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Multicultural families

Here's where to share your experience of raising a child or growing up in a multicultural family.

Original poster

Anyone from Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia or married to anyone from the region?

145 replies

SweetFudge · 23/06/2005 14:37

Hi,

I'm Bruneian Chinese and have been living in the U.K. for over a decade bar annual and long visits home. Married here and am expecting first baby end of August. I've posted on and off on MN and I'm curious to see how many of us are from the region or married to/have partners from those countries. Of course, getting to know you all will be the bonus.

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QueenBling · 15/09/2006 09:21

Hi all, I'm chinese Malaysian, who has lived in the Uk for 23 years. I have 2 sons, 3 and 19 mths, and am thinking of taking them back to Msia for a holiday. Has anyone done so with kids so young? Is it advisable? My main concerns are the mosquitos, heat, and the reckless driving there.

Should i hold off til they are older? The reason why i wanted to take them back is to give them a bit of culture. Would that be possible?

fez · 15/09/2006 10:04

QueenBling, i have taken ds1 back when he was 1.5 and then again when he was 2.5 and he really enjoyed playing with his cousins. ds2 is now 1.5 and we may go next year although no specific plans yet. yes, heat is definitely a problem but it would be fun anyway i'm sure if you are visiting friends and family.

tootsieroll · 15/09/2006 10:05

Oldnewmummy,
Ah, how long will you be in the UK for? I'm in Sg until 15 Dec. How had the adoption process been so far? I'm assuming there's loads of red tape? Where is the child from?

Fez,
Assuming your last post was for me I'm Singaporean, and all of my immediate family is in Sg. We live in Eunos, so not too far from Marine Parade and Bedok areas!

QueenBling,
I'll be taking DS to Singapore for the first time in November. He'll be 7 months then. We'll probably be going across the causeway either for a daytrip to Johor or a bit further to KL/Genting. Hopefully it'll be ok! Loads of sunblock and DEET I should imagine

fez · 15/09/2006 10:35

you know. this thread is starting to make me feel homesick

Rojak · 15/09/2006 11:24

Hey Fez - you'll have to give me your address so Ic an send you something from Spore to make you feel better! I have been looking at that website and earmarked a few I want to have a look at.

ok for all those planning to travel with kids back to SG or Malaysia. I have done this trip every year since DS (5) was born. I usually end up doing one leg of the travel on my own with kids as my leave allowance is more generous than DH's.

Night flights are best as you can get kids onto plane, have a play (if flight is 6.30pm or 8-ish one), have something to eat, change into jammies and then get ready to sleep.

If it's a much later flight (10 or 11pm), then I try to keep them awake (airport seems to provide a fair bit of distraction), change them into jammies before we get onto the plane, let them run around like mad before boarding (if both kids are mobile, we try and board at the end instead of pre-boarding) so that they're exhausted and ready to sleep pretty much by the time the plane takes off.

I also had a Maclaren Techno XT (which has been fab) and I just sold it and bought a lighter weight Volo (no recline but seat back is a lighter fabric (like a vest) and perhaps more suitable for hot & humid weather.

I also have this other thing called a Sit N Stroll which I bought in American before DS was born. Google it - it's useful for travelling because you don't need to take a separate car seat (but it's not a very good stroller as child is quite low down and its wheels are not good for anything other than smooth mall floors or airports).

As for being in Malaysia or Spore with kids, I just strip them down to a nappy most times and let them get on with it. In local shops in Malaysia, they sell these vest things (again with holes).

Mosquitoes - fact of life in the tropics but this year I discovered a great repellant which didn't cause any reaction on DS' sensitive skin. It's called Stop Pic, completely natural roll-on (no DEET).

Not sure how much culture my kids absorbed from visiting - DS only recently started to notice that everyone is "Chinese" in Malaysia but then he doesn't understand the difference between Chinese, Indians or Malays so they're all Chinese to him .

Oldnewmummy - how far down the adoption route are you? I'll take readybrek off my list.

fez · 15/09/2006 11:29

oh, yes. those ah-beng type of vests very practical.

not to disagree with you rojak but i actually found travelling midweek in the daytime most useful as flights are usually not fully booked then so we have been able to (nicely) request that they do not check anyone in the 4-row seats we are in. that way ds1 can lie on 2 seats in the middle. but of course, that's not going to be much use if there is 4 of you to start with!

QueenBling · 15/09/2006 11:47

Hi Rojak.. thank you for your valuable experience. I'll definitely note them all down.

Rojak · 15/09/2006 12:00

yup - that's it - ah beng vests! My kids look like urchins when they're in Malaysia - big stains on their Ah beng vests, nappy hanging off and bare feet!

Have never done the mid-week flight - which may explain why every flight I've been on to Malaysia has been FULL! Must remember that tip!

Rojak · 15/09/2006 12:01

oh yes - I forgot to say, book a bassinette if your child is under 1 as you'll be guaranteed bulkhead seats (and more legroom)

QueenBling · 15/09/2006 12:54

Hi Rojak,

How long does it take for your kids to adjust to the time difference? Especially when they need to get back to nursery/school etc.

Do they have breakfast cereal in Msia? i want to be able to feed them weetabix etc. And do you cook for them most of the time? or eat out? I love to eat out, but i think it might not be too healthy for the kids.

