Interaction

You know how we adults would repeat an action if it makes the baby laugh, what if the baby could do the same for us?

2 days ago, I put Karen’s back to my front and sit her down to play on our bed. She would reach forward to grab her toy and put it in her mouth (as usual). She was able to sit up by herself now but would still lose her balance now and then so it’s important we watch her closely.

Since I just got back from work and was exhausted, I lay down across the pillow just to observe her from behind.

Then she decided to flip backward and her head hit me hard on my tummy as I was sheltering her from the back. In case she was frightened by the fall, I laugh to settle her down. She had this big grin when I laugh and decided to sit upright again. Then out of the blue, she flipped backward once more and immediately look up at me. I was puzzled so I did a little laugh again. Guess what, she grins and struggle upright, then fell backward, and look up at me AGAIN. And it dawn on me that she was playing with me, trying to make me laugh! Aww….

We did that repeatedly for 5 mins, by then she was laughing along with me. I shouted for Andrew to come look and of course, she stopped and was distracted. Wish I had it video captured but that’s the problem with a baby, they stopped as soon as the camera comes up. Any way, this will be one wonderful memory I will always have, Happy 2009 everyone.

Cross Post from Multiply "Karen's baby step"
http://joantohlau.multiply.com/

A familiar SG/MY taste in NZ

Dear SG,

Andrew found an article on Singapore and Malaysia food today. I thought I will share it with you.

News Article from Herald

Wake up taste buds with an exotic brunch surprise

One of the most amazing things about immigration is the contribution of ethnically diverse people to New Zealand's food culture.

While it is easy enough to pop into ethnic restaurants, the availability of ingredients at speciality grocery shops started by these immigrants makes it just as simple to bring these exotic flavours to the home kitchen.

This summer, the Herald takes you on a world brunch tour in Auckland - and for those prepared to think outside the lunch box and barbecue, how to make them at home or at your holiday bach.

Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

SINGAPORE/MALAYSIA: KAYA AND TOAST

Like Kiwis, toast, egg and coffee is a favourite for many Singaporeans and Malaysians - but they do not take them the way most Kiwis do.

The bread is grilled and instead of jam or marmalade, the slices are spread with slippery butter and rich kaya - pandan-flavoured coconut jam, sweetened with cane sugar.

The eggs are not fried, but half boiled - put into hot water just long enough for the clear bits of the egg to turn white and to have the yolk remain soft and runny - eaten with soya sauce and pepper.

Malaysian coffee - much thicker and more aromatic than your average latte - is also sweetened with condensed milk and not sugar, and to cool it, some would even pour it on to a saucer before slurping it from there.

WHERE TO TRY IT

To sample this brunch meal at a cafe, head to Kaya + Toast on Queen St, run by Vincent Chan who has modelled his cafe after the kopitiam (coffee shop) in his Malaysian hometown.

A kaya toast set, comprising two thick slices of kaya toast, two half boiled eggs and a cup of Malaysian coffee, costs $8.50.

MAKE YOUR OWN

Ingredients: Toast bread, butter and kaya jam (available at most Asian grocery shops).

Directions: Spread the kaya and butter on to the bread before putting it under the grill or in the oven. Ready when butter starts oozing. Malaysian coffee is available in instant packets at Asian shops.



In case you are wondering, no we haven't try the Kaya toast from this shop. We bought Kaya from the local asian store and made our own toast. The best thing about Kaya toast in New Zealand, the butter are fantastic.



with love from NZ,

J

Sleeping through the night

Finally! Oh well, I better not be too optimistic. The good news is that she has finally slept through the night since last friday. Bad news is that she still cries and wails but she does go right back to sleep after a while. Even if we try to feed her when she cries, she would just drink around 10ml of milk and falls asleep. This just shows that she doesn't need the milk, just the comfort of sucking.

We nearly achieve that when she was around 3 months old, she had around 6 hours of sleep without waking up. Then her gum started hurting and she was back to waking up every 3 hourly no matter how much we tries to feed her during the day or get her back on track again.

I certainly hope this lasts. She certainly looks a lot happier waking up in the morning after a good night rest. Meanwhile I still wake up when she cries or stirs a little and as usual will take me a while to fall back to sleep again. So if you see me online at the wee hour of the morning, don't be offended if I say hi and suddenly disappear. I probably had fallen asleep with the laptop on again. ;)

Cross Post from Multiply "Karen's baby step"
http://joantohlau.multiply.com/

What?! No Hum!??

Dear SG,

I’m sorry I haven’t been writing. Life is split between my interesting career in the day and mommy duties at night. I’m even starting to miss Facebook because I no longer had the luxury of going through my list of friends and checking them out for updates. (Which means, I haven’t been able to check your blog for updates too. I’m sorry…)

It’s 3am in the morning and I was looking through some photos Andrew took with his camera phone. Then I came upon this and found my topic of the day. Cockles… (grin)

My dear SG friends, although NZ is surrounded by the sea, our favorite cockles (in dialect "See Hum") are not available here! They do have cockles of a different variety but it doesn’t taste the same. The kiwi cockles doesn’t have that strong cockle taste we are used to. Rather, it’s pretty mild and would probably suits those SG-ians who likes seafood but dislike “Hum”. ;) The flesh are white instead of red which means it is less “bloody” during consumption. Sigh… “char kway teow” just isn’t the same without our bloody “hum”.


