Haiti and the State Department

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who is suffering loss in Haiti, and those who are working hard to offer assistance and relieve the suffering. The State Department's website on the disaster relief efforts has information on providing assistance. One of our colleagues was one of the Americans killed in the earthquake. Already several of my friends and colleagues are en route to Haiti, and we may be going too.

The Holidays, part 2

On Christmas afternoon we all went to a geothermal spa, which featured peacocks in the yard.
And an inquisitive parakeet.

We enjoyed the mud baths, the Turkish bath, and the steam room. Part of the regimen included a full-body scrub administered by a young woman armed with a special exfoliating soap.

After enjoying fresh fruit and cool drinks, we relaxed in the heated pool.

The whole extended family.

Exchanging greetings on the cell phone.

The family next door arrived from Spain on vacation, and their little girl played dress-up.

Man on his bicycle.

Hyperactive boys in the town square, where a folkloric group played traditional music.

The cathedral.

After an enjoyable weekend, we headed back to the capital city for another week of work. The city was practically deserted, and getting to work was a breeze in the mornings.

We celebrated New Year's eve with a dozen colleagues from the Embassy, preceded by dinner at another colleague's home, with delicious pasta alfredo and salad. At midnight, everyone welcomed 2010 and swallowed twelve delicious grapes making a wish for each one. I hope mine come true....

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Holiday wrap-up

We spent the Christmas holidays with some local friends, who invited us to their home a couple hours north of the capital city. With clearance from the security office for our trip, we headed out of town. The beautiful country-side, with green rolling hills, was a sight for sore eyes.

One of the big things in this country appears to be Christmas parades through the town squares on Christmas eve. We arrived just in time to watch this one with our host family. Christmas here is similar to America, but a little less commercialized, with a few interesting quirks, such as the following:

The wise man led the way through town, followed by Santa's 14-year-old helpers.

The shepherds from the fields were played by young men with tricked-out motorcycles.

And there was a drag section, with wearing impossibly tight outfits and dangerously high heels. This particular participant reminds me of somebody I know.

There was a Joseph and Mary, riding a donkey, with a doll in her arms...

...followed by pre-pubescent teens dancing to reggaeton, dressed in national plumage.

After the parade, we enjoyed the lights of the town square.

Laura and our host family were really kind, and we felt at home around the table on Christmas morning.

Later in the morning, we took a driving tour of the vicinity, and drove to the top of the nearby hill to survey the beautiful valley below.

A typical street scene in the small towns on Christmas day. Barbecues and drinking beer are a popular past time with the men, and the kids play with their new toys. Mosst women were out of site, minding the roasting veal.

Small town feel, with traditional architecture.

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2009 by the numbers

8,600 elevation in feet where we live.
20 percent incentive for serving in this country
19 different beds we have slept in this year
14 nights at sea
13 people on my team at work
13 airplane flights this year
10 overnight guests at our home
9 countries visited
7 hours, the shortest time we spent in one country, (the Falkland Islands).
6 new countries
5 types of penguins seen this year
5 months, the longest time we spent in one country
4 salary adjustments this year
2 pet parakeets
1 God
0 number of phone calls received while serving as duty officer this year

Holiday fun

One of the desserts at the office Christmas party.

The gifts before the secret Santa gift exchange.

It seems like every week when we attend church, a horse or donkey cart goes past.

Graffiti in town.

On Sunday afternoon we discovered a delightful park near the Embassy where we can go for long walks around the lake.

Mobile cleaning crew.

One Sunday morning we went to the flower market, and enjoyed getting inexpensive boquets for the house.

The flower man closes a deal.

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December

Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

My honey and some other ladies baked hundreds of cup-cakes to help school children from a school in an economically depressed area celebrate the holidays.


I think she baked at last seven dozen cupcakes. I took some to the office to share with my team.



A farewell dinner for a retiring colleague.

We adopted two little kittens from an animal shelter. They are sisters, and very cuddly and playful.

Normally taxis drive very aggressively, but on this particular Sunday morning, they are all parked very demurely.

We took a hike up towards the hills behind our apartment, and crossed under the road through the tunnel.

We participated in the American women's club tour of the Christmas lights around the city.

The president's residence.

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Scenes from a globetrotting life

Mrs. Globetrotter picked up a couple of parakeets in the pet district on Avenida Caracas. They are very cuddly and we hope they might have babies.
On Sunday we went to the botanical gardens again, and enjoyed the temporary butterfly exhibit.

We also enjoyed walking around the peaceful trails.

On Thanksgiving we enjoyed a delicious feast with other expat friends. My honey prepared a mouth-watering merangue pie, among other things.

An overgrown puppy riding shotgun on the rickshaw.

A friend of my wife's was baptized, and we enjoyed lunch at their home after church.