Winding Down

As expected, I have mixed emotions about leaving the Foreign Service. As the days and weeks go by and I approach my June 20 departure date from Karachi, I've reflected on the good times I've had and how those memories will be with me forever.  I'll miss so much of this lifestyle when I make my transition to retired person.  But I'm also excited about returning to Texas and now that I finally heard that I am a homeowner once again, I am thinking about what all I will now have time to do in that house to put my stamp on it.  I know all my carpets will look beautiful on the floors.  I was lucky to find a house with no/no wall to wall carpet, so I won't have to rip anything up!

 

These past 6 years have been so good; I don’t even know where to start listing what I’ll miss when I return to a normal life.  Probably the biggest thing I’ll miss is working with the local staff at the posts…Tegucigalpa, Muscat and Lahore.  Unless you are exposed to other cultures and people in other countries, you can’t appreciate how much I will miss this part of my job.  Living in America, we tend to believe that our way is the best way, the only way and any other ‘way’ is unacceptable.  This is totally not the case. I've learned so much from the Hondurans, Omanis and Pakistanis.  Not only do you learn that there’s more than one way to do something, depending on your circumstances, what supplies you have to work with and the skills you have to get the job done, you also learn that that your way may not be the best for all.  And the way of doing business around the world is amazing.  When I was in Oman as well as here in Pakistan, I would look at carpets…gorgeous, expensive hand knotted carpets.  There would be 30 carpets unrolled in front of me and the shop keeper would say…”Take some home with you and see how you like them.”  Hey, we’re talking over $1000 per carpet and this man is telling me to just take a few home.  “Pay me later”, he says…”or bring them back.  It’s OK.”  Of course, they knew that once you got it home, you’d fall in love with it even more and the carpet would never be returned.  You would go back the next day or week with cash in hand, thanking him profusely for letting you take them home to see just how you liked them.  Can you see Macy’s doing that?  Heck no.  There’s also a place in Islamabad who would sell items and, knowing we were diplomats and would be leaving in a year or 2, would buy back the items you had bought (less a small percentage) when you moved on if you decided you didn't want to keep them.  It’s kind of like a rental service for local items without having to keep them forever if you don’t want to.  This helps you avoid the problem of accumulating a ton of things at each post around the world.  After a 20 year career, I can imagine a home looking like a museum!

What will I not miss?  That list deals mostly with the quality of life.  It will be nice to be able to drink the water from the tap again.  I will love being in the same time zone as friends.  Being able to pick up the phone and call my doctor, insurance company, or whoever it might be that I have a problem with instead of waiting a week for emails to bounce back and forth.  And I will not miss being chauffeured around!  I can’t wait to get my car back!  And I won't have to soak my vegetables in bleach water.  

There’s another thing that I’ll have to deal with when I return home.  I've had the greatest opportunity to travel the world and see things that most people never get the chance to see…and experience things that others will never experience.  I’ll have to be very careful to not go on and on about my travels and experiences when with friends.  I have photo books with photos I've taken that I’ll leave out and if people ask, I will be happy to talk about my travels.  I may need to find an outlet for my love of places I've been…maybe the library or schools that sponsor things like this where I can share my experiences.  As much as I want to share where I've been and what I've seen, I don’t want to bore my friends.  I can see their eyes rolling and them thinking…’here she goes again.’

I can’t wait for what’s in store for me…

Christmas in Oman...and Paris

Next year I move on to another post, Lahore, Pakistan.  I'm excited about the challenges and changes I will face.  I decided that before I headed back to Texas for my home leave and training (and then onward to Pakistan) I would make a short trip Paris.  I invited my daughter to meet me there, but she was unable to get away, so I flew off for a solo 5 day vacation in the City of Lights.

I had a blast!  I must have walked 25 miles in 5 days!  I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and drank in the gorgeous views from all sides...Paris is even more beautiful from above!  The very wide boulevards and beautiful buildings were amazing.  It was a cold and cloudy day but as the clouds blew by, openings were created and I was able to get some great pictures.  Since it was not that great of a day weatherwise, it wasn't crowded and moving around was really easy.  Our tour guide was a Canadian girl who knew every bit of information about the Tower and about Gustave Eiffel.  Spending the extra few dollars to get a guided tour was worth every penney. I would have never learned what I did just by wandering around on my own.