Our beloved SG dish: Blood Cockles (Scientific Name: Anadara Granosa)
Photo from www.rasamalaysia.com


Yummy SG favorite: Char Kway Teow
Photo from ieatishootipost.sg


Cockle sign on a kiwi beach

with love from NZ,
J

P.S: Yes, if you live near the sea in NZ, you could help yourself to all those fresh cockles or seafood every day. Just remember to check the quota and conditions of that particular beach, some beaches are protected to allow the “seafood” to repopulate again.

Recognising faces

Karen's beginning to recognise faces. My mom and dad went for a hair cut and while they are in the salon, Karen fell asleep. She woke up in the car sitting next to grandpa n grandma but instead of the usual happy sound, she started screaming and crying. She was pretty alright with grandpa because he only had a minor trim but grandma had a shorten her hair considerably and certainly looked a little different. We went out for lunch after the salon trip and we had to sit Karen away from Grandma so that she would stop crying. While we were all amused by her "outrage" my mom was really hurt and upset by it. Took Karen a couple of hours to get use to her ganny's pretty new look.

To think I was considering cutting my hair too. ;)

Cross Post from Multiply "Karen's baby step"
http://joantohlau.multiply.com/

Karen has her SG citizenship

Karen's SG citizenship has been approved and is now ready for collection from the SG High Comm here. Unfortunately we have forgotten to include a A4 size return courier bag in our application hence they holding her documents ransom while waiting for us to post the courier bag to them. It took around 2 months+ for this application to be approve partly because of her name.

NZ prefers the family name to be at the back hence her birth certificate says "Karen Kai Eng LAU"

SG wants it in a different way, either "Karen LAU Kai Eng" or "LAU Kai Eng Karen"

We choose to go with "Karen LAU Kai Eng" in her application. Karen Lau Kai Eng, when you are much older, you are going to love shopping in SG. ;)

Cross Post from Multiply "Karen's baby step"
http://joantohlau.multiply.com/

Already???

Plunket Nurse came again 2 days ago for Karen's 3rd month check. She was describing certain symptoms to look out for at her stage...

1. Biting her bottle - checked (would chew and chew on the teats of the bottle)

2. Drooling heavily - checked (we started putting a bid around her all the time)

3. Sudden change in diet - checked (wouldn't drink as much)

4. Waking up at night but doesn't want her milk - checked (she started waking up couple of times extra and could be pacify by patting her back to sleep)

5. Fussy during meal time - checked (she usually finish her bottle but now she cries and wails after finishing half of her bottle)

6. Sudden change in her schedule - checked (Just when we had a nice happy routine... sigh)

Nurse says, "She had all those symptoms? Oh well, that means she's teething."

Joan, "WHAT??? Already? She's only 3 months old."

sob...

Updates on Karen

Videos of Karen at 2 months old.

Karen Sneezing



Animated Karen



The boys reading to Karen
8 years old Victor reading the story of Ugly Duckling to Karen.



Andrew and Karen fooling around
In case you are wondering what is Andrew saying, he's started off with Karen pretending to say sorry to mama, then he pose Karen to pray to the heavenly gods and the earth gods. *roll eyes*

Tag, you're it!

Dear SG,

I “kena” tag. To play this silly game where someone will post a random question and tag their friends to answer them. And I will get to tag someone else(s) to answer this question and on and on like an Energizer bunny (until the battery runs low). According to the "tagger", I need a distraction from the baby (chuckles).Since I’m game enough to entertain any challenge this young lady throws at me, bring it on! ;)

Tag Topic: 20 Random Facts
Tagged By: QiQi (Mel)

1. Fact number one, I realize I didn’t know myself very well. I’m not sure if I can produce 20 random facts about me.

2. Fact is, I’m still trying to lose those stubborn fatty tissues from child bearing.

3. Another obvious fact is that I’m a female but I didn’t have maternal instinct; I’m attentive to the baby simply because she continues to fascinate me and of couse I do love her in my own way (Awwww...)

4. I recharge by sleeping for 24hrs straight through but recently, sleep has been considered a luxury.

5. I love watching a good movie

6. I speed read

7. I can’t read Chinese books, only English books. Because while I can speed read in English, it takes me much too long to comprehend a passage in Chinese. I ended up getting really impatient which makes me give up reading a Chinese book.

8. I love dogs, love them since I was 5 yrs old. Other children had imaginary friends, I had 5 imaginary dogs.

9. I don’t particularly like to talk on the phone. Don’t get me wrong, I love to chat but I don’t like using the phone. Send me an email or better yet, let’s chat over a cup of coffee. Just spare me the phone.

