Borough Shopping Part 3

This was actually the first Borough we visited when we set out on our hunt. But since it was my favorite, I saved it for last:)

We got dropped off at the tube station and though it was drizzling, we immediately fell in love. There were so many cute cafes and side streets with British charm oozing out of them. I could automatically picture Riya and I having a mid-week coffee at one of the cafes and then heading over to the library (!) for story time. The river Thames is also there and during the Spring and Summer I could picture us all heading over there for a picnic and Luca actually being able to join and run around (though he won't, haha) in the great outdoors.

All of the Boroughs we are considering have plenty of child friendly parks, movie theaters and shopping. So those don't really distinguish one from the other. But it doesn't hurt that my all time favorite store, Anthropologie, is located in Richmond. They also have a Whole Foods. There is also a very active American Expat Spouses group in Richmond that has weekly coffees and book clubs and the like. (I'm secretly hoping there are some Mahjong enthusiasts!) Although I don't want to surround myself soley with American Expats, they will definitely aid in my transition to this great city. They will have overcome many of the hurdles I'm about to face. Many of the Americans that move here, come to stay, and it's not as transient of a location like the other cities we've lived in. So hopefully some new friends are just around the corner!

Its hard to capture the vibe and charm that we felt instantly, especially since it was really cloudy, but here is what I got of our soon to be new home (fingers crossed!).

House hunt begins in 2 weeks! 

Borough Shopping Part 2

After Chiswick, we went back home so Riya could nap. After she woke up, we took the 40 min taxi ride to Wimbledon. We got dropped off at the train station which was at the end of a hill. On top of the hill, was the high street. Wimbledon was mapped out in an interesting manner. To my knowledge everything is usually concentrated in one area but Wimbledon seemed to split it up in two.

On the bottom end of the hill, there was a shopping centre, as well as a street full of independent shops (a tk maxi, US equivalent to tj maxx-major selling point!), grocery stores, an indoor soft play area (the size of a hallway, so not a selling point) and cafes. On the upside of the hill, there also more shops (including 2 baby toy stores), pubs, and greenery.

We decided to start by going uphill. As we pushed Riya upwards in her stroller (she has it so good), we took in the scenery. We definitely got a good vibe from Wimbledon. It had loads of charm. Not to mention some of Ram's favorite restaurants (Wagamama, Chipoptle, etc.) Okay fiiiine I love Wagamama too. Oh, and who could forget that we could actually watch tennis live! That would be such a cool experience. I can see why Debbie and Luke live there.

I forgot to take pics, but here are some I found online that shows what we saw:

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Going up and down that hill on a regular basis would be a pain since I have a stroller holding a 20 pounder, and the borough is located farther south than we originally planned. That's why it holds spot #2 on our list. Next stop, Richmond! 

Borough shopping part 1

Before moving to London, I heard lots of great things about an area called Chiswick. Family friendly was the top of the list and this one seemed to have it all. I even joined the Chiswick Mums Facebook page before we moved. So I was super excited to check out the area.

We got dropped off at the tail end of the High Street (every borough has a High Street where all the restaurants, cafes, and shopping are grouped together). As we started walking around we noticed some cute cafes, plenty of prams, and lots of green space. It was hard to find baby specific stores but there were plenty of functional shops (home furnishings, pharmacy, grocery, etc.) there. There were also a few organic food places. Yet it didn't feel like home.  I was disappointed that I felt that way, because I convinced that this would be our new hood.

As we continued to walk around, we stumbled upon our first kiddie park. They had baby swings, score! Riya was thrilled to get out of her pram after sitting patiently in there for 1.5 hours and walk around and swing. The sun even came out to shine down on my beautiful baby girl.

Although this neighborhood didn't feel like the right fit this time around, it is still in the running, though it has moved down to number three on our list. Next up, Wimbledon! 

