From Our Own Correspondent, 2013

[Salbertina]

If I may? Loads of us seem keen. Idea is to post a little about your daily life overseas or a particular trip, event etc of interest, modelled on the R4 programme.

Got the school run but shall think of something to post later.

[Salbertina]

Ifink- what an ingenious and simple solution! No other ideas am afraid, our visitors want to come to where we actually are which is lovely, save for the fact that they want to see "everything" in only a week or 2 in what is a rather large country with no rail network to speak of. Plus we still have the daily school-work thing to fit in round their holiday. Tricky!

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Hi Mango glad you found us!
Oh I still love Singapore but I"m also one that loves HK much more! A very different experience. Its amazing how many of us say so.
The 2 bring such different things out of a same person.
Yin and Yang again!

ifink sounds ideal. Our 2 sets of grand parents are just too tired to travel now!
my dad is refusing to retire at 70 and thinks he will die of boredom if he does. He's in the foreign service an I can see what he means…he says leaving this last posting and going back "home" is like putting the nail on a coffin. I think that I would feel like that too if we had to put an end to this peripatetic life.
I would really love it if they could come over!
As far as holidays are concerned, Singapore would really be a great place for this sort of get together. Try and book a serviced appartment. better value. And do this well in advance, local expats get a lot of visitors around school holidays (al school hols, Europe & Australia).
You can also build in a few days in an island resort a short ferry hop away (or drive 3 hours into malaysia & Ferry 30mn).

Flights into KL may be good value and you can combine with a beach holiday in Langkawi which is beautiful and relatively unspoilt or Penang to combine a bit of peranakan history.

If you all wanted to see a bit more culture then a visit to Siem Raep/Angkor wat and a phnom penh/sianhoukville beach holiday would work well.
Again, the key is finding cheap flights to Phnom Penhm and building from there.

Vietnam is pretty good too if you find cheap flights connecting in Hanoi or Ho chi Minh. Both cities are fab (mix of brash 21st century capitalism but at the pace and decor of a Graham Greene novel. Then on to NA Thrang (from HCM) or Hanoi/Danag (from Hanoi)

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Salbertina I hear you!

[Sibble]

ifink We have been talking about doing the same for the past few years. After 11 years in NZ and going back to the UK each year with only one visit from 1 family member in all that time I decided that if they wanted to see us we would meet somewhere in the middle. We have yet to do it (long story but partly as my sis thinks the East is too hot, too dirty, too far on a plane etc etc...for babies don't even get me started. Let alone the fact I have done it with 2 pre-schoolers, babies on my own over the years. Anyway, we have looked at Hawaii and San Fran (fly direct from NZ) as well as the usuals Singapore, into KL and out to a resort, HK. We have also looked at Dubai - further for us I know but ticks all the boxes.

[Jacksmania]

Wow, you're all in such exotic locales!
Is just outside Vancouver too boring or could I join in?

Nothing much to report except that autumn has officially started with a massive weather change. A couple of weeks ago we had a huge heat wave - it was still 28 degrees (85F) at 8 pm. To say it was unusual would be the understatement of understatements, however, we had the driest summer in a very long time. All that changed so rapidly that almost every second person I know suddenly has a cold. Today was as cold, dark and stormy as November. The streets we literally running with water.
And right now, the sky in the east is dark with storm clouds, but there is a break in the clouds to the west, and the sun is shining on the trees, lighting them up as pure bright gold, against that backdrop of grey-blue clouds. I wish I could paint it.

[omuwalamulungi]

Love this thread! Marking place, more of you in Africa than I expected - will join in from Uganda in a few weeks if its still going!

[omuwalamulungi]

Thats the thread... Not Uganda...

[Isthiscorrect]

