December 2002

Hi all !

You will have to excuse the Thai look to the website, but it's a miracle I've even updated it before Christmas never mind designed a new site to reflect the fact that we are now in Singapore. I think it may stay like this for a while yet!

I went to Hong Kong to join Frosty there (I think in July if my memory serves me right). It seems such a long time ago now that I can't remember exactly when. I had got over my sickness once I arrived which made it easier to get out to see people again. We met up with Claire again whose arm seems to be as bendy as Mike's when it comes to going out. Many an enjoyable night was had, though as always I couldn't get a word in edgeways once the two of them started gabbing. Thank goodness for the nights Matt, Sandra and Rangit came out! Claire also offered useful tips for after birth but I won't go into those here!

We also met up with Tony and Noung who we hadn't seen since their wedding in Bangkok. Noung was 8 months pregnant when we met again and we had an enjoyable afternoon tea at the Marriot Hotel. The hotel staff looked agahst as too pregnant women approached the buffet! We were lucky to still be in Hong Kong when baby Vanessa was born, pics can be seen in the photo section. Before I left I managed to see Noung and Vanessa again and Noung with a one week baby in tow even had chocolate cake waiting for me (I've had a bit of a thing for wanting chocolate cake and starbucks hazelnut latte - something I don't really want to give up later either!)

We didn't have as many nights out as we used to because I was always getting bumped around a lot. I found Hong Kong quite a busy place. We did manage to go and see Mike's boss Miles strut his stuff with his band at Delaneys one night and also had a lovely dinner with lots of Frosty's work colleagues just before we left. The dinner left a poignant memory for us as it was the first and last time that I met Dan, the husband of Polly who Mike had been filling in for in Hong Kong. They had just got back from the UK after their wedding and a few weeks later they were unfortunately in Bali at the time of the bombing. Polly has been in Australia recovering and it is with great sadness that we found out Dan didn't survive the tragedy We wish Polly a speedy recovery, our thoughts and prayers are with her and Dan's families at this time.

We eventually moved to Singapore in October, I was starting to drive Frosty mad with my worries of not having enough time to organize myself, those of you who know me well know what I am like for wanting everything organized well in advance, well it just hasn't happened this time. As I write this with three weeks to go we still have no sheets and blankets for the baby's cot. Frosty is more interested in looking for a scalelectrics which he insists is what the baby really needs. Can you imagine what Christmases are going to be like from now on. The poor kid will be getting presents that Frosty wants whether he likes it or not!

Amazingly for us we found some where to live within one week of being here. This is something of a record as it usually takes us about 3-6 months to find somewhere. Amazing how you can make a decision quickly when time is not on your side. We have a lovely house just behind Orchard Road so it is very convenient and an excellent location for all the shops and for getting anywhere. Haven't lived in a house for such a long time. The stairs were a bit of a shock at first as there is a lot of them, especially up to my office on the third floor. Good exercise though! The house is slowly taking shape and now the biggest thing that needs doing is the front garden. At the moment it is a pile of wet sand as it awaits some turf to make a small lawn. Frosty says he will do it, but if I wait for him to do anything practical it will still be mud by this time next year so after new Year I think I will just get a gardener to do it.

Frosty did show some promise around the house though after the taxi accident though it did not last long! After our episode where our taxi ploughed into an oncoming bus, Frosty had to look after me for a change, something I don't think he has done before in the 10 years of living together! He needed a quick course in how to operate the washing machine, microwave and the cooker. We lived off fishfingers, potato waffles and tinned spaghetti until my mum arrived a week later. Frosty put me under house arrest and I was not allowed to do anything for 3 weeks. I nicknamed him Fidel as he imposed rules on how many times I could go up and down the stairs and how long I could work on the computer. Very sweet of him really I know, but for me the three weeks were so boring! My mum came over from England and looked after us both. We got spoilt with lovely Sunday roast dinners, home-made cakes and a suitcase of chocolate brought over. It's the simple things, we fought over the curly wurlies like children. We both put on a pound or two!

It was a very frightening time after the accident while I spent a few days in hospital resting, trying to be calm and stopping my premature labour from advancing. I was pumped with steroids to mature the baby's lungs in case he was born and basically was hooked up to monitors for 3 days until everything calmed down. Remarkably the baby seemed unfazed by all that was going on and gave the nurses the run around. He especially didn't like the monitors, moving everytime they were put on and trying to escape them or kicking at them to try and dislodge them. It was in the hospital that we decided to change our mind about finding out the sex of the baby even though before we had decided that we would wait and have a surprise. It was the traumatic experience and the slip up of the neonatal doctor that made us just both want to find out. I knew subconsciously from the beginning anyway so it was no shock to find out that we are expecting a boy!

Its already taking after its dad by never giving me a moments peace. He moves all the time. The little thing also knows how to pack a good punch. Frosty takes great delight in waking him up when he is actually not moving just because he likes to see him move. No thought for my insides!

Haven't had chance to explore Singapore at all since we got here because of the restrictions placed on me since the accident. We don't really know the place at all yet, but that will have to wait now till after the baby is born. We haven't been out much either so haven't made a load of new friends yet. It has been great to meet up with people we knew in Bangkok though. Its amazing how many old Bangkok expats are here now. khun Gee made us some excellent Thai food when we went round to her and Neil's apartment which is only five minutes walk away from our house. How I miss Thai food, so Gees authentic home cooking was a real treat for me. Actually when Mawf paid us a visit a month ago he had to come laden with curry paste from foodland! It has been great to see Dickie again and be introduced to his girlfriend Jemima who has shown me a great cake and coffee shop which is tucked away just round the corner from my house. What a girl! Sticky chocolate cake was just what I needed after Frosty's house arrest was lifted!

On the 12th and 13th December we had the pleasure of seeing Dougie again. He had made it as far as Singapore on his round the world flight, the first round-the-world attempt by a pilot with type 1 diabetes. It was great to catch up and hear all about his travels so far through the US, Greenland, Europe. Middle East and Asia. Currently he is in Bali and then heading off to Australia for Christmas. You can read all about his flight and make donations to the fund at www.diabetesworldflight.com He had some interesting stories to tell but we couldn't put them on the website!

Birdie x x x