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.

My Next Assignment Is...

I can finally write about where I'm headed after I leave Muscat, Oman.  I haven't been able to post it here because I hadn't told my 96 year old father.  How to tell him where I was headed was something I thought long and hard about.  I've known for over a month I was going to Lahore, Pakistan but wasn't sure how to tell him.  Many of my friends here said just tell him some you're going to some other country and he won't worry about you.  But lying to my Dad just was not the route I wanted to go.  So I sent an email and was honest about it and so...now he knows and he supports me!

Of all places in Pakistan, Lahore is the safest.  The timing is perfect as I race toward my June 30, 2014 retirement date, and the current OMS there said she likes it so much she is extending for another year.  That spoke volumes to me and helped me make the decision to pursue the position there, which is, once again, in security. 

I am now in the process of completing the mountain of paperwork, making decisions about everything and trying to figure out just what I will take with me. I won't take anything with me that I wouldn't be OK with walking away from should there be an ordered departure (evacuation).  Just what will I miss the most?  Probably all the GORGEOUS silk carpets I've bought here in Oman!  Oh well...2 years flies by so quickly, I'll be reunited with them before I know it.

Life is, indeed, an adventure.  Mine continues and hopefully, I will have some very interesting stories to tell about my time in Pakistan. The tour is for 1 year but I intend to request it to be 2 years. That way I don't have to worry about finding a 1 year assignment in June 2013.  I have had such a wonderful time in Oman, it will be hard to leave.  This is a gorgeous country and the people are wonderful. Right now, it's winter and the temperature is in the 70s, cooling off to the 60s at night. 

Tonight I fly off to enjoy a week in Paris, France!  I invited my daughter to meet me there but unfortunately, she can't. So me and my camera will just have to have fun by ourselves!  I've been watching the weather reports and it's cold and there's a chance of snow tomorrow!  It's been over 4 years since I experienced any cold weather, so I had to go find some cold weather shoes. I am now set!  I can't wait...Christmas in the City of Lights!

A Wet Day in Muscat!

Summer is coming to an end here in Muscat, Oman.  We even saw rain last week...and boy, did we ever see it!!  The mountains around Muscat, the Al Hajar range, are solid rock so when it rains, nothing soaks in and it is all watershed.  Anything below better be prepared!  The average annual rainfall in Muscat is 0.8 - 3.9" per year.  Yes, per year!  On Wednesday, it rained pretty hard.  I don't know how much fell, but my guess is that we're now pretty close to that 3.9" maximum for the year.  There was flooding all over the city and a 9' section of the wall behind my house collapsed from the weight of an additional 4' of dirt.  The house behind mine was leveled and the owner is building 2 houses on that property. The soil level has been raised at least 4' and when it rained, the wall on my property couldn't handle the weight and one section collapsed.  You can see in the picture just how high the soil level is.  The picture doesn't show it, but the wall goes down another 2 feet.  We expect more sections to fall before we can get the property owner to do something about it.

My problem is nothing compared to what motorists had to deal with on Wednesday!  The flooding was unbelievable!!  Cars were swept away, buildings crumbled and there is mud everywhere now.  I only have satellite TV with no local coverage so I'll have to wait until I get back to work on Wednesday to read about it in the newspapers.  This is the first day of the biggest religious holiday here, Eid al Adha, and we have Sunday through Tuesday off.  Hopefully, it won't rain for a while so that cars can be removed and the mud cleared away.

It was the first time it rained since I arrived here in July 2010.  When I left work, without an umbrella, I took my time getting to my car.  Rain never felt so good...

Frankincense tree

A few months ago I went on a short trip to southern Oman, to the city of Salalah, almost to the Yemen border.  This is where the frankincense trees grow and that was one of the things we wanted to see/experience/touch.  All those good things. I mean, when you are in a foreign country, you really should see everything that you can during your stay.  So we flew to Salalah.  Something happened on the flight that I just remembered and I think it's important to share this with you.

