We have more or less settled these two weeks here. There is the cold to get used to
1. Layer inconvenience.
We r in at least in 2 layers at home, 3 when we are out. Emily's in at least one fleece layer so that I'm sure she's warm. So many layers mean that sometimes I take longer to dress n undress Emily. Prefer all in ones to two pieces but changing diapers is such a chore! In sunny Singapore she doesn't even wear a pants over the diaper. Here there's 2 layers to uncover the diaper lurking inside..and if she does a poop that overflows (esp if i don't snap the disposable diaper tight enough) it leaks at the back and gets all 2-3 layers pooped. ewwie!
2. Cold water
Having to wash hands in cold water (even if it's hot) and then touch Emily! oops! she'll surely scream :O Water is generally icy. But the upside is that there's hot water which according to my mil is great for soaking clothes and washing the dishes. Water is free for this unit so somehow we don't quite care much about saving water and just let the water run...especially when we bathe. I don't want to always adjust the water temperature!
This also means that the water left out cools really fast so if we want any warm water, it's from the thermal flask or to boil more or just get from the tap! Now i understand why they have those kids thermal flask...it just doesn't make sense having those in SG.
3. Dry dry air
I have dry skin which is quite ok in humid singapore. Even so, my left hand fingers and my feet are really dry and cracked. Fingers are dry due to the detergent and feet/heel are dry if i wear slippers and open heels. It is worse here...so my fingers are so dry they..well...split. I mean my heel hard dead skin does that sometimes but here...they just have fun splitting. The feet part is managable cos i slap lots of moisturizer and plasters. The fingers...argh...it splits at those tips where i use most...so i need to cover it up with plasters else it's difficult to snap those pesky buttons on Emily's rompers.
4. Going out and about
There's not much of nature i enjoy when it's so cold...there are some nice good days when it's not windy but still i'll rather be at home. Then again...with the decision not to get a tv..we're usually left with not much to do :P Our 10 boxes are not here yet so Eliza's generally busy with her playdoh, her dancing and listening to music, playing the ipodtouch cooking, eating and recently playing a ball and box with Ww.
And if Ww's not around we have tried walking to the centre for some grocery shopping. Else the rest of the area is kinda quite far without a car. I will someday learn to drive.....
5. Cooking
I am a recreational cook...so which means i don't cook much..at least not on a daily basis. Over here eating out is really expensive...and not guaranteed to taste good. There's so much good food back in sg that is sooo cheap u can live on not cooking at home. Also many of our fav asian ingredients are more expensive here, wanted to cook yongtauhu but...ahh...no fishballs..none of the ingredients and the ikan bilis is so ex!!
I'm trying to do freeze cooking so that on days when i'm with the kids, i don't have to cook but just heat up the food. I've tried meatball spaghetti, mashed potato, pizza, beef burger (still frozen in the fridge) and cheese balls. But then none of the usual chinese stir fries that is so delicious. Most of the recipes for freeze food is very meat based. Plus fish is so expensive here! and very little varieties...no wonder they sell a lot of fish oil supplements. Gonna miss my steamed pomfret. else baking fish is really easy and nice.
Super expensive stuffs are tomatoes...6 tomatoes for $6! *cough cough* and ginger is $13 per kg. Bananas are like about $17 per kg. sigh...
Still trying to figure out and try out more freeze foods while my mil's still here so i can experiment.
6. Early to sleep
Because the sun sets about 5pm..and cos it's winter...somehow we all retire to sleep very early...eliza at her usual bedtime if she naps and earlier if she doesn't which is about the same. But for Ww and me...i'll go to zz at 10pm (also cos my mil sleeps with Eliza for now). Emily has an early bedtime too at about 7-8pm (now i understand those UK or US books talking about baby routines and bedtimes at 7pm...which is not that easy in SG cos of how awake the city is and how much activities there are after 7pm)
Ww has not been feeling well these few days and has also been retiring early for the nights. wow.
7. God
God is good...He has led us to find a church that we feel comfortable in and where my mil can go to the chinese service while we go to the english service. The children's sunday school has been quite good for Eliza even though she had said she didn't want to go, she still did and i believe enjoyed it plus her teacher Ruth was really great and encouraging. Have been reminded in today's sermon from James 3 & 4 on seeking wisdom from God. Especially when i have felt my expectations of Emily to not sleep in my arms really a stressful one...and when i have sought for help from God I may not have let him step in to take over. Still the Holy Spirit is working to help me let go and let me understand Emily better, to take it easy a little more and yet try to cultivate a ok sleep habit and routines. Our routines are a little off on some days when she wakes at 7am or 8am or 9am...but she's generally on a 3hr routine...can sleep 15mins without me carrying her and then wakes up for another round of trying to sleep (except when we are out). So I'm learning to let God take over...to listen out to Him, to read His word more regularly and to pray.
