On a snowy day...

It seems like a good time to update the blog!

I can't believe that it's not even Halloween yet but there's snow falling, and sticking, in our backyard. We've fully moved into our new home and love it. Our little Cape Cod has three bedrooms, two baths, and a gorgeous deck and backyard. Our disposal is already broken and we just got the first mortgage bill so I guess we're officially homeowners! We still have a bunch of boxes to unpack but there's enough set up that I can spend most of the afternoon baking. I'm experimenting with kale chips (oven baked) and comparing two pizza dough recipes for tonight.

I guess that's the nesting instinct coming in. We're excited to be in the house and even more excited for our little new addition that will be joining us in April! I'm nearly 15 weeks and overwhelmed with stuff to do! We need to find a daycare, find a pediatrician, buy a crib (did you know they can take six months to be delivered!?), and make sure this darn house is set up before baby arrives!

I went to China last month and took some pictures. I was there for work so the only fun thing I got to do was race through the Forbidden City in 45 minutes but regardless, it was pretty and I need to get those pictures online.

A Boring Update from a Boring Home Leave

Obviously, I made it and had a successful surgery.

I'm a little under two weeks out from recovery and doing pretty well. Gallbladder removal is done laproscopically so it's a less-invasive procedure. That said, the first five days after the surgery were basically miserable...I was afraid I'd made a huge mistake and that I'd never feel normal again! That passed (thank you, Vicodin, for your help) and while I'm not 100% (still hurts to sneeze and yawn, plus I have to watch how quickly I sit and generally move my abdomen) I'm doing pretty good.

That said, it SO NICE to be sick back in America. Here, I can communicate with doctors and pharmacists with ease, pick up familiar products from the grocery shelves, and watch endless episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker and Keeping up with the Kardashians. So great.

This week is the end of home leave for me (some home leave, I've been no fun to anyone around me though I was spoiled being cared for by my husband, parents, and sister) and I am trying to fit in house-hunting along with random things like finding a dog-walker, arranging for a CSA, medical follow-ups, and receiving our UAB. No complaints though - it's definitely nice to not be working and not be sick - all at the same time!

Incommunicado

One may think that I haven't posted because I've been too busy eating, drinking, and walking for miles and miles without running into Hesco barriers or barbed wire.

One would be wrong.

We used miles for a delightful business-class upgrade from Dubai. It was amazing. Then we landed in Texas where it's been over 100 degrees for something like 20 days straight. I had one nice BBQ meal and one decent tex-mex meal before....it struck.

I thought it was a Kabul-related illness at first but when the cramping and pain didn't go away, we went to the ER. I was released with Vicodan and a "don't know" diagnosis but ended up back there again today after spending nearly a week immobile in bed. As it turns out, my gallbladder is busted and needs to come out. I'm able to blog as I'm happily jacked on morphine.

I'm definitely irritated that these attacks started months ago and were dismissed by the Kabul Health Unit. I really shouldn't be surprised given my prior experiences with State MED. Oh well, remember to be my own best advocate and not let anyone convince me that "it's just stress".

By this time tomorrow, I'll be gall-bladder-less and hopefully in a lot less pain!

Random Collection of Thoughts

We had our packout today and while it wasn't the marathon experience that it was in Milan, it wasn't particularly easy. We ended up with about 1500lbs of stuff which is much more than I thought we'd have but, then again, we did buy some pretty heavy pieces of furniture.

By the time we get to DC, our stuff will have probably cleared customs and be waiting for delivery. We plan to just take possession of our UAB (about 350lbs) though since we'll be in a temporary place while we househunt.

So, pretty boring.

I am capping off the day by hosting trivia this evening which is kind of fun. Our team won last time which means we have the pleasure of hosting. We enjoy hosting so it really is fun for us to come up with questions that don't suck.

I've received a few really nice emails lately from colleagues that I work with for a distance. They've found out that I'm leaving in a couple weeks (I don't plan to say goodbyes though until my successor arrives next week) and they're sending some really thoughtful farewell emails. That is definitely helping me stay away from "check-out syndrome" and stay motivated.

Two more weeks to go.

An Ode to my Co-Workers or Things Happen for a Reason

For all the frustrations inherent with working in a warzone bureaucracy, there are some bright spots in my work life. Most specifically, ten bright spots - my co-workers. I must be the luckiest girl in the world because I've consistently had wonderful co-workers and (mostly) great bosses. And when I say great, I truly mean it.

In Kabul, we spend a lot of time at work and my section has frequently been told that we are the 'funnest' in the Embassy. I think that's because we genuinely enjoy each other and our work. My co-workers are starting to PCS and I'll be joining them in about a month. While some of us are already planning our USA reunions (see, we really love each other) it also means that I'll likely never work with these guys again. See, we all work in the same field and most Embassies (even the really big ones) wouldn't have a section like ours so this is a rare opportunity.

