Food Allergies Abroad

Filed in archive Food Allergies on August 3, 2007

We have moved! No, I don't mean this blog; I mean us, my family, moving houses... well, continents, actualy. We've relocated from Europe to Asia, and apart form keeping this blog above water, I've been practically out-of-touch. Some of you have been emailing me and leaving comments in this blog, and I apologize for not having replied. I just couldn't find the extra time. But, the good news is, I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We've found a flat, equipped the new digs with the basics (our personal effects has been shipped and will arrive later), and my little one is getting settled in his new kindergarten.

How is relocation like for someone with allergies? So far, my allergic rhinitis and my son's skin allergies seems to be still dormant, but one of the things we did on our first few days here is to locate shops where we can get rice milk, my son's alternative to cow's milk. On that front we were successful, but we still have to find alternatives to peanut butter and such. Dining out has been incident-free, so far, but I cannot say that I can relax. Not at all. In fact, figuring out what's safe and not is not that easy, especially when you're not familiar with the dishes on the menu. Asking for the ingredients of each and every dish can be tedious, but in a region where peanuts and seafoods feature largely, it's definitely necessary for those with food allergies.

If you're visiting my part of the sky anytime soon, drop me a note. Maybe I can even help you suss out allergy-free dishes to try!