Meet Mom Rosalie

Hello! ... My name is Rosalie, 31 years old and i’m originally from Amsterdam. We’ve been living in Kuala Lumpur since a year and we absolutely love it! Before that we lived in Singapore for two years. I’m married to Didi and still very happy! We have one daughter ‘Annissa’ and she turns three end of March. I’m expecting our second child (which is a boy this time). We’re very excited about that!

I don’t work at the moment. Before I got pregnant I started a small catering business, called MamaLovesMango. Once in a while a friend will ask me to make something nice. Right now it’s always in a small scale. Which is perfect for me to manage. Back in Amsterdam i did this too for a year and things were going really well. It’s a job I can combine perfectly with being a mother. A soon as our son is born I’ll probably try to get more catering jobs.

..What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
We live in a semi detached house. It’s a bit old but we are very happy here. Lots of space for Annissa to run around and play. The first thing we do when we wake up is open all the sliding doors in the house. We don’t really miss something specific.

..Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
I love to decorate! It’s on my mind most of the time. Soon i have to start with the baby room and it’s something I can look forward to. Our plan is to redecorate Annissa’s room too so hers will transform in a ‘big sister room’.

..Where do you look for interior inspiration, favorite magazines, websites, blogs?
My inspirations comes mainly from what I see in shops. And Bloesem is a perfect blog to get some great ideas!

..How much has your new ‘home’ country influenced your home decoration style?
Ever since we moved to Asia some of our furniture and accessories are from here. It’s mix of different styles. Something we already had back home.

..What places in your new neighborhood do you like to go to for shopping?
Chinatown, Bangsar and  The Gardens Mall are my favorites. These are the places where I know I can find the things I need. And they’re near my house.

General and upbringing:
..What's it like to raise a child in your town?
It’s a great city to raise young children in kuala lumpur.
There are much things for them to do, the weather is nice most of the time so you can always go for a swim. And most of the houses are spacious.

..Who do you consider is a good example for your children?
We try to be a good example for Annissa. But otherwise I would say her teachers in daycare cause she learns a lot of good things from them. Her friends are also a very important factor.

..What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?
That would be a nice long breakfast at home, play some music and take her out for a swim/a walk or a trip to the playground. Annissa’s favorite is the swing!
 
..Can you tell us a funny story, quote or remark one of your children recently made or happened?
‘Annissa has a baby’ (and points to her tummy)

..What's your favorite local shop to take your children to?
To one of the book stores. We could spend hours there without buying a single book!

..Are their any books you can recommend for parents and how to raise your children?
‘What to expect the first year’ and ‘What to expect the toddler years’ are the two books I’ve used lots of times. It has answered all my questions until now.

..What do you think is very different in raising your children in the country where you live now and where you were raised?
I think the difference is that she can spend much more time with me as I don’t have to work here. Back home I would have had at least a parttime job and spend less time with her. It’s really nice for her to live in a country where the weather is nice 365 days a year. She hardly gets sick or needs to wear four layers of clothing which can be so uncomfortable.

..Will your children be raised bi-lingual, is this difficult for them … can you give some examples?
Yes Annissa is raised bi-lingual. We speak Dutch to her all the time but everywhere else they speak English, at school and her friends.

..Are you happy with the healthcare provided in your new country?
Yes I’m happy with the healthcare system.
The hospitals are really good and have a high standard.
We’re lucky we don’t have to see you doctor or dentist.
But the times we’ve been it was a good experience.
Most of the times even better than back home.

Craft and DIY projects:
..What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?
Play with playdoh, colouring and paint.

..Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
Always use a plastic cover to put over the table before you start!

..Are you a crafter or DIY person?
Yes i am, this year my goal is to follow a sewing course so I can make all kinds of lovely things. I’m already practicing but only can make the most basic stuff .

..Books, websites, local shops you can recommend to get tips and ideas for kids crafting?
the local book stores are always nice to browse en see if you can find nice craft items. Annissa is now at this stage she’s fine with the things that are at home. But I would love to come up with some fresh ideas.

..What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school?
I keep them. The other day i thought about buying a nice diary where I can put them in. Maybe a good looking storage box would be good too.

..Any nice decoration ideas how to hang them, keep them or use them as presents?
The new ones I hang up in our kitchen.
So I can enjoy them every day. As soon as it becomes too crowdy I make place for the new ones.

Playing and relaxing:
..How do you like to celebrate birthdays and other special days in your house?
By hanging up some nice decorations, make some homemade cooked/baked meals and playing our favorite music.

..What are favorite games in your home?
Hide and seek, play football/basketball

..What kind of sports do your children like to do and are you very involved?
No sports at the moment, my husband likes to play basketball or football with her but all in a very playful way. When she’s a little bit bigger she might join one.

