Silliness of the day

6 1/2 years later, we are finally using the last of the leftover napkins from our wedding. This is what happens when your in-law's family owns a print shop.

The very last Wedding napkin...I can't bring myself to just clean up a mess with it....

In other news, work in DC has been amazing. I've been able to work on interesting projects and meet fascinating people. I can't go into all of it, but eventually I'll get into some of it.

I don't think I ever mentioned where I was headed after my DC tour was over. I bid again last October and was assigned to Wuhan, China. I was supposed to be headed there in summer 2014. If the past tense of this paragraph hasn't tipped you off then let me make it clear: I am no longer going to Wuhan. I found out accidentally on Monday and officially today. No word yet on what the future holds for us, but it's not Wuhan, China.

Christmastime is here

A year ago...

I was preparing for my husband to come home to Denver for a three-day break from training in Oklahoma City. It was the only time he was flying home during the three months so we were praying for good weather. 

I was living in my parents basement so there was no planning when it came to spending time with the family over the holidays. My parents and I were heading to Ohio in two weeks to look for a house in the Mansfield/Ashland area. Scott and I were moving there in a month and I had no idea where we were going to live but I was really looking forward to exploring the new city and countryside. We were expecting to live there for the next three to five years, so I knew I had to pick a pretty decent place.

This year...

I just left DC for Ohio and in two days we'll be heading back to celebrate Christmas. We prayed for good weather for the drive here and we are praying for the same on the way back.

We were able to go home to Denver to see the family over Thanksgiving but we couldn't do it again so soon. Instead of our presence we sent presents in packages to our families. Hopefully we will Skype on Christmas Day and be able to see everyone.

I am living in a place in DC and Scott is still living in our place in Ohio. We are doing all we can to be reunited but we will close out 2012 the way we closed 2011, apart. Although physically we will probably ring in the new year together, a day later we will spend the night alone because this is our reality right now.

As somber as this may sound, we have a wonderful life. Our jobs are fascinating and we love the work we are blessed to do. Every few days we are overjoyed to be in one another's presence, how many couples entering their seventh year of marriage can say the same? I know we will look back at this time as one of our least favorite, but we will also look back on it with a little fondness as a time when we overcame challenges and were happy.

Merry Christmas 

Timor-Leste Continued

Back to where we were. Timor-Leste was a great experience.
Every day I took meetings the Embassy had arranged for me and every evening I was left to explore the city and get to know the people and their existence.

I was impressed by how overwhelming friendly people were. For the most part, people would smile at me as I walked by and I would smile back. Men would say, "hello! where are you going?" which I imagine, for many of them, might have been the extent of their English-speaking ability.

I had the opportunity to visit a coffee cooperative high in the mountainous jungle and a police station in the valley below.

(I tried to upload pictures but failed. Technology has outsmarted me again).

I was in Dili for just under a week when I had to move on to Jakarta, Indonesia. What a different place it was in comparison.

My arrival in Jakarta was difficult. I planned to withdraw money from an ATM so when I left the airport arrivals area I went straight for the bank machines. Not a single one would recognize my card (although I realized for a time I was putting in the wrong code with the wrong card...oops) and I started to be concerned the machines would keep my card since I kept entering wrong numbers. I asked where a money exchange desk was and the person indicated it was up one floor and outside.

I exited the arrivals area looking for the exchange desks and they were nowhere to be found. At this point I am on the curb with no rupiah, the name of my hotel, and that is it. I beg my way back into the airport (something that would probably never happen in the US, they would not let someone back into the secure area through the exit door). I found a single money exchange desk open and exchanged what few U.S. dollars I had for rupiah.

Now here is where I had not done my homework. I knew that U.S. dollars were the currency in Timor-Leste but I had never looked up the currency of Indonesia. I had no idea about exchange rates or anything. When I exchanged $60 and received 540,000 rupiah, I barely knew how to compute such large numbers. I was afraid I would not have enough money for my few days there so I found a taxi desk that would let me pay with a credit card. I am sure I paid too much for a taxi to the hotel but I was just so pleased to have money and a taxi that knew where I was going, I just didn't care.