I work with quite a few bakers and we're all lucky enough to have kitchens so we are pretty regularly bringing in treats (men and women!) for both each other and all the random officers who frequent our section. We even had a banana bread bake-off a few months ago! I didn't enter but should have. I can rival the best. We also tell a lot of jokes and keep one another laughing. I think you have to if you want to stay sane spending so many hours together and in the office. They're not always the most appropriate jokes but since we all "get" each other pretty well, it works. Our Afghan colleagues are definitely not left out in this and frequently join the pranking whenever somebody goes out of town. If you leave your computer unlocked, God help you...you don't want to know what background image your desktop will be set to.

Beyond just the fun, this is the most trust-worthy group of people I've worked with. If I drop a ball, I can count on somebody not just to pick it up but also to cover for me and I'd do the same for any of them. I think that's rare in the Foreign Service (at least when you're talking about a large section). Everyone does their job and does it WELL so if you're covering for someone, it's for a really good reason. People are creative and while we're bound to SO FREAKING MANY rules (many ridiculous), we use our "interpretive skills" to stay between the lines but be as helpful as humanly possible.

This wasn't my first choice job - there was another position I wanted in Kabul and two others in Baghdad I was considering. Kabul gave me the offer first and while I was disappointed not to get my first choice, I can't imagine not being here - with these people - now. Lagos wasn't my first choice either (Kinshasa was, WTF was I thinking?) but, hey, I met my husband and great friends. Whatever comes next in the Foreign Service, I'll have to keep in mind that everything that's happened that hasn't gone according to plan have led to the most amazing experiences. When I don't get a job/post I want and am moping around, I'll have to re-read this. Chin up, future self. Everything happens for a reason.

Toto, we're not in Kabul

It probably seems like we are always on vacation, given that I never really write about much else. It's true, the leave package for Afghanistan is pretty generous and we've certainly taken advantage of having more time (and probably more money) then we'll have again for a loooooong time. That's to make up for having no weekends and holidays (for which I do not receive any OT - just like any other salaried position) and no time/energy to even talk on the phone to friends and family after work. But since this is it - our last real vacation for a looooong time - we made the most of it on an Azamara cruise through Greece and Turkey with Kabul friends (and half the male British Air flight attendants) , topped off by a few days at the end in Istanbul.
So, so beautiful - maybe we'll have to do a tour in Greece someday to spend more time there. In the meantime, I've found that Istanbul's internet is pretty speedy so I've caught up on Facebook and Flickr photo postings. Anything else will have to wait though as I've got this whole wide beautiful city to explore and only a few days to do it!

Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha

When we made it back to Bangkok, our vacation was drawing to a close. While we had several more days in the city, quite a bit of that time was tied up with some medical issues that I needed to resolve. Those looking for a great hospital is BKK could do no better than BNH. Wow - they were fantastic and so professional!

We did squeeze in more time for delicious Thai food, long walks, and even some formalized sight-seeing. We made it over to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) on a cloudy day and thanks to our modest dress, were able to bypass the long lines of tourists who had to rent sarongs (to cover their legs) and go right in.
The complex of buildings was filled with dazzling colors and beautiful images both of sculpture and gilded onto the walls. While the present King of Thailand no longer resides there, it was the official residence starting in the 1700s.

The Wat, or temple, inside the complex houses the Emerald Buddha. The Thai King is the only person allowed to touch the small jade statue of the virasana Buddha. No pictures of Buddha but we did go inside, careful to observe the Buddhist tradition of not facing your feet to the figure (you sit on them or tuck them behind you).

Near the temple and in other parts of the compound we saw large bowls with white (lotus?) flowers beside them. Buddhist families appeared to be using them for prayer offerings and/or blessings.

Of Fish and Phuket

I have some more Bangkok photos, some of which are really pretty, but first want to share the fact that my husband got a fishie pedicure. While looking for the foot massage joint with the most comfy looking chairs one evening, we passed a tank of fish that promise to eat the dead skin from your feet. Naturally, I turned to my darling husband and dared him to try it.

His verdict is that it tickled and felt weird at first but then didn't bother him. His feet felt really soft afterward. From my perspective, it just looked really weird. Then again, I'm the weirdo who doesn't like fish touching me when I snorkel. And speaking of snorkeling, isn't that a really cool close-up photo M got? The fish are eating the watermelon that I threw in the water so that they'd swarm around M. The Aussies we were with did it for their friend as well but she kind of freaked out by the abrupt crowd. I can't blame her for that.

