up then.

Liz tell Jeroen no need to paiseh lah! It won't be any trouble.

We were in London for the weekend to see Les Miserables and celebrate Paul's birthday. Anyway we passed by the sign for the Royal Air Force Museum and Paul said if Jeroen were to come he could bring him there as he thinks Jeroen would like it. Ha! Ha! More like Paul would like to spend the whole day there looking at airplanes which he won't do if he went with someone like me!

I don't mind looking at airplanes but not for the whole day!!!

I think over here in the UK its geared more towards natural birth. Don't think they will offer c-sec unless its necessary. Can also opt for home birth. We opted for hospital though as we live in a rural area and if there were complications it's going to be difficult getting to hospital. About the feeding thing I think wait for the baby come then I tell you. But if possible I will be glad to help in any way.

Gina ya been taking folic acid in all forms: tablet, vegetables, cereal, soya milk! That's what the midwife said to take it throughout the pregnancy. Haven't had scan yet will have one in 2 weeks time. Over here they seem a bit relax compared to Singapore. We don't have a gynae only a midwife.

Hee! Hee! Trying to take it easy at work but not so easy lah. Need to finish some stuff before I leave for S'pore. Can't wait for next Tuesday when the new office chairs arrive. The ones we have at the moment are so hard sit until my back is killing me.

Congrats on your son. Nevermind lah as long as he's healthy and happy eh?

Fruitchick hope you are ok and not too badly affected by the floods this time. Our village school was flooded again yesterday. They were in the midst of repairing the damage caused by the last flood. Looks like the kids will have to stay in the temporary cabins for quite some time yet.

 

[liz4jeroen]

Ha ha ha... I will tell him. I think the two boys are going to be so happy to have each other as company for the airshow! Ha ha ha.... I don't mind but the other time I just fell asleep during the show. Was so tired to travel the whole night and not sleeping. Getting old, no energy to do that anymore. Send our wishes to Paul a happy belated birthday! I have a last class on a Fri for the school year and the airshow is the next day. We see how we can plan, probably fly in the night. I'll ask Jeroen again!

The weather is so crazy! The wind here is very strong at times. Last week, I was so scared, caming home from the internship. It was cold, dark, and windy. The wind was very strong. I was so scared to be blow away again, this time off the high building.

Well, take good care and prepare well during the pregnancy! Try to relax and spend time with your little one that is still in your tummy!

 

[cuclainne]

thanks de_luxe and EJ .. hope you girls enjoyed your meet-up!

Gina: how are you doing? congratulations on your boy - never mind, try for a girl next time ok .. heheheh .. i'll be going into the hospital at 7.30am on Monday .. so excited and scared at the same time .. we're so relaxed with this pregnancy, we've only chosen her name last week!

Mrs N: how is your pregnancy coming along? did you experience any cravings and what-nots? there was an article in the papers sometime last week about how some husbands are giving 'push presents' to their wives for giving birth .. nice reward ah .. hahahah ..

 

[liz4jeroen]

Cul: Will pray for u a smooth delivery.

 

[cuclainne]

thanks Elizabeth - hope you and Jeroen are well.

Chrisl: you coming back for hols ah? maybe then i'll be able to catch up with you, gina and mrs n eh ..

Gina: your hubby must be missing you terribly - is he still in oz?

 

[georginat]

hi nisa....have a smooth delivery on monday yes,my hubby is still in oz , will be joining him on feb 12 , then back to sg on april 5 , and will stay in sg till delivery ...my edd is 1st june...whats your second princess' name? We have chosen first name for potato, its Luke ( as in Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars' haha!!)..as for second name , still thinking...

chrisl, sure, it would be nice to meet up... when will u arrive sg?

Mrs.N...i go for check up every 3 weeks, then need to have blood test and urine test around week 16...its compulsory for pregnant women in sg to test for HIV, anyway, they test everything, hepatitis B, VD, HIV, blood group, rubella, rhesus......also have to go for detailed scanning ariund week 20, then another detailed scanning around week 30...In oz, also use midwife...

 

[mrs_n]

Cuclainne will be thinking of you on Monday.

Fingers crossed that all will be well. Just imagine this time next week, you'll be able to hold 'pumpkin' in your arms.

I'm plodding along fine. Haven't had any cravings yet. Just seem to have gone off most food. Thought I had gone off spicy food but we were in a Chinese restaurant in London on Saturday and I surprised myself by eating more than my usual share of spicy vegetables in a long while. Ha! Ha! I think I must have gone off my own cooking as whatever I seem to cook just makes me lose my appetite even before I put it in my mouth.

