New Chinese mum thread 3

[trying2bgood]

Thought I would start it!

Wow, 30 in a house catching up on gossip! What a scene. I don't think there have ever been 30 of us in a house and both me and dh are 1 of 8 children.

i cant believe how big our family is either. but there are 8 children, then spouses, on average 2 kids each, then mum & dad, so thats 34 people!!! at my wedding, they call came as a mass then left on mass and the place was half empty. quite cool but friends were in awe.

but i'm certain there will be no more additions as none of us want anymore kids!!!

Welcome breadgirl! Where are you from? Dont worry about the rat comment, I knew you didnt mean anything.

Btw, CYN falls on the 18th Feb this year.

My family is only small so we normally just get together have dinner and that's about it.

Snowmum, hope you get your broadband back by next week. As for trying for a second one, we are thinking about it at the moment but I am still not 100% sure as my last labour with DS was so bad. We will see.
I bet you cant wait to go back to HK in Feb, is it your DD first long haul flight?

We are going to Canada in March to attend my cousin's wedding, DS hasnt been on long haul flight before so maybe you can give me some tips when you get back.

Momontherun, are you always up so late?

Hi .. so nice to hear a few of you have large families too.
A bit about myself .. I'm one of 7 and we have big family dinners at my parents regularly with dh's, dp's, kids and often guests for special meals
For CNY we also used to bathe in the leaves, etc but my mum kinda gave that up when we were older, as we'd try our best to dodge out of it.
My dad would set up his camera on a tripod and we'd take family photos .. now it's us with our digital cameras
My dad is a great cook though. He cooks stuff like his own marinated duck, lots of different veg, traditional dishes and lots of seafood like prawns, lobster noodles, crab etc .. it varies and we can make requests.

I used to go HK regularly, but haven't been since having dd2. I took dd1 to HK, Shen Zhen and Guangzhou when she was 6m, 18m and 2 1/2. It wasn't daunting for me at all as i had help from my parents, PILs, relatives, but also dd1 was such a good baby so the plane journeys were good!

Wysl, yeah I'm up at all different hours. When everybody else is asleep, the best thing to do is go on the internet. Sorry to hear that you had a bad labour. I had a bad pg, labour and health with dd3 and I think that is the reason I know I will not be having anymore. ( I still feel broody at times )

Breadgirl, you are so brave to take a young child to China. I took dd1 to Dong Goon when she was 8. It was a nightmare when we had to catch a train from Shen Zhen. People were tripping over one another trying to get on. In the town of Dong Goon there were no proper toilets and she would not use the "hole in the ground". I would not dream of taking ds2 and dd3.

DS2 and DD3 have not been on a flight yet. Ds2 used to get panic attacks up to the age of 2 when I put the hoover on so I don't know how he would react in a plane. (He now stays on the sofa farthest away when I get the hoover out.)

It's funny about the hoover, my ds was the same but now he's got a dyson for christmas, he seems to be ok with the hoover now.

Dont you get tired, Momontherun? U dont seem to be sleeping a lot and you have 3 kids, how do you do it? Do you work as well?

I am so tired at the moment, my ds has 4 teeth coming through at the moment and he's not been sleeping, eating and his constipation is back. I just dont how i will cope with 2 or even 3 kids.

bread - much more daring than me. Neither of my girls have been on a plane yet, am thinking about going somewhere with them during easter but probably stay relatively close.

mom - my dd1 also had a thing about hoovers, she is fine now but I used to have to do the hoovering when she was out of the house as she would go mad.

Does anyone know where I can get disney dvds that use cantonese as the language. My dd1 likes to watch toystory in french (not sure why) so thought I would try it with cantonese!

wls - my dd2 is also teething but just 2 teeth and does not seem to be coping well at all, poor things....

wls - my dd2 is also teething but just 2 teeth and does not seem to be coping well at all, poor things....

tryingtobegood, that's not a bad idea, dvd in cantonese. If you find out where to get hold of them then please let me know.

As for teething, it's the four canines and then he still got the back molars to come, I cant wait. But hopefully by the time he has his back molars he would be able to tell me that it's his teeth that's hurting him.

I am more worried about his constipation and am taking him back to the pediatrician to see if they can give him a scan just to make sure that it's not something more serious.