Our first week in London town

Cannot believe it's already been a week since we landed in London. And I cannot believe Ram has already left me for a conference and training in Mountainview, Cali till the end of the month. Grrrr

We got super lucky on our flight in because it was only 50% occupied. So Riya was able to walk up and down to her heart's content. She didn't nap very much, but that was expected. Luckily by the time we got to our temporary flat, it was 5pm (9pm Dubai time) and she passed out in the pack n play. Baby girl slept until 6am the next morning! I think she would have slept longer but when we checked on her, her room was so cold and so was she. It was my worst nightmare. I felt awful. Unfortunately the flat only had single glazed windows and though we cranked up the radiator and all, it stayed pretty cold in her room. So we were forced to leave her door open so the heat from the common areas could keep her room temperature more manageable. 

Riya has had a rough introduction to the city. Sadly she broke out in a rash that made her itchy and red all over. We wasted an entire day at two different A&E's and walked away with nothing- no diagnosis or prescriptions. I was furious. Thankfully the pharmacist was knowledgeable and suggested some creams which we are using now. I also bought a humidifier for her room because I suspect its the radiator and dry air that's the culprit. We are not out of the woods yet but it hasn't gotten any worse, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Luca, on the other hand, is loving the cooler weather:) 

The building we are in has been very accommodating and felt very bad for us. Lucky for us another flat became available on the ground floor that has double glazing and the living space was larger, so we jumped on it! The first flat was quite small and we were very over crowded, not to mention dangerous for a baby! I expected small but that was a major reality check. There were exposed radiators all over and all the rooms were closed off from each other, so I couldn't let Riya out of my sight for even a second. Oh and my sweet darling has decided she has enough courage to start climbing on her own, without looking to me for support, so up and down the couch she went! 

Anyway, the reality of staying in the first flat for 2 months quickly became unrealistic. Trust me when I say I was not being a brat. It was just going to be too difficult to keep Riya entertained and most importantly safe. And the fact that I could not leave her alone for a second made it quite frustrating. I couldn't get organized or multi-task and that was a recipe for disaster. Luckily, my complaining paid off this time and the new flat is much better! We have an "open" concept kitchen and the living space is 25% larger and its more baby friendly. Not to mention Riya's room is warm and cozy:) 

With the housing issue now sorted, we were finally able to get out of our grumpy haze and really enjoy the town. We are a 10 minute walk from the High street (the area with all the shops, cafes, and restaurants) and it has been nice just exploring the area. We are also very close to public transportation, which Ram must take to go to work. I actually rode the bus for the first time and managed not to get lost! The buses here are so clean and I felt really safe. It will be a whole other adventure with Riya and her stroller. I will be avoiding the tubes/trains for now as a lot of them don't have lifts. I would have to put Riya in the carrier but several layers of clothing + a wool jacket + bundled baby in a carrier made it very uncomfortable for both of us! Riya just screamed:/ So for now, the carrier is not an option. Baby steps...

The area we are staying in is called Islington. Its part of Central London, but on the East side. We have a Wagamama, Chipotle, and Tortilla within walking distance, so Ram was quite pleased:) We have a mall with Gap and H&M, so I'm quite pleased:) The weather is mid to low 30's but I'm not finding it that cold. I guess I have good gear:) Thankfully Riya doesnt mind being bundled up though she refuses to wear mittens, so that's been an ongoing battle!

We were hoping to have time to play tourist in our new home town since Ram has never seen the sights, but we got wrapped up in all of the above.  So we chose to spend the weekend exploring some of the neighborhoods we are interested in so we can narrow down our search. More on that in the next post. 

For now, here are pictures of our temporary digs:

Entry hallway. Master bedroom with ensuite on the left of the door and Riya's room straight ahead.

Master. Luca has made himself quite comfy!

Wardrobe. This should be interesting :p

Ensuite bathroom. I think its quite large for the city and lack of storage space is not surprising..sigh. 

Hello towel warmer :) 

Riya's room

Second bathroom next to entry

Living/Dining Room. Excuse the mess, we just moved in folks.

Kitchen, which is right off the dining table

Pieces of Me

Here we are....less than 24 hours before we head off to London. We are spending our last 2 nights at a friends place because it was getting just too hard to stay in our house with bare minimums. Riya is loving staying at her friends place and getting to play with all her toys:)

It's so hard to get in touch with your emotions when your move gets dragged out for so long. I'm SO ready to just get over there and start our new adventure! But I did take a moment to pause before driving out of our driveway for the last time. Riya and I walked through all the rooms and she waved good bye.