Another place I visited a couple of times was L'Arc de Triomphe.  What a gorgeous giant monument! The monument is covered with the names of the soldiers, dates and there is even an eternal flame and burial of a French soldier, sort of like our tomb of the unknown soldier we have in DC.

Up close, you can see the intricate details of the sculptures all over the monument...it's just amazing.  I also decided to walk up the 284 steps to the very top observation deck...and made it!  Once again, the view was spectacular!  There are 12 very wide boulevards that lead into the Arc, sort of like spokes of a wheel.  You can see forever from the top and really appreciate the layout of the city. Just another example of extreme beauty in Paris.

No trip to Paris would be considered complete without a trip to the Louvre.  I'm not a real art afficionado, but I was totally blown away by the beauty at the Louvre.  The sculptures were absolutely gorgeous (Venus de Milo, among many others) and the paintings were unbelievable.  I was not impressed by the Mona Lisa, even though her eyes did follow me when I walked around her.  There are so many other more beautiful works of art than her and I just don't get all the hoopla over that one painting. 

Another side trip I invested in was the Hop On-Hop Off bus tour.  I bought a 2 day ticket and the 4 different routes made it possible to see almost the entire city.  You could get off where you wanted and about 30 minutes later, another yellow and blue bus would come along and you got back on.  One of the many stops was Notre Dame.  Once again, I saw that the pictures I  have seen of this place all my life just don't do it justice.  There is so much beauty incorporated on the front of Notre Dame...I just wish I had a guide to tell me what everything was...what story they were telling. I suppose I could google Notre Dame and get all the details.  The inside was gorgeous with tall, tall ceilings and beautiful brickwork on them.  The stained glass "rose" windows are plentiful.  The feeling of history and reverence that you get when inside a place such as Notre Dame is very powerful...like being in the middle of a historical moment.

During my wanderings in Paris, I found lots of shops to explore.  But my favorites were the bakeries.  The baguettes and beignets (especially the chocolate filled ones) and croissants were delicious.  And I had some of the best french onion soup, french fries and cheeses ever!  All in all, I had a great time!

When I told some people I was going to Paris by myself, I got odd looks.  The most romantic city in the world and you're going by yourself???  You bet!  I decided several years ago to 'just do it' and denying myself something merely because I would do it alone was certainly not reason enough to not 'do it.'   And when I tell my friends about my adventures, I know they wish they were me.

Faces of Oman

Recently I attended the Muscat Festival here in Muscat, Oman. This is an annual event that celebrates the cultural differences among the many people of Oman. It brings together the different tribes of Omani people in celebration of their cultural heritage. It was also a wonderful opportunity for anyone who, like me, love photography. All of the diverse cultures are showcased in dance, traditional costumes and food.  I'm grateful for the opportunity that my job affords me to be exposed to different cultures and customs and getting to learn about Oman's rich heritage is a bonus.

For those of you in the Foreign Service, if you get the opportunity to bid on Muscat, Oman, go for it!  It's a wonderful place with terrific people and great regional travel opportunities! So what if it's 120 degrees 7 months of the year...we have great air conditioning and the diving is great.

 Pucker up! 

The children were beautiful....

Handicrafts were being demonstrated throughout the event.  This lady is making baskets.

Photographers were everywhere on this night, and every night.  This festival is a representation of all cultures and tribes that make up Oman.  It is an annual event and I will definitely attend more than just one night of this month long celebration in January 2012.

This man was amazing.  During the entire demonstration by the entire group, he wandered around, with wonderful looks on his face and even balancing the tip of his sword on the tip of his finger...without drawing blood!  The costumes and faces of this group was wonderful.

The man below was all smiles and wanted to talk. When I asked him if I could take his picture, he said "Of course" and proceeded to give me this look. After I took his picture, he laughed and said "I hope that's a good picture!"  

