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Living overseas

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

Living In America ..You say Goodbye, I say Hello, ...

611 replies

kickassangel · 04/07/2009 14:46

New Thread.

OP posts:
tadjennyp · 15/10/2009 05:58

Sorry, that website doesn't win any prizes for plain English! Hope you find something that does explain things for you.

nooka · 15/10/2009 07:36

Official sites are always terrible! I think they do it on purpose...

kickassangel · 15/10/2009 13:08

yes, i think i'm fine helping out at dd's school etc.

but i think they want to make sure i don't work my way into a job (like an internship) or 'volunteer' to clean someone's house, whilst they 'volunteer' to buy my groceries!

for halloween there will be 3 adults & 2 child in this house, so we will rpob split between some staying home & some going out. don't want to ALL go with dd, it would be a bit much.

OP posts:
SuperBunny · 15/10/2009 19:20

I was on an H4 visa for a while and you are not allowed to volunteer - so I couldn't help out at the local hopsital but I did run a community group and the local community garden, just nothing official. I shouldn't have done anything really...

Jabber, been thinking about you a lot as I spend all my days doing sensory stuff. I always have questions and think, "I should ask Jabber"

Shingles, Swine Flu, Chest Infection, pulled intercostal muscles. England is not good for my health!

Does Dooney not post here anymore?

kickassangel · 16/10/2009 15:18

sb, i was wondering what kind of visa you were on. i help out at dd's school, but am too fearful to start up a group at the library as that seems too 'official' iykwim.

i ALWAYS get really ill when moving to a new area or starting a new school. though i don't think you can blame pulled muscles on any germs flying around?

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 16/10/2009 17:11

Hey, sb, anytime you want to talk sensory you know I'm all over it sorry you're under the weather. I'm in a similar state.

dooney does FB a lot I think. I hardly ever get on there and have been missing her too.

SuperBunny · 16/10/2009 20:53

Thanks Jabber, I don't want to pester you too much but might have to contact you off board to ask a couple of qs. Can't really do it on here because it is too public.

Kickass, I've had several visas - J2, H4, B2 (or B1?) and something else as well.

jabberwocky · 17/10/2009 00:32

No problem. Do you have my email? My CAT is expired atm

kickassangel · 21/10/2009 03:00

sb when you shipped things home, who did you use? would you recommend them?

dd about to move into a proper bed, not toddler bed, and I can't bear to sell the old bed! just remember getting it so clearly, and her happy little voice as she said 'a big bed' and climbed straight in.

there's a few 'special' toys i want to keep as well. i'm thinking about sending them back to my parents to go into their loft until i get to be a grandma (talk about forward planning).

did you move anything that big?

OP posts:
SuperBunny · 21/10/2009 20:24

Think I have your email address, jabber, thanks.

Kickass, I only shipped toys and books and used DHL jumbo box service. They damaged 2 boxes (out of 6), lost some of the contents of one and charged me double for one box for no apparent reason. They are STILL dealing with the claim, 3 months on. So, would I recommend them? Until they compensate me/ find my stuff/ refund the extra charges NO.

dooneygirl · 21/10/2009 23:49

I'm here. Barely. Been busy getting used to our new school routine at 2 schools, and then with the kids getting probable H1N1 and all, haven't been on the computer all that much. I've also had a big realization even though I've been a SAHM forever, I need something more, so I'm in the process of looking for a part time job 2 nights a week after DH gets home. Not the easiest thing to find, but something perfect may have come up, so I go on my first job interview since I was 20, which is kind of scary.

I had my first school conference ever yesterday. Colin's teacher had so many nice things to say about him, she made me tear up and almost cry. And that really isn't me much.

Hope all of you are doing well.

kickassangel · 22/10/2009 01:46

good luck with the job dooney!

i'm almost in reverse - having ALWAYS had a job, sometimes 2 or 3, i'm beginning to realise that i quite like being a SAHM.

won't be using DHL then!

