another new thread for chinese mums

[csa]

gong xi fa chai!

a new thread for a new year? (good idea yingers)

hope everyone had a good celebration this weekend. us? the closest celebration i got to was speaking to my family on new year's eve and hearing about their reunion dinner

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your DD for tomorrow. Hope you have a great day.

Sorry it's a message for snowmum.

This should probably be in the news category but anyway,

did anyone else read about the Chinese baby who got an operation to have his third arm removed? Nearly made me cry. Poor child! Hope he makes a quick recovery.

Didn't say whether he was abandoned or not. I've been to China to work voluntarily in an orphanage and it made me really sad :( to see so many healthy children, mainly girls and few with very minor defects just "thrown out" like rubbish.

WYLS - yes please to the rick stein recipe! And YUM hoisin ribs - will have to try it but our Sainsburys doesn't have very good ribs ... =(

DS just started day care and is slowly settling in although it was a tough at first leaving him there . Just had my first week at work and it was strange - think it will be a bit of an adjustment process but I definitely think it is healthy to have my own thing and then spend more quality time with DS on my days off (Thurs and Fri). He is still waking up 530-6am though!

BTW does anyone have any advice on stopping DS grinding his teeth. He has two bottom teeth and his two top ones are starting to come through. He keeps grinding the bottom ones against the top ones like crazy! I'm scared that he will have no more enamel left soon but I think he finds it comforting or else he has gotten into a habit now. PLEASE HELP!

Would he chew on a teether instead?

Mofeb - that's sad about the orphanages. How did you get involved with volunteering in China?

nope heybaby. ds1 does. ds2 does. and mummy does it too

what's everyone doing for the summer hols?

I'm heading to Malaysia for 3 weeks at the end of June / early July. And DH and I are taking 2 nights on our own to Hong Kong while my mum and dad look after the kids!!!! can't wait ...

What've you got planned?

WYLS, thanks for the recipe, but neither my DH or i eat fish, silly i know as i love shell fish. bit worried about how i am going to give DD fish as i don't know how to cook it and don't like the smell much either.

will try the hoisin sauce ribs though.

MUMMYOFEB, just hearing that story makes me want to cry. i cry at the slightest thing so don't think that i could ever work in an orphanage. we went to see a world press pictures exhib and there was so many sad things in this world. DH had to filter out most of the exhib as i was walking round in floods of tears.

i am also a teeth grinder - funny story the first night i spent with DH when we were going out on a romantic wkend away. he woke me up in the middle of the night and said 'what is that noise, it sounds like a banshee' he sounded frightened, so that frightened me as well, i have a vivid imagination and thought it was the supernatural straight away. we eventually went back to sleep and then it happened again. eventually he realised i was grinding my teeth - so was a rude awakening for our romantic night.

FEZ, i a looking for some summer toddler grps, so all my ones are now closed for hols.

QUESTION for you all, what do you dress your kids in for the hot summer nights? DD's room was 24 degrees and i put her in a vest and a 1 tog sleeping bag. DH thinks it is too much but i am worried she might catch a cold...

Heybaby, this is the recipe, it was on BBC food but I cant find it now so am going to type it out.

1X 1.5 Kg (3lb) piece of thick belly pork with the rind
1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons maldon sea salt flakes
2 talblespoons five spice powder
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 quality steamed chinese greens in oyster sauce and steamed rice to serve

Method

Spike the skin of the pork with a fine skewer or a larding needle as many times as you can, going through into the fat but not so deep that you go into the flesh. Then pour a kettle full of hot water over the skin, leave it to drain and then dry it off well.

Heat a dry heavy based frying pan over a high heat.

Add the suchuan and black peppercornd and shake them around for a few seconds until they darken slightly and start to smell aromatic. transfer them to a spice ginder and grind to fine powder. Tip them into a bowl and stir in the sea salt, five spice powder and sugar.

Turn the pork flesh side up on a tray and rub the flesh all over with the spice mixture. set it aside somewhere cool to marinate for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200C Gas mark 6. Turn the pork skin side up and place it on a rack resting on top of a roasting tin of water. roast the porl for 15 mins, then lower the over temp to 180C gas mark 4 and roast it for a further 2 hours, topping up the water in the roasting tin now and then when necessary.

That's it.

Teacakes, my ds was wearing a short sleeves vest last night and he has a duvet which he kicks off most of the night.

we are off to portugal next mon, cant wait!!! it's going to be hot but it's hot over here anyway, i am so looking forward to it cos work is just too much!!!

yummy wyls!

teacakes, just read today that funky fun house is running a summer playscheme for children 2-11 this summer. not sure what it is? i'll try and find the website for you.

ds1 goes to bed in long sleeve pyjamas and duvet up to his chin!!! mad i know but he insists. as he is now 4, we reckon if he is old enough to dress himself, then he is old enough to know he is hot and strip off if he needs to. ds2 who is 1 goes to bed with just a 0.5 tog grobag and nothing underneath. i leave the windows open and close it when i go to bed.

Wyls, that recipe sounds yummy! Thanks for DD's 1st b'day wishes for yesterday. We had a lovely day, playdate in the morning and then off to feed the ducks followed by lunch in baby-friendly restaurant. We kept it low-key, substituted a muffin with a candle for b'day cake!
Looks as though it will be a scorcher tomorrow, hope your BBQ goes well. Happy Birthday for your DS tomorrow.