10. I can’t live without modern technology. Always an urban girl at heart.

11. I can actually rough it out in the great wilderness but as I grow older each year, I begin to appreciate the effort it took to advance our world into what it is now. :p

12. I never thought I would fall in love but I did. Hi Andrew! Did I make you happy enough to take over the night feeding? Hee…

13. I stopped playing computer games like Warcraft and Starcraft because I get so addicted I would not leave the house or move from the desk.

14. I rather have a new electronic gadget than a diamond ring.

15. I love roller coaster rides

16. I’ve bungee jumped before and would love to try sky diving the next time.

17. I love programming… weird but true.

18. I’m blessed with heaps of good friends, all of them sincere and kind (and a little weird to keep the friendship interesting).

19. I’m very wise, ask me some profound questions and I will talk you to death (or deaf)…

20. Truth is, I never realize how uplifting it is to list so many pleasant facts about myself.

There! I’m done. The following lists are friends that have their own blogs and I hope they would play this silly game with me.
1. CF
2. Janice
3. Belinda
4. Maureen
5. Winnie

Tag! You’re it. ;)

Tagging from NZ,
J

Native names

Dear SG,

While most friends of mine from SG will know that "Temasek" is what Sinapore is used to be known as, New Zealand has its own special name too and it's still widely use today. It's "Aotearoa".

Aotearoa means "Land of the long white cloud", the maori name of New Zealand. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. It's not uncommon to hear folks says "New Zealand Aotearoa" as the name of this country.

Temasek means "sea" in Javanese, it's a name by which Singapore was known before the Prince Sang Nila Utama named it "Singapura" (meaning "lion" (singa) "city" (pura) in Sanskrit. Why a lion city? It was because he spotted a lion when he landed on our sunny island, that's why. ;)

with love from NZ,
J

Driving license

Dear SG,

Andrew had a driving test today because we finally need to convert our driving license from a SG driving license to a NZ one. SG driving license allows us to drive in NZ for one year upon entry but we manage to drag so long because we went back to SG last year for some family matters. I’m due to take mine this Friday afternoon so wish me luck.

Here’s some interesting comparison on NZ and SG driving test.
SG driving center is known as “SSDC – Singapore Safety Driving Center”
NZ driving center is known as “AA – NZAA Inc”

SSDC provides the following services; Driving lessons, driving test and Road safety education talk.
AA provides the following services; Car registration, plate registration, transfer of vehicle ownership, driving lessons, driving test, vehicle insurance, AA maps n guides, road services for breakdowns etc.

SSDC has a training circuit for motorist
AA has a membership scheme that provides insurances, help and any road services a driver could ask for. As with most membership scheme, they have rewards scheme too.

SG practical driving test cost SG$156.96 (including GST)
NZ practical driving test cost NZ$70.80 (including GST)

SG Theory test has a fixed test date where a big group of people will be taking the test together and monitored by a member of the staff.
NZ Theory test can be taken anytime during their office hours, taken alone in a cubical and is monitored by a security camera. (And if we fail that, we can retake it again immediately after)

In SG, upon passing the theory test, a person is only allowed to drive during driving lessons with their restricted license.
In NZ, upon passing the theory test, a restricted license allows them to drive on their own during certain hours in a day or with supervision after those hours. (yes, I mean on the main road, not in a training circuit)

In SG, driving lessons can only be given by professional trained instructors.
In NZ, anyone with a driving license can teach a new leaner how to drive.

In SG, the driving license card is valid for life (with no expiry date).
In NZ, the driving license card is only valid for 5 years and require renewal.

In SG, the minimum age to drive is 18 years old.
In NZ, the minimum age to drive is 15 years old! (Gasp!)

with love from NZ,
j

Maternity Money no enough

Dear SG,

Although I’ve cross blog this with Karen’s baby blog, I didn’t forget that To SG with Love from NZ is still a blog for differentiating SG and NZ. (Not that there are a lot of similarities to begin with! Hee…)

But since we are on babies’ topics, I would like to take this opportunity to answer one of the most commonly asked questions by all my SG’s mom and girlfriends. How long is my maternity leave?

In SG, we are given 12 weeks of PAID maternity leave, 8 weeks by the company we are working for, and 4 weeks by the SG government. Certain conditions apply of course, for example, we had to be working in the organization for at least 180 days to qualify for it. And when I stress PAID leave, I mean paid as in the monthly gross rate of pay.

In NZ, the Pros are that the companies are obliged to provide the maternity leave for a maximum duration of one year. Now for the cons, the leaves are unpaid. Another pros, the NZ government will provide an allowance of approximately $400 a week for up to 14 weeks. And the cons again, we are taxed on that $400 which means it’s down to $300 a week (reminder, the tax in NZ is really high and cost of living is pretty high too).

In case you are wondering if $300 a week is sufficient, renting a house here would cost at least $200+ a week on the lower end of the scale, if there is a house mortgage to pay off, that will be at least 3 times the cost of renting which is at least $600+ a week and that’s also on the lower end of the scale. There’s always a silver lining though, with so many different welfare bodies in NZ, if “money no enough”, there’s always a welfare packages that might fulfill the basic needs.