Rainy Day in Muscat

Ahhh...the rainy season in Oman.  It is generally hot here but this is the rainy season, short as it might be, and the other day clouds rolled in and it rained. It was a  wonderful rain. The sky had a very threatening look to it and being from Texas, I did expect some thunder and lightning. But all it did was rain. I have been told that the real rainy season is yet to come so maybe this was just a 24 hour teaser. The wadis, or dry riverbeds, are all over and when it rains even a modest amount, these wadis fill with water that runs down off the rock mountains that surround the city.

 Today it's a gorgeous day and I may take a drive to one of the wadis and see if there's any transformation as a result of this rain. The mountains look the same, but they are solid rock, so there is no real greening of them from rain.  I took this picture from the end of my driveway...the front door is just under those pieces of wood sticking out on the right. It was about 4:00pm when I took this...my outdoor lights even came on because of the low light.

Just another pleasant surprise in this middle eastern country...rain. We take it so much for granted yet in some parts of the world it is a blessing.

Merry Christmas, Omani Style

It's December 21st here in Muscat, Oman and Christmas is just around the corner.  But it just doesn't feel like it.  I'm not hearing Christmas songs on the radio, I haven't seen It's A Wonderful Life even one time and (can't believe I'm saying this) I actually miss hearing that bell being rung in front of stores.  Yes, it is Christmas in a non-Christian country and if you're headed to one, prepare yourself.  Go overboard in bringing lots of decorations and CDs to hear the music you always yearn to hear during December.  Since there are many British residents here, Christmas decorations are available in most store, but in short supply and not cheap! Stock up on gift type things, including wrapping paper, and don't forget to factor in shipping fees.  It is a big part of your budget!

I do miss my kids and my grandkids.  One of my friends is coming tomorrow night  from Sarajevo for 9 days and we'll experience Christmas in Oman together.  One good thing...all the stores will be open!  However, I'm not sure we'll find many bargains.  We will go snorkeling, see some 15th century forts, shop in the souk, or marketplace, explore the surrounding towns and just have a good old time.  My tree is decorated, what ornaments and decorations that made it from Honduras are on display and my one Christmas CD is playing.  I could use some more.  Maybe there will still be some Christmas music in stores when I get back to the states in July.  Maybe.

For me, 2010 has been a terrific year.  The years just keep getting better and better.  Oman is a wonderful place with great people and amazing sights to see.  I've already served 1/4 of my 2 years and will soon (this summer) begin the process of finding where I go next.  No more being assigned...after your second assignment, you are responsible for looking at the list of available embassy jobs around the world and the process of selling yourself and receiving an offer of a job begins.  For those of you in the FS, I highly recommend bidding on/requesting Oman.  Feel free to ask me about this post any time you want. 

I'm looking forward to 2011 and my travel opportunities.  Egypt, Bangkok, Italy, Washington DC and my home, Fort Worth, Texas are all in my sights for next year.  I hope that whatever you have in your sights is within reach for you too. 

Merry Christmas to all...and have the very best New Year!

Live and Learn and Learn and Learn

Living overseas has its challenges. But the rewards far outnumber the inconveniences and regional difficulties. For the most part, you enjoy the new and different things you encounter and hope that what you can't get where you're posted will just be small potatoes. I happen to love this lifestyle, but occasionally that little hiccup or hurdle presents itself and you have to deal with it. Right now, I am DEALING with it! If you are one of my followers who are with the State Department and are living overseas, learn from my experience.

Roll back the calendar to mid August. My Toshiba laptop arrived with my household effects and wouldn't you know it...the darned thing refused to boot up. No matter what I did, nothing. Nada. Zilch. I took it to the embassy and had the IT people look at it and they shook their heads and crossed themselves. Big sigh.

I went online and searched for a replacement. I searched everywhere, read reviews, analyzed what my computer needs were and made my choice...a Sony VAIO. When you order things while overseas, you have 2 choices of where it is shipped. (Well, most people have 2 choices.) If your embassy has an APO, you can order things to be shipped there. Lots of stores won't ship to an APO so you have to go to Plan B, which is your personal pouch. The pouch goes to a US address in Dulles, Virginia and takes a bit more time to arrive. As it turned out, Sony insisted on a signature upon delivery so I had to use the pouch.