Checking in from Dubai to talk medicine, the good and the bad. Firstly medical insurance is compulsory, however different companies have different policies, generally, but not always, the company pays. Our company is pretty good, the policy includes orthodontics and Physio etc.
This last week ds 18 yrs, has been putting the card to a pretty battering. Basically he has had a headache enough to cause him to cry with pain since a week ago. The bad news, we couldn't get into our gp until Wednesday (from Sunday) and ds was desperate and couldn't wait, good news the hospital has a 24 hour walking clinic. So off we go after I finish work and then parents evening (yep ds came to that). Firstly the hospital do valet parking! I love valet parking, whilst it's not so hot here - about 38- it still is really quite humid so getting out at the front door with out having to circle to find a parking space is great. Next, 5 checkin desks so no queue, that's great, very painless (haha). Called straight away for triage and then into doc within 2 mins. Hmm, maybe the way they can keep to timings is the speed of assessment, doc didn't even touch ds except to listen to his heart for maybe one breathe. Pills prescribed and we were out. Done and dusted in less than 15 mins from parking the car including paying at a cost of 50dhs to us (just under GBP 10).
By Wednesday ds still not well, medication not working, unable to sleep we see our gp. What a difference, full consultation, different medicine prescribed, we leave after 45 mins at a cost of 300dhs to be reclaimed by us from insurance company and an appointment for Saturday. On Saturday we are straight in full reassessment, more blood tests, new script for controlled drugs and a promise to call with the results today.
I love the NHS, there really is nothing in the world to beat it, but seeing a gp in the UK is really difficult, appointments for a week away. I'm pleased we can get the level of service that that we do and just sad that it should be available to everyone everywhere :-(

[Inthesleeplessnightgarden]

Just reporting back in Friday's show at nursery. Was so gorgeous to see DS and all his classmates done up in their traditional outfits, and the teachers too. Wow, there were some amazing headdresses going on! I was fascinated to see and hear the songs and dances DS has obviously been practicing at school but that I didn't recognise at all when he 'sang' them at home. Now I realise I don't know the words because they were sung in Yoruba! I love that DS is having a really international experience but it does make me sad that he won't really remember any of this when he grows up. It's spurred me in to finish of this year's photo book so we have a visual record at least.

[PeriPathetic]

I've finally finished unpacking! Well, apart from the picture which require a little thought.

Absolutely loving this country so far, even after a rather terrifying personal security course last week.

A question for other SA dwellers: can I buy paracetamol and codeine over the counter in Clicks? If so, what do I ask for? My back is killing me after shifting so many boxes!

[Salbertina]

Well, welcome Peri It really helps that it's spring. Hope sun is shining where you are. Sure you can get paracetamol in clicks or wherever- ask the in store pharmacist. Never asked for codeine, don't know. Oh and worth getting their clubcard. Apparently. I applied for mine 1 year ago and never arrived- never sent, lost in post? Who knows. Have learnt to pick my battles!

[PeriPathetic]

Thank you. Yeah, it's the codeine I need. Don't want to get into trouble by asking for it if it isn't allowed. It's 'illegal' in quite a few countries, but not the UK...
I applied for their club card a few weeks ago. It's not arrived!

Finding it weird getting my head around the back to front seasons. Spring again, yay!

[ifink]

Thanks so much MasteroftheY, we're back now and family are already talking over email about what we do for our next trip together - so lovely that everyone (for once) was happy and enjoyed themselves - even my dad who is the world's fussiest man I think. Great ideas, I will check them out.

[GertBySea]

ifink I've always wanted to do a holiday like that. Might have to put it on the list for next year. We have done a few holidays with the family, but not halfway - always in Europe. That is still better than them or us staying with the other for weeks at a time, though - everyone's cheerful and, as you say, can escape one another.

We are off on a short break tomorrow - typical Australian self catering place - check in at 3pm, check out at 9am and take your own linen. So odd. We are considering paying for an extra night so that we don't have to get out at the crack of dawn on a public holiday Monday.

[wakemeupnow]

This morning i took my ds to the school bus at 7am. The local primary school already had its doors open as sleepy eyed children went into the guarderie. The parents leaving them wearing old work clothes, piling into battered vans to head off for the days vendange.

Grape picking has started and every 10 minutes a huge lorry loaded with grapes rumbles past our house. It's a tiny gorge road and for the next month I'll run the gauntlet with these vehicules that take no prisoners, or be stuck behind tractors crawling along the windy route.

[thanksamillion]

It's grape season here too wakemeup but where we live it's all on a very small scale. Almost everyone makes their own wine and the morning air has had a very heady aroma for the last few weeks .

This week people are focused on harvesting the corn. They collect it in from the fields then sit around separating the husks, stalks and scraping off the actual corn. The corn is mainly used for animal feed, the stalks for temporary shelters for animals etc and also for fodder, and the husks are used to burn to heat the houses. Nothing is wasted but it's very time consuming.

[BillyGoatintheBuff]

Near Manly, NSW, Australia.

