End of Radio Silence

I know I've been absent now for over a month, but I've had good reason.  First, there was the horrible, awful, no good, very bad plane ride with Honeydog and United-- I'm not going to go into it, other than to say the new pet policy is NOT helpful AT ALL.  But then right after we arrived in the US DH called with some shocking news and a decision to be made.  Basically, someone whispered an amazing opportunity into my husband's ear and suggested he apply for it.  BUT what that meant was that he would have to break his upcoming DC assignment to do it.  The opportunity was of the once in a career kind that could not be passed up so DH took the leap.  But that meant that for the last month we have been living in a kind of limbo where every waking thought was "are we moving?  We're not moving.  We are moving!  We're not moving.  Are we moving?  My parents are going to be so disappointed.  Are we moving?" 
And I'm happy/sad/still in shock/excited/disappointed to say that we are indeed moving to Wuhan China.  I'm happy and excited because this will be a fantastic opportunity for DH and our family will again have the opportunities only available to us while we are overseas.  On the other hand, I was looking forward to being in the US and being closer to my family and getting to know my niece and brand new nephew.  I also had begun to paint our house in fabulous colors and doing the work made the whole US experience feel much more real and possible. 
But alas, we are moving to Wuhan for good or ill.  I guess it's good for you, since I can continue to regale you with stories of China and pictures of the crazy experiences we will have.  My stories of the US would have been a lot more mundane with a lot of pictures of me in Wal Mart, Target, or sitting around in my house (probably not but I'm feeling pessimistic and tired right now) 
As of yet we still don't have an estimated departure time, but I'm sure it will come all too soon. 

United says "Screw You" to the Foreign Service

United's Senior Manager for Marketing, Customer Service and Business Systems responded to my letter to United CEO Smisek on March 7.  He said that United developed the waiver for the military "in recognition of the commitment made by members of our military and the family members (including the four-legged ones) who share in their sacrifice" and intends to limit this "special process" to military families only.  United has sent a standard customer relations response to individual e-mails saying that concerns would be conveyed to senior management for disposition.

This is the response we received from United in response to their change in pet shipping policy that will basically make it a nightmare to transport Honeydog from post to post.    While I'm super mad about that, what makes me most upset is the response from United. 

"in recognition of the commitment made by members of our military and the family members (including the four-legged ones) who share in their sacrifice" and intends to limit this "special process" to military families only. 

"In recognition of the commitment"??????  What the ^%$?  Now, I know we are NOT the military.  My brother is military, and the stress that he and his family endure, is something different...  I'm not saying we are the same as the military they are responsible for the physical safety of the United States.  However, the Foreign Service serves the people of the US, especially those overseas.  If you are overseas and get sick, are arrested, or are the victim of a crime, a Foreign Service officer (FSO) can be there to support you.  They will help you arrange payment at a hospital, visit you in prison (they will NOT be able to get you out, you are in a foreign country you must abide by that country's rules), or help you file a police report.  FSOs have arranged search parties for hikers, helicopters for sick babies, and given repatriation loans to down on their luck travelers to get them back home.
If you are in a country that goes to pot or has a natural disaster FSOs are there to help you finalize your documents and arrange evacuation travel to get you to someplace safe.  In the past year they have done this in Japan, Egypt, Libya, and Syria.  Most of those FSOs did not live in the places they were helping out, they left their families behind to help out those in need.  In the case of natural disasters FSOs help to keep Americans in foreign countries apprised of dangers, coordinate search and rescue efforts, and inform family members of the situation on the ground.
FSOs are charged with the job of promoting US trade and tourism.  When at all possible they try to facilitate travel and are always looking for new ways to make the visa process easier, faster, and safer (to protect the US at home).
FSOs and their families serve as living breathing representations of America.   In many places in the world what people know of America comes from movies and television and the few Americans they might meet.  Sometimes we are able to contradict the movies, and sometimes not (Can I tell you how many times I have been asked if all American women are like the ladies in Sex in the City?).
Embassies and Consulates are also targets.  If you are looking for a way to hurt America but can't afford the plane ticket what do you do?  You look to the Embassy.  From the local crazy person to more organized attempts US Embassies and Consulates are vigilant because we know we are targets and are vulnerable.
So United, don't talk to me about commitment.  I know very well what "commitment" means and for you to suggest that our contribution is not valuable is insulting. 