Read on a friend’s blog that the new local movie, Money no enough 2 (钱不够用2) is pretty good. Anyone cares to send me the VCD? ;)

With love from NZ,

J

On becoming Babywise

Whenever I am faced with a problem, a challenge, a need to get some answers, I would always turn to 2 of my favorite source of information. The internet and books. Before the internet, I would borrowed heaps of books with topics that interests me or simply caught my eyes. Now with the world wide web at a click of a button plus over $80 of monthly broadband fees, I could have information at my finger tips.

I've been busy before Karen arrived hence I haven't been reading up as much as I could. With a baby that could only communicate by crying, I was desperate to get some help to set up a routine, and hopefully to get her to sleep longer at night (before I become a vampire). I turn to the library for help and requested for the book "Baby Whisperer" but I was put on a waiting list. While browsing, I came across this other book "On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving your infant the gift of Nighttime sleep" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam.

I recommend this book to the parents who would like the possibility of getting a little more sleep at night. So far, it has bagged us at least 3 full hours of sleep each interval (I really mean sleep, which doesn't include feeding and changing) and once in a while, 4 hours of sleep!!! The book actually suggest a possibility of 6 to 7 hours by the time she's 8 weeks old. Karen's only 3 weeks plus and I am pretty happy with the result.

But warning, you will need to get half way through the book before you get to the main point that explain how to establish the routine.

Oh, another warning, we have the advantage of formula feeding which actually last longer in between feeds. :p


Cross Post from Multiply "Karen's baby step"
http://joantohlau.multiply.com/

3 weeks old today

Karen is 3 weeks old today. It's the reason why i set up this blog in Multiply for her. 3 weeks have passed so quickly and I'm still trying to figure her out. Seriously, I've beginning to enjoy having her around especially during bedtime because she's so warm and it's winter here. This means I get to cuddle her to bed with me. She's like my little hot water bottle. The only problem with this tiny "water bottle" is the leaking... she isn't leaking urine if that's what you are wondering, she sweats furiously if I cover her with my blanket. This means I have to keep her cool while she keeps me warm. It's not an easy task.

As a mother of 3 weeks, I've learnt the following:
1. She can smile.
2. She has very strong neck
3. It's possible for her to almost sleep through the night
4. It's possible for her to wake up every hour too.
5. By 2 weeks plus, she could grab our teeshirt if we tried to put her down
6. She snores... (takes after the dad)



Cross Post from Multiply "Karen's baby step"
http://joantohlau.multiply.com/

Dummy for babies?

Dear SG,

Should we get a dummy for the baby? Now you must be wondering why would a baby need a dummy? But if I tell you dummy is just a pet name in NZ for the word "Pacifier", does it makes more sense now? ;)

with love from NZ,
j

Baby Pics and Video

Dear SG,

As promised to all my friends and families, some photos of the baby. Click on the baby photo to go to her online album on dotphoto.



And here's 2 of the video Andrew took after the delivery.

Karen's first injection.


Karen's first Nappy


with love from NZ,
J

Baby's birth

Dear SG,

The baby has finally arrived. Instead of the pre-planned date which was later postponed to 24th of july, I had a contraction at 2:58am in the morning of 23 July. We timed the contraction for an hour before calling our OB and she advised us to get ourselves admitted. We arrived at the hospital at 5am but was found to be only 3cm to 4cm dilated. I had epidural at 7am and hormone injected to speed up the process.

Before 1pm, the hospital midwife Jill Perrson could sense that I had fully dilated. I could feel the baby really low in between and so we decided to try pushing. With the epidural, I couldn't really push correctly. We had it removed so that I could feel if I am using the correct muscle. But seriously, with the epidural gone, i was worried once it totally wear off, I will be in a lot of pain. So, I was determine to try very very VERY hard. :p (motivation found)

There was only Andrew and the midwife with me because my OB hasn't arrived yet. But Jill was our OB's most trusted midwife hence we were going to try and see if we could get the baby out before she arrives. My OB got lucky, once she arrived, we only need 2 more pushes and the baby was out. I remember Andrew shouting, "The head is out!" when I was just about to give up and wait for the next contraction.

So I give it all with all the strength i had left and delivered at 1411hr. The rest of the delivery was pretty hazy to me because I was so tired I kept falling asleep even when they put the baby on my chest. No wonder they called a delivery a "LABOR", it's really exhausting. We discharge from the hospital at 5pm and moved to Birthcare, a facility that provides care for mothers and babies just after deliveries.

I've upload pics and 2 videos that Andrew took. Check it out in my next blog.

with love from NZ,
Singapore Producer - Andrew
Singapore Manufacturer - Joan
New Zealand Made Product - Karen

What's to come?

