I have to say, if you haven't found the Foreign Service Blogregator yet, please, PLEASE do yourself a favor and check it out. What a wonderful service provided to us! Thank you to the administrator!!
If you haven't seen them, check out these entries on this blog: Are We There Yet?, Vacation Post #2, and Exciting Drive Numero Dos (in that order). They're a series of posts about a trip I took (this trip was only 28 hours long, and yes it did require three entries) with some friends. Life in his house hold has been crazy this week. The husband/father of the household is standing in a friend's wedding on Saturday night and the wedding is in Thailand, so he's been gone since last Friday morning and doesn't get back until Monday. Thailand to Costa Rica equals 44 hours of travel! I can honestly say I've handled the separation better than I thought I would. However, I did go into work today (an off day) for the housing tour, and I'm going tomorrow (another off day) to get a little work done, and go to a happy hour hosted by the PA (PD) department to welcome their new boss. Do I have to go? By no means! Do I want to go? Hell yeah!
I think about 80-ish% of the blogs out there this week were talking about the bid-lists. I was getting confused reading some of them but then I realized that not only did everyone at post get their list this week, but the A-100 got theirs too. Once I figured that out I was a bit less confused. So that being said, I have a hard time figuring out what categories to use this week. Pictures is an obvious one, and there were some great pictures, but I think a category just for bid-lists would get quite long. I'm tempted to not have any categories and let y'all wade through all the entries by yourselves, but that's kind of mean! Let's see what we can come up with.
Here we go!
Moving/Training
A Daring Adventure (the mother of the roundup) pays tribute to a friend, proves that "Fits Crap Into Minivan" is an appropriate name, and shows off the best action shots she's ever taken (and also has one of those moments where a parent knowingly embarrasses a child); she also raves about Seattle, although admits that her frugal ways prevent them from bidding on it; her and her husband tour Seattle a bit - the Space Needle, of course! - dine with a co-worker, and contemplate the scale used for languages in the Foreign Service.
The Space Needle - A Daring Adventure
Email From the Embassy said goodbye to the last of the relatives in the D.C. area and headed to their next post in Jordan. *Personal note - I have the choice of a hubby and kid free vaca in either Jordan or Australia next year and EFTE's presence in Jordan is a huge PRO if I'd get to meet her!* They'll be in temporary housing for a while and they won't get internet there. We look forward to hearing about your adventures the first few weeks. Don't take too long!
A Daring Adventure and Email From The Embassy have quite a conversation with us about each other. It's quite entertaining.
Destination: Diplomacy arrived at her new home! She'll share pictures as soon as she gets a new cord for for camera to connect to her computer; she can't share her bid list with us "that shiz is CLASSIFIED" but is very excited to go through this process for the first time.
Sadie Abroad is going to spend one more week enjoying the U.S.A. before she heads over to the Kingdom. She's more than a little excited about her upcoming adventures; she wonders, as many of us do at times, how to answer the question: where's home?
Life After Jerusalem really doesn't want to do her grants training, but after a week of that she gets to work on her dissertation until she and her wife go on an Alaskan Cruise, and then brags to the 155th A-100 class that she'll be around the corner from them...in jeans; she has been informed that the 115th Specialists class began this week too and welcomes them; she celebrates equality with the decision of the overturn of Prop 8 in California; she posts comments from ASFA President Susan Johnson in response of the slur against FSO's: "Remember State Department employees refusing to 'volunteer' to be assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq?"
Criplomats (love that name btw!) moved into a new apartment that is nicer and has more ammenities. They also said goodbye to some friends, and it sounds like will be doing it quite a few more times but such is life when you started in the FS months ago!
The Ohio Diplomat says she's ready for her first post in the Dominican Republic.
lime of sight passed her Hebrew test! Wheels up next week! Congrats friend and good luck at post!
Foreign Circus Life arrived in Saudi Arabia and can see IKEA from the compound! She'll update us more about her impressions of her new home once she's a bit more settled and has conquered jet lag.
Noble Glomads had less than 24 hours before wheels up and is hoping they didn't forget anything; they arrived in New Zealand and she shares her first impressions; food in New Zealand is not as bad as she thought it would be.
Midlife Diplomatic Crisis recapped on what's been going on in his life. He was able to go for training in D.C. and wonders where he is in the cycle we all go through of our emotional status at post, he thinks he may have reached acceptance!
The World That We Live In praises her husband for using his diplomatic skills and getting them a voucher after the airline lost their bag; she and the voucher getting husband toured different parts of D.C. and check out the hot tubs at the Supreme Court; they also check out their first ever bid list!
Rock Star in Dhaka and Other Places shares a poem with us called Beach Glass; they're in Quebec City and had a successful first night out.
Life At Post
EF'M's rainy season in the desert proves to be wetter than he thought. Grocery shopping for the first time on his own makes him proud, and earns him a beer (it's a big deal for us EFM's who are on our own!), and informs future and first time FS families what's in a welcome kit at post; He's sticking to his guns about not hiring someone to help in the house but appreciates the work it takes to keep a house from going to the dog; the dog wakes them up before the crack of dawn barking at the back door which causes EF'M to check their security, and finds a lock that needs to be fixed!