OK, we're back to today. Two weeks ago, I went to the Sony site and could see where someone in Virginia had signed for the FedEx delivery of my laptop, which was shipped there from California. Good..that was progress! They accepted delivery on September 20th. Usually, in a week to 10 days after it gets to Dulles, it arrives at the embassy. I started getting a funny feeling about my laptop a few days ago. You know the one...the feeling that something is wrong, not right or just screwed up. It was just taking too long. So, today I asked my IT person if he could contact Dulles and see what the delay was.

Now comes the bad news...and the lesson you can all learn. Mike, my IT guy, was told my laptop was in the prohibited items area. Yep...prohibited. And just what part of my laptop was prohibited, you ask? The lithium battery. As a matter of fact, State (of someone at State) is drafting an ALDAC (much like a formal memo) prohibiting shipping lithium batteries in the pouch. I said...But Mike, my laptop was ordered before all this came about. He said it didn't matter...it was going to be returned to Sony. NOOOOOOOOOOOoo.....

I thought about my options:

1. Have the laptop returned to Sony, which could have meant waiting for a refund and then re-ordering it and having it shipped to my father in Fort Worth and then have him ship it to my APO address (which doesn't have that restriction...yet). Double shipping costs. Ugh.
   
2. Have the laptop returned to Sony and then try to contact them and see if they could re-ship it to my dad without having to re-order it.
3. Ask the guy in Dulles if he would personally take possession of it and ship it to my dad in Fort Worth. (not a chance of that happening.)
4. Stand on my desk and scream and holler at this new ruling. Naww....
5. Find someone in the DC area who was willing to go and take delivery of my laptop and send it to my APO address. YES!

As it turns out, someone who was recently posted here in Oman is now in DC. Eric, the ARSO in my office sent him an email, telling me he felt sure Khamp wouldn't mind getting the laptop and sending it on to me. Hopefully, problem solved. Mike told me he felt sure that they would release the laptop with some authorization from me.

Now, let's talk about what you should take away from all this. If you're with State and living overseas, make sure you know what you can and can't ship in the pouch. Every time I shop online now and the site doesn't offer the option to ship to my APO, I send them an email and ask them to look in to making that an option. It probably won't do any good, but it makes me feel better. Make sure you review what items are not allowed in the pouch. Things you might not think about, like pop-top cans of fruits and vegetables. The tops can burst off, damaging other items in the pouch. I'm sure there are more so tomorrow, I'm going to pull up the regs and find out what can't go through the pouch.

Be thankful if you're at a post that has an APO. I can now understand the frustration of my friends who are at a post with only pouch delivery options. I'm sooo sorry!

Me and My Possessions Reunited!

I have been in Muscat for about a month now. I'm thrilled to report that I have internet at home. Yeahhhh! Today sometime the men from the cable company will be here to install my cable, which means my evenings in front of the television will improve.

I received my HHE (Household Effects) Wednesday night. That's the big shipment that came by boat from Honduras. My UAB (Unaccompanied Air Baggage) is still a no-show, but they do know where it is. When it will get here is anyone's guess. I'm hoping this week. I've taken the past 2 days off as Administrative Days (you are all entitled to 3 days when your HHE arrives so you can set up your house) and could really use one more. But 2 days is enough and I really need to get back to work so I can get some rest! (j/k)