I am also thinking of switching him to soya milk. Does anyone has any advice on soya milk? I am just so confused as i was told today that soya can also be bad for health but at the same time i am totally conviced that ds has milk intolerance and that's the main contribution of his server constipation but then again i could be totally wrong.

Hi everyone,

Talk of CNY celebrations have made me a bit nostalgic. Since I don't have any family here, I don't celebrate CNY and I haven't done so for a good few years.

I have to say though I only like the big dinner on NY eve and the vegetarian food on the 1st day and then I get really bored with the whole thing. The older people in the family gamble for a week to two weeks while the younger ones either head out to the movies or play card games with smaller stakes. So if you don't gamble, you're pretty much left to your own devices.

What do other people do over the celebrations if they're in HK, China etc?

not much time as have to dash out in a mo, but dh and dd2 have gone to HK today .. i'm so upset i don't get to take her on her very first plane trip and i'll miss her!! I'm worried sick if dh can cope with her, as he's taking her to GZ too.
I'll still have my hands full with dd1 though.
The last time i was in HK, i bought lots of dvd's in a shop in Causeway Bay, one was Beauty and the Beast, original, and it had english or chinese subtitle options, or you could listen in English, Cantonese or Mandarin.

Hello mellow, long time no hear!

bread - are there any suppliers in HK who would be willing to ship it over? My parents will not be going for a while and my nan is totally bewildered by anything post 1970! Will keep looking!

Wyls - will keep you posted on my dvd search. I have heard that large amounts of soya milk is not good for boys but not sure why, I think it has something to do with the levels of the ostragen (sorry cannot spell) hormone. Probably a good idea to get him checked out first for intolerances. They do say a lot of chinese people have a dairy intolerance, I know I do!

Wysl, I do get tired but my body is contantly on the go. I think it stems down having to entertain MIL when she was around.

I do work full time in London. 3 hours daily commute to & from. By the time I get home, I have dinner, wee cuddle with the children, check dd1 day at school then I am out on the sofa. Wake up at odd hours and can't get back to sleep so come on here. I sleep roughly about 5-6 hours broken up. Not good I know, must make this a new year resolution.

As for the constipation, it happens to children on formula more than bf. You can get herbal remedies for it. (Gai Lai Cha) Something to do that the baby is too "hot". It mainly contains some flowery bits and barley rice. My SIL got some for me when she was in HK a few years ago. You can also get it in herbal shops in chinatown but it's more expensive. Had to boil it every 10-14 days cos once they are constipated, they won't take any milk either.

If you can't find a company to send you your DVDs in Cantonese, I can ask my sister in HK to get them and send them for you. She's a disney fanatic and shopaholic so I think that she will be happy to help.

Mellow, I used to live in a village in HK and we'd be letting off firecrackers for the first few days. On NYE we'd go to the flower market as a family outing. A lot of people but good fun. Some people would go to temples to make a wish hoping to have a good year. Lot's of food and "Lai See" cos obviously I was young free and single then.

momontherun, that's tough, working full time in London and traveling long hours and with 3 kids, you are a super mum indeed.

I also work full time but mainly from home, I only travel up to london once a week and it takes 2 hours to get there and back. I think that's more then enough for me already. My office is moving to Hatton Garden soon so it's will be closer to home and no more central line!!!

As for the constipation, thanks for the advice girls and i will see if i can get that herb from chinatown. DS is 19 months so he is only drinking about 1 pint a day. Anyway, DS is not keen on the soya milk at all, he hardly drunk anything last night or this morning. I must admit, it doesnt taste right, it's not the same as Vitasoy you get from HK.

Trying2bgood, apparently large amount of soya can affect the male fertility. Nothing is good for you anymore.

Mumontherun, oh yes, i forgot about the flower market! I didn't know about that, but a few years ago when we were on holiday in HK during CNY that's exactly what we did
Wyls, when my dd2 got constipated my parents would tell me to boil pears and carrots in plenty of water till v soft. Strain and give the water/juice to drink and can also eat the carrots and pears. Dd2 liked this .. hth.
I know what you mean about Vitasoy. I loved it as a child, still do, although i prefer the malted one now. I buy it for my kids too

Breadgirl, i will try that also, i might as well give it a go.