I never thought I would be moving house so soon after we had kids. I dreamt of living in a home where all of our kids grew up together. But that's what happens when you're an ex-pat. Dubai will always have a special place in my heart for one simple reason: Riya. It is Riya's birthplace and her first ever home. As we walked around the house and said our good byes it was hard not to imagine what could have been in another year.

The friends we've made here have also made our stay in Dubai memorable. They are the few people that have seen Riya grow up. Not even our families can say that. And I have witnessed their babes grow up too. Saying good bye is never easy and it gets harder every time.

So I prefer not to say good-bye, more like "see ya later." We will absolutely visit Dubai one day and show Riya her forgotten home. We will make new memories in London and I cannot wait!

Christmas in Dubai 2014

A very (belated) Merry Christmas to all! It really didn't feel like Christmas this year. I guess that's what happens when you're on the brink of an international move. It was kind of depressing since it's my fav time of year- I have some of the best memories of my dad and I decorating the house and preparing for the festive season. I told Ram this is the second and last time I will agree to move during the holidays. NEVER. AGAIN.

We did manage to take Riya to a Christmas Festival the week before, which was fun. Fake snow and all:)

I also challenged myself to roast rack of lamb for the first time. One burn mark the size of my pinky and two broken glasses later, dinner was served. Christmas will come late for Miss Riya though. I plan to buy her a few new toys in London when we arrive since I can only pack a few toys in her suitcase. She had 2 presents from her friends here to open and it was cool to see her open them. She LOVES paper and was more excited about that than anything else. Ha! I'm sure next year will be a totally different story...

The next day Ram surprised me with an overnight stay at a hotel. I was ecstatic about getting to actually sleep in but felt weird being away from Riya for 24 hours. The day started off well. Had lunch, then got a lovely 80 minute massage, followed by some shopping, dinner and a hot bath. I was all tucked in by 10pm. All was good in the world up until midnight when the hammering began. Unfortunately I was on a low level and the hotel was connected to the Mall which had construction going on all night long. Needless to say I was furious by morning and my room was free of charge. But I still ended up the loser...I was happy to be back home with my babies, that's for sure!

Hope everyone has a fabulous New Years! Our sitter is booked, so Ram and I plan to have a staring contest, lol.

Jitterbug

As we anxiously await for Ram's certificate of sponsorship to come through (fingers crossed by this Thursday), which we need to apply for our residency visa, I figured I'd let y'all get your weekly dose of what's happening with the Aiyers.

The sleeplessness and restlessness has already settled in. These international moves always happen SO fast and all the logistics don't end up coming together until the end and then it's a mad scramble. Trying to get everything in order with all these loose ends is making me a ball of nerves.

I've hired a pet relocater for Luca. Of course the first 2 things they need are our flight itinerary and an address in London. A standard and simple request, yet I cannot fulfill it. Based on previous experience, we have decided not to book our flights until we have visa in hand and since it's an expensive time of year, even more reason to wait and avoid any outrageous change fees. Since we don't have a concrete arrival date, we don't have a designated address for temporary housing.

I scheduled an auction house to come and appraise our appliances (stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, washer/dryer) that we had to purchase when we moved here but obviously will not need in London (if you recall, rental properties in Dubai do not come with basic appliances).  Side note- I need some serious convincing as to why I should leave our coveted dryer here. Flashbacks of crunchy towels and hang drying in Aberdeen haunt me. Add 2-3 extra loads of baby clothes a week and that puts me on edge. Of course the auction house wants to know when the goods can be picked up. They didn't seem too thrilled when I gave them a one week window.

And then I met with the movers to discuss all the furniture we are shipping to London. Yet again, the dreaded question is posed, "which day(s) do you want to schedule the pack up?" Again I had to go through my spiel of uncertainty.

So as you can see its anxiety central over here!

Since I cannot control any of the uncertainties, all I can do to calm my nerves is shop, drink, and shop some more:) Baby girl has her first winter wardrobe all ready to go! She is going to look so dang cute all bundled up. Now I just need to buy her some appropriate shoes since she is actually going to need something functional to walk in...!

Time for a massage....and a drink :p