If you are a member of the Foreign Service, please heed this advice. Before you even leave your home for training in Washington, get your camera (video or still) and start making a photographic inventory of all your belongings. Don't forget to photograph jewelry and electronics and don't forget the things you will put in permanent storage. Open cupboards and closets and document everything because I'm here to tell you that during your move from post to post, you will probably lose something. When I left Texas for Washington, I wasn't aware that the movers should have taken the boxes from my house and put them in large wooden containers on the truck and then put a metal strap around them so they were secure with me watching. The movers just kept wheeling boxes out and putting them in a big truck. BIG mistake! Before the movers arrive at your home to do your pack out, you should make sure they will be securing your belongings in the large wooden crates on site. When I got to Honduras, I was missing a ton of things. My claim to Clements Insurance was almost $4000. And that's only the things I realized I was missing. Months later I would think of something else. During your training in DC you will probably be told to take responsibility for this sort of thing. Take their advice to heart. If you can have help at your house during pack out, try to make sure the boxes are marked which room they came from, not just "linens" or "misc. items" like mine were. It will make it easier for you to direct the workers to the appropriate room once they arrive. I pre-packed some things (we are told not to but I had them look in the boxes to make sure I wasn't transporting anything illegal) in clear plastic containers and taped them shut. If possible, be at the curb when the truck arrives at your new home so you can watch then cut the metal strap from the containers. I didn't even know they were at my house until they rang my doorbell. There were about 9 or 10 men, all with a box in their hand. I'm missing a box of kitchen items...sauce pans, frying pans, my good knives, dish drainer, my 2 favorite pasta bowls...and who knows what else. I'm also missing a ceramic casserole that was in my dining room hutch. I know the crates were sealed in Honduras so how does someone just take a box and put it in their car without others seeing it? I had 117 boxes brought in and they are all accounted for and opened by me. All the empty boxes are outside so I guess I will wait for some cooler time (oh sure...in Oman?) and make sure I didn't take an unopened box out, thinking it was trash. Highly unlikely, but I will do it before I turn in a claim. You can understand why I think this is the best advice I can give anyone new to this career.

Speaking of claims, without a doubt, you need to take out insurance on your personal effects. I have mine with Clements International and they didn't quibble one bit when I turned in my claim. They didn't demand receipts or anything. I also have my car insured by them (while in a foreign country only), which means I get a discount on the personal policy. Bottom line...if something happens to your things in transit, State is not responsible. Get the insurance! One small reminder...when you come back to the states for R&R make sure you have some kind of insurance. Pay for a rental car with your credit card only after you make sure you have basic coverage on the car.

I love my career. Moving every 2 years has many benefits. You may acquire lots of things as you travel the world but you get to purge yourself of many unnecessary items every 2-3 years when you go to your next assignment. Find a charitable organization near where you live and give them what you can. You will never again be possessed by your possessions!

At the beginning of this post is a picture of my very large kitchen, empty, before any of my stuff arrived. Below is a picture of what the kitchen looked like during the unpacking. Check back with me in a couple of weeks when all my other things arrive from Texas and hopefully, you will see a very nicely decorated kitchen...look for lots of red!

Muscat, Oman...A Real Gem!

I've now been in Muscat, Oman for almost 3 weeks. Muscat is a beautiful city. The scenery is spectacular, with the white buildings with gorgeous architecture and the dark mountains in the background. You turn around and you see the Gulf of Oman. The other day we went walking on the beach and there are so many shells, you have to watch where you walk! I already have a huge collection of Omani shells. I love walking on the beach looking for shells, so I guess for the next 2 years, I'll have to try to control myself when it comes to which shells I want to take home with me.

Right now it's the hottest time of the year, so I'm told. When you walk out of a building, your skin goes through condensation! It takes about 5 minutes for your body to adjust to the heat but during that 5 minutes, all your exposed skin becomes moist from condensation...sort of like the outside of your glass of ice water but not like sweat. Very strange! In a little over a month it will begin to cool off and for about 5 months, the weather will be perfect. Until then, I am learning to love cool, sheer fabrics and good air conditioning!

I still don't have internet at home and I am anxiously awaiting the shipment of all my worldly possessions from Honduras. I am living in a beautiful home but it's so sterile, so plain and so not me. I need color. I need my 'stuph' surrounding me to feel at home. Bare walls are not pretty. When I arrived in Honduras, both the front and back yards were just grass. I transformed them into a tropical paradise. Fortunately, the same thing exists here. There are plants around the house but the back yard is a fairly large patch of grass. There are also flower beds surrounding the patio that are just about empty (or will be soon). Another gardening project!! It's too hot now, but in a month or so when it cools off, I will begin to cut down on grass and add flower beds for plants that will attract birds and give me some color. A birdbath will look good too. As soon as I get internet at home, I'll add some 'before' pictures to this post. I can't wait to get started!