We boarded our flight, with our assigned seats, me in an aisle seat in the bulkhead with lots of legroom.  My friends were a bit behind me and we settled in for the flight.  An Omani gentleman came up to me, looking at his boarding pass.  Across the aisle were 3 seats and 2 young Omani women were sitting there, window seat and middle seat.  The man looked at them, turned and sat in the window seat by me, leaving an empty seat between us.  I knew he had the aisle seat across from me where the 2 ladies were.  Sure enough, very soon, the 2 people assigned to the seat he was in and the one next to me came, asking for their seat.  He refused to answer them and turned and looked out the window.  The passengers left and a couple of minutes later the flight attendant came back with their boarding passes in her hand.  She asked the man to move to his assigned seat.  He turned  and looked at her and then turned away, looking out the window again.  The attendant tried to tell him all seats were assigned and he needed to take his seat so the 2 passengers could get seated.  He would not speak to her.  Finally, I spoke up and offered to move across the aisle next to the ladies, leaving 2 seats for the other 2 passengers.  With a great sigh of relief, she thanked me.

You may be thinking...what a jerk that man was!  But actually, it probably had something to do with his religion or his cultural values.  At first I thought he was being unreasonable and thought to myself...Self, don't volunteer to give up your seat!  But the more I thought about it, the more I believed that he was following his beliefs.

So for all of you who travel to foreign countries or are Foreign Service like me, be sure to pack a big supply of tolerance and understanding in your bags when you head overseas.  Arrive at your destination with an understanding that you will not judge others by your standards.  Just because we do something in the United States doesn't make it a worldwide accepted way of doing things.  Don't be quick to judge others because believe me, they will be judging you too.  Most of all, don't look down on people because of their local clothing.  I am asked all the time why men here wear those "dumb" long white "dresses."  They wear their dishdashas proudly because it is their heritage.  If you are a Christian, how would you feel if someone pointed out that Christ wore a long white "dress?"   What do you think people in other countries say about hula skirts or 10 gallon hats and pointed boots?  We probably look pretty stupid to other cultures!

So, don't forget...leave your snickering at home when traveling abroad and just enjoy the cultural differences!

Homeward Bound

My combination training/leave time in the states is winding down. I will fly back to Muscat, Oman on Friday and I am really ready to get home!  I've done my shopping, attended my classes and am now ready to get back to work and my normal routine.

No visit home would be complete without seeing my Dad in Fort Worth. At 96, he is still sharp as a tack and as stubborn as ever.  While I was there, Texas was experiencing a heat wave with many days in a row over 100 degrees.  This tough old bird insisted on spending hours in the garage in the heat of the afternoon, working at his workbench. He loves making walking sticks out of bamboo that grows along the driveway.

My sweet 96 year young Dad

We tried to get him to come in during those hot afternoons but he insisted on going out in the garage.  The day after I left for Washington, he became severely confused and after a visit to the emergency room and a battery of tests, the doctor said he had suffered a heat stroke.  Maybe now he will wait for cooler weather to resume his hobby.

It's been great seeing old friends here at the Foreign Service Institute.  Everywhere I turn, I see someone I went to training with or someone I met in Honduras.  You realize that it is really a very small world. It also makes you see how being a part of the Foreign Service family affords you the opportunity to meet so very many people...people who become friends for life.  Just think...I have friends all over the world.  After I retire, if I could afford to get there, I will have friends to stay with just about anywhere!!  Just one more benefit of this job.