Goodness Liz! The weather that bad huh? I remember last time you said you were blown over by the wind. Around same time last year? Seems that wind is pretty strong around this time. Better be careful when walking. Maybe you should carry more heavy books on windy days so it will weigh you down.

Gina so many tests! Hee! Hee! I think they do the same here too. Blood tests yuks! Reminds me of the time I had dengue fever, everyday kena take blood tests. Don't mind if the nurse is able to do it properly but once had one who couldn't find the proper vein and was poking me all over until she managed to find one. Ended up my arm became blue black until my ex-colleagues thought I had fallen down or something! Now can't think of blood tests without shuddering a little.

So sweet you go back to Canberra just in time to celebrate Valentine's Day with your hubby. He must be lonely without you.

Luke is a nice name. Are you giving him a Chinese name too?

 

[sherry_btb]

Hello ladies,

Happy new year to all. How's everyone? Been a long break from this forum. Marriage life has been a quite a challenge for me, with all the changes and moving etc.. feeling exhausted. Lately, we have an on going issues with my hubby ex company which gave us lots of problem on repatriation. Getting exhausted with constant arguements and problems... need a break! sigh...

Anyway, enough of complains, anyone living in perth? I will be moving to Perth next month need some advise how to get about and what to expect.

 

[mrs_n]

Hi Sherry Happy New Year to you too. First few months of marriage is always a challenge .. so many things to get used to eh?

Don't think any of the girls here are living in Perth at the moment. Have you heard of the Overseas Singaporean Portal? If you haven't I suggest you try it. Look under 'Sg in My Area', then look for Australia. I took a peak just now and saw some threads about living in Perth. So perhaps you'll have better luck on that forum. Most of us are on that forum too.

I would put up the link but unfortunately this site doesn't allow me to. So I'm afraid google would be your friend in this case.

 

[christie79]

wah finally just booked my ticket on lufthansa web this afternoon..it is so last minute this time..anyways will be flying on 3rd feb touchdown 4th, returning 19th march. 1st time on this carrier, anyone has experience on it before? good?

Else im a little worried about SAS cos i'll be having it as my 1st leg of the trip from oslo to frankfurt they're codesharing with LH (they are notorious for their strikes!)I hope it'll be ok *shrug shoulders*

YEah GINA~maybe can do a little catching up before you leave for oz. I'll PM you till then for your contacts

wah so many tests..btw, that's a handsome name for a boy i think

Mrs N~hey! maybe can meet up ;P let me know

but in between end feb march i'll be dropping by hk for a trip with my family, but else we can plan something

Nisa~yup, might be able to

will let you know again. im keeping you in prayers this monday too

Liz~Hmm the weather is not too good here either, it's really strange..dropped to -10 on monday am then it's up to +2 in the hour after. Now im with a cold! Perhaps is becos of the inconsistent weather

 

[cuclainne]

Gina: We've finally decided on Elin Daria .. it took a while cos Elias wasn't keen on some of the names i've picked previously due to reasons such as 'oh i used to know a girl by that name and she was a mean @$^#&!' etc .. hahahah .. Luke is such a nice name for a boy ..

wah .. your husband must be looking forward to having you back in oz with him .. don't stress yourself out too much with the travelling yah ..

Mrs N: i don't have any particular cravings this time around but i'm beginning to realise that a lot of preggie mummies are walking around with LV bags (me included! hahaha!) so maybe this is the new craving??

Chrisl: never flew Lufthansa so couldn't say for sure but Elias doesn't like flying SAS too ..

 

[de_luxe]

Hi all

Finally found an apt here... it's so much tougher than i tot it would be... hopefully things will go smoothly now and we can start to feel more settled...

Chrisl Lufthansa is ok, not to worry.. not SQ standard but they are definately better than KLM! I found their seats slightly roomier and i din have to hope that they will have individual screens!

I got sick cuz of the Melb weather too! And a sun burn on top of that!

Hi Sherry i dunno much abt Perth but have a friend there if you need any help n can try to ask her. I emphasis with u on the move... going through that too and it's seems neverending.

BTW there's another thread called "Anyone planning a SG wedding but currently in Australia?", u would have a better chance of finding Perthies there...

fruitchick well maybe u can discuss w ur FH what he's willing to do? my mom was quite particular abt the customs... She only couldn't be bothered with the roast pig cuz she's vegetarian. I think we would have had to do more if i hadn't put my foot down!

My HB might have been in SG for 8 yrs but i can assure u that he had no clue what he was in for!! He doesn't know much abt local customs and for weddings he usually only went for the dinners where u dun see much of these things. I had problems trying to convince him abt the dowry bit... try explaining customs logically to a very logical man!!