Something edited this way comes is less than enthused about the aquarium in Milan and is glad she didn't have to pay for it. However, she did come across a very funny star fish; she's very excited that she found her Milan & the Lakes travel book.
Star fish - Something edited this way comes
The Dinoia Family is so proud of their daughter who's taking care of a bird's egg, but doesn't look forward to the almost inevitable upcoming discussion about the viability of that egg; she brags on the same daughter again, who's made it into her school's Advanced Chorus; the Dinoia family say "happy birthday" to grandma/mom.
Where in the World is Luca Galeno celebrates their A-100 class' one year anniversary and admits that life is good despite her doubts early on; she thinks that maybe age may be a factor in it being harder to learn Portuguese than it was to learn English as a young girl and is a bit jealous that her husband does it with such ease.
Shutz Happens ventured out to IKEA even though they knew they shouldn't have; he regales us with multiple stories of how chairs have affected his life, and have even laughed at him in the process.
Worldwide Available found out how pretentious her product purchases have become.
Nick and Liz Go Global catch us up on pictures!
Liz - Nick & Liz Go Global
Half Breed Outlaw had an amazing night at the opera; she learns that her daughter doesn't like Tango.
Opera House - Half Breed Outlaw
Happy in Hanguk laments her lack of blogging and has been measuring her time left with out her husband in odd ways.
Ben and Sarah Williams are struggling to find good produce and other "staple" items in Honduras and are frightened by heavy cream and surprised by sour cream.
Our Oriental Express gives their first impressions of Istanbul and life in Turkey; she makes Turkey sound and look like a dream post after a dream trip to the Boshporus and MADO.
Lindsey Mae's blog had to get out of the house after being sick. They went to the Mall of Asia and had a delicious snack at Krispy Kreme and a very fun time at the Science Discovery Center.
The Slow Move East has a friend in town and seems to have shown her the best of Turkey.
Hick/Hitchhiker...Diplomat? shared about his and his wife's awesome ring making trip.
Equidorian + Blowtorch Hick/Hitchhiker...Diplomat?
The Mas Alla informs her readers about her job as an Assistant CLO and about her freelance editing work.
Beyond the Cornfields has a little one who appears to be afraid of and easily awakened by thunder.
The Guatemala Holla noticed differences between what the Brits and the Americans have in stock, he shares a picture from a car window.
Diplomat and Cat didn't do too much on her day off on Friday due to the closing of the consulate. She discovered that Mexican sushi is not something to be shared with the Japanese; she thinks that when posted at Juarez she'll never go out with out sunscreen, and takes a day trip to El Paso.
The Perlman Update went on a very long and tiring road trip with out buying a bike rack first!
Diplojournal wishes there was better health care in his area even after trying to get an appointment in two different countries!
Summer in the U.S.
Our Serbian Story s made it home from Serbia after a very long day; at said home, she found out how small the world of fashion really is.
Jacksonian Realist bought a motorcycle and got it up to 250 miles and plans on riding it as much as possible before heading to their next post.
Where in The World am I? walked her 39 week pregnant body one mile to see some beautiful flowers and then another mile home, before sleeping the rest of the day; Baby Day! They went in at 4pm on Thursday for induction and hope to have said baby by that time on Friday!!!
GlobeHoppers are sad that they're not traveling the world like their friends, but have an a very American summer and share some of their stories with us; they're excited about the bidding season; and teaches us about SOL scores and shares their kids'.
Misc.
Diplopundit published his July 2010 Blog Index; lists the 28 newly confirmed Ambassadors, and those confirmed for USAID, ADB, BBG, and OPIC (how do you like them apples David?); he shares with us the birthday greetings from Indonesia to President Obama; he remembers Holbrook Bradley, late FSO who took the Federal Government to court for age discrimination.
I'll Take Mine...To Go Please! enjoyed a nice family date for their 11th wedding anniversary (they celebrated sans kids last weekend); she is very excited for summer to end; she's very excited that the German studying is over and is waiting for up to two weeks for the results of an 8 minute phone test.
Peripatetic teaches us what it's like to watch American TV in Poland.
Diplochick wonders if she's the only FSO Mum in the blogosphere; she contemplates her family's future.
Diplomatic Baggage explains to us why their trip to Paris was so special to her; she goes into details about her trip.
Patchwork Planet is going through the bid-list right now and can't decide where to live!
Please, PLEASE do the rest of us a favor and sign up here for the blog roundup. The last person signed up is next week.
5 comments:
Thanks for the beer! Nice round-up.
Good work - with everything you had going on (new tooth!) you managed to get a great round up out (and on time!)
Great job on the round-up. Thanks for the time and effort that I know must take ages.
How did Rock Star in Dhaka go to Canada on home leave?
I'm just getting back in town and slowly getting through your round up! Congrats on such nice work - I can't imagine the effort that goes into it!
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