Ephesia

We watched 300 on Sat. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Me - Database Administrator (I look at numbers a lot, and I love my job )

Him - IT Specialist (which can mean a variety of things, lol)

Sheryl Crow and Sting - Always On Your Side

Evanescence - Good Enough

I live in Indianapolis, IN and I pronounce 'route' as 'root' as well. My USC husband gets tickled by it. Once in awhile, I also say things like "People really should learn how to use their indicators" when I mean turn signals.

Can't help it. Born and raised in Singapore where we use British English.

Rebecca,

I definitely remember you! You were a big help when I was packing my stuff in Singapore and figuring out the best way to ship all my stuff to the US. I crossed my first anniversary as a conditional PR just 2½ weeks ago. You are so right about how time flies!

Life is still good here in Indy. I'm working full time in data admin for a small company that treats me VERY well. My supervisor is great and I have very dedicated and fun colleagues.

Oh ya, I got my driver's license in Aug last year. It took me 6 months to pluck up the courage to finally take the test. LOL. Driving has been all right for the most part. Driving in snow is not so fun, though.

So glad to see you here again. And even happier things are working out well for you and your hubby.

I have been hearing this Buick or Chevy commercial for it seems weeks . . . and every 5 minutes or less . . . the one where it plays "Here to the Chief" for the President's Day Sale. . . . President's Day was celebrated on Monday, wasn't it???

Oh, NO, it is on again!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . . . DONT buy a TAHOE!!!!

I hate that commercial too!

I will be 37 soon, but hubby and his family are a little "concerned" that I still don't have a great need or desire to be pregnant. I just cannot buy into that children-complete-you-and-your-family, or that once-you-have-them-your-lives-will-be-different mushy deal. Yeah, I know babies and children will change my life. I don't care if babies complete so-and-so's lives or whatever. I don't live their lives, so it doesn't affect me. I also don't know if I want a little someone depending on me for their survival and betterment until they reach an age where they'll turn around and tell you they know better now. It fills me with more dread than anticipation. lol.

I also remain totally unaffected when family and friends who are already parents tell me I better hurry because time is running out. Er, yeah, right, whatever. To my mother-in-law's full credit, she has known better than to ask me or my husband if we've started planning to have children. I think she has come to know me quite well.

The peculiar thing? I look after other people's babies very well. My co-worker was completely amazed when I knew how to burp her month-old baby girl. lol.

Despite all this semi-depressing thought flow, I told hubby during our many talks that we WILL have children. I may never have the desire, but I think children are important (just not sure why yet). Thankfully, he's not in a desperate hurry to be a daddy yet, so we agreed to talk and plan parenthood in utter seriousness next year. Until that time, I will try to figure out why I am totally not drawn to motherhood ... and explore if maybe this will possibly change in the near future.

1. Lost

2. Grey's Anatomy

3. Jericho

4. Desperate Housewives

5. The Sopranos

6. Sex And The City

7. House

8. Dr Phil ( )

9. America's Next Top Model

10. The Bachelor

11. Dancing With The Stars

12. Reno 911 (double )

What a lovely post, Lisa. I am so glad God has been watching over you and your family. I thank Him too, for giving you to me as a friend.

I am very thankful for:

1. My first ever American job performance review. My review was on Thu. I didn't think I'd be reviewed so soon (been full time with the company for only 6 months). My supervisor has been very pleased with my work and how I have gelled with the team. Everyone at the company received a year-end bonus and I got a salary increase!

2. My husband, Brandon, who does the biggest and smallest things to show how much he loves me. And he's still gaining weight!

3. McDonald's sausage and egg McMuffin.

aww right back atcha Elen! I'm so happy to see you...hope you and B are having a great day today!

We had a good day. But poor B was so sore from shovelling snow he passed out at 9:30 last night. lol. When I crawled in 10 mins later, he turned around and whispered in a really sleepy voice, "Happy Valentine's Day, honey." And then rolled back to sleep. LOL.

Gosh, I love that guy!

I love you, Lisa.

This morning, our Valentine's Day started a little sour because we got stuck in a foot of snow between our driveway and our cul-de-sac. It took us 30 mins and a very kind neighbor to get us unstuck. We don't typically celebrate Valentine's Day, but we certainly didn't feel very romantic after that 'adventure' in the snow.

And because we couldn't get to work yesterday because of the winter storm in Indy, I was pretty slammed at the office all morning. When I finally found a minute to breathe, I figured I'd call the hubster to wish him a happy Valentine's Day anyway. He laughed. I asked him where he was because he sounded a little different. It was my turn to laugh when he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Er, on the potty." Strike two on romance. LOL.