The State Department tries to be fair in where the Foreign Service people are assigned. If you get assigned to a great place, like Paris or Madrid, you can pretty much figure you're going to get a hardship assignment next. They try to alternate cool place/not so cool place. I think I've been fortunate to have gotten 2 great assignments in a row!


More later...stay tuned for pictures!!

Looking Back...Looking Forward

My time in Honduras is now a thing of the past. It'sa good past, full of wonderful memories, lessons learned and so many people I'm glad to call my friends. I wouldn't trade my 2 years in Tegucigalpa for anything. As a 'first post' I couldn't have asked for anything more. Under the guidance of my great boss, Ted, I learned so much about security in an embassy. Whether he knows it or not, I learned much more from him, things you just don't learn in a book or from a class at FSI. I will miss his leadership and can only hope he is an example of what most RSOs are like. The difficulties we faced in Honduras were many but in dealing with each one, Ted went about it with confidence, calm and the knowledge that he was doing the right thing. I'll miss you Ted, and feel so fortunate to have worked with you.

Right now, I'm in Phase 1 of my Home Leave. As I sit here, I can hear the ocean and smell the salty breezes. The island of Kauai is indeed a bit of Paradise. My son lives here and visiting with him, Nicole, his wife, and my amazing 3 grandsons, Gavin and the twins, Micah and Makana, makes for the perfect Rest and Relaxation. Yesterday was Gavin's first day of preschool. He loved it and was looking forward to returning today. I stayed with Micah and Makana yesterday while my son and Nicole worked and we had a great time. I now know who Thomas, Percy and Emily are but can't figure out why the boys fight over who gets Percy. For those of you with no exposure to Thomas the Train, this will mean nothing to you, as it did to me before coming here. My son bought a huge box of miscellaneous cars, engines and tracks on Ebay and the boys sit and build tracks for hours on end. At just 2 years old, this is huge! I wonder what they did before to occupy their time? For more pictures of my stay on Kauai, go to my Facebook page.

Phase 2 begins Monday when I fly to Fort Worth, Texas for 3 weeks. My father lives there and I will spend lots of time with him. I'll also see many of my friends and catch up on what's been going on with them for the past 2 years. I'll also spend some times with other good friends, like Mr. Macy, Mr. Dillard's and Mr. Williams Sonoma! I'll be buying another car to ship to Oman and clothes for some very hot weather. And I already have a list of the places I want to eat...I can't wait for a good Mexican meal!

Phase 3 starts with my flight to Washington DC on June 28th. While there, I will take some classes in SharePoint and Excel. I'll meet with some of the people in Diplomatic Security that I may speak with while I'm in Oman, as well as some of the Directors for Western Hemisphere who I have dealt with over the past 2 years. Just putting a face on the name will be a good thing. I'll also be in DC for the July 4th celebration, which should be lots of fun.

Finally, on July 18th, I fly out of JFK headed for Muscat, Oman. The first stop is in Zurich, Switzerland where I will spend the night and most of the next day. I hope I have time to wander around and see something pretty enough to photograph. Then I fly into Dubai, which should be a sight to see with all the unusual buildings and man-made islands. After a 2 hour layover, I fly to Oman, landing at 10:45 PM, when it will most likely be 100 degrees. Being the eternal optimist that I am, I can only hope that over the next 2 years, I will be able to sweat off a few pounds!

So, farewell to a wonderful stay in Honduras and looking forward to an amazing 2 years in Oman. What a life!

How Time Flies...

