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!

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Yes, Beijing's Forbidden City (pictured, above) is really pretty and all, but I like Chengdu much better than Beijing!

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.

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Yes, there are Starbucks in Chengdu! All over the place, in fact. So much so, Starbucks even crafted mugs for Chengdu stores!

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05/07/2013

Taking the Good with the Bad


Well, so.


James had a very informative (and also long) conversation with his CDO last night. So, you know, I figured I would update y'all on the whole bidding thing.


THE GOOD NEWS:  It looks as though James might be penciled in for a certain onward assignment.


THE BAD NEWS: He sure isn't getting paneled for it (or anything else, for that matter) on the next panel date (May 17th).


(At this point, cue me being all:)


Angrybigtimedwight
Except for - I'm a girl.


 
EVEN BETTER: He *might* get paneled the panel after that. Which is June 7th. If, of course, everything that needs to happen actually ends up happening the way it needs to happen so that it can all actually happen. And stuff. 


THE AWESOMEST NEWS EVER:  This means that JAMES AND I WIN the "Longest Bidders Ever That I Personally Know Award."  Of all of my DS girlfriends, the longest anyone has gone without an onward assignment has been from bidding as a summer bidder starting in one calendar year and not getting paneled until May of the the next calendar year (nine months of pure bidding joy). But now that we know that we started bidding last August (2012) and won't even be paneled this month - in May (the nine month mark) - we now have won the Longest Bidders (that I personally know) Contest. 


WOW!  Lucky us!  And James and I usually never ever win contests! 

 

Momentsmakelifeworthliving
Except when they aren't.


So.


In all fairness, and I am trying to be as fair about the situation as possible, James has a WONDERFUL CDO who is very kind and helpful. It also sounds like the assignment to where James will more than likely be headed is a good place, morale-wise. So that's nice. We need some good morale all up in here, y'all. 


On the other hand, not being paneled means no orders. No orders means no travel dates. No travel dates means, well, NO TRAVEL. And let's not forget that we have an upcoming 9th grader in the fall. Who needs to, like, get out of Chengdu and get to where his school is. And stuff.


I'll be able to tell the whole story when James gets paneled. Which will hopefully, HOPEFULLY, *HOPEFULLY* be in June (OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE).  


Tumblr_lfh9emj2Py1qbptt3o1_500
PLEEEEEEEEEASE? James and I are asking so very nicely!



In the meantime, I will leave you with a link to a hilariously funny thing that Matthew, my 19-year-old son, found on the interwebz. It has to do with how different men and women are. Holy cow, I laughed SO HARD at that!


Laughing is good.


As for me, I have finished two of my final exams for two of the three classes I have been taking this spring semester, and have the other final exam tomorrow morning. And then I will be done for the semester.  Which COMPLETELY freaks me out.  No, I'm dead serious.


Taking classes is the only thing that keeps me sane, you guys, seeing as there's nothing else for me to do. I am so, and I do mean SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bad at the whole EFM thing. I don't do outings or lunches or shopping or manicures or pedicures or whatever other things we unemployed EFMs (which is statistically, what, 70+% of EFMs worldwide? If not more? And now there are going to be even less EFM jobs available worldwide because of the budget crunch?) are supposed to do to pass the time at post. I don't hang out and gossip, I don't have young children that need to do playdates - I just truly suck at the whole EFM thing. Which means that school has been my lifeline to sanity because it has kept my brain engaged and given me a daily hope for a future that includes my being useful. And having school end for the semester - and not being able to register for a summer class because I HAVE NO CLUE WHERE I WILL BE OR WHAT I WILL BE DOING THIS SUMMER is just... killing me. 

 

If I knew that I would be here in Chengdu through my hometown institution's entire summer semester, I would JUMP on taking another class. But this flux is keeping me from doing anything, which is just... hard. SO HARD. 

Posted on 05/07/2013 at 11:04 PM in Back to School (for me), Bidding, Complaining, EFM Issues, James - State Department, Kill Me Now, Matthew, Me |

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Anne

Congratulations on your accomplishment? I read this to my hub, and we brainstormed as to what assignment would be considered having good morale. I hypothesized as to what it likely isn't, and the hubs is hoping that it's ATA. A boy can dream, right?! I'm glad you at least have a sense of what is happening, and that you can start planning for it (kind of). Can't wait to hear the whole story.

Posted by: Anne | 05/08/2013 at 01:22 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!
Mao says hi! Because Chengdu is one of the only cities in China with a Mao statue.
Flowers are like friends. Each one is unique. Each one is beautiful. They brighten up everything around them. And you can never have too many. 

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2012 is the Year of the Dragon, y'all! Talk about the ultimate in good luck! This kinda party only comes around once every twelve years!
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Colorful! (Inside a Chengdu ancient Buddhist monastery.)
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