It was 11pm (but I thought it was midnight, silly time changes I do not keep track of) and there were people everywhere. There was so much traffic it took me an unreasonably long time to get to the hotel (I know because it took less than half the time for me to get back). There were street vendors out serving food, a horde of motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic. It seemed like daytime except for the absence of the sun.

I finally arrived at the hotel and it was an incredible place. The receptionist escorted me to my room and showed me all its features (including a toilet that had its own remote - fancy stuff) and every time I picked up the phone or approached the desk they all knew my surname and used it in greeting me. It was a relaxing couple days after the busy pace of meetings in Dili.

I spent my Friday at the Embassy in Jakarta, taking more meetings and meeting my colleagues there. The Embassy is huge compared to the facility in Dili. It was interesting to consider the different presences the United States has in different countries. I took a taxi from the hotel to the Embassy and had the great fortune of having an honest taxi driver. Since I was not used to dealing in thousands and hundreds of thousands when paying for items I almost paid the taxi driver $30 for a $3 tax ride. He was a very kind man and said, "Oh Miss, be careful with your money!" He handed all my bills back to me and explained how much I needed to give him. I was glad he was an honest man and the first person I tried to pay. Haha.

My last day was spent visiting a couple malls in Jakarta. I would have liked to get outside the city, but since my flight was that evening I was afraid I did not have enough time. I visited @america, an youth-engagement place run by the Embassy and located in the Pacific Place mall, and spent a great deal of time wandering through the Grand Indonesia Mall. Finally, at 8pm, I got my luggage, got a taxi and headed back to the airport for my flight home.

The flight was long and I was not as fortunate as I was with my flights to the East. I was given a middle seat for the flight home because there was no way for me to check-in in advance. However, once I got on the long flight home a young boy and his father offered to trade their seats with my so I was against the window. Turned out the man had once worked for the Department so we bonded over our work in the 13 hours we were together on the plane.

I arrived back in D.C. in the afternoon, took a long taxi ride home, and arrived to my empty apartment. I showed up bright and early for work the next morning and my understanding of my job has been so much better for it!

Things have been great since my trip. It has been almost two months now and every day is better than the last. I get to do exciting things and learn new things I did not know the day before.

Hurricane Sandy

One day post-hurricane and all is well here. I've only ventured far enough out the front door to let the dogs go out (poor Meili could barely make it) but it seems that my area is pretty good.

I've heard of flooding and fallen trees but I am blessed that there was none of that for me. The lights flickered quite a few times but power remained steady. I want to go out but I'm afraid I might get stuck in water and then put the lives of rescue workers at risk. So I will stay put.

I cleaned everything but the bathroom, but that is coming at some point today. I baked, ironed and played some games. I wish I had some crafts or some project to work on. I need to get more creative. But I still feel like I'm only halfway living in this apartment. Boxes are piled up and I've opened all the ones I can get too and they hold things that I don't know what to do with so I leave them in their boxes. I'll be living here for at least another year and a half, I need to do something to make it feel more like home.

But for now, I'll keep cleaning and cooking.

Dili, Timor-Leste and the present

As "Frankenstorm" begins to bear down on the Northeast, let me describe what it was like to be in sunny, tropical Timor-Leste.

September 29th - Leaving Singapore and Arriving in Dili

I was sad I could not spend more time in Singapore. It was a very interesting airport, so I can only imagine how interesting the city would have been. There were buses and trains that went straight from the airport to downtown for a very reasonable price, but alas, there will always be another day.

The flight from Dili to Singapore was pretty nice, but by this point my body was so messed up about what time of day it was and when I should have been eating that I could just not stomach any more food. It was a shame too, because the food on this flight was really nice, I just could not eat it. I was the slowest person in the section around me (which is usually the case with me on the planes, I don't know why that is. I'm not usually a slow eater) and I thought there was a chance the plane was going to land and I was still going to have my nice food tray.

Landing in Dili was an experience. We came in over the water and landed on a small air strip that was next to palm trees and the sea. There was one other plane already on the runway, and that was it. They pulled our plane up next to that one, rolled the stairs up next to it and out we walked onto the tarmac. Oh my goodness, it was hot and muggy. I was not quite prepared for this level of heat.

