mosi nets, power cuts, loose grasp on the local language - anyone else live off the beaten track??

[liger]

...but with access to Mumsnet obviously, so maybe not that unbeaten a track but...
what do you enjoy, what do you find difficult?

I am a SAHM living in Indonesia, there are good things and bad things about being here with a 2 year old and it would be great to share them, anyone else?

I think this is a long-shot, but I think a while back I saw a Mumsnetter in Nigeria, and one who had lived in Cameroon would love to hear from you?

Hi, Diddy, I'm in Nigeria, Lagos in fact, so not too far from you! (Well, I will be on Monday, am on leave in the UK at the mo.)

Most of us have 'migrated' to another thread but I'll give a shout for them to come and talk to you. I do know of an expat who is having her third baby in Lagos rather than going home. She had trouble-free pg's and labour so decided to stay put.

Cameroonmama - I had no idea it was you on the other thread with the new name

Diddy - not much to add except that I understand your fears. Personally we have made big disruptive plans to move back to the UK for a few months to have this baby at 'home'. Luckily our business is seasonal so we can move away for the autumn/winter and do temp work in the UK (and hence make our NI contributions etc). If we didn't have the flexibility, I most definitely would have postponed this baby even longer I think. But then again I am a coward after my experiences having DS Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy and hope someone comes along who can help and give you some tips. Do you have private medical cover? I know an expat here who does and she was sent to Austria by her insurers to have her baby.

I just thought...I belong to the British Women's Group so could put a shout out for advice from them.

Welcome diddy, come and join us FOOC'ing on the other thread

Soon we shall have enough of us to start our own Africa section

I left Cameroon to have my last two dc in the UK for a couple of reasons, a) my dh was born in Kenya as was his father so getting a UK passport is then a hassle b) facilities in Douala are none too fantastic c)my first came by emergency c-section, so didn't want to take the risk of another emergency. However had I been here in Kenya I would have been happy to have had all 3 dc here. I did rush back to Africa 10 days later with the first two as it was so much easier to be at home rather than in a rented house/with the in-laws.

If you have had trouble free pregancies and deliveries then you should be fine. You can always consider Nairobi as your 'emergency' backstop. We would take care of you here

Wellies, don't be I am more that I agreed you were in Croatia when as soon as I walked away from the computer I knew it was Bosnia, doh.

Sue, have a safe and fun quiet trip back to Lagos tomorrow. I hope you have your airport outfit all ready.

Thanks TM&M. Taxi's booked for silly o'clock aka 4.45am.

Thanks for all those messages - it is nice to know that there are people not so far away. Sue, hope you arrived back in Lagos okay yesterday? MM airport always gives you a sudden jolt back into Nigerian life! I look forward to hearing whether you have any feedback from your British Women's Group. Where is your friend in Lagos due to give birth?
Which other thread is it you are all on? What is FOOCing?! Sorry, I am a bit new to this. Had my last child 9 years ago and do not think mumsnet was around then. Cheers

Link here: From Our Own Correspondent = FOOC ... in reality, not as rude as it sounds!

Hi Diddy, we're back ok, thanks.

I'll be going to the BWG next week so can ask around about baby experiences. The person who had a baby I don't actually know, it was a-friend-of-a-friend sort of thing. The Reddington Hospital in Lagos is pretty good, it's new and well-equipped so you may want to consider it. There's a website Reddington which says it has two delivery suites. Hth.

Hi everyone, I'm new to MN. Glad to see there are some others living in out of the way places. I'm in the Philippines, been here 3 years with DH and DD born here last year. We don't have malaria here but Dengue is pretty bad so DD is regularly covered in Baby Off to keep the mozzies away. We do have the power cuts but not too regularly. We just moved to a new island 6 months ago and now have a lot more available here. We were most happy about having a decent cinema to go to without fear of roaches and rats running around your feet! We're also planning for the next addition to our family, hoping start the adoption process next month. Both DH and I are white on the outside but grew up in Asia and consider it to be more home than anywhere.

I noticed the baking comments, the most difficult things to find here are SR or wholewheat flour and chocolate chips (well ok we can get the Hershey's imported kind, but at a crazy price!) I also always sift things like flour / cocoa powder etc cos there's usually at least a few bugs.

I wondered about anyone out there bringing up a white skin (blue eyed, blonde haired angel) baby in a non-white culture. I worry sometimes that our little one is growing up thinking she is the most beautiful child in the world and one day it will be hard for her to realize that she's not the only cute kid out there. We can't leave the house without having dozens of people stop to want to take her picture, touch her, hold her etc. I don't mind so much (if not in a hurry) but I wonder how it is affecting her. Any comments?

Hi Nyasmum and welcome! How old is your DD?
We too have a blond curly-haired angel child (DS1) - the head of his playschool brought her sister to see him "because he is so beautiful"!! He's 2.4 now and I don't think it really affects him too much, especially now he goes to playschool. He was becoming a bit of a little prince with his retinue (gardener, guard and housekeeper) but going to playschool and especially the arrival of his baby brother (5mo) are teaching him (slowly) that the entire world doesn't revolve around him. He doesn't have any concept of personal appearance yet - hence his favourite outfit of nothing but a pair of wellies!

Hi Nyasmum and welcome We too have very fair very blonde babies. But mine mix with all different colours, plenty more blondies, plenty of Africans of all nationalities and millions of Asians. Dd (when 5) once remarked loudly at the swimming pool, during our year in Somerset, 'Look mummy there's an African' when she caught sight of a rare black face. I don't think they notice the colour thing too much until they are older when they can rationalise it. Not to mention the concept of pretty/ugly etc. Dd is now 7 and shows no interest in whether she is white or prettier than her friends. She does however think she is more clever than they

Zam, just got your message, will reply on FB. How on earth did you find me there????!

I just wanted to briefly revive this thread to send a heartfelt Merry Christmas to all the brilliant ladies I've met here.

I hope you and your families are all well and that you have a special Christmas.

My ds2 is alredy nearly 6 months old! Time has flown and despite the expected day to day challenges of looking after two boys I am the happiest i've been in a longtime.

Wellies. I hope all s going well xxx

Liger

xxxxx