Almost 2 years ago, I arrived in Washington DC to begin my training as a Foreign Service Diplomat. I can't believe it's nearly time for me to depart my first post, Tegucigalpa, Honduras. During my time here, I think I've done more'living' than in the past 20 years! I know I've experienced so much and learned things I would have never had the opportunity to learn and experience if I had stayed in Fort Worth, Texas, making a decent living in healthcare administration. I had a nice house, a really nice car, had some great friends (still do!) and enjoyed living near my elderly father and his wife. But when my daughter suggested I apply to the Foreign Service, the thought of traveling the world, beginning a new career and meeting extrordinary people...I had to give it a shot. It was nearly a year from the time I applied until I received my Congratulations letter. And if I could do it all over again, I would applied years earlier!

So, here I am, 60 days from flying out of one of the most difficult international airports in the world (thank God...no more landings into Toncontin Airport!), reflecting on my 22 months here. Here are some of the thoughts going through my mind:

• How many people can say they were in the thick of things during the ouster of a President and the 7 months of political crisis that followed? Working at the US Embassy in the Diplomatic Security section, I looked out my window at the numerous demonstrations by the "Reds," (pro-Zelaya supporters), the "Whites," (pro-Micheletti supporters) and the other various groups who gathered outside the embassy to shout their approval and or disapproval of our policy or involvement. I watched for months as Roberto Micheletti, who was the President of Congress and took over as President of Honduras until the elections, did his best to hold things together. He led from his heart and stood his ground when so many around him (outside of the country) tried to force him to allow Zelaya back to power. I'm not here to judge, but right or wrong, he did what he thought was best to preserve what Democracy was left in the government. Outside another window on my floor, I watched as the throngs of supporters cheered the arrival of Zelaya, who took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy after sneaking back in the country, to the surprise of many. There he stayed for 4 months, turning that embassy into his own home base, directing his supporters, La Resistencia, in their demonstrations and destructive ways. The general election in January took place successfully, in spite of threats of death from the Resistencia, and Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo was Democratically elected the new President. He came to the embassy one day to visit the Ambassador. I happened to be working up there and he walked over to me and shook my hand. I was able to wish him luck in his new position. The Ambassador suggested that they walk through the embassy to the cafeteria and get some coffee. Imagine the looks of surprise from those walking down the hall to see the new President approaching them, reaching out to greet them with a handshake. He took the time to say hello to everyone, from section heads all the way to those ladies who were cleaning the floors and those working in the cafeteria. He has a difficult job ahead of him. Honduras is a country on the brink of bankruptcy. The poverty is horrific, crime is unstoppable and narcotrafficking is out of control. Fortunately, the new government is now being recognized and the worldwide help is resuming.


• I have loved learning about life in an embassy, lessons I will continue to build on when I arrive in Muscat, Oman. Working in the security section has been wonderful. The men I work with are terrific and as a team, we have come to realize that none of us will let the other down. It's teamwork like I've never known before.


• You would not believe how fast plants grow here! I'm really close to the equator and it's just amazing how soon a seedling will bloom. Until the drought hit a couple of months ago, my garden was a paradise. Well, it's still beautiful but the grass is now greenish-brown and I water my plants sparingly. They are still blooming...so tropical! There are ficus trees all over the place here. The thing about ficus trees...the Hondurans are compelled to prune them into some shape...round, oblong, basket shaped and even the shape of a birdhouse. One of my posts here is on the ficus tree shapes. My favorite was the birdhouse that was just down the street from me. Every day, as I passed it, it made me smile. Then, one day I drove home and realized when I walked in my house that I didn't see it. It bothered me all night and the next morning, I drove slowly by where it was. I was shocked when all I saw was a sawed off stump! I would have noticed if it had died, so of course, the first thing that came to mind...someone stole the birdhouse ficus!!


• On a trip to Utila, one of the Bay Islands, I had my first experience with a mask, a snorkel and swim fins. Oh my God...the beauty that is just below the surface of the ocean is something you have to see to believe! The fish, the coral, the plants, the activity...just beautiful! I've also been to Roatan, where I did a little snorkeling, but nothing like Utila. A friend of mine and I are going to take the course to get our PADI certification...I'm gonna be a scuba diver! We are going back to Utila next month and we'll be able to take the open water test...something I would have never thought of doing if I hadn't come here. I've been told that the coast of Oman is excellent for snorkeling and diving and I would love to arrive there in July ready to dive!