 

[mrs_n]

Chrisl Congrats on getting your ticket! Just in time for CNY with a few days to spare. You going on your own? Hee! Hee! We might get to see each other. I touch down on 16th March.

Wah you're certainly making good use of your time in Asia to travel.

Cuclainne haha! So LV is the new craze in S'pore? Nice name. Hee! Hee! If you have a boy the next round, let Elias do the name picking and you do the criticising.

de luxe finally a place for you to call home eh! So pleased for you. Must be pretty hot if you've got a sun burnt. It must be getting warmer over here too. Can't believe it the daffodils are sprounting over here and it's only January!!! It's way to early.

Oh btw forgot to answer your question: ttc = trying to conceive.

Anyway happy moving.

 

[christie79]

hey ladies, thanks for the input on LH. Im pretty nervous about it since it'll be 1st time in frankfurt airport and on LH! Gosh i dun really like long haul flts in fact

How i wish there can be direct flights in future between oslo and SG!

Deluxe~good for you to settle down at last! HUh sunburn? is it really warm there?

Mrs N~yup im going alone

are you going SG alone too? or with your hb? yes this time im hoping to spend time with my family there since last year b4 my wedding, everything were so stressing and also due to renovations at my mum's place so didn really get to do things that i hope to do before getting married. ex, going on a trip with them, lunching together, shopping etc.. My sister is already stating a 'wishlist' for my cooking already haha

Cuclainne~that's a nice name

the 1st thought which goes thru my mind when i see 'Elin Daria' was 'Elias's Darling'

 

[margiel]

Cuclainne, will also keep you in prayer and thoughts for 2moro BIG day!!! Getting excited for you and your family

Hear from you again

Eh Mrs N, baby dust sure working well in this thread huh hehehe Are you gg to join in the other part of Preggie Mum's fashion - LV bags? *kekeke* How's your appetite now? Has Mr N taken over the kitchen from you

Chrisl, great to hear abt your home trip. I'll prob go back to Sg in late feb or march to arrange my July wedding stuffs + removing wisdom tooth and extra tooth. Ya, much much much cheaper to do in Sg so better get them done b4 cavity set in. SO fun to hear all the family activities lining up for you, Im sure you will have a great time!

Hi dear Gina, Luke sounds nice! I like it too ;-) Baby Luke is surely a big boy, must be a 'bak bak' (chubby Chubby) baby

Ya u take care and rest more. Catch up again!

Congrates De_Luxe on your new apt! At last, a nice and warm love nest in Melbourne. Lala and Emi should'nt be too far away from you Happy Moving In!

I'm pretty busy lately with 'CNY spring cleaning' and baking cookies. Ya kind of bored and Sg-sick cos it is so quiet here, got to so something to remind myself that it's CNY lor and made hubby do abit of furnitures shifting furnitures and cleaning up. Read about some CNY activities and events over the weekend, will prob pop down and soak myself in with some 'DONG CHIANG DONG CHIANG' dust hehheee

 

[cuclainne]

hello ladies

i am now at kkh .. pumpkin was supposed to be born tomorrow morning by c-section but it seemed that she was more keen to be delivered earlier than her sister did.

my waterbag burst yesterday morning at home and i went for urgent c-section at 5pm yesterday - didn't want to stress out my previous c-section wound. she was BIG .. her sister was 3.42kg at birth and our friend weighed a whopping 3.98kg ..!!! even my gynae was taken aback .. ahahhaha .. anyways we are both doing well and should be going home in the next day or so ..

Mrs N: No such luck - i already have a boy's name in mind .. hahahah ..

Thanks Margiel and Chrisl for the well-wishes..

Gina, it was so nice to hear from you on the phone today .. would be nice to catch up with you and Chrisl when both are in Sg yah ..

 

[de_luxe]

Have fun back in SG, margie, mrs n, chrisl! Wish i could have some CNY goodies too! margie are u baking CNY cookies?

Gina Wow u're doing a lot of travelling... too bad babies can't have frequent flier accounts... if baby luke can clock up his fair share then u guys can save on future air fares!

Take care not to tire urself out, esp with the time difference and all...

EJ how r u guys settling into ur apt? Feels more like home now?

cuclainne think it's normal to be more relaxed with baby no 2 and subsequent ones... my ex-boss' wife was telling us the same thing too.. tmrw this time u'll be holding pumpkin! Is sofie excited abt her new sibling?