The bid list has come out and I do have some interesting choices.  The process goes like this.  I pick 5-6 places I would love to serve.  I then campaign for the position...or, to put it differently, I do everything I can to convince those people at my chose places to offer me the position.  Unlike the first 2 assignments where I was directed, I must find my next job on my own.  As soon as I get back to Oman, I can begin the process of emailing the section head (for me it will be the Regional Security Officer).  I will also contact the Management Officers of the Embassy, as well as the person who holds the position I am interested in.  I'll also look up all the information on the posts which will include housing, weather, safety and the reports from those who have served there.  Those reports are usually very blunt and honest and can really help you make up your mind.  The places I am interested in so far are Berlin, Vienna, Jerusalem and Tijuana.  Tijuana, you ask????  How did that one make it in there???  Well, since this will be my final tour, Tijuana caught my eye for a number of reasons.  I would save lots of money on regional travel.  If I went to Vienna or Berlin or Jerusalem, I would have to see Italy, Greece, Germany...you get my point.  Tijuana is a 3-4 hour flight to Hawaii where my son and his wife and my 3 grandsons live, so I would be able to see them fairly often.  It's also about the same flight to see Dad in Texas.  I grew up in Coronado, just across the border from Tijuana.  And I love Mexican food. And I speak Spanish.  It may not be Europe, but I could be happy there.  But...who knows.  It's very early in the process and I haven't begun really to make my move.  As of right now, they are all my #1 choices!

Training Tips, Hot Weather and Bidding

The nighttime view from my apartment

I'm not sure just what strings I pulled or what magic words I used, but I snagged some great training away from post this year.  In June, it was Bangkok.  And now in August, I'm here for training in Washington DC.  It's a great thing that training is offered and even better when you are lucky enough to be approved to fly home to attend some...even during difficult economic times.

While in DC for almost 4 weeks, I'm staying in an apartment in Arlington, VA, about a 5 minute drive to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) where my training takes place.  Since weight is always a consideration when you travel, I came with nothing and shopped for new clothes, which will fill my 2 suitcases when it comes time to pack. What I don't want to shop for are things I need in the kitchen since I won't have room in my suitcases to take them back to Muscat.  With this in mind, you really have to be creative.  Sure, the apartment is fully furnished and there is a limited supply of kitchen tools to work with. But there are no zip lock bags, no saran wrap, no storage containers (ie Tupperware for us old folks) or other little things that when at home, we just take for granted.  So, you learn to be creative.  Tonight I made a yummy pot roast with potatoes and carrots and onions. Obviously, there are leftovers.  So, I dug the plastic produce bag out of the trash and used it like saran wrap, covering the meat and veggies in the bowl with it. I refuse to buy a box of zip lock bags (call me El Cheapo) so I wash and reuse 2 bags that I had in my suitcase that had small bottles of hand lotion in them.  I did have to give in and buy a corkscrew since I just couldn't find any way to get the cork out of the wine bottle without destroying it! It was, however, the lighter of the 2 that I looked at!

I took a few annual leave days prior to going to Washington to stop in Fort Worth, Texas to see my Dad. I was really looking forward to escaping, for just a little while, the heat of the Middle East.  No way was that happening this summer!  Texas is hotter than a firecracker this summer and it barely dipped below 100 degrees the entire time I was there.  The biggest challenge was keeping my 96 year old father inside the house instead of out in the garage, sitting at his workbench.  The day after I left, he ended up in the emergency room with heat stroke.  Did he learn his lesson?  I doubt it...he loves tinkering in his workshop, even at his advanced age.

The other bit of very reportable news is that the bid list is now out.  This list, basically, is the list of openings for us Foreign Service people who will move to another embassy next summer. It's up to each of us to select 6-8 from the list, weigh the pros and cons of each one and then submit our choices. All things need to be taken into consideration...a new job, the stress of moving from one place to another, lots of new faces, new cultures, new opportunities. It may sound like a very stressful time but these are the reasons we all signed on the dotted line.  I, for one, thrive on this kind of challenge.  I have some great places on my list but the ones that I am looking at very seriously are Vienna, Berlin, Dubai, Tunis, Jerusalem, Moscow and Bogota.  They all sound wonderful and once I can do my research, I'm sure one of them will rise above the rest.  Or not. They are, at this time, all tied for 1st choice.

As you can see, there's lots on my plate right now. I hope to pass the test tomorrow and get my certification in Microsoft Outlook.  I hope the stock market recovers and stops dropping like a rock. I hope to be under 50 pounds in each of my 2 suitcases when I fly home on the 19th. I hope I can make really good informed decisions on my bid list. And I really hope my Dad stays out of the hot garage.