30x30

Progress report!

So, I actually have been working on some of the to-do items on my list. Some are in progress, one is done.

11. Find "my" winter perfume
Jo Malone's Nectarine Blossom and Honey perfume. Gosh, this stuff smells so delish. It's a little too flowery for the summer months but I know it will be amazing when I'm craving sunshine during the winter.

14. Quit soda (or at least those with aspartame)
I gave up soda for Lent and have been able to transition post-Easter pretty successfully. I've had the occasional Coke Zero (sue me, I like the taste) but have definitely beaten the addiction from before. I used to drink a Diet Coke every morning and often one at lunch. Now, if I have Coke at lunch after my morning coffee, I'm crazy-jittery.

I've started making some photo books too (for our wedding and from the Lagos days) but will tackle Italia and Afghanistan a bit later.

Ko Phi Phi

The Phi Phi islands are famous for being the film site of Leonardo DiCaprio's movie 'The Beach'. If I hadn't already known that, I certainly would have from ALL of the advertising around Phuket islands. Of course, we love boats and couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a nice long boat ride to some gorgeous islands.

We signed up with a big group but snagged seats in the front of the boat with some funny Aussie tourists. The group of us kept things pretty entertained and the next time we get to Oz, we'll have to try out all their recommendations for Melbourne. But...the islands. They weren't particularly deserted. We expected that, given that we were with a fair-sized group ourselves but it was hard to take a picture of the beach or even the water without getting lots of people and boats in the shot. Oh well.

We took in the beautiful scenery on Phi Phi and did some people watching at the same time. Swimming around the boats, we also managed to get away from the crowds and float in the cove for a bit.
The boat kept going to a few other islands after Phi Phi - stopping for snorkling, monkey-feeding, and a mediocre buffet lunch. Lest I sound like too much of a complainer (becuase really, it was gorgeous), we finally stopped on a quieter beach with local vendors selling drinks and yummy snacks like grilled corn.

I thought I'd catch up on my reading but the sound of the waves and the gentle breeze lulled me into a calm meditation. Can we go back now?

Phuket City

From Bangkok, we headed to the beach on Phuket. We were originally supposed to be in Koh Samui but the devastating floods there forced us to change our plans (no thanks to Carlson-Wagonlit, their outrageous service fees and horrific customer service). With almost a week on the island, we intended to explore lots of the island but ended up getting SCUBA certified (him) and reading lots of books (me). It was just what we needed.

We did, however, explore the old town of Phuket City. The architecture is strongly influenced by the Chinese and Portuguese, creating an intriguing mixture that made me think I was on the streets of Lisbon...until I ran a Chinese temple or gigantic gold dragon.

Despite the many closed shops (it was still Songkran), we had some delicious food (hello, perfectly cooked greens! I haven't seen you in months!), a great exploratory walk, and eventually a heavenly Thai massage at the Raintree Spa.

Bangkok for Songkran

Oh, hi. It's been awhile but yes, here I am. Maybe back but without any great ambitions for text. Things have been very busy here in Kabul. Lots of work and lots of forced time indoors, too bad since we've had beautiful weather lately. We're coming close to the end of our tour but still have one last R&R to look forward to next month.

I've got lots of photos from our trip to Phuket and Bangkok - it was fantastic. Not much time for any photo correction so you'll get the basics but at least they'll be online. We arrived in Bangkok right before the Thai New Year, aka Songkran, aka the Water Festival. It's basically just how it sounds - lots of water and lots of celebrating! Two friends from Kabul met us in BKK the first night and we had a great dinner to celebrate my birthday. One of our friends was PCS'ing back to the US but we managed to convince her to stay just one last day to celebrate the New Year. She was glad for it and so were we.

We headed to Khao San road (the infamous backpacker district) where we joined the thousands of Thais and foreigners in a huge street party. There was music, drinks, delicious food, and torrential water beatings. We had purchased water guns along the way and while we put up a good fight, the buckets of ice water won every time. Aside from the water, there was a clay paste that (mostly Thais) were rubbing on people's faces. Since we'd watched 'No Reservations: Thailand' prior to our trip, we knew to expect this and thus my knee-jerk reaction to smack any stranger who touches my face and neck was suppressed.

One low point to the day was the pickpocketing of our new digital waterproof camera. These photos belong to a friend since, duh, all our photos were gone. Luckily, we had so much fun that even the thief didn't spoil our day. Also lucky? That we found a good deal the next day on a replacement waterproof camera (we knew we'd snorkel in Phuket and want to take pictures) for about $100.


P.S. This marks our third New Year party this year (Western, Afghan, and Thai).