Jakarta!

Wow!

That really has to sum up my first three days in this city. So far we have gotten most of the suitcases unpacked, walked back and forth to the embassy a few times, gone shopping, and seen the Oldest's school. That may not sound like much, but let me tell you, that is a lot for right now.

The first thing we all noticed was that the airport is not your typical glass and concrete bunker, but rather a series of tile-roofed buildings that Think 2 claimed to look like buildings in China. That she saw in a book at school about Mulan. I love 8-year olds. The second thing we noticed was that it was HAWT! Yes, I spelled it that way on purpose because "hot" just doesn't seem to cut it. And it was (still is) sticky. We were met at the ramp by our sponsor, Bu C. and headed off to immigration. I tell you, the Diplomatic line for immigration was a whole lot shorter than all the others. I can certainly get used to that. We sailed through immigration and headed off to baggage claim where, surprise, ALL our luggage showed up (21 bags). From there we went to customs where I was assured by Bu C. that we would not have to have anything inspected, except the young guard looked at our passports and said to start loading the bags on the belt. Luckily, a more experienced guard looked again, waived us through, and reprimanded his colleague that we were diplomats. After loading our stuff into the embassy van, the real adventure began.

If you have never been to Jakarta, and before this week I had not either, be prepared to think that you are going to be in a major traffic fatality in the first five minutes of getting in any car. Cars drive on the lines, around the lines, between the lines, on the shoulder, the wrong way, every way! And the scooters are 10X worse. Swarms of them, everywhere! I can't even describe it so will have to post pictures or video one of these days.

We made it to our place without incident (surprisingly) and began the process of unloading. Three flights of stairs, 21 full-sized bags plus carry-ons, three tired kiddos. It took a bit, but the place was spacious, tiled wall to wall, and just right as a temporary home for my family.

I will write more later, but figure this post is a week late so will finish here.

Be well my friends!

An Ending that is a Beginning

Today marks the ending of a significant portion of my life. Yes, I know that I have been training for the last three months at FSI, but on my way to Jakarta, I went home to help get the family ready to join me. But today is my last full day in Oregon, and the last day that I will be in my house for what is likely to be many years.

My house.

A and I have lived here for the last 10 and a half years. re-roofed it, re-sided it, re-painted it, re-floored it, and re-designed the backyard several times, just to list a few projects. Our children grew up in that house, and are quite sad to leave it.

So am I. So is A.

But in order to have this new beginning with State, I have to move on, and the family is coming along for the ride. I need to leave all that is familiar behind me and reach out for the unknown, the unexpected, the new, in order to grow and thrive in this new life I have chosen. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about this and can't wait to start my new job in Jakarta. It is going to be amazing and I am ready. Or at least as ready as I can be.

Our oldest is very sad and upset about leaving her home, her friends, and her school. I know she will get over it eventually and love all the adventures that are in front of her, but right now she is just angry and upset. And makes sure that I know about it. The twins are a little more excited, a little less nervous, but still sad to be leaving. They have never known anywhere else as home. But we will be having Christmas in our temporary housing and the presents are all in the suitcases, ready to be put under the tree.

Some days I am not as confident about this change, but I know, as surely as I know anything, that I have found my people and I am ready for this new beginning.

So to the rest of the world, and all the challenges that are in front of me, I only have one thing to say.

"Bring it on, if you think you are hard enough!"

Almost Time

One more week in Falls Church. That's it, just one more week and the first leg of this right turn is over and the next leg begins. It's hard to believe that I've only been away from Oregon for three months. It feels like so much longer. It's even harder to fathom that I am going to be living in Indonesia in two weeks.

Oddly, there isn't all that much for me to do in the time I have left. I have applied for all the visas, I pack out on Wednesday, I have three more days of training at lovely FSI, an evening meeting next week, a few more shots tomorrow, personal packing to do, turn in my fob, wave good bye, and fly home. I am the lucky one.

My wife has to get the entire house ready for pack out, on her own, for next week, move herself and the kids into a hotel, ship the cats to LA to then be sent on to Jakarta, continue to get the house ready to rent, and stay sane. Maybe I should bring her back some booze. Or take her out to the bars to get really drunk. Or flowers. Maybe chocolate. Or take the kids somewhere and let her nap. Something.

Later, I will tell all of you the adventures of the USPS and the Dip passport.

