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Original poster

Any chinese mothers out there???

460 replies

blossom2 · 05/01/2005 20:51

I was just wondering

DH is english and DD is a wonderful mix of both of us. people say she looks english/white when out with Dh and chinese when she's out with me!!!

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Original poster
blossom2 · 27/01/2005 09:21

I don't think anything could stop me from coming back for Chinese New Year!!! Plus my mother would kill me if I didn't.

How have you spoken to DD about chinese new year??? Not sure how to start talking about it with my dd ....

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suzywong · 27/01/2005 09:26

Hi yingers, handfuls of baby dust blowing your way

When is Chinese New Year? I want to be prepared this year.

MIL doesn't do birthdays but she does do NY in a big way, we'll be taking the kids to the Lion Dance for sure. I remember taking ds1 to Gerard Street when he was 9 months old, it was so crowded we had to c ome home early. And I remember spending a NY with the rellies in Sabah, Borneo and the Lion dancers came to the house to pluck the green veg from the doorway.

I didn't get round to sending my xmas cards back home this year ( I have recently moved to Australia and just couldn't get in to the xmas spirit in the heat) so it will have to be NY cards instead.

yingers74 · 27/01/2005 09:30

No, I haven't, DD is a bit young to know what is going on although she is an expert at picking up red envelopes and stuffing them in her pockets. She knows it is all good though!!!!!!!!

Original poster
blossom2 · 27/01/2005 09:38

Suzywong - didn't realise you were in Oz!!

NY is on the 9 February and its the rooster. I'm really looking forwarding to it.

Does anyone else have the tradition that you must wash before midnight on NY's eve, so you start the new year clean???

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suzywong · 27/01/2005 09:41

HI blossom2, I didn't know about that custom, but the British have a similar one, well actually quite the converse, that you shouldn't wash on NY day or you will wash your loved ones away. Nice.

LOL at your dd Yingers

Original poster
blossom2 · 27/01/2005 10:02

i have fond memories of NY's eve, all trying to get into the bathroom - there were 9 of us living in the same house with 1 bathroom .

Other traditions in our household, as kids, we always got new clothes to wear and generally were able to eat what we wanted ie lots and lots of sweets.

What are everyone else's tradition for NY????

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yingers74 · 27/01/2005 13:09

I know there is that thing where we have to bath with special leaves, oh I can't remember the name of them, am very bad with plant/tree names!

Ok, does anyone eat this special sweet pie thing? It sticky paste type thing when it is cooked and incredibly sweet and to add those extra calories my mum fries it! I love it with tea.

suzy - have sent u a reply.

bea · 27/01/2005 13:50

hee hee! mum used to make us do the washing thing, on western new years eve and chinese new years eve, yep all sheets had to be clean for the new year and we all had to wear new clothes as well...

it's funny i've become very westernised... hardly speak fluent chinese at all... can muddle by... just about... and lots of people often mistake me half and half!!!... however i do love the whole new year thing and looking forward to taking dd into manchester chinese town for the festivties... when we're up there at the right time...

feb 9th here, unfortunatley the sunday closest is also the 1st b'dday of ds so i doubt we'll have a chance to celebrate... but come to think of it... since my mum and dad will be up here... i might get them to do a chinese banquet thing.... hmmmm! yummmy!

yingers74 · 01/02/2005 13:47

How is everyone? I am glad to see the back of january!

csa · 01/02/2005 14:33

hi all, just discovered this thread. like most of you, dh is english and i'm malaysian chinese. all this talk about chinese new year and food is making me very hungry. still in two minds about what to do for chinese new year. a little too much of a bother to cook up a storm when there is only myself, dh and ds. going to a restaurant may not be as fun either cos there is only so much you can order for 3 persons. sigh. yingers and blossom, absolutely envious with your banquets!

blossom, is it really cold in paris right now? going for a romantic break with dh next week - better pack those thermals i guess.

oh, and not sure who asked the question and whether it has been answered, but bayswater/queensway have a couple of very good chinese restaurants (good dim sum and not as rude as chinatown). one is to the left of queensway station (can't remember name) and the other is to the right. the one on the right is rather posh and expensive but food is good too.

hmm... back off to work to dream of yummy food. am pg at the moment and craving for chicken rice and laksa!

Original poster
blossom2 · 01/02/2005 21:31

Yingers - how are you doing?? only a few more days and the end of the year.