As we walked up to the airport, I saw the UN peacekeepers standing at the entrance. I had never been to a country that currently had a UN peacekeeping force. As I went through immigration, there were many of them, from many different nations, milling through the people and talking to them in various languages. After immigration was baggage claim - a single belt that dumped most of the suitcases on to the floor. I have been to tiny airports so this was nothing unusual.

Lucky for me, the Embassy had sent a driver to meet me at the airport and I didn't have to deal with trying to find a taxi and the hotel on my own. Whenever I have visited an airport, no matter the country, there is a pretty standard taxi system. There are the taxis that wait in the designated area and then there are the taxi drivers who stop you on the way to the designated area and offer you a ride in their taxi for a "better price." As I followed the Embassy driver through the craziness that was the tiny airport exit full of family, sellers, taxi drivers, I was just so glad to not have to figure this all out on my own. I truly love traveling and experiencing other countries, but for some reason I kind of stress out about the airport part of it (just wait until I get to Jakarta...oh the experience there...)

The driver was very kind and explained a little about himself and the city to me as he took me to the hotel. The hotel was a nice place - the room itself reminded me very much of China. The a/c units were exactly the same and there was one in the living room and one in the bedroom, which was especially nice. The hotel had a little restaurant and I figured I would check that out later. As I settled into the room I thought I would have a little rest and then go in search of dinner (it was about 3:30 in the afternoon). So, I tried to stay awake until after 4, and then I laid down.

And then I woke up at 3:30am. Jet lag is some fun stuff. I tried to force myself back to sleep and it worked, a little. I got up and decided to see if I could use the computer to get on the internet. The hotel had given me the code but I had to enter all this other information to get the computer hooked up in the first place. I am pretty proud of myself on this one. After years of listening to my father-in-law and my husband discuss computers, settings, IP addresses, etc., I was able to figure out how to get this to work without any assistance. A moment of triumph for me.

September 30th -
I was invited on a outing by some people from the Embassy for my first full day in Timor-Leste. It was a Sunday and we went to Maubara, where there is a Dutch/Portuguese Fort. After viewing the Fort we had lunch and the restaurant inside. My first experience with Timorese food was really great. Chicken with rice and some kind of sauce. Very tasty.

The beach is beautiful in Timor-Leste. The water is so clear and blue. We walked to the beach across the street from the Fort and I put my feet in the ocean, accidentally. As we were standing on the beach, there was a whale that swam by. The depth of the water increases dramatically not too far from shore and there was a whale coming up out of the water and breathing through its blow hole. It was awesome. We all tried to get pictures, but it was difficult to do. Once I upload my pictures I will add the one with the whale - the tiny silver sliver in the sea. As we were all searching for the next place the whale would pop up - the ocean came up and soaked our shoes. It was a long ride home with squishy socks.

I was invited to celebrate Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with some people from the Embassy that evening. It was really fascinating to spend time with others who had been living in Timor for some time. By the time 8pm rolled around, I could not hang on any longer. I took the short walk back to my hotel and crashed. Then 3:30am came around again...


Next time on the blog...meetings! That is pretty much what my trip in Dili consisted of. But that is the point of these familiarization trips. And they were some very fascinating meetings.

For now, I need make sure I have everything in order to prepare for this storm. They have said its going to be bad, but so far there is not much wind and a little rain. We will see how it goes down over the next 12 hours though. I have never been through a hurricane. Should be interesting.

And being that it is so close to Halloween, I chose this weekend to start watching The Walking Dead. Alone. That might have been a mistake. Sometimes this show is scary!

Unfortunate Anniversary

Today marks exactly a year since Scott and I started living apart. He started training in Oklahoma while I was still moving out of our house in Colorado and into my parent's basement while I finished my degree.

This has been an exciting year for a lot of reasons but this has also been a very hard year for us. It is so difficult to be apart from the person you love. I have so much respect for military couples. We have only been separated for three weeks at the most and we know it could be so much worse. But that does not make this any easier.

I am so excited for the day we can be a couple that lives together again. Hopefully that day is weeks away, not months away. But I have a feeling we are not going to be that lucky.