Be well

Thanksgiving and 3 More Weeks

Thanksgiving is a time for family, no matter how dysfunctional, now matter how far apart, it is a time to be together and celebrate. But what do you do when you are 3000 miles from home? Or 5000? What about when you are half-way around the world? This is the world that our military members live in when they are deployed. It is also the world that our diplomats live in as they serve in remote posts around the world.

And then there are those of us who are here in D.C., training to go to our first posts. It is kind of hard to go home when you have to work the day after Thanksgiving. Not impossible, but prohibitively expensive. So, what do you do? Well, I'll tell you. You make your own family with all your friends, and have Thanksgiving pot-luck. 40 of us from the 163rd, plus some visiting family and friends, got together and had a wonderful night. We brought way too much food, too much drink, had a food drive for a local homeless shelter, and basically had a dinner to remember.

I missed being with my family.
I missed being with friends.
But I tell you, the only way it would have been a better night, was if my family had been here with me.

So yes, I am very thankful that I had so many friends to spend this Thanksgiving with, and it is also a good reminder that family isn't always blood. Often it is the people you are with. And they might be more dysfunctional than your Uncle Theo.

____________

That's right, three weeks to go until we are supposed to touch down in Jakarta. Looking at the weather there on my iPhone, I think I am seeing a trend. Monday, thunderstorms, 91 deg, 80% humidity. Tuesday, the same. Wednesday, the same. Thursday, same. Fri...same. Well, you get the picture.


Things left to do before leaving:
Get visas
pack out my apartment
pack out the house in Oregon
get schools finalized
breathe
ship the cats
get tickets
finalize housing
sell the car in Oregon
buy a car in Jakarta
rent the house
breathe again

The list goes on, as does the outlay of cash. I know that those readers who are part of the Foreign Service, with kids, understand just how many suitcases you need, but I never really considered it before joining the ranks. I mean really, who actually owns two full-sized suitcases for every member of the family, plus a carry-on, and a personal bag? With three kids and my wife, that comes to 20 bags.

20!

I'm going to need a Greyhound bus to pick us up from the airport! Or a fleet of vans. Something bigger than a taxi, that's for sure.

The other thing that I forgot

When last I posted, I had forgotten the other thing that I wanted to talk about. Now I have remembered. Actually, I remembered on Tuesday but I've been a bit lazy so I am posting today. Two weeks ago I got to go on a White House tour. This may not seem like a big thing to some of you, but if you have ever tried to get on a tour, it is quite the process. Honestly, it really was interesting to walk through. There are amazing pictures, a mix of beautiful furniture and stuff I wouldn't put in YOUR house. Two things stand out the most from the tour: first was the Army First Sergeant that proposed to his girlfriend in the Blue Room. Turns out that you can arrange it with the Secret Service to pop the question in one of the nicest rooms in the White House. The second thing was that we got to see the First Lady walking the First Dog on the South Lawn. I know, I know, it's kind of lame to be excited about this. But really? How many Americans can say the same thing?

But while these things were cool, and I enjoyed my tour, it was what happened before the tour that was the most interesting. Walking up to the White House, there was a fire truck and an ambulance parked INSIDE the fence. This was, obviously, concerning. What happened? A shooting? Beat-down? No such luck. Just some random tourist that was so moved by the experience of touring the White House she fainted right there.

The second cool thing was, in fact, a beat down. Sort of. As we got to Pennsylvania Ave. there was a large group of police surrounding someone on the ground, and more police were showing up by the second. We didn't see it happen, but some protestor had chosen to get in an argument with the police, and instead of following directions, chose to turn and run. Moron. Seriously people, when across the street from the White House, DO NOT try and run from the police. You WILL get jacked up and be at the bottom of (Ok, I'm really sorry about this, but the pun writes itself) a pig pile.

Yes, I said it, but didn't any of you play pig pile? I'm just hoping you weren't drinking anything when you read that last bit, and did a big spit take all over your computer, cause I'm not liable for damages.

Any-who, our protagonist was trussed up and dealt with in some fashion or another, because he wasn't there when we finished the tour. After the tour, my friends and I headed off to Founding Farmers for a wonderful breakfast, good company, and then went our separate ways for the rest of the weekend.

Tomorrow, if you're lucky, I will tell you about my experience at the Newseum.

Be well neighbors.