My Week in Bangkok

One thing the State Department does is make sure its employees are trained.  They even require certain training for you to be eligible for promotion.  It was obvious that this message never made it to my first post, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, because I got turned down for every training request I made.  "No funds."  The best excuse was "It's not your turn." But no one else was eligible to go so no one went. But that's another story.

Fast forward to Muscat, Oman...my current assignment.  I finally got the green light to go to Bangkok for a week of training in PowerPoint, culminating with the exam to get my Microsoft Certification in that program.  The training was fun, I passed the test, met some great people and saw quite a bit of the city.  Classes ended at 3:45 or 4:00 every day so that left plenty of time to see temples, to shop, to walk all over the city..and did I mention shop?

These Buddhas were at Wat Pho (Wat means temple).  These temples are beautiful places with statues, bonsai like I've never seen before and tall spires covered in decorative porcelain.  The little man that was our tour guide was so cute. I couldn't understand everything he said but he would walk ahead of us, turn around and then hold his hands as though he was directing a jumbo jet into its parking place and we would turn around and it would be a perfect scene for a photograph. You could tell he had done this before!

As I mentioned before, there was beautiful bonsai plants all over the place. This one was particularly beautiful, but really, they were all amazing.  Our guide told us that they were all at least 150 years old. I didn't dare touch one, even though I pride myself on having a green thumb. I really didn't want to be the cause of one of these plants dying!

We saw many major Buddhas...Happy Buddha, Reclining Buddha and others that, because I was so busy marveling at the sight of them,I missed hearing which one I was looking at!  

Another place we went was Wat Arun.  There were more of the same kind of structures but much bigger. It was just amazing.  That's me in the picture below and yes, I did climb the steps up the structure behind me!

It's hard to see, but covering all these tall structures was what looked like broken plates.  But it was really porcelain.  It had to have taken years to build these and decorate them. The statues were everywhere... Confucius, dogs, everything you could imagine. 

You would have thought it would be crowded but it wasn't. Many of the people there were from Thailand and came to pay their respects. Probably just as many were tourists, like us.  You could hear several languages being spoken at any given moment.

I had heard of the Reclining Buddha, but until you visit a country and actually see some of the things there, it doesn't really register. When I saw this Buddha, I was amazed.  It is huge!  Now that I've seen it, I want to read about why someone wanted a Buddha in a reclining position when all others were sitting cross legged in a lotus position!  What would possess someone to build a concrete Buddha this huge and then cover it in gold?

Have I mentioned shopping yet? No??  Well....let me tell you, Bangkok has some serious shopping choices!  I did manage to buy some silk, my major purchase being a reversible silk jacket in a Chinese style with the little frog closures. One side is black, the other is brown. That jacket will get some major wear time!  I also bought some assorted silk scarves, some beads since I've taken up jewelry making, a couple of pillow covers and some other various items that I just had to have.  We went to the Weekend Market,(the largest outdoor market in the world), the MBK Mall (7 levels of everything ever made to be sold) and lots of little shops along the way when we went walking.  

Remember those stairs I climbed?  Well, this was the view from the top, looking back over a part of the city. It was gorgeous, especially with those menacing dark clouds!  We decided it was time to put the cameras away and head for some kind of cover.  We made it back to the river and inside a little gift shop just as the rain began.  We had some chicken and fried rice and water..it was hot and humid!  I also made it to Jim Thompson's Museum. He was an American who settled in Thailand and developed the silk industry there.  It became hugely successful. One day, he walked into the jungle and never came out.  He is remembered fondly by the Thai people and for good reason.

After 9 days of studying and shopping, it was back to reality and work in Muscat.  I am now looking forward to my trip to the states next month.  I haven't seen my dad in a year and it's high time I got a hug from him.  I'll be in Fort Worth for about 9 days and then, amazingly enough, on to Washington for 3 weeks of training!  When it rains, it pours!  For my FS friends, never get discouraged if you get turned down for regional training...your day will come.  Make the most of it because you don't get opportunities like this every day!