Dear SG,

In another 12 hours, I will be admitted into the hospital to prepare for birth. Excited am I? Strangely not. There are heaps to do before this evening and we are expected to be busy for the next couple of days or weeks even (until a routine is established). I'm more concern about the preparations than about the actual event, probably because once we induce the whole process, it will be up to nature and the skill of our obstetrician to bring this baby out.

I don't believe in fretting about the things in life that's out of our control.... (Zen music please.) But if it's about the part of life where our destiny is in our hands, I am a control freak! lol....

To all the friends and families that has endure the wait with me, I will post pic of the little one as soon as I could. To my beloved Andrew, I have an errand list for you, they need to be completed before 5pm today. Thanks. hee.... ;)

with love from NZ,
J

(one of the items on my errand list....
....
4. Sneak the cup noodle I bought into my maternity bag. Make sure my mom didn't see that.
....)


update at 4pm: Hospital has called to postpone my admission, because they didn't have enough staffs today, we are postpone to thursday morning, tentative date for baby to be born will be friday morning.... haiz... back to the waiting game.

More family members

Dear SG,

No, the baby's not here yet. She's due but she's staying put n refusing to come out early. It's the 39th week now and I want her out! :p According to the doc, I have all the signs of pushing past 42 weeks if we were to wait for it to happen naturally. But my body's stress, hence we will bring her to this world next week.

Anyway this topic isn't about the kid but my parent who has just arrived from Singapore. We pick them up from the airport today and like a real winter day, it was cloudy. We did have a couple of days of sun but unfortunately, it's becoming cloudy again today. But at least it's much warmer today as compared to the previous week. Coming from a tropical island like Singapore, it's pretty cold for them.

Dad had lost a lot of weight and aged a lot since I last saw him. Not seeing your parent for a while makes you realise how much they can aged. I never did realise the image I had of them in my head are what they looked like when I was in my teens! I guess we'll always remember them when they are at their best.

All in all, today went rather well. They were really happy to see KiKi again and ZoZo was so excited by the new attention he slept like a baby tonight (not bothering me at all). There isn't much for them to do now especially with the wet spell we are having but next week onwards, the baby is going to entertain them and that will be her job. :D

with love from NZ,
J

Protesting in strength

Dear SG,

Coming from a country that doesn’t encourage protesting, the last few days has certainly been interesting for us.

Truckies Rolls


Pic from TVNZ.co.nz
On Friday, we had the truckies (truck drivers) protesting against the sudden increase in road user charges when they were promised that a notice will be given a month in advance. It was pretty impressive how they did it. On Thursday, there were notices coming in all form of communications telling the whole country that the truckies has planned a protest during the morning peak hour traffic to drive very slowly into the town centre and city area. The roads they were going to take and how long the whole protest would be for were all detailed so that drivers could plan alternative road or just take the day off from work. Hee…

We happened to have an appointment with the doctor in the morning so we took an alternative road. The protest went well and was supported by the general public. We saw teachers with their students waving from the pedestrians overhead bridge to all the motorists stuck on the motorway. Most of the cars were following slowly (not that they have much of a choice) behind the trucks but everyone seemed to understand the need for the protest and were willing to accommodate it. The truckies left one of the lanes open for emergency vehicles which I thought was really considerate and it was pretty impressive to have over 2000 trucks in Auckland city central itself. There were around 4400 trucks protesting around the country beside Auckland, they were also in Hamilton, Wellington, Tauranga, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Asian March

Pic from tvnz.co.nz
And the next day on Saturday, we had the Asian marching in protest against the crime. Crime rates were going up here and with the recently violent death of 3 Asian within months of each other, it kind of got the community really upset and worried. We weren’t in the march but because we lived opposite the town centre where they are protesting, we saw the whole procession moving from one end to another. 15,000 Asian were braving the hail storm and cold strong wind to be in the march. It was quite a sight. Like the truckies, they weren’t expecting the numbers but I guess the issues of crime affected everyone. I only wish it wasn’t just an Asian March but in general, a country in protest against crime. Local kiwis told me that 10 years ago, a violent death on the newspaper would be a big nation-wide topic because there’s so few of those. Now, it’s getting common and depressing. What a blot on such a beautiful country.

Both protests were a success because of the number of people supporting them by being a part of it. I doubt we’ll see that in SG. We’ll probably get more spectators than protestors during a march. Hee…

with love from NZ,
J

baby bassinet or not?

Dear SG,

I'm wondering.... should we get this? Andrew's all ready to buy it. I'm still debating... and there's only 4 more weeks to go! Although I have to say that I won't be surprise if she's coming sooner. I'm suddenly carrying even lower than before and feeling easily exhausted. I just spent my weekends in bed because I was so exhausted! I think I slept for nearly 18 hours each day for the last 2 days!

Anyway, here's a picture of the baby bassinet I am pondering about.


Can you imagine us pushing one around? Gosh I felt I've really grown up! :p

with love from NZ,
J

Families and friends

Dear SG,

Since coming to NZ, I’ve promise myself that I would dedicate myself to my family. It’s a whole new experience for me to put family first rather than spending more time with my friends than with my immediate family. Being an only child, my friends have become my family, especially many of those that I regularly met up with.

