Friends in the UK?

To me, one of the biggest banes of living abroad is not having family and friends with you. Being sentimental ol' me, I miss seeing familiar faces, receiving slews of sms-es/calls, chatting over coffee, meeting up for makan etc.

But still, I am blessed.

In the 3 months we've been here, I've had my MIL over, Mabes for a weekend & Clara flies in tonight. We're also very fortunate to have a few Singaporeans here who've become friends - Reuben, Meiling & Andy Lane, and even Auntie Mimi.

And in between playground visits, library sessions and playschool, I've managed to make a few new friends of my own - Beth & Scarlett (the Aussies), Silke & Nelson (the Germans), Shela and Hussein (the Pakistanis).

I suppose I can constitute them as friends, can I not? These mummies are the ones I receive sms-es & emails from - arranging to meet on a weekly or fortnightly basis - or simply chat with at the library or school gate.

I've gotten to know them becoz they are fellow mummies - fellow kindred spirits who know how it is being alone in a foreign country. As you would have noticed, none of them are native to the UK.

Whatever the reason, I thank God for the people He brings in and out of my life. To me, it's good enough knowing someone out there wants to meet up, or bothers to stay & chat when they see me & Danielle.

It's funny but receiving an sms from one of these ladies is enough to brighten my day. :)

'Mummy Date' with Silke and Nelson
We met Silke & Nelson for a 'mummy date' on Fri (27 Oct). We decided to have coffee at Crumpet on Northcote Road - a popular, child-friendly cafe that has a cosy play area for tots, and all sorts of yummy kiddy pastries for their young clientele.

Hadn't seen them in about a month coz they were in Germany escaping renovation work at their rented apt. I was amazed how much Nelson's hair had grown and that he can now stand on his own! What a difference a month makes! :)

Despite the spills & squeals from our kids, Silke and I managed to catch up over coffee. Found out she's getting married to Alex next July 14. And all this time I thought she was already married! She invited me to attend her wedding in Cologne next year. :) Gee, our travels to Europe seem to be planned around wedding invitations?

After our cuppa, we took a walk to Clapham Common where the kids had fun at the swings. By the time we said our goodbyes, we'd spent 4 hours together! And this is gonna sound so strange but Silke said meeting me and Danielle was like 'falling in love'. Yes, I quote her verbatim. She said I always show a keen interest in her & Nelson and that's what she likes about me.

You know what, Silke? The feeling's mutual.