Teacakes, my DD sleeps in a 1 tog grobag with long sleeved vest. I have ordered some 0.5 tog grobags and will put her in those when they arrive.

Early Learning Centre are running some free activities over the summer. You have to spend £20 to get the vouchers for activities. Might be worthwhile if they have some stuff going on in your neck of the woods - \link{http://www.elc.co.uk/freeactivities?scid=netmums\see here}

Does anyone know any vegetarian Chinese recipes apart from blanched leaves with garlic and ginger and steamed tofu? Did chilli, salt and pepper tofu the other day which was nice but i need something a bit more adventurous! dh is vegetarian and I am sort of.

rjk, got involved in voluntary work during uni and joined a Christian organisation to go out to China and Thailand for 3 weeks. That's how I met dh :).

Our broadband was down for a whole 2 days - I was getting withdrawal symptoms.

thought of another question to ask you all - will you be putting your kiddies chinese names on their passports?

snowmum i will have to look into 0.5 tog grobags. DH suggested sticking tin foil on DD windows until we get a black out curtain - it is working well and keeping temp down too.

mummyofeb how about oyster sauce and veg (choi sum). how about some mix veg with soy sauce and thickend with corn flour. chilli garlic sauce with quorn instead of minced meat for ma po tofu.

My kids have their Chinese names on birth certs so it's on all other documentation (but Chinese names are written in romanised letters, not Chinese characters).
Actually I wouldn't know how to write their names in characters although I do have the written somewhere for me!

Hi everyone!!!

We are back from Portugal and we had a lovely time. We met another couple while we were out there and it was great cos our sons are similar age and the mum is half chinese so we have a lot in common. We dont normally meet other people when we are on holiday but I am glad that we have made the effort this time.

Anyway, how is everyone?

Snowmum, how was the birthday bbq?

Heybaby, how's work?

My DS has also got a chinese name but it's not on the birth cert, i didnt know you can do that to be honest.

Hi All

I am tried, grumpy and run-down - feel like I'm coming down with a cold - but aside from that, I'm fine! I HATe being sick. I really want my own mum here to take care of me and make me chicken and ginger soup and all of that. But instead I am taking care of my OWN baby - how weird is that??!! Don't know about you guys but these are the kind of times I find the hardest. Touch wood though that DS isn't sick (ok so he's had a cold for weeks now, but not REALLY sick) as well.

My DS has his Chinese name on his birth cert and passport too. I have the characters somewhere and even know the meaning! Or at least what my parents told me.

Wyls - good to hear your hol was fab. We are planning one to the US in Sept and I'm tired out already just doing the travel research!

Take care everyone!

See - can't even type properly! That should be "tired, grumpy and run-down" ...

Just a quick post to reassure you that the tired, grumpy feeling is normal. It is difficult when the babies are sick and even worse when you get sick too!

All I can say is it DOES get better, they do grow out of this baby phase and the colds etc settle down.

Just a bit of news - DH has been offered a job in Singapore and we are moving there at the end of September.

Things are a bit stressful at the moment with organising and researching but we think this is a good opportunity for the kids to experience life in Asia.

We don't know how long we will be there for as there isn't a timeframe on his contract but I'm taking a career break from work for 2 years initially.

wow rojak. that should be great. when are you going? where were you from originally? we went back to singapore for 18months 5 years ago and ds1 was born there! had a wonderful time. is dh on an expat deal?

Hi Fez

We're leaving end Sept - DH's package is sort of an expat deal but it's a lump sum rather than split into allowances so we decide what to do with funds.

He will be travelling a fair bit around the region so I'm planning to stay home with the kids and perhaps do a bit of freelancing.

I'm from Ipoh so still a fair distance from my parents but at least we will get to see them more than the twice a year we currently manage.

How long did you stay after your DS1 was born? I've been searching websites for kid-friendly activities so would welcome some recommendations.

Teacakes, we have DD's chinese names on her birth cert so its on her passport as well.

Mummyofeb, are you near a chinese supermarket? Only you can buy veggie "chicken, beef, fish" (all made from soya) which sounds v weird but is actually quite nice. You just substitute the veggie version for the usual meat/fish.

Wyls, DD's b'day BBQ was fine. She loved playing with all her cousins and enjoyed opening all her presents. Glad to hear you had a fab hols.

Rojak, many many congrats on DH's job offer to Singapore. Am v envious, would like DD to see her grandparents (as yet my dad as not met DD as my folks live in HK) and pick up more cultural cues.

Oh, I was Snowmum - with this hot weather I felt the name was inappropriate, plus I fancied a change!

rojak, how old are the kids so i can think of appropriate activities? sorry, can't remember. have you decided on the area you are staying yet?

Fez

Kids are 5 and 2 - we are thinking of living on the east coast as it's close to DH's office and the airport as he will be travelling a fair bit.

And we want to be close to beach and somewhere we can get outdoors fairly easily.

Hello, has been a long time since I have had time to view mumsnet. How is everyone? I am good but busy with the two, my eldest is at nursery and am worring about infant places! Am going to all the playgroups with my youngest and buy am I totally sick of playgroups now - one reason not to have anymore!

Am off to holiday end of next week, afew days in centreparcs and afew days in bath - should be fun!