Rojak · 15/09/2006 14:37

The kids adjusted fairly quickly and didn't seem to suffer from jetlag.

We try to do a bit of eating out and eating at home - eg. eating out for breakfast or lunch but having dinner at home as my kids tend to eat early in the evening and wouldn't last the pace in a restaurant in the evening.

If we have to eat out in the evening, I try and get them an extra nap (or longer nap) in the afternoon.

My 5 year old doesn't have naps in the afternoons anymore but I usually reinstate these in Malaysia as it's too warm to do anything else in the afternoon and we go to the park or pool in the evening (before dinner).

I think you'd need to bring your weetabix with you - brought mine with me!

fez · 15/09/2006 15:23

or feed them char siew pao. they would love it!

tootsieroll · 15/09/2006 15:29

Char siew pao and char siew sou - drool

Ah, the lady at SQ reservations did say she booked a bassinette for me, so I suppose I can assume I did get bulkhead seats. Booked a 1815h flight for a Thursday, so hopefully won't be too full.

Rojak,
Where did you get the Stop Pic from?

Rojak · 15/09/2006 16:16

I got it from a local health food store but I think you can get it online too from various websites. But if you have a good local health food store or pharmacy near you, you could try them first.

We have a little chinese bakery here in Belfast which does the baked char siu bun and it's lovely. The kids like the regular sausage (like a german frankfurter) in a bun - think the people in the bakery call it "cheong chai pau"

I'm looking forward to decently priced fresh sushi!

Journey2 · 18/09/2006 09:41

Wow, this thread took off!
Am now packing the bags for our Thurs flight to S'pore.. yippee!!
Rojak - places like Tanglin Mall and a friend also said Cold Storage.. if you really want something in stock TELL them and often they will get it in.. if it apears popular then it stays! Tanglin Mall is a good one for that. My friend asked for some pizza from C.S and they did sell it for awhile, but it was only her eating it, by the sounds of things.
Thanx also for reminding me about the reasonably priced sushi.. since our return I have lost over 14lbs.. probably put it all back on in the 9 days!!

tootsieroll · 28/09/2006 18:39

Hope you're all well.
For those in Singapore, would you know what brands of infant formula are sold there?

oldnewmummy · 02/10/2006 06:28

Hi All

Will check on formula brands next time I go to supermarket, but this will be a while as I've just got out of hospital after painful stomach surgery (currently shuffling round like an old lady with a walking stick clutching my stomach).

Rojak: should be fit enough to meet for a coffee by the time you arrive (but not fit enough to do housework

tootsieroll · 02/10/2006 20:21

oldnewmummy,
Sounds major. Hope you have a good recovery.

Journey2 · 11/10/2006 05:26

Back from a fantastic break in Singapore
Very strange to go and experience it when taxi drivers, hotel staff think you are a tourist, when you are/are not!
Never had so many fortune tellers appear to want to tell me my fortune (turned them away) and not once met a teller when we lived there.
My son was delighted to get the bakkwa we brought home for him and he is savouring every morsel he gets.. luckily the bags have each piece individually sealed.
Formula milk.. good range but NOT aptimil. Most of it was aussie stuff from what I remember.

Rojak · 11/10/2006 15:54

Hi all

Have been here a week and settling in S L O W L Y. My internet connection is intermitent - silly serviced apartment only has broadband by poolside (yes I can mnet and send emails while watching 2 kids by the pool ... NOT!! )

Oldnewmummy - will drop you an email when I finish this post.

Have been out apartment hunting once and due to go again tomorrow.

will update you all again soon.

tootsieroll · 17/10/2006 22:53

Rojak,
How's week 2 been? Found an apartment yet?

Journey2,
Pity, especially since I've just started DS on Actamil. Ohwell, I'm sure he'll like the Aussie brands. Did you eat much out there?

Journey2 · 21/10/2006 10:25

Did I eat much out there? Hee hee.. think you know the answer!!
Also had our local friends insist they cook for us too, which was fun.. and then having to think of traditional English food to cook in return!

Saying this I remember when we looked at places and the agent was amazed we wanted an oven put in the apartment, she couldn't understand that at times I might want to cook stuff in the oven for our then very young child!

suzywong · 21/10/2006 10:48

hello everyone
just buttingin here
I had a night's stopover in Singapore on the way back from London and had the most delightful fish head banana leaf curry with roti. For one pound 25, with a mango lassi. Yum.

Just thought I'd share with the group

bran · 21/10/2006 23:07

Did you go to Little India SuzyWong? I've had some great curries there, although I can't remember the exact names of restaurants. Food definitely tastes better if you eat it with your hands off a banana leaf.

Rojak · 25/10/2006 16:21

Hi

Sorry I haven't been logging on much lately (due to aforementioned broadband issues).

We are settling in well here, DS started his new school today and seems to have really njoyed it. It helped that there were 2 ther new kids starting today from Scotland and Australia.

W think we have finally decided on an apartment and should (all things being well) move in next week. Don't know how long it will take for me to get a phone line and broadband connected though.

Met Oldnewmummy for a coffee with the kids one morning and she came round with her DH for drinks last week.

Have a couple of Halloween parties to go to with the kids this weekend so we are getting there I think.

How's everyone else? Tootsieroll, are you due to come to Singapore in November? Let me know your dates and perhaps we can organise a meet-up here.

cheers