Welcome CSA!!! How pg are you?? and how old is

Paris has been a little milder the last couple of days and hardly any rain. Its been lovely. Have a great weekend. let me know if you need some recommendations on where to eat etc.

Does anyone else feel that Chinese New Year has more 'meaning' for them than the western new year. I always get much more excited.

God I miss London & my family.

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Original poster
blossom2 · 01/02/2005 21:39

whoops, end of the question was, how old is DS??

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csa · 02/02/2005 10:55

oh, yes please blossom - any suggestions of places to eat will be very much welcome. we will be staying pretty close to the eiffel tower. ds will be 3 in april (which is also when baby is due).

all this talk about cny is making me rather homesick will have to try and make it back next year. unfortunately, as all my family are not in the uk, christmas is a bigger deal (with dh parents) rather than cny, which is a shame. which i guess goes back to the question on how do one pass on one's culture to the little ones when living overseas....?

yingers74 · 02/02/2005 12:26

Hello and welcome csa,

Blossom - am good and if u see conception thread, you will see that I am getting abit obsessive with the idea of starting ttc again!!! LOL what can you do! Lets hope this cny brings me plenty of luck and a full tummy as my mum would say.
I turned 30 just before xmas and in some ways i think I have grown out of both chinese and english new year, I don't really get excited about either. I think things will change when dd gets older and wants to go to china town etc and see the celebrations.

In regards passing on culture, I have no idea, it is hard especially as I am british born so a lot of my culture is british. Even my parents are very british in many ways. To make things more complicated, dh is jewish so that is another culture we have to incorporate somehow.

suzywong · 02/02/2005 12:49

Hello CSA

I'm a Chinese mother by marriage, I'm English and dh was born in KK, Sabah and grew up in Australia. Where abouts in Malaysia are you from?

csa · 02/02/2005 14:34

johore suzy, although most of my friends and family now lives in singapore so when i do go back, it is to singapore rather than malaysia.

Original poster
blossom2 · 02/02/2005 19:19

csa, two of our favourite restuarants so far are:

Les Bouchons
12 rue de l'Hotel Colbert
75005, tel: 01 43 54 15 34
Great place with a very good wine selection. Good choice of food and excellent presentation.

Le Petel
4 rue Retel
75015, Tel: 01 45 32 58 76
Very small, intimate place. Great classic french food and the french love it. Not expensive either.

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Original poster
blossom2 · 02/02/2005 19:38

sorry, forgot to add. In terms of location, you might need to get the metro to the restuarants. they are about 20 minutes from the tower but they are lovely restuarants.

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csa · 03/02/2005 09:33

thanks blossom. will try at least one of them out.

yingers74 · 07/02/2005 21:48

happy new year for wednesday every one. i wish you all a happy and healthy year, full of fortune and luck!

On a different note, went to hoo hing at the weekend and brought loads of dim sum, yummy, I have already eaten half of it, am such a pig!

Pam70 · 08/02/2005 09:16

Hello everyone

Gong Xi Fa Cai!! Like csa, I'm M'sian but married to an Irishman.

Currently on maternity leave and spending 2 months of it in Malaysia visiting my family with DS (3 yrs) and DD (5 months).

We're having our Reunion dinner in a couple of hours - steamboat!! and have told DS about the ang pows.

Have also enrolled DS in a local preschool and they have Chinese lessons twice a week (it's really just singing!) but I thought this would be a really good experience for him and he gets to meet lots of other little M'sian kids.

Hope you all have a good new year.

cheers

Pam

yingers74 · 09/02/2005 14:37

where is everyone? First day of chinese new year!

i am thinking of taking dd to v & A at the weekend as they have lots of events and it will probably be a lot quieter than china town.

maomao · 09/02/2005 14:49

Happy New Year!

What an excellent idea, yingers! I was debating about whether to brave chinatown with my dd on Saturday.

gingerbear · 09/02/2005 15:11

Gong Xi Fa Cai to one and all.

I am not Chinese, but love CNY celebrations, and as DD was conceived in Vietnam and I have travelled / worked in Malaysia, I feel a connection!!

Having a little party with DD and DH tonight - any suggestions most welcome (any dim sum that DD age 2.5 yrs might like??)

maomao · 09/02/2005 15:17

gingerbear, that sounds lovely! Do you think your dd might like dumplings? Mine loves them - veggie, shrimp, or pork - she will eat any and all of them. Also you could have mandarin oranges for good fortune. Noodles, too, are a good bet (just make sure they are uncut, for a long life).

Let us know how the festivities went, if you please!