But with Andrew’s siblings, I’ve great fondest and a great time getting to know them. It wasn’t hard to be involved as a family when the family itself is close knitted and their bond and love for each other is strong. But I’ve missed my friends… my surrogate family.

I’ve been with the company for over a year now but I haven’t gone out with any of my mates at work. The previous team consist of all married men (yes, I was the only female) and because we all had families of our own to return to at the end of the day, we didn’t really consider meeting up outside working hours.

However, since moving to this new position within the company, I’ve join a team where we are all around the same age group. The energy’s different and the environment is different. I’m actually based away from my own team because of the location where I lived. I would go over to the HQ every now and then, however, this means I couldn’t really get to know the folks that I worked closely with.

But that all changed in the last 5 weeks. We had an American consultant working with us and I moved my base over to the HQ to because I am heavily (pun intended) involved in the action. In these short weeks, I’ve learnt more about them and gotten closer. We are friends now, not just colleagues or comrades at work. When our favorite consultant goes back to the States next Wednesday, I will be returning to work in the other office. I am going to miss the vibe and the jokes we share.

I look forward to the next engagement which will bring our good friend back from the States and back to NZ in a warmer season.

From home to office in the hosptial, where I'm based

From home to the office in HQ North Shore. Congestion in the main CBD area and the harbour bridge but where the rest of my team are based

With love from NZ,
J

New tentative date for the baby

Dear SG,

We went to our obstetrician today as part of our routine check-up. I’m weighing 70kg now (Gasp!!!) and I can’t get out of the examination bed on my own anymore. I had to have Andrew lift me up of the narrow bed because my tummy is in the way.

We had a discussion with our doctor and we decided to induce the labour. We’ll most likely see our little girl on 22nd of July. Andrew will need to re-schedule his leave and so would I, but on the bright side, we now know when the big event will happen... unless the baby decided to come earlier without any intervention... :p

with love from NZ,
J

Ute or Pickup?

Dear SG,

I've been tired easily and taking that as an excused not to blog. Here's a quick one for different wordings use between here and SG.

A Singapore Pickup

Image from www.asia.ru

A Kiwi Ute

Image from www.zcars.com.au

Actually, they are both the same thing. lol.... Hence in NZ, if you need a pickup truck, remember to ask for a "Ute" and not a "Pickup" ok?

with love from sg,
J

Happy Feet

Dear SG,

Just a quick update for you and everyone who has been sending me loving encouragement. My feet has stopped swelling. Oh well, now and then it did swell a little but it’s definitely not as bad as before.

Here’s some pictures of my happy feet. :D





I’ve also bought 2 new pair of shoes because I have bigger feet now. Being pregnant sure means lot of shopping…. We’ve also bought our FIRST baby stuff (yup, you didn’t have a hearing or reading problem, it took us that long to get our first baby thingy), we’ve bought a box of 108 new born diapers!!! Hee…. We are expecting a lot of ”waste and water” disposal when the baby is here.

With love from NZ,
J

Have a swelling weekend

Dear SG,

On the very day my new camera arrived, I was "bed-ridden"! My feet swelled like an elephant and I couldn't walk properly. !#@!$%$#%#$^%#@$

Thou refused to be defeated by such inconvenience. I used my shiny new camera and took a picture of my feet instead! Hee....



Oh, and the doctor says we won't be having any more ultrasound scan of the baby unless there's a problem. So the next time we get to see our baby will be the day she's born.

Have a swell weekend!

with love from NZ,
J

I broke my camera

Dear SG,

I've got a good excuse for not blogging for a while. I broke my camera, dropped it on the floor when I took my scarf from the pouch. While the camera can still read my memory card, it refused to take any new pictures. Excuses are excuses, but why waste them?

Anyway I'm anticipating a parcel with my new camera in it. It should be sent out today from Aussie because I've purchased and paid for it on Saturday. Sunday being a non-working day means they would only "process" my purchases today. Can't wait for it to arrived. Oh! Oh! Oh!... this is so exciting...

Here's a picture of the camera. It's a FujiFlim FinePix S9600, a bridge camera between a Point-and-shoot and a DSLR. I hope to one day upgrade to a DSLR but for now, with my budget and my skills, I'm happy with a Bridge. Can't wait for it to arrive...



Hee... I think I'm even more excited about this camera than about the baby! (at this moment, I bet a lot of friends out there reading this blog wanna hit me on the head, but I'm too happy to be bothered) ;)

Oh Oh Oh, one last thing. I've learnt that unlike SG, where we would go to the camera shop, get a chance to feel and hold the product before purchasing it. Here, it's best do heaps of research and to purchase it online where it's slightly cheaper. And if the price is right, to get it from out of NZ which can definitely save even more money (even after the conversion rate and the delivery charges!)

