Forums  •  Classifieds  •  Events  •  Directory

 
Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst ... 345

hoping for help from all you hk yummy mummy's

  1. #33
    Bumps Guest

    Hi OP,

    I think that you are over thinking the move too much.

    Personally, as an Australian myself, I thought about the following before I moved:

    * Downsizing - donate, donate, donate!

    * A legal will

    * Body Repatriation - A horrible thought, I know, but if something were ever to happen to you or your loved ones overseas - you must know the best manner to deal with this.

    * Where is the Consulate?

    * medical record transfers/ insurance/storage insurance

    * Superannuation/ banking/money/tax issues - with many banks in AU - if you do not access them in a certain amount of time they become dormant and require more ID to access.

    Moving O/S is exciting, however, it really becomes the same as living else where in the world.


  2. #34
    indi'n'zai'smum is offline Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    australia
    Posts
    13

    crikey body repatriation!!!??? u did think things thru!!!!never would have thought of that in a million years!! lol. But thanks - i guess it is worth looking into - the rest i have done/ or hubbies company will take care of ....i am just interested in every day life in hk, and first and foremost my kids health and happiness. :)


  3. #35
    m2cw2mhk is offline Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    WanChai, HK
    Posts
    69

    Hi there!
    Re. carseats - I had the same question before we moved here. First of all you are not required to have a carseat in a taxi at all.
    For your newborn, you will probably feel safest with an infant seat in the taxi. We use our old Graco seat from the USA and it is just fine with the seat belt through it. Also bear in mind that in a taxi you are rarely traveling at really dangerous high speeds. just about any seat with slots to run the seatbelt through should work fine in a taxi.

    for our older daughter (4) we don't use a carseat of any kind in the taxi. We also sometimes just use a Bjorn or other carrier with the baby (8 months) in the taxi if we're going somewhere where it would be difficult to lug around both the carseat and the stroller.

    of course if you choose to buy a car you can install the carseat as needed.

    I was really freaked out about the vegetables and fruits and it has been fine. I try to buy different things from a variety of sources/countries/different stores to make sure I'm getting a variety of toxins. LOL. that's about it. There are also a couple of stores in Central (Three Sixty and Oliver's) that sell a range of organic fruits and veg. Much of it comes from Australia and New Zealand. Other things are from China but certainly not all of it.

    In fact you'll see a lot of Australian brands and products here.

    The water is fine, I used boiled tap water for my baby's formula when I need it. In Mainland China, this is not the case but in Hong Kong the water is pretty good. My baby dunks her mouth in the bath water all the time - she is a fast one - and so far no problems.

    Kids' shopping - I have a hard time with clothes here, the sizes are different and the quality ranges from fabulous and expensive to cheap and you get what you pay for, so I tend to stock up when I am back in the States. But, there are good shops in Central, Causeway Bay, and Stanley Market has tons of kids clothes for sale as well. If you are like me you will have a bit of fun shopping around, learning the different shops, and finding what you like.

    Oh and re helpers - yes, would definitely recommend - it is one of the best things about living here - lots of things take longer here, IMHO - running errands, doing the shopping - all take longer, not the same as the suburban/urban lifestyle I was used to in the USA and that I think is pretty similar to Oz. So having an extra pair of hands helps. Plus, who likes doing dishes or laundry? I still do most of the cooking as I enjoy it, and having an on-call babysitter is about the best thing ever. There are lots of resources out there on the interweb about how to find a good helper, conduct interviews, etc - if you have questions or would like some info PM me. That can help make sure you get the right person. And you know if you go through the process and it's not working out, you end the contract and find someone new. It happens all the time. It's a hassle and you'd have to start over and find a new person (and the hiring process and getting the helper their visa to work for you in HK can take about 6 weeks) but to get someone you are comfortable with it is worth it. When you get here start asking around for recommendations, join the AWA (American Women's Association (it's for all women)), and you'll probably find someone who comes well recommended.

    Also recommend you check into the AWA and the YWCA - they run lots of programs for newcomers and are great for meeting people and learning your way around.

    best of luck to you. living here (2+ years for us so far) has been a marvelous time for us.


  4. #36
    indi'n'zai'smum is offline Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    australia
    Posts
    13

    WOW really great tips - thank u for taking the time to write all that!!!!
    I am going to buy car seat for bub today( he has been in capsule) - and my big girl(5) will be stoked to just use the seat belt like a grown up! I have seen this pram/ car seat combo called Maxi Cosi - which looks like it would be ideal - but no one is oz stocks. Has any one seen it in hk?

    I might get back to u when it comes to hiring a helper to see what u ask when interviewing - and how a normal day pans out with them ....

    not long to go now till we get there - very excited !!!!


  5. #37
    m2cw2mhk is offline Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    WanChai, HK
    Posts
    69

    Tons of people here have the Maxi Cosi combo and it seems to work very well. It is definitely available here although not cheap. You should know that HK is not very stroller friendly, there are lots of places where there are stairs, hills, etc so we only use the stroller if we know we are going somewhere without too many steps. It will serve you well to also have a baby carrier like the Ergo. and when your bubs is bigger you'll probably want a very lightweight stroller that is easy to carry - many people here like the Combis or the Maclaren. There are tons of threads here about strollers. Good luck!


  6. #38
    karmah1's Avatar
    karmah1 is offline Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Sydney, Australia (but would like to return to HK)
    Posts
    298

    We had the maxi cosi car seat, Bumps 2 Babes in Central sells them, I think about HKD$1400. They do not meet Australian safety standards which is why they are not available in Oz.

    We never used our pram walking around Central, we always had bub in a Baby Bjorn. There is way too many people, traffic, stairs and hills to negotiate with a stroller/pram. But they are good for quieter areas and shopping malls.


Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst ... 345

Similar Threads

  1. Any mummy is a vocal teacher??
    By kakamummy in forum Parenting - Toddlers and Preschoolers
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 10-28-2007, 09:44 PM
  2. help! baby only wants mummy!
    By carang in forum Baby Talk
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 08-02-2007, 12:53 PM
  3. mandarin speaking mummy baby groups
    By happymom2006 in forum Playgroups
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 04-27-2007, 09:54 PM
  4. Baby/Mummy group
    By jeanyee in forum Playgroups
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 07-18-2006, 03:35 PM
  5. Yummy whole grain recipes wanted
    By armstroe in forum Everything Else
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 11-07-2004, 01:41 PM
Scroll to top