"Forrin parts" dwellers - anyone around for a chat?

[Thumbwitch]

We've had these chat threads before for people who live overseas and post at odd hours but they tend to peter out so I thought I'd have another go!

I am in Australia, 1.5h north of Sydney, been here almost exactly 2 years (tomorrow) and have an Aussie DH and a DS who is 3.8.

And currently I have a cold and am Not Happy. :(

[Thumbwitch]

Afternoon/Morning/hello!
Anyone about in forrin parts today?
It's still damp and drizzly here but the August winds have started now as well to add joy to the general situation

Who is having a good time at the moment?

[HengshanRoad]

Hi everyone!

It's a rainy late morning here in Shanghai, but kind of humid too... Late summer is never the most pleasant.

I'm in my usual cafe doing some editing (freelance writer).

Hope everyone is well!

[fraktious]

I'm in forrin parts (Indian Ocean)

[Thumbwitch]

Oo Hengshan, that sounds fab! It's just brought all sorts of films into my head, with expats sitting in floaty garments, looking impossibly sophisticated, in lovely little cafés - but of course most of the films are set in France or Italy, so I would think my brain pictures aren't quite right for Shanghai!

Hi Frak! Boo to back to work, hope your nanny has indeed made it and isn't too jetlagged - where is she coming from?

[CheerfulYank]

Me, me! I'm here. I've just been wheeling around town on my new bicycle and am now trying to write a blog entry and thinking about folding some laundry.

I do the same thing Thumbwitch , with the brain pictures! And yet I get irritated when people make assumptions about Midwest Americans... :o

[LaLaLaLayla]

Hello barbie1 . We're in Tecom.

[Thumbwitch]

You're in Minnesota, aren't you Yank - now I'm going to ask a really fick question - do you get lovely autumn colours like they do in New England?

Hi Lalala - where's Tecom? [even ficker]

[CheerfulYank]

Yes Thumb . :) It's not quite like New England because we have more conifer trees mixed in, but it is very pretty.

[TanteRose]

further up, WhoDat asked how/why I was here in Japan.

Well, I majored in Japanese at uni (Sheffield) and came out after graduation to teach English on the JET Programme, in 1991.

have been here ever since - so that's 20 years (yikes!).

I married my Jps. DH and we have 2 DCs.

We live about 50 kms south of Tokyo, and about 250 kms from Fukushima. Its five months since the earthquake, and apart from the immediate disaster area, life goes on as usual.

Unfortunately, as time goes on, more and more facts are coming to light, and tests are finally being done...to reveal radiation hot-spots over a much wider area, more children have been irradiated than previously thought, more livestock and produce has been affected etc. etc.

not planning on moving, but everyone is certainly doing food shopping with much more care (looking at where food is from, choosing overseas products etc.)

Weatherwise, we are in the middle of a bit of a cooler spell this week - thank goodness! The summer heat is set to return in a few days, but for now, we are enjoying the respite and cool drizzle

[barbie1]

Waves back to lalala
Still no news on uk move, beginning to wish it would happen, I am actually sick of this weather and soft play!

[Thumbwitch]

Oh, I can't see your link, CY - I am Forbidden! Never mind, I get the mind picture of it!

Tante - that must be a bit worrying if you stop and think about it but I guess you can't do that all the time or you'd be in a right state of nervous wreckage!

[CheerfulYank]

Forbidden from seeing trees, eh? :) I'll try again. Here is a different, smaller picture. :)

Oh, Tante! That must be scary. I will be thinking of you! And, erm, just what is a Jps?

[Thumbwitch]

shorthand for Japanese, CY :)

Ahhhh lovely pic! Thank you :)

[CheerfulYank]

Oh, I see! I thought the period meant it was the end of the sentence, like "I married my Jps." End of.

[fraktious]

thumb she's come from England. Just sleeping off the flight now...

tante that must be tough but I guess there's nothing you can really do other than be careful :( I would love to visit Japan but I think I'd be bewildered by the language!

barbie owwwww. It's never that hot here so I shall stop whinging.

CY I got all choked up at those trees. I so miss autumn...

[CheerfulYank]

Fraktious where are you from originally?

[acatcalledbob]

Waves from Singapore. It's afternoon here, DD1 has a friend round, we've made chic chip cookies and waiting for them to cool. School doesn't start til 1st Sept and it's been a looooong 8 weeks...

It's fairly warm but overcast today.... heading for a storm I think.

Fraktious, where are you in the Indian Ocean?

[fraktious]

Reunion Island. Mauritius's cousin

Originally originally England but spent time in so many places growing up I never know how to answer that question.

[Thumbwitch]

Is Réunion as interesting a population mix as Mauritius? is it also Frenchish?

(fascinated! I've always fancied visiting Mauritius, have a few friends from there)

[fraktious]

Pretty much the same mix but less Indian more Madagascan. We are technically part of France so official language, education, healthcare, benefits, taxes(!) all administered by the French system. I often describe my location as France-but-not.

[ComradeJing]

Hello, hello! I'm a brit but expat brat and now expat wife. Based in Beijing but DH is an Aussie from Perth. It's 9:30pm here and I've promised myself I'll go to bed early tonight as I'll be up through the night dealing with DD who is a hardcore sleep refuser but thought I would pop in to say hi.

I do wish there were some MNers in Beijing. I don't have any mum friends here and I'd quite like some!

[Thumbwitch]

Hello comradeJing! Have just seen and responded to your link to the Volvo thingy about isofix carseats and Aussie standards - thanks for that!

I was going to go to bed early but got caught up watching NCIS again and am now wide awake again. Must go before midnight though, I do actually need to sleep, especially as DH is away the next two nights!

Isn't there an expat club you could join in Beijing?

[ComradeJing]

I've discovered there is a mummy & baby group in my compound. Apparently they had to re name it as before it was baby art and all the mums were just sending their ayis :o

There are expat clubs but they're not baby friendly and I'm only just leaving DD with the ayi whilst I go to the gym for an hour. I'll figure it out though!

[nothingnatural]

Good morning fellow overseaers. I've just caught up with this thread, I'm in South Australia, where it's 9am, kids are at school/kindy, and I'm about to try home straightening my frizzy hair - eeek. It could be a home perm style disaster.

No 51 degrees, thank GOD! How do you cope Barbie? I'm absolutely at my limit at about 43 degrees. Wet, windy and wintry here today, it was glorious yesterday however, and I got a fabulous walk on the beach.

ComradeJing, how old is your baby? It must be hard with no mum friends. Good idea to get to the mum and baby group. Best of luck.

[CheerfulYank]

Hello everyone. :)

It's 7:30 pm here (on Wednesday) and DS was just in full tantrum mode because I demanded he remove his death trap Lego creation on the stairs.