Future Pianist?

My little girl has long, tapering fingers. They look very nice. Everybody says those are the hands of an artist, maybe a classical pianist. Who knows? My husband and I both play piano, but at a very basic level only since that's not really our interest. Maybe our little girl will be more inclined to it than we ever were.

Herbs After Giving Birth

The traditional ge-lai is practiced by most traditional Chinese families. This is the one month period following the child's birth in which the mother is pampered in order for her to regain her strength. Care is taken that she does not become too tired. Traditional Chinese Medicine also suggests several herbs and suitable food for her to take, many of which are supposed to strengthen her, make her uterus recover and supplement her with iron she lost during the childbirth.

In cases of Cesarean deliveries, fresh (live, if possible) lapu-lapu (grouper) soup is also given, in the belief that it would make wounds heal faster. It's also believed to be a good galactogogue (increases breastmilk). Since it's a natural and nutritious food and I lose nothing, I have nothing against it. It's actually delicious. :)

Since I'm breastfeeding though, I do ask my mom to provide me with the list of herbs traditionally used and try to research on them. No ginseng nor dong quay for now, since they are contraindicated in both pregnancy and breastfeeding. No Phenphedrine either. This is simply not the time to be indiscriminate about things I take, even if I am a bit concerned about my excess post baby weight.

Sung Dynasty Village

When I went to Hong Kong with my parents back in the late seventies, we went to this tourist attraction called the Sung Dynasty Village. The Sung Dynasty from around 976 AD through 1279 AD and the village is a recreation of a typical town during this age. You'll find people in period costumes going about their business as if it actually were a thousand years ago.

They have tea houses, temples a traditional Chinese opera and a wedding! Oh, you are given old fashioned coins like those used in that period and you can actually use them to buy food at the tea house! These are the ones with the hole in the middle so you can string them up. Of course, these were not genuine antiques and have no value outside the Sung Dynasty Village, but they do make for great souvenirs. It would have been great if those coins have real value and would appreciate over time if you keep them, but I'd stand a better chance of getting such coins from coin dealers like Monaco Rare Coin, where you can find various rare coins for investment or for your personal collection.

I would have loved to go there again on our honeymoon, but I couldn't find it any of the guidebooks, so I thought that the place was probably gone. Lo and behold, it wasn't! The next time I go to Hong Kong, I'll be sure to check it out!

Not Yet

As I've mentioned in my previous post, I still have 9 pounds to go before going back to my prepregnancy weight. I have no plans to do exercises yet because I really can't -- my body has to recover or I'll be doing more harm than good. But to reiterate, 9 pounds is not too bad, considering I'm only 10 days postpartum! I'm in no hurry looking up fat burner reviews, especially since I'm breastfeeding. For 2 reasons: (1) I have the utmost faith that breastfeeding would aid me in my weight loss, as it did during my first pregnancy and (2) precisely because I'm breastfeeding, I'd rather not take in too many supplements since I'm not sure of the effect on my baby.

Now, if I've weaned my baby already and I'm still not within my ideal weight (and shape, of course), I might consider going on a diet and/or exercise program and a doctor recommended supplement.

Gyms and Exercising

Back when I got pregnant with my firstborn, I immediately canceled my membership to a well known gym here. I used my pregnancy as an excuse, but I actually haven't been to the gym in quite a while, and the monthly dues are automatically charged to my credit card. It was not worth it, to say the least. The gym had a reputation for not canceling the membership immediately when you ask them to. Their policy is 3-months' notice, if I remember correctly. Fortunately, since I had my doctor's certificate with me, they agreed to cancel mine immediately. They did tell me that I'm welcome to come back anytime after I give birth so that I can exercise to get back into my prepregnancy shape. I didn't. If I couldn't find the time to go when I was single, what more when I had a child? Especially now with 2 children!

Maybe home gyms would work better for me? That's a big maybe, because my dad actually had one but I never bothered to use the equipment that he bought. What I need is a big dose of initiative to start working out. Not now, though. 1 week post CS is not exactly the right time to start an exercise program. But I do want to look and feel better in the long run.

Just Gave Birth?

If you're Chinese and you've just given birth, visions of yourself cradling your baby in outdoor chairs getting some sun is probably not going to happen, especially if you have a strict mother or mother-in-law. That's because for the first month of confinement, called the "ge-lai" in the Fukien dialect, new mothers are advised to stay indoors and avoid being exposed to "wind". This is supposed to help the mothers grow stronger immediately.

Q&A: Adjusting To Married Life

I got this set of Q&A's from n@w. For a bicultural couple, marriage is quite a challenge, but I guess it does not take just different cultures. The fact that you were raised by different families with different values -- that takes some getting used to.

OK, here goes...

Q1. What was your major adjustment when you started living together after
the wedding?

• Adjusting to the fact that my money is no longer just mine to spend but part of OUR money. Well, his money is no longer just his to spend but part of OUR money also.
  

Q2. What was the thing you like most/least about it?

• Having to ask permission for big purchases because it now affects the family as a whole. For small purchases, we have an allowance for our small luhos (wants).
  

Q3. Is there something you wish other married couples had told you
beforehand?

• None that I can think of. Most of the things I encountered after marriage, I already half expected :). I think I was prepared.
  

Q4. Any tips for other newlyweds living in their new home/with their in
laws?

• If you're going to live with your in-laws, know their house rules and follow them. Don't expect that things will be the same in your in-law's household. Since you're the newcomer, you have to be one to do the major adjusting.