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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

Aussie mums.. this is our place

99 replies

robinpud · 04/06/2007 03:27

While the rest of the world is sleeping, can we deal with our own pressing issues..... like....
did they ever tell that girl in the BB house her dad had died?

and are bonds knickers any good?

OP posts:
bloss · 07/06/2007 10:27

Message withdrawn

DCsnatchsunhill · 07/06/2007 12:29

Hi Suzy. Did you ever get my message that my local takeaway is called Suzy Wong? Makes me laugh when I see it....

I don't know if any of you have seen my other thread about English house selling dramas but our bank (alliance and leicester) have decided to WAIVE our early redemption penalties....because we've tried hard to meet them, and they've been nice!! Oh, it's really nice to have something good to say about English banks. We would have owed them 2000 pounds but they don't eant it. Hurrah! Hence the third glass of wine tonight
Finally we can begin to settle down. No we just have to decide where to live

DCsnatchsunhill · 07/06/2007 12:30

Sorry, NOW we have to decide where to live. That was the third glass of wine talking....

Original poster
robinpud · 07/06/2007 12:36

Bloss- I walked 2km down Oxford street today on a wild goose chase( long story but having a bit of a blonde moment) and there were just torrents of rain at edge of road so I porbably couldn't see the drains in fairness! However I think every car driver in the area took great pleasure in pedestrian splashing! Still you need the rain
Are you feeling better Bloss?

OP posts:
bloss · 08/06/2007 00:54

Message withdrawn

arfishy · 08/06/2007 11:41

Bloss! You're here!!! I've been trying to find you for ages. DD got into Ascham after your recommendation. Thank you!

It's a bit posh [scared at not being their sort emoticon] but it looks to be a great school so thank you.

D'you know anything about the Spalding Method [hopeful]

SW - Congrats on the citizenship! Is there much difference between being PR and a citizen?

Robinp - did you settle in Sydney in the end?

arfishy · 08/06/2007 22:38

Good god you're like the scarlet pimpernel.

bloss · 09/06/2007 05:20

Message withdrawn

ghosty · 09/06/2007 06:01

Hi Bloss, I am sorry you've been unwell - good to see you back

Update on DS and the Jelly Saga.

The jelly was found in the fridge of a classroom, along with the other boy's jelly. Why it was not with the others in the canteen I don't know ... but he came home with it with a big smile on his face
He managed to eat two spoonfuls and then said "Yuk, I don't even like Jelly!", which is true, he doesn't - psmrofl

Have just been reading up on Boco's coup at her school with the birthday table thing ... am really pleased she got some results with that - couldn't believe a school would have such a thing and I would have been down there like a shot if it had been my DS ... Well done Boco if you read this

What's the deal with dentists/schools in Aus then girls? Does a dental nurse come to school? Do I have to register the children anywhere central for dental treatment or do we do it ourselves by signing them up with our dentist?

(in NZ they have a school dentist system - only go to a normal dentist if work needs doing)

arfishy · 09/06/2007 07:19

Oh sorry to hear you've not been well Bloss. Are you ok now?

I'm really impressed with Ascham and I would never have heard of it without you so I'm really very grateful.

Spalding seems excellent although under-used. It seems that a lot of pre-schools have never heard of it so DD will have to re-learn everything she's learned about reading and writing when she joins next year, which is a shame.

If your niece is in Kindie this year then she'll be in the same year as my DD when she starts next year. Perhaps we'll meet at the Fig Tree Ball

arfishy · 09/06/2007 07:22

Glad to see all was sorted out about Jellygate ghosty. It doesn't matter about whether he likes it or not, it's the principal of the thing poor old DS.

ghosty · 09/06/2007 07:57

What is Ascham and Spalding please [nosey]

arfishy · 09/06/2007 09:22

LOL. Are you sure you're really interested?!?

Ascham is a school. I hadn't heard of it when I got to Sydney because I'm from the UK but Bloss (who is a teacher) recommended it. The facilites and staff are fabulous and I'm very happy that we got in, all thanks to Bloss.

Spalding is a method of teaching reading & writing, sort of phonics based but more, left and right brain stuff - hearing, seeing and doing, that Ascham uses. Very young children are able to read and write very competently with big words after quite a short time.

It's a good program but not many people use it so it means that all of the pre-school stuff DD has done are a bit pointless.

eidsvold · 09/06/2007 09:59

ghosty - pleased to see jellygate was resolved.

yes we do have school dentists - well we do have here in Qld - can't remember how they operate - long time since I was in primary school.

bloss · 09/06/2007 23:29

Message withdrawn

bloss · 10/06/2007 00:22

Message withdrawn

Original poster
robinpud · 10/06/2007 00:52

Glad to hear about jellygate!
We have sunshine at last! Not quite the weather we had hoped for over the long weekend but made me feel quite nostalgic for home!
Arfy- yes we are here in the west of the west!

Ghosty- we had a pet redback recently called ruby. She was very easy to look after, just lived in a plastic takeaway box. Sadly she was already dead as dh who found her( he goes looking in the garden to reassure himself that this is really a VERY DANGEROUS place to live) sprayed her and nearly us to death!

OP posts:
ghosty · 10/06/2007 01:28
suzywong · 10/06/2007 01:35

ah there you are!

so nice to have morning people around
loosely translated as MN is a tad dry atm.

so yes, ghosty, if you are up for it, me and ds1 will come to Melbourn in November for the origami convention, although as it's being held in a church hall I think convention is a tad grandiose, however. It will be the weekend before Melbourne Cup day - you know the one where they go absolutely bonkers at 2pm on a Tuesday and take the day off.

Question for the expats: so how are things? I am feeling very very homesick recently. What's your mechanism for missing elderly parents and not feeling guilty that you aren't with them?

ghosty · 10/06/2007 01:46

Ah, Suzy - fed up with mooning at people?

Weekend before Melb. Cup now in diary. I told DH that we are having visitors ... "Who?" he asked. "Why, suzywong and one of the fragrant wong brothers of course!" I answered.
He says I have now officially lost the plot

I know the homesick thing ... my sister has announced that she is pregnant again (we had all given up hope, she's been trying for a long time) and it gives me a pain in my tummy that I won't be there to meet my new niece or nephew ...

Have you got any visits planned (either you to UK or folks to Oz) that you can look forward to?

I am planning a visit for Christmas 2009 - a long way off but I have to have something to look forward to.

eidsvold · 10/06/2007 06:27

suzy in the UK i felt it hard to be so far away from my family - missed my two brother's getting married and the birth of my first niece. Hard also as my mum is a single parent and has been for almost my whole life so felt bad not being around to help her with things.

Conversely - I think dh felt bad not being able to spend lots of time with his father before he passed away after his short battle with cancer. I felt very bad that his dad had never met dd2 and been able to see how much dd1 had grown and developed. However he really does see this as his home and I think now I am the one who thinks we should go back for a trip for his mum to meet dd2 and 3 and see us all BUT it is so expensive on our one income.

I also (could be sexist) but think it is more a daughter thing than a son thing. Daughters tend to feel more for family than sons at times - could be totally wrong BUT that is my experience.

eidsvold · 10/06/2007 06:28

keep trying to convince his mum to come and stay with us - she could stay for a few months - be a bit squishy with all of us in our modest home BUT the girls would love it. So we keep bringing it up.

quokka · 10/06/2007 06:43

Hi guys just moved to s'pore so I'm on the same time zone!

ghosty · 10/06/2007 07:46

Hi quokka ...

How's the weather in s'pore?

quokka · 10/06/2007 07:50

bloody hot! Where are you? Thanks for the welcome