It's not easy starting out here like that....I'm still adapting and Eliza's enjoying it. :P I still miss many things in singapore but we'll see we'll see...i'm looking forward to spring. ;)
1. Layer inconvenience.
We r in at least in 2 layers at home, 3 when we are out. Emily's in at least one fleece layer so that I'm sure she's warm. So many layers mean that sometimes I take longer to dress n undress Emily. Prefer all in ones to two pieces but changing diapers is such a chore! In sunny Singapore she doesn't even wear a pants over the diaper. Here there's 2 layers to uncover the diaper lurking inside..and if she does a poop that overflows (esp if i don't snap the disposable diaper tight enough) it leaks at the back and gets all 2-3 layers pooped. ewwie!
2. Cold water
Having to wash hands in cold water (even if it's hot) and then touch Emily! oops! she'll surely scream :O Water is generally icy. But the upside is that there's hot water which according to my mil is great for soaking clothes and washing the dishes. Water is free for this unit so somehow we don't quite care much about saving water and just let the water run...especially when we bathe. I don't want to always adjust the water temperature!
This also means that the water left out cools really fast so if we want any warm water, it's from the thermal flask or to boil more or just get from the tap! Now i understand why they have those kids thermal flask...it just doesn't make sense having those in SG.
3. Dry dry air
I have dry skin which is quite ok in humid singapore. Even so, my left hand fingers and my feet are really dry and cracked. Fingers are dry due to the detergent and feet/heel are dry if i wear slippers and open heels. It is worse here...so my fingers are so dry they..well...split. I mean my heel hard dead skin does that sometimes but here...they just have fun splitting. The feet part is managable cos i slap lots of moisturizer and plasters. The fingers...argh...it splits at those tips where i use most...so i need to cover it up with plasters else it's difficult to snap those pesky buttons on Emily's rompers.
4. Going out and about
There's not much of nature i enjoy when it's so cold...there are some nice good days when it's not windy but still i'll rather be at home. Then again...with the decision not to get a tv..we're usually left with not much to do :P Our 10 boxes are not here yet so Eliza's generally busy with her playdoh, her dancing and listening to music, playing the ipodtouch cooking, eating and recently playing a ball and box with Ww.
And if Ww's not around we have tried walking to the centre for some grocery shopping. Else the rest of the area is kinda quite far without a car. I will someday learn to drive.....
5. Cooking
I am a recreational cook...so which means i don't cook much..at least not on a daily basis. Over here eating out is really expensive...and not guaranteed to taste good. There's so much good food back in sg that is sooo cheap u can live on not cooking at home. Also many of our fav asian ingredients are more expensive here, wanted to cook yongtauhu but...ahh...no fishballs..none of the ingredients and the ikan bilis is so ex!!
I'm trying to do freeze cooking so that on days when i'm with the kids, i don't have to cook but just heat up the food. I've tried meatball spaghetti, mashed potato, pizza, beef burger (still frozen in the fridge) and cheese balls. But then none of the usual chinese stir fries that is so delicious. Most of the recipes for freeze food is very meat based. Plus fish is so expensive here! and very little varieties...no wonder they sell a lot of fish oil supplements. Gonna miss my steamed pomfret. else baking fish is really easy and nice.
Super expensive stuffs are tomatoes...6 tomatoes for $6! *cough cough* and ginger is $13 per kg. Bananas are like about $17 per kg. sigh...
Still trying to figure out and try out more freeze foods while my mil's still here so i can experiment.
6. Early to sleep
Because the sun sets about 5pm..and cos it's winter...somehow we all retire to sleep very early...eliza at her usual bedtime if she naps and earlier if she doesn't which is about the same. But for Ww and me...i'll go to zz at 10pm (also cos my mil sleeps with Eliza for now). Emily has an early bedtime too at about 7-8pm (now i understand those UK or US books talking about baby routines and bedtimes at 7pm...which is not that easy in SG cos of how awake the city is and how much activities there are after 7pm)
Ww has not been feeling well these few days and has also been retiring early for the nights. wow.
7. God
God is good...He has led us to find a church that we feel comfortable in and where my mil can go to the chinese service while we go to the english service. The children's sunday school has been quite good for Eliza even though she had said she didn't want to go, she still did and i believe enjoyed it plus her teacher Ruth was really great and encouraging. Have been reminded in today's sermon from James 3 & 4 on seeking wisdom from God. Especially when i have felt my expectations of Emily to not sleep in my arms really a stressful one...and when i have sought for help from God I may not have let him step in to take over. Still the Holy Spirit is working to help me let go and let me understand Emily better, to take it easy a little more and yet try to cultivate a ok sleep habit and routines. Our routines are a little off on some days when she wakes at 7am or 8am or 9am...but she's generally on a 3hr routine...can sleep 15mins without me carrying her and then wakes up for another round of trying to sleep (except when we are out). So I'm learning to let God take over...to listen out to Him, to read His word more regularly and to pray.
It's not easy starting out here like that....I'm still adapting and Eliza's enjoying it. :P I still miss many things in singapore but we'll see we'll see...i'm looking forward to spring. ;)
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