Taitai knits

FS Swap!

So with much encouragement from Dina, I have decided it is time for the first ever FS Swap! Dina was also kind enough to design the button - so if you have a blog and want to put the button there, ask Dina, cause I don't have a clue!

What is the FS Swap, how does it work and who is it for?

The FS swap is for Foreign Service people posted at home or abroad. If you have friends at other posts, feel free to let them in on this.

To join in, you must leave me a comment or send an email by November 10th. You need to tell me you want to join and where you are posted. About a week later I will email you with you swap pal's email address. From there the two of you should exchange a few emails. You might share hobbies, children (if you have them) insterests and so on. Then after you get a feel for your pal you start your pile. You might send postcards, a local magazine that might interest your pal, a little something for their kids (if they have any), local candy or gum. Use your imagination. If you know your pal collects ceramic frogs and they have lots of ceramic frogs in Ickystan, then send her one. If she is an avid knitter and your post has cashmere yarn for nothing, send her some.

Your pile should grow a little and by January 15th, well after the busy holiday season, you should send it to your pal who has by now given you her pouch or APO address. If you only have the pouch, then do not feel bad, you can still be creative with flat things that can fit in an envelope. Everyone understands!

I hope lots of people will want to join in. What a great way to find out the real deal about a post before bidding season for some! You might make a friend and your kids will see that other people live the same way they do but in different countries. Include photos with the Drexel furniture showing!

Birthday goodness in Singapore

I finaly got away for the weekend and met up with my knitting friend, Grace.

She was a little worried about this guy on Orchard Road

It was snowing in Singapore

And some late birthday goodness. A purse I made just for the trip and some fancy yarn and all the Chinese knitting needles I could ever want - Thanks again Grace!

Tomorrow's post

I returned from a week end down in Singapore much rested and refreshed. Ok, somewhat rested, Grace and I did a lot of walking around, eating and shopping. It was fun.

Tomorrow I will be posting about a big new project, ok a smallish project that I am cooking up for us Foreign Service spouse types. Check back tomorrow after I go to Halloween hell - I mean, the Halloween party at the local preschool, where only 3 kids have any idea what Halloween is all about and 2 of them are 3.

Everything is not as it should be

Just like this picture, everything here is not as it should be. Someone asked me yesterday, "So how do you like KL?" I feel like we have been on a very long vacation that is not going that well and I am ready to go home.
Hopefully my week end away will do me some good - I cannot wait to get on the bus out of town!

I missed all the monkeys

So this week end I was all geared up to get out of KL and see what is outside the city. There was a CLO trip to see fire flies on a river, along with a trip to a fort. But, of course, my #2 son was sick with a high fever. I have kids that are always sick at inconvient times. Always! He is better now and tomorrow it is back to school for everyone!

Things around the house

Luke has a passion for small plastic animals - mostly dinosaurs, but any creature will do. I often find little scenes placed all over the house - sometimes with attacks all laid out. This one seems rather peaceful.

I also leaves things all over and here is my bowl of buttons. Apparently I have agreed to sell crafty items at a Christmas bazaar, so here is the first batch of goodies.

A door to nowhere

An old dress

So my Mom and friend, Dina in Naimey, both suggested I take a photo of Claire in my sweet little Nigerian outfit. Here she is!

I couldn't find the head scarf, but I think she look similar to me at that age - blond hair and happy.

Interesting things in KL

So I am stealing my friend, Victoria's, idea and listing some things I have found interesting in Kuala Lumpur.

- We have some terrific thunderstorms and I love them.

- There is never a need to watch the weather report, it is always the same - hot and maybe there will be a thunderstorm sometime.

- We have the nicest apartment in the FS. Really. It is a 2 story, brand new place comeplete with stainless steel applicances and granite counter tops. I am well aware we are super lucky. 2nd tour specialists do not get housing like this.

- The Petronas Towers are beautiful. And I never thought skyscrapers were before.

- Even though I often complain of being bored out of my mind, being at home ALL the time has given me lots of time to get things done. The craft list is getting crossed off, and sometimes I even have fun with the children - when they are not antagonizing one another or having fits....

- I am also cooking dinner every night. Mostly because the traffic where we live is awful by dinnertime and everyone is cranky and hungry. Also so far we only know that Pizza Hut and Dominos deliver - and without yummy pepperoni it isn't the best. (pepperoni here is either beef or chicken and does NOT taste the same)

- Having Luke got to a local preschool has been a cultural experience. On Thursday they had a celebration for Hari Raia and all the kids, expect Luke, wore traditional dress (he was out all week with a cold so we didn't know about the dressing up!) and we have had a lot of Ramadan craft activities come home. Through the preschool we even got a glimpse of a local hospital ER - and it was not that bad at all. Different, but fine.

KL still does not really feel like home yet though. I feel a little like I am on a boring vacation somewhere nice...full of cooking meals and taxing small children to things....I am sure I will feel at home sometime in the next 20 months - I hope!

Yummy yarn

This morning hubbo pulled out a little packet from his work bag and admitted he forgot to give it to me last night - inside was the yummiest yarn I own.  It is a silk/alpaca blend sock yarn from The Natural Dye Studio.  I have to order more of their sock yarns.  Today.

That is me as a 2 year old in Pretoria, South Africa.  The lovely lady with me is my nanny, Willamena.  And I still have that dress! ****  whoops!  My Mom corrected me and I am not in fact in South Africa, but in Ibadan, Nigeria and the lovely lady with me is Arit, our house steward's wife.  I wonder what it says about you when you have had so many nannies that you can't keep them straight!