Chrisl & Mrs N It hasn't really been that hot here for a week or two now. Temperatures have dropped to low-mid 20s, since hitting 40 deg. I got sick cuz it was warm one day before cooling down the next day. And on that day, it rained for the 1st time since we got here while we were out viewing apts, being unprepared, we had to walk in the rain to get to the viewings. My cold started that same evening, n i got sunburnt the very next day! Can u imagine having a cold and a sunburn at the same time?! Made me feel kinda weird & gave me mood swings. The sun burn must have came abt cuz the sun rays are really strong even tho i use sunblock all the time... i'm already a lot darker since getting here, can hear my mom nagging abt freckles liao..

In fact the day i got sunburnt started off as a cold, rainy morning. We were all bundled up in jackets and pullovers to go watch the Australian Open. According to the weather forecast it was supposed to be min 18, max 23. The sun came out for only a couple of hours from ard 11+ to 2-3pm and then retreated behind grey clouds and light drizzle for the rest of the day - and that was enough to give us a sun burn! I have definitely experienced Melbourne's infamous "four seasons in one day" weather!

Thanks margie

... yeah emi is 4 train stops away from me (i'm near Hawksburn station) and i'm guessing that Lala is up the road on tram 8.

Now hoping that our shipment will be delivered as scheduled on 18 feb else we'll be bored to death in an empty apt with only the internet for company! We only have some clothes, toiletries and impt docs with us right now. The sofa, dining set, TV + hi-fi, even kitchen utensils, plates, cutlery are all in the container! We need to buy a bed this wkend but thought we hold any other purchases until our stuff gets here... Thankfully the kitchen has a little breakkie counter with 2 bar stools else we wouldn't even have something to eat on. Actually, come to think of it, how am i going to cook in the first place? Hmmm... gotta go figure that out now...

 

[de_luxe]

Wow cuclainne looks like we were writing our posts almost at the same time! I have to change my earlier post! Congrats to u, Elias & Sofie!

Elin Daria!

 

[mrs_n]

Congrats Cuclainne and to Elias and Sofie as well.

Glad all went well for you. Wow you so on ... got internet in kkh? Pumpkin is certainly a right nickname for your #2.

Margiel Can't follow fashion lah as I don't carry bags. Appetite still not very good but have to try and eat. Mr N still tries to help with the cooking but his menu is kind of limited.

Anyway happy cookie baking. Wish I had mood to do some too.

Chrisl paul's coming along too. That's why we are going towards Easter time so Paul can make use of the Easter Holidays as he can only take 10 days at any one time. As my ex-colleagues used to say maximise usage and minimise wastage.

de-luxe hope all your furniture arrives on time. Can you stay at your temporary accomodation until everything arrives? Anyway hope you have gotten over your cold.

 

[mrs_n]

Wow! so quiet around here everybody must be on holiday!

Chrisl hope you had an enjoyable flight back home and are now enjoying your rehabilitation back into S'pore life!

cuclainne hope you and little Elin Daria are doing well. Enjoy your time at home.

We are doing well. Paul's on leave this week to do some 'housework'. Oh no not the usual dusting and cleaning more like fixing taps, putting up new cupboards etc. But who knows maybe he would do the usual stuff too. Hee! Hee!

Happy CNY to everybody both in Sg and abroad!

 

[gottliebt]

Hello girls. I´m Priscilla, staying in germany now. I´ve been MIA cos I totally stopped reading this forum for no particular reason. I´ve had a few counts of internet connection disruption and I simply stopped following this thread, cos it simply moved so fast! Anyways, I decided to pop by again and spent the past 1 hr reading all the logs in the past 2 months. BOY! So much has happened!!! I don´t even know where to start writing to whom! Anyways, let me try....

Mrs N, Gina Congrats on your pregnancy! I know its a bit late, but yeah! I just found out as you can see. Amazing leh! I´m so happy for both of you! Seems like there´s a competition to get pregnant and have kids on this thread! How´s yr trip to Singapore Mrs N?

Liz Hey, long time no hear! How are you? You don´t really update your blog? How´s yr trip to Singapore? I can´t believe that you actually managed to get a ticket to Singapore for 380€!!! I´m going back to Singapore in May this year to attend 2 best friends´weddings and I´m paying 700€ for 1 mth. Ok lah, cheaper than my last ticket of 750€. Are you intending to get pregnant this year too?

Deluxe Wow! You moved to Melbourne! How did you make that decision to move to aussieland? Thought you would come over and join the cold european air! How´s your adjustment? I´ve been to Melbourne when I was 18, its such a beautiful city leh! Like Australia for the availability of Asian food! Germany is a bit hard to find super good Asian food. Oh shd I be fair and say Stuttgart.

