Fun facts for foreign families

The best thing about living abroad is that you get to interact on a daily basis with people who have a completely different culture and be surprised each time you learn about their rules and superstitions, which you wouldn't have thought up in your wildest dreams.

For example, in Hong Kong, working in an office full of local people, I now get to learn a new thing every day about the rules of pregnancy.

First I was told that for the first three months I should be laying down at all times, and that I should never leave the house. Strangely my boss did not agree. Then, as I mentioned to everyone our plan to move, I was told that this was really bad luck during pregnancy, and that we should wait until after the arrival of the baby. Finally I was told to avoid using a hammer and eating watermelon, or another other "cold" fruit. It's fascinating!

Of course this led me to ask more questions about what I could and could not do; here are a few choice tidbits for your cultural pleasure:

- Pregnant women should be as happy as possible at all times, as each of their emotions is passed on to the baby. Others should cater to their every whim – you can imagine how much I agree with this, although I am getting a bit tired of people in the office insisting to help me downstairs with my handbag.... I'm not handicapped!

- Light-coloured food will make your baby fair-skinned, and foods such as dark soy sauce will lead to darker skin – I'm pretty sure that with my disposition to sunburn and Krusty's Northern Irish origins, I could eat only dark chocolate for 9 months and still get a bub as white as snow...

- Absolutely no renovation work should be carried out around the house, no matter how minor, as anything that involves drilling, hammering, chopping, sawing etc could lead to miscarriage or deformities – I am a bit worried about this one, since we have a few changes planned for the flat if we stay...

- Pregnant women should place a knife under their bed to ward off evil spirits – hmmmm

- Don't use glue as it results in difficult labour – depends how you're using it I guess!

- Don't utter any swear words while pregnant, as your baby could get cursed – oops!

- Don't rub your bump if you don't want a spoiled child – but that's the best bit about having a giant bulge full of life!

Needless to say that there are many, many more. Which I will follow, I don't yet know...