Contrary to Popular Belief...

I think about writing a new post all the time. But I am either at work, out with friends or simply too tired to write. That has been my life for the last couple months.

Even now, there are so many things I want to say but I am not sure where to begin.

Work has been challenging, but it has been good. Every day I feel more confident about what I am doing and I have fewer questions than the day before.

A nice perk of the desk officer job? I got to take a familiarization trip to the region! It was so beneficial to my work that I feel blessed to have been able to go on one so soon after starting work.

I shall begin with the preparation...

September 26th -
Arranging an overseas trip with multiple legs and stops is a rather complicated process. There is a travel company that arranges the flights for us, but up until the day before I left I was on the phone with them at least once a day. At this point, I was just going to be happy if when I showed up at the airport someone would let me on a plane.

Packing was interesting. I have never been on a trip where I had to have business attire. I packed a couple suit jackets and nice pants and skirts along with casual clothes for the evenings. It was supposed to be in the 80s and 90s where I was going and it was starting to turn to fall here in DC. Plus there is the fact that I am always freezing on planes. I need long pants and a jacket just to survive the flight.

September 27th -
The day to leave has arrived! Its a Thursday and I am not going to arrive in Dili, Timor-Leste until Saturday. This is going to be a long trip...

My loving husband dropped me off at the airport. He tried to go through security with me (since he has a badge) but they weren't having it. Apparently that only works in Colorado and sometimes in Oklahoma. So we had to say goodbye before I descended into the security area. It was hidden from the public view so I had no idea the line was so massive. Being former TSA, I am always interested in how other airports set up their screening areas. Dulles is crazy efficient. There were over 30 screening lanes with glass dividing doors and after the ticket check you pick your own lane. I thought security was going to take forever but I was through in no time.

I was in the second to last row on the plane but I was by the window, so I thought that was nice. No one came to the middle seat so I was excited about that. Since the flight was 14+ hours on the way to Tokyo, each seat had its own personal tv, which was awesome as well. The girl on the aisle in my row could not get her tv to work. She had the flight attendant reset the tvs in our row three times (I was trying to watch the movie Brave and it was starting to get ridiculous with how many times I had seen the same part). In the end her tv simply would not work, so she decided to move seats. Three hours into the flight, and I had my own row!

It was pretty nice that I was able to stretch out and have a real rest for the rest of the flight. I was able to sleep for about 5 hours, which I thought was key since I wanted to acclimate to the new time zone as easily as possible (boy was I in for a surprise...).

We arrived in Tokyo and I had to go through security again to board my next flight to Singapore. I have never been to Japan so I was excited for the little glimpse of the country I was able to see out the window. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day so my glimpse was very limited. While I was going through security I was wondering about the lives of the security screeners. I am sure they find their jobs to be mundane (as I sometimes did when I worked airport security) but I was fascinated because they lived in Japan. Theirs was a life I was trying to comprehend but I could not because I don't know anything about what the everyday life in Japan might be like. I am sure there are things that are similar to my own, but at the same time I am sure there are things that are vastly different. It makes me think that no matter how boring and repetitive your own life may seem, there is someone out there who is fascinated by it because their own is so different.

I think by this point it was September 28th. I am not really sure. I was only in Tokyo's airport for about two hours before I was on my way to Singapore. I arrived in Singapore after it was already dark. I think it was still the 28th and I had to overnight in Singapore before my flight to Dili the next morning.

The Singapore airport is like a little city. There is a movie theater and parks and just all kinds of things. Look up Changi Airport and just be amazed at what is going on there. The sad part was I didn't have any time to experience any of it. My arrival time was almost midnight. After my bag arrived I went straight to the hotel that is part of the airport. Of course, it was the middle of the day back in DC so I was not tired. Looking back, I should have tried to go out to the city a little. I was told that Singapore never sleeps but I figured since it was so late there would be nothing for me to see. So I stayed in my room, had a bath, had a rest and got up at 7am the next morning to catch my flight to Dili.

Next time on the blog...
Read about my flight and first days in Dili, Timor-Leste!

In the meantime, look up Changi Airport and then (if you haven't already) find Dili on a map. Its way out there and pretty close to Australia.