The rest of my afternoon at the office went by pretty quickly. Then at 4:30, something over the top of my cube wall caught my eye. When I looked up, I saw this BIG stuffed dog looking back down at me. At first I thought it was my colleague showing me what he got for his wife, and I started asking him where he got it. When I stood up, I saw my husband grinning from ear to ear like a little kid.

In his other hand was a brand new Indianapolis Colts throw blanket, with the score of the Super Bowl printed very clearly on the tag. His own words: "What can be more romantic than getting Colts stuff for my wife?" rofl.

The nicer bit about the blanket was I had told him this morning that the office was freezing because the central heating was taking a long time to crank up. He figured I'd appreciate something warm while I worked.

Oh, he also got me two bags of Dove chocolate.

I love you, hubby!

Unfortunately, I didn't get him anything. But he didn't care. I am now going to snuggle with him in bed and tell him how much I love him.

We have some sleet going on here....I hate it when the roads are slick

It's the same story here in Indy. I was glad when work called this morning to tell us to stay home, but brave hubby decided to go to the fire dept where he's a volunteer because he was concerned the station might get slammed with lots of calls. Turns out they haven't gotten a single one today. I think most of Indianapolis stayed home, lol. I want him to come home soon, though. The winds are picking up speed really fast and in some places. And this sleet is still going strong. Blargh.

Thank you, salt truck and snow plow drivers.

Thank you, fire fighters.

Thank you, police officers.

Thank you, emergency workers.

For staying out there on this winter storm day in Indiana and working so hard to keep the roads and our homes as safe as possible. A lot of us get to stay home today but you can't.

I appreciate you.

Hubby (who is the USC) and I are with State Farm. He drives a 2005 Chevy Cavalier and I drive a 2001 Kia Rio, which I got last year. I obtained my driver's license in Aug. State Farm charges us only $110 every month for both cars. Hubby loves State Farm.

Haha, me too. I had to thrash and shout for a long time before I could fall asleep.

Did any of you Indiana people notice how the cellphone lines got all jammed up right after the game?

LOL yes! I couldn't send text messages for at least 10 mins. And then about 30 mins after the game had ended, I had a few messages come in all at the same time.

I can't stop watching the highlights of the game on the Colts' website. Every time I do, I want to scream and shout again.

OH MAN THAT INTERCEPTION

I want to scream again now just thinking about it, but I'm at work.

OH MAN

It was so great!!! The 4th quarter! AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OMGOMGOMG Tigkjfwlh;knjlakejtg;gji

/dies

ROFL I am with you right there. I have been at work for 2½ hrs now and I am still wired from last night. This is a marathon adrenaline rush! My mind keeps re-playing the initial heartache and ultimately awesome victory over and over again. LOL.

And seeing the tears in Dungy's eyes when he held the AFC Championship trophy? Totally heart-moving!

I literally pee-ed in my pants when Jackson intercepted Brady in that last drive by the Patriots. OMG, WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL !!!!!!!!!!!!

GO COLTS ! ! !

I didn't take on my husband's name after we got married. And USCIS didn't give a damn.

Never happened to me. Then again, I've never really had a desire to have a kid.

LOL Tracy, it's the same with me. I am going to be 37 years old in 3 months' time and the desire is still not there. Hubby and I talked about babies last night before hitting the sack and I was actually quite relieved when he told me he wasn't ready himself. He said we'll talk about it in a year's time to see if we want to plan for a family then. For now, the thought of being pregnant and having a little someone depend on me 24x7 scares the hell outta me.

Good friends came over and we all took turns to play Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II. We paused close to midnight to watch the ball drop, then switched back to our PS2 to resume jamming.

We love that game!

Now i am curious, what is HP sauce?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Sauce

Another side of this cultural shock thing, is that few have mentioned that once the new immigrant has been here for one or two years, several have gone back to their native country for a visit, as they were sooooo homesick. When the vast majority of them had the chance to return "home", they were only then aware of the great changes that had taken place within themselves; they were then almost fully aware that they, almost unknowingly, HAD built a new life at their new home with their new spouse, despite all the shock they suffered and were then satisfied to go back and continue on with their newly chosen life. This is, of course, under the assumption their new spouse had treated them well and there was a lot of love and patience there.

Lija

Rock on, Lija, rock on.

Even a week before my flight here last year on June 30, I had already started adjusting, so to speak. I had already known that not only will my life change and continue on in the US, the lives of all I knew and loved in Singapore would do the same without me there. Every day of my last week in Singapore, I watched my brother and sister-in-law very closely whenever they got home from work. They would talk about what they needed to get done the next month. They would discuss things to get for their new baby (who arrived 3½ months after I had moved to the US), and they would share with me all the details of their Japanese restaurant. On my third last night in Singapore, they had bought supper back for me and were already tucking in while I went to grab a spoon. As I walked back from the kitchen to join them, for some reason I stopped dead in my tracks to watch them from behind. I watched them eat, and listened to them chat about what was going to happen a week after I would already be in the US. It hit me for real that the two people closest to me would continue to forge and create their own world while I would be thousands of miles away doing the same. It didn't make me feel utterly sad or anything. It was just a very helpful realization.