• I will miss Gloria, my Home Manager. I call her that because she's so much more than a maid. She's extremely smart and if she lived somewhere else where there were more opportunities for her, she would certainly be holding down a job with much more responsibility and status that what she does now. She has a daughter who is 12 and we've talked for hours about how the teachers strike here and about her concern about her daughter getting a good education. She wants her daughter to be more than she is, as do most moms. I have an older Dell desktop computer and monitor and I decided to give it to her for her daughter. Gloria comes to my house every Wednesday and Saturday, so now, for the first hour every Saturday morning, we have computer class. Last Saturday was the first session and I had her working with the mouse. The double-click is not easy for an adult who has never held a mouse. She'll get it. Tomorrow I'll show her how to write something in Word. She needs to get to know the keyboard. I'm glad I decided to give her that computer. It's a good feeling.


• While here, I've learned to be a survivalist driver. That's right...you must survive these streets! Between dodging the motorcyclists who drive anywhere they want, including the sidewalk, the cars that come at you in your lane, and the potholes large enough to house a family of 4....you take your life in your hands every time you go out! Oh..and the taxi drivers...the worst! The last time I was in the states, I was driving a rent car with my son and daughter and my grandson and both my kids said I was driving like a maniac! Of course, I told them I wasn't but I'm sure they were right! If you can drive in Honduras, you can drive anywhere...but you better debrief your brain before you drive anywhere else or suffer the consequences. I've given it a lot of thought and come to the conclusion that driving is just another way that the Hondurans are taking care of #1. It's their culture to do what they can, no matter who is in their way, to survive. I'm not being critical, but how far do you think I'd get if I leaned out the window and said "Sir, you do NOT have the right of way!" There are no police to enforce traffic laws. You just have to believe that 90% of the people on the road, behind the wheel, probably have been behind the wheel for 10 minutes, with no prior driving instruction. If you do get pulled over by 2 police on a mini-bike (don't laugh), you probably broke no law other than smoking or talking on your cell phone while driving and for 600 lempiras (about $35) they will forgive your indescretion. They are not supposed to shake down diplomats but they do, especially the wives. It's sad...corruption is everywhere.

Believe it or not, there is so much more, but I'm stopping here. I think I'll save the rest for another post...my first Zip line, Copan ruins, quaint villages. I hope to write one more time from Honduras before I'm wheels up May 20. From here, I fly to Kauai to visit my son, his wife and my 3 grandsons. After that, I head to Fort Worth to see Dad and my friends...and to shop for stuff to ship to Oman. Then it's off to Washington DC for some training. And on July 18, I'm off to Oman, with stops in Zurich, Switzerland and Dubai. Imagine the landing in those 2 places! I'll share some photos of that the first chance I get! I can't wait to begin the next chapter of my blog...my adventures in Oman!

From Honduras To....

The wait is over. I finally know where I'm headed. It was #5 on my list of 20 and July 2010 I will call Muscat, Oman my new home. I've talked to so many people who have been there and/or lived there. They tell me the biggest hurdle to clear is the heat. For 5-6 months of the year, it's 110-130 during the day. Sometimes with 100% humidity. Oh heck, I can do anything for 2 years! I'm told the homes there are more like villas...big! And the coast has wonderful snorkeling and did I mention camel races???

Yes, it is just below Iran and Yemen but I have no plans of going there. I do hope to make it to several other places in that part of the world...like Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Bosnia and hopefully Paris. My job will be in the same section of the Embassy...the Regional Security Office. I'm so happy to not have to learn something totally new. My job here in Honduras has been extremely busy and I'm not expecting the same level of action in Muscat. I'm sure I'll stay busy!

So now I get down to the business of planning my home leave, a week or so to Kauai to see my son and his family and then to Washington DC for some training and perhaps some consultation days. It's too soon to really plan things. I'll find out just what courses are being offered in DC the first 2 weeks of July and hopefully get the blessing of my CDO to register for them. These last 7 months here will fly by and I'm a planner. Before I know it, I'll be on my way to Muscat, Oman...the Jewel of Arabia!