..Are there musical instruments in your house?
Yes but mostly children's instruments.
Like a keyboard and a harmonica.
We love to listen to music and most of the time Annissa is singing the whole day.

..What are all time favorite books for the children?
Everything from Dr. Seuss is always a winner I guess.
The golden books have such lovely stories and beautiful images.

..What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting?
Our favorites are: butterfly park, FRIM, the zoo, Science Centre, elephant sanctuary (an hour and a half by car)

..What movies do your children like to watch, is there one from your childhood you would love to show them too?
Annissa has her favorites like Madagascar, Bee Movie and Horton Hears the Who.
I don’t have a favorite from my childhood.

..How do they prefer to spend their leisure time?
Annissa can watch one movie and that’s her tv moment. The rest of the day she could spend playing with her toys. Or she is busy colouring, playdoh or making a puzzle. These are the things she would do when we’re home. And there are days we invite her friends over for a play or we are invited at her friends house.

..Cooking:
Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
I’m both!

..What do your children like to eat?
Annissa’s favorite would be rice or pasta.
She’s a good eater who tries new things which we are so proud of!

..What is absolutely forbidden candy or drinks in your house?
We recently introduced Annissa to chocolate and certain candy.
The last thing we try to do is cut it out of her diet completely.
She will get introduced to it sooner or later.
But we’re very strict about how much she can have which is a little amount.
We won’t give her any lemonade or soda.

..What kind of books or information do you use for cooking?
Usually I use the same cookbooks or magazines. I hardly go only to find some nice new recipes.

..Can you name some specialties from the country where you live now and you and your family really started to love or still don’t like?
To be honest, we don’t eat a lot of local food. There are a lot of choices if you want to eat out. Malay, Indian or Chinese. Indian would be our favorite I think. From the Malay kitchen it would be satay from a wellknown restaurant in Subang.

..What kind of foods do you miss from your home country?
Nothing

House pets
..Are their pets in your household?
Yes we have two cats.
Yoshi is 6 six years old and we brought him all the way from Amsterdam.
Alex is our latest member of the family. She’s only 7 weeks old and we found her in our garden. Around six months ago we had another cat (Mitzu) who was Yoshi’s sister.
But unfortunately she ran away and never came back.
So that’s why we kept Alex.

..Do they play an important role in your family?
They are a part of our family.
I’m the one cuddles them the most.
Annissa is very fond of the cats too.
And because of that Annissa is not afraid of other animals.

Traveling
..What kind of place do you like to go to on vacation with and or without the children?
Ever since we became parents we never went without Annissa.
For us that’s something impossible.
We love to go different places (beach or cities).

..Do you keep some sort of travel journal with the children?
I keep my blog up to date with the things we experience so that would be the place where I would write about the holiday.

..What kind of souvenir can they bring back home?
It depends, could be anything.
As long as it’s not too big.

..How do you prepare for a trip, any useful tips?
Try not to bring too much stuff.
If it’s just for a weekend we’ll use one bag for the three of us.
The less luggage the better.

..What sources do you use when looking for a new vacation destination?
Several websites

..What place do your children love to go to?
Right now Annissa doesn't really mind where we are going.
She’s already excited when she hears we’re going on a plane.

..Tips for traveling with a plane or a long-time trip on the road with children?
We haven't done a long road trip by car yet so I can’t give you any tips.
But for long distance flights I always try to buy some new toys for Annissa.
Some books, colouring books etc. And she’s in this age where she could watch tv for hours and hours in a row. I don’t feel guilty at that moment. I always try to be as relaxed as possible, go with the flow and just watch Annissa what she wants. At the end of the day you have to sit in that plane for so many hours, try make the best out of it.

..MamaLovesMango..
..Rosalie's catering business..

Comments

[bec]

Lovely Mom story - thanks Irene & Rosalie

[estelle]

love this new bkids's column! thanks a lot!

[Allyn Howard]

I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and the photos, especially one of Rosalie with Annissa. The way she's smiling at her, just see that love on her face! Makes living in Kuala Lumpur sound kinda dreamy, too :) Thanks!

[Betty]

Great new column! Can't wait to read more Mom story's.
This story makes me wish we would live in Kuala Lumpur...

[rachel]

Test comment.

[rachel]

Yay, the comments are working for me now! I'm glad, because I wanted to say I think this is a great column. I'm also a mom living and raising my child in a place that is not my original home, so it's really neat to read about another mom doing something similar. It's also cool to learn a little bit about Kuala Lumpur. My husband and I immediately began a Google search and reading about it. The weather sounds divine!

[jimin/smallville]

so lovely and inspiring!