I voted every single day but my problem is mostly cultural. I encounter things that are rude TO ME every day but to the locals seems like perfectly normal behavior. So rude is relative. When we were in the states this summer, the one thing we all noticed was how NICE everyone was in the US. But then we realized that it was OUR definition of nice.

How about the clips in a gun that seem to have an endless supply of bullets? Or the fact that 10 guys with machine guns can't seem to hit one guy but that one guy can pull off a kill shot to the head on his first try with a handgun? Why does the white girl always trip and fall when being chased by a killer? Why would ANYONE remain INSIDE a house that just SPOKE to you and said "GET OUT"? .

Exactly

Someone trashed you on another forum for asking for PRAYERS???? I am speechless. :angry: :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Linguine with white clam sauce. Yum!

I go alone. It's my "me" time. Sad, I know. :tongue_smilie: .

Having done a big move, things that are important to me: - is there a church of my denomination within driving distance? -weather makes a big difference -medical facilities - extra curriculars (what are you and your kids involved in? Will you have easy access to it?) I say go for it. Moving is such a fun adventure!!!

This week... Started Reading: The Night Circus Still reading: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose Completed: 35. Alone With God 34. What Angel's Fear: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery 33. The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 32. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy 31. Frankenstein 30. The Lotus and the Cross 29. Desiring God 28. Blood Feud: The Hatfields and the McCoys 27. Among the Gods 26. The Deadliest Monster 25. Faith of My Fathers 24. A Good American 23. They Say/I Say:The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing 22. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking 21. Insurgent 20. Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints 19. The Strength of His Hands 18. The Meaning of Marriage 17. Funny in Farsi 16. The Constantine Codex 15. What the Dog Saw 14. What is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission 13. Gods and Kings 12. A Skeleton in God's Closet 11. My Hands Came Away Red 10. The Omnivore's Dilemma 9. Dead Heat 8. Redeeming Love 7. Family Driven Faith: What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God 6. Organized Simplicity 5. Year of Wonders 4. The Holiness of God 3. The Paris Wife 2. The Peach Keeper 1. Relic

Tattoo- no problem Navel piercing- no problem Nose piercing- no problem Cartilage piercing- AHHHHH!!!! It hurt so bad for MONTHS and I finally caved and took it out. Never again.

Thank you all so much for all this great advice. It is a little overwhelming still but I now have someone in the states who is going to ship me some epipens. So that's a start. Now I just have to pray they don't get stopped in customs. I suppose the next thing is to have him tested for tree nuts to be safe. I'm not sure if they are related but it seems like his allergic reaction caused his eczema (which he has had for a while) to flare up. Poor kid. Today we were talking about all the things he cannot eat and surprisingly enough it was no more satay that really upset him. :tongue_smilie: .

Ok, so the crisis part has abated...ds is feeling better ... And now I am just, well, angry. :glare: I am not even sure if that emotion makes sense right now but it is just how I feel. I hate peanuts. Even though we got the diagnosis 6 weeks ago it didn't really feel "real" until he had another reaction. Boy, does it feel real now! So today I let my anger motivate me and I scoured the labels of everything in my house. I cannot BELIEVE the food items that have peanuts in them! Mayo? Really? I actually MADE my own mayo today for the first time and threw the other jar away. It's small and silly but somehow it made me feel better to take action. Question: do any of you use this product called Sunbutter? My ds LOVES peanut butter so I would really like to find a tasty substitute. Is it good? Question: do you avoid only the foods that have peanuts in them? Some of the labels say the item was made in a factory where peanuts are used in other items but not that one. Can he still eat this? Any other newbie advice?

He is doing better today. The hives are starting to go away and there aren't any new ones. Of. Ourse the pharmacy is closed today so I can't ask about prednisone. I am going to find out first thing tomorrow. The more I read the more I think that we are never eating anything that wasn't made at home. :glare: PEANUTS ARE EVIL. .

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

That's good to know. I will ask the pharmacist if we can get prednisone. This is his second allergic reaction to peanuts. The first time it was pretty mild. Just an itchy rash. This time he has HUGE hives all over. He has not had respiratory issues...yet. But if his reaction is so much worse this time than the first, I am terrified of what it will be like if it happens again so I am trying to get prepared. My other worry is that it has been over 24 hours and the hives seem to be spreading and getting worse even though we have had him on Benadryl every 6 hours since it happened. Is that normal? The allergist here is less than helpful. :glare: .

Just got off the phone with his allergist. He said you can no longer get epipens anywhere in Singapore or Malaysia. I asked him what am I supposed to do if this happens again but worse? What do other people do? There are little doctor clinics in every neighborhood here. He said that by law they have to have adrenaline injections in stock. So if it happens I am to drive him to the nearest clinic for the injection then drive him to the nearest hospital for further treatment. He also said "You have to get epipens from the US." :glare: How am I supposed to do that without a prescription and while living HERE???? One bit of good news. We have an epipen in the nurse's office on campus. Just one of them. But that is pretty accessible since I have the key. But that is not as quick as having one with me wherever we go and not sure what we will do once that one expires. He slept through the night well ( he should... He had enough benedryl in him!) but the hives were still pretty nasty this morning. Poor thing. This peanut allergy thing sucks even worse than I thought it would. Not having access to the things I need in an emergency is pretty upsetting. thank you all for the advice and encouragement. :grouphug: .

That is interesting! His doctor said "you cannot get epipens in this country." Maybe they aren't actually banned, just not sold here??? So... Maybe I CAN order them from Canada? .

Ugh. Yes. I am probably being irrational right now. I am just upset.

From what I have read, you need a prescription in the states to get one but not in Canada. So now I am wondering if I can get one from Canada and how do I get it here? This is so stressful. .

Update on #31 It's been 6 weeks since we got the peanut allergy diagnosis and we were doing so well. Until today. :glare: He had a soccer game and as dh and I were walking up, I see ds eating a bag of trail mix that the coach had passed out to all the kids. I ran up to ds and said, "does that have PEANUTS in it???" His eyes got very wide and he said, "I forgot!" So he is now covered in huge hives and doped up on Benadryl and I am watching him for any further issues. It's been several hours since he ate them so I am hoping if the reaction was going to be anything more than hives it would have happened by now. Right?? On top of that, Malaysia banned Epipens last March! I can get Xanax over the counter but I can't get an epipen!!!! He is only 8yo and this peanut allergy life is still new to all of us so I guess accidents happen but when any exposure could range from hives to life threatening, it sure makes life nerve-racking. .

Very classy. :glare: I would absolutely take care of my mother in a heartbeat (my father is no longer around). I hope that my children never need to take care of me but I also know that they would. That is just part of our family culture. This includes my extended family. If I needed to, I could go live with any one of my family members and they could live with me. We are all very close. .

:iagree: Americans would find bum to be a polite way of saying butt. We would use bum and bottom interchangeably.

I used almost none of them until I moved here. Since Malaysia was controlled by the British and this island is full of British expats, I have found myself saying: Bum Cheeky Holiday Queue Wonky Other words not included in that article that have wandered into my vocabulary that I am fairly sure are British: Lift Trolley Lorry .

That is great!!

Absolutely Audrey. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Well you are all better than me because I never even considered it. :tongue_smilie: .