Today = Exciting

This is us. The one showing lots of shoulder (in her Chengdu, China Marine Ball ball gown!) is the EFM who writes this blog. The one wearing a tux (James) is the employee who moves her (and their two sons) around all over the world. The red link, below, is how you can get in touch with me...

The time in Chengdu, China

Chengdu: city of fabulous food and beautiful Buddhist monasteries!

In Our Same Boat (with State)

Beyond the Cornfields
Brand-new State Department family in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Love their two little girls (she just recently had a baby while being posted in Dhaka), horticulture, traveling and adventure!
Email From The Embassy
State Department family formerly in Beijing, China, and recently posted to Amman, Jordan. A trailing spouse, she's also a writer, and frequently publishes articles with major news sources. A very experienced State family, this new post is something like overseas post number six or seven for them.
Just US
A beautiful family of seven - they have arrived at their new post: Jerusalem! They just finished off an unaccompanied tour to Iraq and are very much looking forward to sightseeing around the middle east.
Our Life
State Department family on their second post...Tijuana, Mexico. It's their first overseas assignment and they have two little boys. They love Tijuana so far and post pictures frequently! They also get to enjoy the best of both worlds for they can sneak over the border into San Diego when they want to!
The Dinoia Family
State Department family formerly in California, now in DC for a DC tour. Next, the husband will do a one year unaccompanied tour. A very experienced State family (formerly in Iceland and Caracas) with a blog that has been around quite a while and has great archives. Jen has a sweet heart and a lot to give!
The Perlman Update
State Department family formerly in Chennai, India, who then did a year-long unaccompanied tour in Iraq. They are now on a DC tour and after that will do another unaccompanied tour (Afghanistan). She totally tells it like it is and doesn't sugar-coat what life is really like. Witty, snarky, funny and down-to-earth. Look elsewhere if you want fake. Read if you want REAL.
Where in the World Am I?
State Department family formerly in Bujumbura, Burundi and now in Hyderabad, India. They just had their first baby this summer - a beautiful little girl- (there's a separate blog about this) and she also eats gluten-free (with a separate blog, also).

One of the most intriguing things about Chengdu is that it is a seamless blend of ancient and modern... all together, side by side.

Can't Live Without (non-State)

Crass-Pollination: An ER blog
The best ER nurse blog EVER!
Doctor Grumpy in the House
The best doctor blog EVER!
In Which...
My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of seven. Her darling daughters are, goshdarnit, probably too young to be hoped for as my future daughters-in-law.
The Crib Chick
My IRL friend, a stay-at-home, homeschooling Mama of five. Hopefully two (Any two! I'm not picky!) of which are my future daughters-in-law.
the underwear drawer
An anesthesiologist who is possibly the most talented & entertaining writer ever. I've read her blog ever since she started medical school. No, don't know her in real life. Wish I did.
The Bloggess
This blog is both hysterically funny and hilariously irreverent. I actually let my 17 year old son read it (who loves it as much as I do!), but wouldn't even CONSIDER letting my 12 year old son read it. Which is about all the description it needs!

The grounds of Chengdu monasteries can be very, very peaceful...even though they are smack dab in the heart of a city of millions of people.

Specifics

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« Adventures at the Washington DC Zoo, Part the Oneth | Main | I Could Whine, but I Won't (I'm Working Hard at Being Grateful) »

05/28/2010

Today = Exciting

Short blog post just to happily say that my husband and I are off to FSI this afternoon!

He finished his not-at-FSI class (with a 100% on the final exam... and finished the exam FIRST before anyone else in the class... not that I'm massive way proud of his awesome self or anything) and now he and I are headed off to FSI, where he will

ESCORT ME IN

(how lame is it that I can't go to FSI myself?)

and where we will get to go to the Overseas Briefing Center to research our next post (Chengdu, China) together.

And then...drum roll please... we have an appointment to meet with a Mandarin Chinese instructor who has graciously accepted our desperate pleas to tutor us in Mandarin while we're here the next couple of months.

You see, for us, Mandarin doesn't start until September. But we're here, now, with James going through other classes, so we hate to be here, NEAR FSI, NEAR the language center, and not learning any Mandarin. So we sent out feelers in the Mandarin department to see if anyone would be interested in tutoring us for the next couple of months, and lo and behold, we found a - victim?

So, a very interesting afternoon awaits us.

In the meantime, a few more Washington DC Zoo pictures:

My insanely brilliant and incredibly handsome husband (who just got a 100% on his exam!), and me looking like a windblown trashbag. But hey, it's the zoo. No one has a good hair day at the zoo. (And also: I'm not wearing even a SHRED of makeup. So, yes, windblown trashbag sans makeup. It's a scary thing. But hey, on this blog you will find THE TRUTH.)

(Also, my ELEVEN YEAR OLD took this above picture of James and me.)

Father/son sno cones. It's a beautiful thing.

The next few pictures are of a meerkat, who is standing guard in his enclosure, watching for predators:

He rotated his head in all directions, being all diligent in his search for them.

The above is a Green Tree Python.

We actually used to own one of these, back in our snake-owning days. She used to bite the living daylights out of me all the time. We had named her Noelle, for Green Tree Pythons start out red as juveniles and slowly turn green as they age. So, you know, Christmas colors and all.

We used to own lots and lots of snakes. But that is a post for a different day.

Posted on 05/28/2010 at 06:58 AM in James, James - State Department, Learning Mandarin Chinese, Me, Owning snakes, Tourists in Washington DC, Zachary | Permalink

Comments

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You owned SNAKES?? Lots of them??? I am the VERY reluctant owner of one very small shy boring ribbon snake who never ever bites or she would be history. Know anyone moving to Frankfurt that needs a snake?

Congrats to James on his test scores and good luck with Mandarin. Yikes!

Posted by: shannon | 05/28/2010 at 07:11 AM

I guess the zoo is a must-see! Love the entry fee.

Posted by: Jeni | 05/28/2010 at 07:29 AM

what fun, hope you have a great time and learn lots of cool things this pm! How great that you can get a head start with Mandarin.
And I love that pic of you! You look great!

Posted by: Bridget | 05/28/2010 at 07:33 AM

Hooray for a Mandarin tutor and researching Chengdu! And seriously. . . snakes? *shudder*

Posted by: TG | 05/28/2010 at 07:39 AM

Yea for James! Congrats.
You guys are a very good looking couple.
Good luck with the language. It is wonderful that you guys are taking the opportunity to start as soon as possible. Your ambition is very admirable.

Posted by: Emily | 05/28/2010 at 09:26 AM

Are they eating snow cones? Damn, I could use a snow cone. I was 117 degrees here yesterday. I want to die. Except I'm dreaming of a snow cone...

Posted by: Angus | 05/28/2010 at 10:26 AM

Love the picture of the two of you! It's awesome that you found a Mandarin tutor - best of luck learning it!

Posted by: Daniela | 05/28/2010 at 12:24 PM

I have to say, I think that's a fabulous pic of you and your hubby! And the fact that you aren't wearing any makeup, only highlights how photogenic you totally are!!

Posted by: Kristen | 05/30/2010 at 08:32 PM

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Posted by: cams | 03/14/2011 at 12:04 AM

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James loves me. And our sons. And his job. But not having his picture taken. In 2011 he finished up over a year and half of training, and in the fall of 2011 we got to our first overseas post - Chengdu, China!