tips for pack out and moving part 2-- the purge

All right, so I've figured out what I want to go into my airfreight, now what about the rest of this crap?  Now it's time to purge.  This step is not really necessary, but it helps to keep your weight down and believe it or not it helps when you unpack.  I usually start my purge a couple of months out so that I can take my time and I don't get frustrated with how long it takes and quit half way through.
I don't know about you, but for some reason my stuff breeds in the dark.  I might start off with a few sheets of paper or a couple of books here and there, but by the time we leave in two years I've got stacks and stacks of paper, shelves of books, clothes, craft items, and other assorted--well crap that has limited use.  So every two years or so with a pack out date looming on the calendar like an ominous cloud I begin a purge.
I usually start with the least used room, no reason, except that in that room I can make as much of a mess as I want and it doesn't disturb anyone's life.   Then I open all the drawers, go into all the closets, look at all the bookshelves to see what we haven't used in the last two years that I can get rid of.  In this way, I slowly move through the house from room to room getting rid of things. 
I know this step sounds simple, but it is time consuming and will help you when it comes time to actually organize your things for pack out.

I don't know what to cook

 Before we joined the foreign service I was a pre-made girl.  If it came in a box, a can, or a bag, I knew how to use it and expand on it.  About the only thing I consistently made from scratch was cake.  But then we joined the foreign service.  Our first post was Beijing, and it was delicious and cheap to eat out, and eat out we did (and we both gained a bunch of weight)!  Then we went to Baku.  The first year I didn't cook a thing.  The markets were crazy, the food odd, everything was in Russian-- oh and I was pregnant.  By the end of the second year I had started to cook some things, but I was still having trouble coming up with things for us to eat.  After all, I couldn't go to the store and buy a can of soup, or a box of tacos... what's a girl to do?  By the time we moved to Taiwan, I realized that the world simply did not supply their grocery stores the way America does, and for better or for worse I was going to have to make some changes in the way that I thought about cooking. 
So I began simply.  Instead of dwelling on what wasn't there, I started to look at what WAS there and I tried to figure out what I could make from that.  I discovered that with a little flour, sugar, and vegetables there are TONS of things that you can make yourself.  Now, despite the fact that we live in China and nothing looks familiar we eat Western style almost every night. When we go out we eat Chinese because Chinese food in Chengdu is good, Western food...not so much.  This is true in most places outside of the major cosmopolitan areas, you are not going to get quality __ food unless you are in that country.  In all other cases it will be expensive and tasteless.  So cook what you can at home, and eat the local foods out, this way you get the best of both worlds. 
I guess my point is, that if you are a foreign service spouse, or officer, you have to be brave, and daring even on the culinary front.  There are very few things that you can buy, be it in a can, a box, or a package, that you cannot make, and often times make better, at home with a few simple ingredients.  And when you start to think it's impossible remember that your grandmother (or maybe your great grandmother) used to do all this AND she didn't have a microwave or a refrigerator.

There and back again.

Well, the bidding process is almost over!  DH has been offered a position in DC for the next two years to start next summer (Hmm that was an awkward sentence).  I'm excited, but...
ACK!  We're going back to the US!  This means I'm going to have to mop my own floors and clean my own toilets!  And OH NO I'm going to have to get a job! Who is going to hire me?  I've been at home now for more than 5 years?  How do you translate overseas stay at home mom into recognizable skills on a resume?  And yes, I do have skills.  I can organize a move, including suitcases, airfreight, ground freight, and storage shipments across continents, seasons, and languages.  I can arrange transportation for an 80lb dog including import/export paperwork requirements.  I can organize a meal for over 15 people with one oven, 4 burners, and no catered or boxed dishes (meaning no stove top stuffing, or pre cooked turkey from the grocery store).  I can think about what we are going to have for Xmas in October so that everything is ordered and arrives at post before the holiday.  I can arrive in a country speaking only minor amounts of the language and find grocery stores, vegetable markets, bakeries, etc.  I can start from scratch every two years....
*sigh* despite my whining it will be good to go back. We'll be super close to family.  I'll be able to understand the dominant language spoken.  Everything will be much more convenient.  I'm curious to see if all my hard won knowledge will become rusty once I am back in the US and can go to the store to buy granola and yogurt and fresh baked bread.  But oh the cheese, and ooh fresh milk.  Oh and one stop shopping!  I'm curious how much time shopping and making food will consume when I don't have to go to three different stores for my weekly shopping and still not find everything that I'm looking for.  And we'll be living in our own house, so if I want to paint a wall, I can.  Oh to have color on the walls!  I can't wait to paint!  I'm going to have to start looking now to see what colors I want to use!