The only real time I felt very homesick in the past 1½ years was when my niece was born and my brother played back her first cry on the phone for me to hear. He had made a video for me and figured I'd love to hear that cry. Oh dear me, I turned into a weeping mess for the rest of that morning.

Besides that occasion, I have not really missed my home in Singapore. I love being in the US and being next to my husband. I love the space and environment. I love the hospitality and warmth of the people here in Indiana. I love my husband's family because they show me frequently that even though none of us are perfect, we still love one another because we are family. Oh, and I definitely enjoy American football.

It was a little strange going back to Singapore two months ago for my first visit home. I had a blast catching up with my family and close friends. But towards the end of my trip, I couldn't wait to come back ... mostly because of the weather there. LOL. I also knew what I had suspected sometime ago - that my home now is definitely here and I wanted to return to it. And man, did I miss my husband!

Hehe, thank you very much for your kind words, Lija. English is the first language in Singapore and every child has to get a passing grade in order to go to high school and college. My parents sent me to good schools. Many popular American and British programs are also broadcast in my homeland. I grew up watching Happy Days, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Laverne & Shirley, etc. (yep, I'm a child of the 70s). My mom did one thing right in my young childhood - she never denied me books when I asked for them, so I developed a voracious reading habit quite early.

Update on the hoopla I had mentioned in my previous reply - it got nipped in the bud pretty quickly. We ended up having private family Christmas time with his mom and sister's family last night (yes, three days early). I was moody all day yesterday about this because it wasn't the first time we've had this arrangement. But I let it go by the time we left for his sister's home and the result exceeded my expectations. In fact, his mother's Christmas card to both of us made my eyes wet ... and I ended up feeling really foolish. Nevertheless, my husband and I agree that from next year onwards, Christmas will be a quiet and focused affair - nothing more, nothing less.

You were spot on about starting new traditions. We decided to break away from the norm this year. Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn and hauling our sleepy butts to his sister's on Christmas morning to watch our nieces tear through their pile of presents, we're going to stay home this year. We'll wake up whenever, and then just have a quiet morning with each other and our dog. I am also really looking forward to another new tradition which will take place tomorrow - we're going to spend Christmas with his dad by eating pizza and watching the Colts game on TV. LOL.

I wish you and your wife a wonderful Christmas. I am not one for political correctness, so bear with me when I say Jesus really is the only reason for this season. God bless you and your family.

Lija, I want to thank you for starting this thread and being open about your wife's adjustment process to a starkly different environment and culture.

If I may, I would like to share an adjustment that I am still trying to make, and it shows itself especially keenly during big holiday seasons in America, e.g. Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In Singapore, I had a pretty strong family unit made up of three people - father, brother, and grandmother. There is no mother in this picture because she walked out on us when I was 9. We grew as a fuss-free family after this experience. Dad was not an emotionally available man until I went to college and started leaving little notes and letters for him. Dad and brother became my best friends. But we were hardly the emotionally expressive family. We were simply there for one another, and we never stirred up any drama. Most of the time, in fact, we'd go about our own lives but never lost touch.

Thanksgiving Day is not a recognized holiday in Singapore. Christmas is commercially celebrated, i.e. pretty lights downtown, lots of sales everywhere, and the common practice for most is to hit the clubs or pubs.

In my husband's family here, "traditions" for both holidays border on the slightly ridiculous. Every year I feel quite drained. There is more emotional hoopla than I care for, and I have to guard myself against getting jaded about this whole we-are-a-family-so-we-have-to-do-every-important-thing-together deal. In the last 4 year-end holidays that I've celebrated with them, there is always some major drama that got sparked by the tiniest of things, like an e-mail or phone call.

My husband looked at me last night and knew I was not happy. When he asked if I was okay, I simply replied: "I will be after Christmas Eve." I also told him this is the last year that I want to witness the same ####### that happens with clockwork regularity. If (and I know it will) the same things happen again next year, I am bowing out of the family "celebrations", and I will have no problem being honest about it with his family. He understood.

This sure sounds like a gloom-and-doom reply, and I apologize for the dampener during this happy holiday season. I grew up with a father who taught us over and over again that it is important not to make big mountains out of small lumps of dirt, and to be grateful for what we have and not whine about what we don't. My heart is aching for my family, even though I had returned for a brief visit for the first time in 1½ years just two months ago. And even though my dad passed away almost 5 years ago, I still deeply miss his brutally honest and drama-less presence in my life.

Happy holidays, everyone.