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 22/10/2009 03:00

good luck with the job dooney. I have a school conference coming up Monday. DS1 doesn't exactly light up his teacher I'm afraid, so not expecting much. She's rather...stoic

dooneygirl · 22/10/2009 05:08

I quite like Colin's teacher. She has little kid voice. You know, the kind where people who like little kids always sound cheery and happy around them.

I'm with you, Kickass. I've always worked a lot and had multiple jobs, even when going to school. But I've had 6 1/2 years of staying at home, and with both of them being in school, even though I'm only alone mornings for 3 days just really got to me. I had this breakthrough conversation with another mom I barely knew who was applying for a bunch of jobs because she said she was bored and antsy, and I realized she was describing how I felt.

We're leaving for the in-laws tomorrow, and then coming back Sunday, so I'll hopefully get to interview next week sometime. I've only been on 2 interviews ever. The first one was for this really deranged woman from my first job ever who fired me because she had a client that was unhappy with all the accounting errors that were made, so she blamed them on me (even though all I was was a file clerk who never touched the books), and then for my next job. Everything else I've ever gotten I've never had to interview for, I've just gotten because I worked for someone who went somewhere else and asked me to come along, so I'm not really experienced with the process, have 16 years since my last interview, and have close to a 7 year gap on my resume, so I'm not feeling the most confident right now.

anorak · 27/10/2009 04:25

Hello all, how the devil are you? And why have none of you come to Bermuda to see me?

kickassangel · 28/10/2009 03:33

anorak!

how the devil are you?

dd is poorly - i think just a v bad cough, but could be flu.

my mum is here, visiting (possibly for the only time ever!) and we're just sitting at home, taking turns to look after dd or doing housework/gardening as we can't go out. I had so much planned.

OP posts:
ZZZenAgain · 29/10/2009 14:19

can I just sidle in for a mo and ask you girls, what exactly is freezer paper? Have you encountered it?

I'm wondering if it is the same kind of texture as baking paper. I bought dd a learn how to use a sewing machine type book

this one

and it insists you have to sew on freezer paper a lot of the time. I have never heard of this stuff. Help help

ZZZenAgain · 29/10/2009 14:21

mind you swimming at the end of October (unless you're perhaps in Thailand), it could be a good thing to be nice and fat

jabberwocky · 30/10/2009 00:13

anorak! how nice to see you back. Would looove to come to Bermuda. Maybe this summer when things have settled down at my new office....

not sure what freezer paper is or why it is essential to sewing

ZZZenAgain · 30/10/2009 09:48

hmm no idea. I'm wondering if it is like greaseproof paper.

I think the idea is you sew on the paper first (not much of a sewer myself)

Sorry my comment about swimming in October should be on another thread!

jabberwocky · 30/10/2009 12:18

lol, I was trying to figure out ifr that somehow tied into a trip to Bermuda

jabberwocky · 31/10/2009 18:21

Happy Halloween!!!

Earlybird · 31/10/2009 18:42

Happy Halloween to you jabberwocky! DD and I are currently (still) in our pajamas , but why get dressed until we have to on such a fun day? DD is going to be a 'devil fairy', as she didn't want to be anything 'pretty' or 'baby-ish' now that she's a bit older.

I'm interested (amazed) at the number of grumpy folks on other threads complaining about the trick or treaters. It is a hugely fun holiday, imo. Maybe the fun-loving people in the UK who enjoy the night are out with their dc, and it is only the sourpuss folks who are at home typing/moaning?

jabberwocky · 31/10/2009 18:51

Oh, a devil-fairy!!!! I love it. the boys are going as the Blues Brothers...you can see dh's influence there. Ds1 is still being very tolerant of dh's costume ideas. I have a feeling ds2 will put his foot down next year.

I am always amazed at the grumpy halloween threads on MN. Is it really so different in the UK?

dooneygirl · 31/10/2009 18:52

ITA about all the complaining threads, Earlybird. Having never been a Brit, I couldn't figure out if the traditions were somehow way different over there, or there were just a bunch of crabby no-funners taking over the site tonight.