It was pretty hot and humid (sweaty) here yesterday so I took the girls to the beach and it was lovley. Today we had to dash home from the park as fast as we could because it started to rain and then hail! I don't remember the last time I saw hail over here and it's coming up to summer so I was totally baffled! We sought shelter for a few moments under a shop awning and everyone was saying 'it's hailing!'. It continued to bucket it down for about 20 mins but has stopped now and it is feel very cool and wintery. You get a small of hot tarmac when it rains.

Last night we were all kept awake from the noise of a nearby road being worked on, we're in the suburbs.

It's school holidays and everywhere has been unbearable busy for the last week and a bit, it made me dread summer a little bit, but I am sure we will figure out some nice places to go that are npt too crazy busy all the time. I used to live in Cornwall and all anyone moans about in the summer is the tourists, and we have itr similar here! But of course I'm grateful really as we get it all to ourselves for the cooler months over autumn and winter.

Most people have got a long weekend coming up this weekend, Manly holds an annual Jazz festival and out of the 4 years we have been it has rained for every single one of them! I like that the town makes the effort to put things on though it does make it feel like there is always something happening and it suits me as I never plan ahead but can always go along to things happening locally and enjoy them :)

ifink thailand holiday sounds like good idea!! I have found the last three visits from my parents mostly awful and the last one especially bad :S

[GertBySea]

Hi billy I'm also near Manly. Loved the hail as I won't need to water the garden now!! Poor brown lawn doesn't stand a hope of making it through the summer!!

[Inthesleeplessnightgarden]

Thinking of building an ark here in Lagos. The rain started at 3am and hasn't stopped. Roads totally flooded and traffic at a standstill. No sign of it letting up. Thank goodness our house is solid, I saw stalls floating down the road earlier so thinking of those whose livelihoods are on the line.

[BillyGoatintheBuff]

Hi gertbysea :)

It's the jazz festival this weekend, it always rains for that!! I wonder if it will this year?!

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

Hi all, great idea for a thread. I'm in Washington DC and have been for the past year or so. Moved here for DH's job and am just about to give birth to DC2, who will become a dual national.

It's been a crazy week here - government shutdown, the shootings on the Hill and then someone setting themselves on fire yesterday. Seriously, all week I've had family checking in to see if we're all ok. And that's not to mention the shootings a couple of weeks back... Honestly, sometimes I wonder how long I'll be able to stand it here.

On the plus side, the weather is still glorious, so despite leaves changing to a beautiful red everywhere, it is 90F this weekend (actually, not so good if you've outgrown your maternity shorts!). We (toddler DD and I) go to outdoor parks most afternoons until at least 6:30pm and four of my mum friends are all due the same week so we tend to sit on a bench and chat/moan whilst the little ones play.

Things are building up ready for Halloween - shops full of costumes and candy and lots of my neighbours have pumpkins outside their houses already. I think the first one we saw was at the beginning of September! That said, one of my neighbours also has Christmas lights up permanently so who knows?! Going to a Halloween costume swap event on Monday to trade in last year's outfit for another for DD.

Nice to meet you all - have a good rest of weekend!

[thanksamillion]

Hope everyone has been having a good weekend.

We had a minor earthquake at 4.30am today. Enough to give the house a good shake and make me glad that I don't live in one of the ubiquitous soviet era apartment blocks. Our house is built of mud - literally just piled on top of itself and then with a thin skim of concrete. People still build like this here. We know a young couple and they have literally built their house by hand over the last two years. Quite an undertaking!

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

I've just learned from another thread that DC is actually not a "state" what does that mean? So appart from emergency services and Police you are "shutdown"? schools? trash collection etc? sounds unreal!

All quiet in our parts. Went to a fundraiser for syrian refugees last week. Its amazing to see so many people so removed from that situation get together here and do their bit. There are so many worthy causes much closer to us and its nice to see people still thinking laterally and stretching themselves to raise awareness and help.

[BillyGoatintheBuff]

Washington dc! I have just watched 'house of cards', but afterwards read it wasn't even filmed in dc!!

[Wibblypiglikesbananas]

It's not so bad! The schools here are open, the libraries are open and our rubbish was collected last week. Apparently there's some money to last a few weeks?!

House of Cards - loved it! And Kevin Spacey was in DC again a couple of weeks ago at a charity event my friend ran. I don't know about the filming, though the title sequence was definitely filmed here as every time it came on, we kept saying, ooh, it's X-place/street. I think they've left it open for another series - hope so!