I know what you mean about wavering to have kids.. I´m like that too. Not that I have a choice now yet. Cos hubby is having a super xiong 1-yr German tax advisor´s course while still working almost full-time. So babies are a complete no-no until he passes his exams - one in Oct08 and the other in jan 09. And even then, we might decide to wait a while again and travel Europe more first.

cuclainne Congrats on your superb huge baby! Wow, that´s amazing! Its really big even for german standards. In the church where I attend, they normally announce the arrival of newborn babies. And somehow the weight of the babies always range between 3.5kg to 4.5kg. Can post photos soon? Can use yr multiply website.

Chrisl How are you? Enjoying your new norwegian lifestyle? how´s the language coming along? Yr cooking skills are improving by the day. Its nice that u take the time and effort to write down the recipes...I don´t at all. Just don´t have the patience to haha

 

[gottliebt]

Oh and those people I missed, mind if you send me a msg? Cos I can´t keep track of the new ppl on this forum. Will try to follow it more regularly from now.... =) So exciting news here! And with the new babies coming along the way, that means new eurasian babies pix! So exciting haah

 

[de_luxe]

Hey Pris! Long time no see! How's life in Stuttgart? I guess you're speaking fluent German now? What have you been up to: working / studying / bumming?

Well the decision to move here took place last Oct... 2007 was a year of upheavals for us, many changes and surprises (some not so pleasant ones too). We're now in Melbourne cuz of HB's new job here but we both know that this won't be forever. Still exploring more opportunities in SG, US and Germany... if better ones come up, we'll prob move again... think i'll be an expert in the art of packing and unpacking soon!

Yeap, agree that Melbourne's great for the range of cuisines available. Plenty of Asian grocery shops ard and there are some Asian stuff that we don't even get in SG. Some days I dun really feel like I'm in ang mo territory cuz there are mostly Asian faces around. *LOL*

BTW, are you familiar with Frankfurt / Mainz? If you are, can you tell me how the place is like?

Well you guys are still young... can afford to wait before having kids - not a bad thing, after all, once you have kids you're stuck with them for the rest of your lives, like it or not! That actually scares me quite a bit! Even tho age is catching up on us (HB particularly), I doubt kids are on our agenda, with all our potential moves - I dun think it'll be advisable.

If you're on facebook, you can search for me via my hotmail addy.. hope you dun MIA again

 

[gottliebt]

Deluxe Hey fellow married-to-german-singaporean! I´m doing fine. Finished learning german after 1 yr of intensive course. Went back to Singapore in Aug-sept 2007, sorry didn´t meet you all and came back to Stuttgart. Between then and now, in short, I´ve been trying to figure out what to do.

Took a 365€ course called "creative life planning" and still dunno what I want to do. Thing is, the course was supposed to help me to dev. a vision for my life, according to my skills, interest, heart, abilities etc.... but it was so SHORT! only 3 sessions, so only managed to brainstorm really short.

From dec to now, I started applyin for various jobs that looked interesting to me. Until now, all doors closed and I still dunno my next step. Lookin for part-time wk now, cos my dad and gf coming to visit in March and we´ll be travelling with them for 1.5 weeks and I will go back to Singapore from May-June this year to attend 2 weddings. Aiyah, so how to work?!?!?!?!

My plan is, part-time work from now to may, then hopefully i can find full-time employment when I come back to stuttgart in june lah. Currently give english tuition to one adult and I´ve been going for interviews for full-lance english teaching at private schools. No course available as yet, but will see how.

I think its good and interesting to try out different countries n move ard when u two still don´t have kids. I like Melbourne. Sometimes I complain abt being in Germany, esp. stuttgart, cos there´s no chinatown and the variety of asian food is not as diverse as that in USA or Australia 4 that matter....But I´learning to take things in my stride.

Eh, I´m not familiar with Frankfurt leh. I´ve only been there once for a holiday and it was so so similar to Singapore loh....got river there and like a CBD area too.....I felt so at home in frankfurt. But honestly, wouldn´t know if I´d want to work there cos the pressure must be pretty high.

I´m on facebook leh! But can u tell me yr hotmail addy again? talking abt seeing asianfaces, stuttgart not a lot leh...but whenever I see one asian face, they seem to be more "tao" than the germans....so nevermind lah hahah.

 

[de_luxe]

Hi pris have sent an invite email to your hotmail account. Tried to pm you my addy but you don't accept pm...

Can't u do the same work that you were doing in SG?

I tot the eng schools will only want to hire those with eng a mother tongue e.g. uk, usa...?

Yeah germany doesn't have many asians, their immigration policy was geared towards the turkish. But i think there are more now, at least saw more during my recent visits as compared to the first time i went there abt 6 yrs ago.