I make my DS fruit puree and smoothies still and he does eat prunes and apricots by the gallon so i think it's just him ...

I love vitasoy, I like the coconut flavour, i am addicted to them.

What food do you miss most from HK and you cant get it in the UK?

For me, it's those smelly tofu, fish balls and dim sum from the street, i loved them!!!

Sorry we are back to the food subject again!!!

am back from a bit of shopping .. no kids!! was great .. altho on the way back a woman driver didn't give way at the roundabout (exit after mine) and if i didn't stop she would've rammed straight into me and then was foul and aggressive to me!!
i'm not keen on the other vitasoy ones, only malt really .. not even the chocolate one and i love chocolate. My kids and dh love the honey dew melon flavoured one, but it's not always in stock.
Oh, i miss the beef/pork jerky, wife cakes (heng heung ones!) cuttlefish, mango drinks from 'hui low san' and the 'cheung fun' you get on the street, cut up with hoisin sauce and peanut sauce with sesame oil drizzled over it!!
i don't mind talking about food yumm

Oh i loved the 'cheung fun' from the wan chai market!!! I used to go there as kid every Sunday for breakfast!!! I also miss the proper vietnamese food in HK. I am so hungry now!!!

Breadgirl, where do u live?

T2bg, I'm off to HK next month. If you like I could buy the dvds and post them to you direct? You could pay me back later. This offer is open to others as well. If people could advise where to shop I would be grateful - I only know of HMV in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Wyls, hope your DS gets better soon. Sorry to hear you had a bad labour and its putting you off having any more. My DD is on soy formula, we get it on prescription altho we can use Wysoy from SMA. Have you tried goats milk? Its supposed to have less lactose in it so its better than cows milk if you are slightly intolerant.

All this talk of food and CNY stuff is making me look forward to our immiment hols! All the holiday planning so far has concentrated on things we need to do or people we need to see. Its good to remember the fun stuff like the flower market, fireworks and most important, the food! Incidentally Breadgirl, my folks live near Yuen Long, home to the Heng Heung wife cakes, everytime they come to the UK they bring boxes of them for everyone!

I miss the cheung fun too! and the noodles, they don't taste the same in the UK.

Ps my family are from Yuen Long too!

Snowmum, there is a much better HMV in Causeway Bay, and there are smaller DVD shops around the SOGO department store.
I used to trek all the way to Heng Heung just for the cakes (well, to visit my cousins in Yeun Long too), but now i know the food hall in SOGO lower floor sell them too .. they have a counter there
My parents used to live in Yuen Long too, but we live in London now. We used to have a flat in Tuen Mun town centre, which was really convenient, but was sold a few yrs ago after my gran died.

SOGO, I remember that place and I used to go there a lot. I havent been back to HK for almost 10 years now as I dont have any friends or family over there anymore but I am hoping to go back this year. I cant wait.

Snowmum, I will be interested in getting some cantonese disney DVDs, I dont have a preference of what I want but something for a boy to watch. Shall I say get a couple and I will send you the money when you get them. If you dont get a chance to buy them then dont worry as I want you to enjoy your holiday and not rushing around trying to get stuff for people. Thank you.

It's a small world. Dh is from Yuen Long as well. I'm actually from Sai Kung. Every time I go to HK, I have to visit "Hui Lau San". Hmmmmmmmmm. DD1 has to go to have "Kwai Ling Go". Weird I know, she also likes durian which I won't touch.

snow, that is very kind of you. I will have a think and get back to you. I will limit it to 2 though as am sure you will have loads to take home!

My dh's work laptop which he leaves at home for me to mess around with has gone funny, he took it back to his IT dept and they are sending it off to get fixed so will have no regular access to internet for next two weeks! Scream what am I going to do! So you probably won't hear from me for a while. Sob!

momontherun - just read your post, may also take you up at a later date! I wouldn't want your shopoholic disney addict sister to feel left out!

My uncle is from yuen long too but my parents are from the new territories and my dad's village is very remote, stuck up a mountain with no shops or anything. The irony was that you could see China from our roof with all their shiny skyscrapers & office blocks! I have not been back for 9 years so am sure a lot has changed.