But I so miss the part where we physically walked for miles, browsing heaps of camera shops, touch and feel the real thing and get a supposingly good deal loaded with heaps of freebies even though deep inside, we are aware that the cost of the freebies has been added into the selling price and that we probably won't use half of those freebies any way. :p But the buying experiences is so much fun. I miss SG's shopping.

with love from NZ,
J

Working from home today

Dear SG,

I had a queasy stomach today and decided I would be better off working from home. This is the first time I was actually working from home although I had it set up some time ago. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use it but it did seem like a good choice after all. I had to lie down for a while after 930am but I did felt much better after that. Special thanks to my boss for his foresight in predicting this.

Being home means I have the opportunity to see what my dogs do when they are home. And all they did was sleep and sleep. Oh well, I guess with the next door neighbor cat moving soon, they’ve lost their daily entertainment. Here’s some pictures of them.

Before we knew the cat was moving soon. This is what our dogs will do day and night.


Watching and watching... and never far from the patio door.


For some reason, since the SOLD sign came up next door, they've stopped being so obsessive. They still get excited whenever the pretty cat comes over our side but they don't keep watch as often now. They've learnt to live the kiwi lifestyle, simply R&R...




These are taken today. Napping and sleeping...


Sleeping and napping...


Opps! :D Andrew was also napping today. He's working night shift tonight and so he's catching up on his sleep on the sofa.


A real family activity... sleeping...



Grin...

This post is dedicated to those who needs a smile for the day and those that missed our dogs.

with love from NZ,
J

Run Baby Run!

Dear SG,

Auckland’s HSBC Round The Bays 2008 will happen this coming Sunday. If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have loved to join in the run. It so reminds me of the various running (and walking) events held in SG every year, and the fun I had no matter how badly I’ve ran. I guess the closest event that I could compare with is the SG’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. The standard Chartered Marathon was the only Marathon that I’ve actually trained for. I was attempting to beat my personal best which fortunately wasn’t much of a challenge. :p

New Zealand	Singapore
HSBC Round The Bays	Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon
Occurs in March	Occurs in December
Started in 1972 (wow!)	Started in 2002
40,000 runners + 70,000 participants	38,000 runners + 100,000 supporters
Has tee-shirt	Has tee-shirt ( I don’t know why it matters so much but I like having a tee-shirt to show for my “hard work”! )
Entry fee for adults is $15. The entry fee for children (16 years and under) is $10.	SG’s entry fee is complicated. There’s early bird discount and it depends on the race category entering for. We chose the 10km Men/Women race which cost $50 each. Kids Dash (750M) event is $18
A 8.4km run	There are various category: Full Marathon (42km), Half Marathon (21km), 10km Men, 10km Women, Wheelchair Race (10km), Team Race (10km) and Kids Dash (750m)
Starts at 930am	First category, the full marathon starts at 530am
Time will be recorded for completing the run (but I don’t know how they will do it)	Every runner was given a Chip that will clock their time electronically. Chip must be returned to the event organizers after the race or we risk paying for it.
No personalize photo but we can always get someone to take it for us!	Automatic photo capture of runners when we cross the finishing line. Remember to smile all the way back because you can’t be sure when your picture will be taken.
Certificates are given to all participants	Certificates are given to all participants
BBQ sites available for booking	No BBQ sites.
http://www.roundthebays.co.nz	http://www.singaporemarathon.com
Other running event will be: Auckland Marathon Opportunity to run over the Auckland Habour Bridge in October	Other running event will be: SAFRA Sheares Bridge Run & Army Half Marathon Opportunity to run over Benjamin Sheares Bridge in August

I’m not sure if Auckland has a similar event as the Singapore Big Walk, but I guess Round the Bay is almost like a combination of the Standard Chartered Marathon + the Singapore Big Walk. Family friendly and lots of fun. Oh well, there’s always a next year. ;)

With love from NZ,
J

Andrew's birthday gift

Dear SG,

Today is Andrew’s birthday and we scheduled an ultrasound scan as a routine checkup as well as to find out the baby’s gender. It’s a girl! :D

Andrew wanted a girl and he’s got it. I guess this must be the best birthday gift for him, better than that flash drive I’ve bought him to replace the one he broke. For me, I am happy because I’ve really good impression of firstborn girl. Hee… why? Because I’m one too!

Now that we know it’s a girl, it’s easier to find a list of names for her. But does it makes it easier to picture how our baby will look like? For that, I’ve asked our good friend Daph for help.


Baby Joan and....


Baby Andrew.

I think Andrew makes a cuter baby..... Ha....

Dear hubby, Happy Birthday. Thank you for taking over the chores and putting on weight with me.

with love from NZ,
J

Vandals and Taggers

Dear SG,

As beautiful New Zealand is, there’s a group of people who are defacing its beauty in the most inconsiderate way. In SG, we called them “vandals”, someone who vandalized public or private properties. In NZ, they are known as ”taggers”. They are mainly teenagers who have absolutely no respect nor consideration for other people’s properties. It’s the same back home, vandals didn’t spare a thought for the damage and distress caused by their actions.