escape plan

The events in the Middle East over the last month has highlighted one of the things that I fear the most about the foreign service.  An unplanned evacuation.  As a foreign service family there are a lot of hardships and difficulties that we deal with on a day to day basis.  Most of them are minor and can be dealt with, or ignored.  You know, not understanding the local language, frustrations over local customs that you might not understand, not being able to find a peanut butter that you like, etc.  Not a big deal.  But as the events in Libya have shown sometimes things can go from unpleasant to serious in a matter of weeks, if not days.  Or they can go from bad to worse in a matter of hours.
Since they evacuated the embassy in Egypt I've been trying to figure out what we would do in such a situation.  We have an emergency bag packed.  It's got a change of clothes, our passports, toothbrushes, Honey's rabies certificate, etc.  But, like in Libya, what if we have to evacuate quickly.  What would happen to Honey?  What about all the pictures and the little things that I've collected over the years that have some sort of emotional significance (like Babes' first pair of shoes)?  Would that stuff get packed up if things stabilize?  Will it get torched by the locals?   And poor Honey, the thought of having to leave her behind breaks my heart.  DH claims it's my fault for wanting a dog, but she has added so much to our lives, I can't imagine leaving her to her fate.
There are so many things to be thankful for while we live overseas, but there is also danger, frustration, and loneliness.  And yes, we signed up for it, and yes, we know it's a possibility that the country we are living in could destabilize under your feet, but it's a price we are willing to accept because we think the work the Embassies and consulates do overseas is very important.  

One of those women

So yesterday I went to my first Holiday Planning meeting as a wife of a diplomat. I have always avoided such things in the past by either working or leaving post. But this year I am in town and my child is too big for me to say I'm too busy. *sigh* I've crossed over and become one of "those" women. It's not bad I guess. I am involved in what happens over the holiday, and I can steer events towards things that I like or Babes likes, but still.
I knew this before though. We've only been at post 3 1/2 months and I've already been to 3 maybe 4 potlucks and I'm pretty sure we've got at least 3 more before the end of the year. So I've decided that I need a casserole warmer. But all the ones I have found are so old fashioned. You know, big sunflowers on the top and what not. I've decided that if I'm going to knit or crochet one I need to put something cool on top. But so far I can't find a 3 dimensional pattern for a Darth Vader helmet or tie fighter. *SIGH* I might just have to make the lame sunflowers.

spread out

One of the most maddening things about the foreign service lifestyle are all the transitions. I knew when we left Baku that we would be in the US for about a year. So we had to try to reduce our household into the most used items that would fit into 600 pounds of air freight. Now if you don't know, 600 pounds is a lot of stuff, but it doesn't fit everything. We left behind a good portion of the kitchen stuff, all of our lamps, rugs, pictures, etc. half of Babes' toys, and various other things that make up a household. And while we are pretty well set up here in our furnished rental, it doesn't cover everything. You've got your basic cooking equipment, but no baking pans, so I have been either putting off baking or purchasing baking pans.
You also tend to forget what you've packed or not, and I think in the excitement of packing I left some things that I intended to bring, and brought things that I intended to leave. It's so frustrating because I'm sometimes positive that I brought something and I tear apart the apartment only to discover that it's not here. And if it's not here is it at my parent's house, or my in-law's house? I hate being so spread out! Sometimes I feel as if I can't find ANYTHING!