Preparing Home for Vietnamese Fiance

[b_weeks 6]

I am currently engaged to a wonderful Vietnamese woman. I am wanting to start getting the house ready for her.

What items have other Vietnam VJ'ers bought to prepare their homes for their loved ones???

[Jasman0717 9]

[KarenCee 3]

You might try posting this in the Regional Forum Asia: East and Pacific (Except China)

[Roy99 0]

I am currently engaged to a wonderful Vietnamese woman. I am wanting to start getting the house ready for her.

What items have other Vietnam VJ'ers bought to prepare their homes for their loved ones???

I would start with food the spices and noodles common in Vietnam. I got a lot of my spices and that chili sauce they use there, because they use that with almost everything they eat. Asian dishes will be great too along with chop sticks. A nice surpise would be a iron tea set. Everything else I think you should keep the same because she will want to see what your life is like there and be able to enjoy your things too. I just think the spices common Vietnamese foods Asian bowls and dish wear and a good tea set will be just fine. I think she will love that. You will be able to dress up your house together and that will help you both feel more comfortable in your home together. OH you should get some pictures of you together and some of her family and hang them on the wall to see. That would make her feel at home and a lot more......

Hope this helps give you ideas.

Good luck,

Roy

[panamania79 2]

I am currently engaged to a wonderful Vietnamese woman. I am wanting to start getting the house ready for her.

What items have other Vietnam VJ'ers bought to prepare their homes for their loved ones???

I would start with some common kitchen items used in Southeast Asian cooking.Such as a rice steamer,Nuoc nam,or nam pha( a shrimp flavored sauce no one should be without),some chili paste,and those long skinny hot peppers.If you live in a warm enough climate,you can grow them all year.I've only been able to grow them in the summer here of course.

[panamania79 2]

I am currently engaged to a wonderful Vietnamese woman. I am wanting to start getting the house ready for her.

What items have other Vietnam VJ'ers bought to prepare their homes for their loved ones???

I would start with some common kitchen items used in Southeast Asian cooking.Such as a rice steamer,Nuoc nam,or nam pha( a shrimp flavored sauce no one should be without),some chili paste,and those long skinny hot peppers.If you live in a warm enough climate,you can grow them all year.I've only been able to grow them in the summer here of course.I forgot to mention the mortar and pastle and a couple of cans of coconut milk.

[PeterFB 0]

So far, we have picked up a rice cooker and a bidet attachment for the toilet (found Mrs Bidet at Home Depot but we're a little dispointed in it as has a short hose and can't be extended). Thi wants a hand held shower head a la a kitchen sink sprayer but so far we haven't found anything that will work.

I would have your fiancee bring fish sause and other cooking seasonings from Vietnam. There should be no problems with Customs to bring that stuff in. We brought mushrooms, dried squid, cashews, sugar, bananas (not the Dole kind but little brown ones without their skins), dried baby shrimp, coffee, tea and some kitchen things. Just don't bring any meat, chicken products including processed ones. There was also gifts for my family and friends she brought. She also brought lots of personal things, clothes, etc. Thi is having dry skin problems because of the lack of humidity in So Ca. so it's good that she brought plenty of red and green oil.

Also make sure you have her family set up to use Yahoo Messenger, Skype, iVisit, Gizmo so she and you can talk to the family once she is here. If no computer voice system is possible (free is always best. The money I spent buying her computer has saved me a lot in phone costs.), then have a low cost calling card,ie Savingcall.com so she can talk to the family. Thi is happy that she can talk to them everyday.

Peter and Thi

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[chuckandkim 0]

Question is... where do you live? Louisville KY?

Google is your friend! http://www.ocaky.org/ocakydp/node/11

Here is what I did, unless you have been married before and have stuff left over from your previous marriage, otherwise, go shopping with your new wife would be an experience that money can buy Note I say "CAN" buy You learn so much about each other, you learn if she is a spender or a saver, practical and impractical impulsive buyer, or just clueless on the domestic front. Once you have that down, you then have a plan of attack and decorate the home as well as furnishing it to her taste and style that fit you, you means BOTH of you!

I wouldn't buy anything but the basic female products, foods wise... just go with her to the asian market and buy what you need. There is no way you are prepared for this life changing experience. I also find my frig is still full of produce from 2 years ago, dry fruits and baby shrimp. We don't use those much since we can buy them here in South Philly asian market anytime we need. Just want to save the "good" stuff from the motherland!

Yes, Nuoc Mam and Ricecooker is essencial but it's not the ONLY things vietnamese needs. Can't eat them alone, you just have to go shopping with her and find out you may need a lot, or you may need not! In my case, I need not for I myself an iron-chef-wanna-be So I buy those way before Kim arrives.

Ok... thinking of vietnamese foods making me hungry and it's 7:31AM here... Coffee anyone?

[Niels Bohr 72]

Feng shui setup in your house.

[panamania79 2]

Feng shui setup in your house.

That is very important.I forgot to mention about helping her set up her altar also.

[David-Hien 11]

I am currently engaged to a wonderful Vietnamese woman. I am wanting to start getting the house ready for her.

What items have other Vietnam VJ'ers bought to prepare their homes for their loved ones???

All of you said rice cooker and fish sauce but you forgot one important thing: chopstick. Preparing some rice.

In VN, the chopsticks are very cheap. Please tell her to buy their and bring to USA.

And buy some VN paintings such as the embroidery paintings with the VN landscape.

And if your area in the cold weather, buy her the leather coat, lotion, lipstick for lip moisture. Preparing for your house the fireplace and good heater.

I feel difficult with the cold weather here. My skin is dry. I had to use lotion and lipstick for lip moisture in the winter.

Edited March 10, 2008 by Hien

[BishopMnA 0]

I think chuckandkim have given the best advice.

Sure, there is a bit of preparation you can do...but I did the same as they did...waited until my then-fiancee arrived in the USA before doing anything. For her arrival, all I basically did was buy her a fluffy bathrobe and some slippers and a bottle of champagne...just enough to make her first couple days really welcoming

You need to remember, there isn't going to be much that she can do when she first arrives here! Until you get married, get her SS card, get her driver's license, and get that AOS package rolling your fiancee is going to be basically 'home-bound'. During that 'limbo-time' my wife and I set out to find the things in America that would make her feel comfortable and happy here. We hit garage sales, markets, malls...everywhere! For her, I think it was a bit dizzing to see all that America has to offer! <haha> Now, about one year later, she is an expert <HAHA> We really enjoyed doing all that together...I wouldn't trade those memories for anything! It was a wonderful time ;-)

Peace,

MarkNAAm - P.S. GREAT PICS from your prior post...CONGRATS!

[Dan J 277]

I do like the suggestion of waiting until she is here before doing most of the work. That way you can pick out stuff together.

But definetly look for a good asian grocery store that you can visit. Being able to get food from home will help with any homesickness.

Other than that, just try to be as accomidating as possible. Being able to make home really feel like home will help her adjust and feel comfortable here.

[Guy&Hoa 0]

Good thread...

I bought my fiancee a warm rain jacket, here in Northern California it still gets cold in the evening and morning, I agree with the moisturizer and Chapstick, I also bought a small rice cooker from Target, and a small stool for the bathroom so she can sit and dry her hair. I need to buy a bathrobe and some slippers, thats a good idea too. I agree with Chuck, it will be far better to go shop together for other needs when she comes here.

R/

-Guy&Hoa

[patricks 0]

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