I often wonder how they will feel if someone else damage or deface their most beloved procession. Sigh…

I honestly believe if a person is talented enough to create work of art, they should be given a chance display and to practice. Ask an owner for permission, or use their creativity in the most ingenious way. I know it sounds idealistic but hey, at least no one gets hurt.

Unfortunately those vandals and taggers are not creating any work of art or making an attempt to beautify the walls they are defacing. They are out there doing it for their own selfish satisfaction. It sadden me to see beautiful homes and surroundings marred by inconsiderate graffiti. I only hope that one day, these teenagers take pride in their own country and stopped destroying it.





With love from NZ,
J

Comparing our bumps

Dear SG,

It might be a fortunate thing that we are far away from Singapore the food paradise. Andrew has been having food craving and is constantly hungry. If we are back home, he will be having sumptuous supper every night. Now, he can only be contended with the instant noodles Ann brought back from the last Singapore trip a few weeks ago, the frozen pie from “Luv-a-pie”, the dry snacks I’ve bought thinking I would be able to consume them, and the bak kwa we've bought from a Malaysian eatery (yes, there is ONE store that sells it here in Auckland).

For me, I didn’t have any craving. If there’s something my stomach can tolerate when it’s hungry, that’s it. I’m happy as long as I don’t throw up after that. Because throwing up means I will have to consume something again soon to ensure the little bundle inside gets some nutrient. But the last few days has been good for me because I was able to eat more than a few bites. Which means my love handles and double chin is showing again. Sigh…

I finally got Andrew to take a photo together so that everyone can see how we’ve put on weight together. This is the real meaning of going through thick and thin as a couple. Hee… The only thing is that he refused to let me measure his waist line.

At 14 weeks, hitting 58kg now and then. Wore black so that my tummy won't be that obvious. But sob... my double chin is showing!

Compare our bumps. Andrew's tummy bump is bigger than mine. I wonder how long it will take for me to catch up with him. :D

with love from NZ,
J

Eating again

Dear SG,

It’s so sweet to read about comments from friend who cares, especially when we are ocean apart. I really appreciate it. Thank you all. Anyway, for the past 3 evenings, I’m finally able to keep my dinner down and even had a 2nd helping. Now I’m eating as much as my dogs. Haa..

A few of my male friends ask for my recent photo, why is it that only the guys will want to see how their female friend looks like when they are pregnant? I don’t get such requests from the gals. You guys are so sick. :p

As many of you knows, I hate having my photos taken. But I’ve made an exception this time. Here’s one of the thinnest shot I can find. Here’s me at the 12th week of pregnancy.

haa... havn't changed much right? That little bump used to be fats, now it's something else. Weighing at 57kg

BTW, another good news beside me eating alright for the last 3 days, Andrew has been clearing my plates during the last few months especially the recent weeks. He has gained back the 2kg he’s lost… and maybe a bit more. I’ll try to get a recent photo of him when he’s back from work.

With love from NZ,
J

I'm losing my roots

Dear SG,

I'm depress.... I may be losing my singapore roots! I'm so nauseous everyday that I can't stand to eat anything because I will just throw them out. I didn't even want to be thinking about my next meal. When did you ever hear of a Singaporean that dislike food? Food is part of our culture, our national hobby, it's always part of the conversation, main part of a singaporean lifestyle.

While the Kiwi discuss the sports game, Singaporean discuss the latest restrurants or eatery that's attracting a lot of crowd. After a hectic work week, kiwis will wanna relax with a cold bottle of beer and good company. A singaporean workaholic will wanna get all his/her food-craze friend together to go for a huge buffet meal and stuff themselves silly. Kiwi will travel far and wide for the best place to hike, fish, or surf. Singapore will queue for hours if the food is worth it.

Food is such a big thing in SG, it's our national pride because you can practically find any food from any part of the world there. Oh well, almost anything as long as it tempted the Singaporean taste bud. ;)

Food glorious food.... (running to the bathroom to puke...)

(back from the bathroom to finish this post) with love from NZ,
J

As promised, photos of all the babies

Dear SG,

I've promised to post the latest photos of my family so that everyone can see how we are doing.

Here's 2 of our babies, KiKi and ZoZo, both are adapting well in Auckland. They have more rooms to run around now and they are certainly making good use of it.



The 3 boy babies. Nephew Eugene, Uncle Andrew and Nephew Victor during our last holiday trip. They were practising their cheeky look.



Introducing our lastest addition, our 6cm long, 12 weeks old unborn baby made in New Zealand. kekeke...



with love from NZ,
J

Pictures of our new home in Auckland

Dear SG,

We finally had our broadband running and the pictures are uploaded in Shutterfly.com.

Here is the link to view some pictures of our humble nest. Most of these pictures are taken after Andrew spent a tedious day cleaning and tidying the house. But he hasn't tidy the study room. kekeke.....

Click her for our Auckland home from nov 2007


Alright, who would like to be our first home boarder?

with love from NZ,
Andrew and Joan