Good Life: Part 2

Last summer as I embarked on the start of my Foreign Service career, I blogged about the good life I had enjoyed and how blessed I was to have a wonderful family who supported me. More than a year later, the same feeling remains. I'm still livin' the dream. 

The past month was another chapter of the good life. Two of the highlights that immediately come to mind were a weekend getaway to Istanbul and a brief visit to Jerusalem. Over Rosh Hashanah a quick two hour plane brought us to the amazing sights of the Ottoman empire. We saw magnificent mosques and toured decadent palaces. My kids didn't appreciate the architectural marvels and ornate aesthetics as much but were mostly content throughout the trip. The previous weekend the family also made its first pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We were able to tour the Western Wall complex and stroll through the Old City before returning home late that afternoon. We will be back many more times to see .    

These were trips of a lifetime but a number of everyday experiences have left a more indelible mark on my spirits. Weekend excursions to beautiful nearby beaches have reminded me of boyhood vacations at my grandparents' in South Florida. Biking to and from work with my wife along the Mediterranean has become a pleasant diversion from the normal commute. Visiting my kids' classrooms has left me feeling very positive about their education. Coming home to a clean house and home cooked meal has reassured me that we made a good choice for our domestic help.

The good life in Israel is almost all encompassing. J and I were actually hard pressed the other night to come up with a major drawback of being posted here. We suppose the prices could be cheaper. It's still hard to swallow paying at least $150 in groceries every week and gas costs more than $8 per gallon. The kids' bus ride is also long and an early morning pickup means I have to drag them out of bed every morning. But that's really about it. I can't complain too much.

I'd like to think that the honeymoon stage of my first tour has passed and that these feelings will not wear off anytime soon. I'm sure our remaining twenty-one months will have their share of ups and downs. We do feel homesick once and a while but then there's always another sunset behind the palm tree in our back yard. Life is good.

"Growing Pains"

Ever since I thought of this blog's title, the theme song to that cheesy 80's sitcom has been stuck in my head. Maybe it's the fact that my twenty-year (20!) high school reunion was this weekend (big shout out to all da' Bears!). Or perhaps it's because my wife, and fellow '92 BCHS alumni, is now sitting just two doors down from my office. Actually, I'm just jealous of Kirk Cameron's man-perm.

In all seriousness, I think "growing pains" sums up pretty well my experience on the job over the past month. I was very fortunate to overlap with my predecessor for my first two weeks. But then he left on on August 1. After the umbilical cord was cut, I quickly discovered there was a lot to do and even more to learn. I studied about the disparate range of issues that I cover in my portfolio. I made cold calls to introduce myself to everyone from LGBT activists to ultra-Orthodox rabbis. I sat in "working group" meetings feeling like a total wallflower while trying to decipher a dizzying array of acronyms. I wrote cables that seem perpetually stuck in a state of arrested development. And, oh yes, I became re-acquainted with the norms of email communication in the government. Bureaucrats love them some carbon copy!  

Don't get me wrong. I'm not waking up in the middle of the night with aches of regret. I still love my job and feel incredibly lucky to have received this assignment. The work is very substantive and the environment is fascinating. There is never a dull moment in Israeli politics and things look to be getting a lot more interesting ('nuff said). Based on some updates from other A-100 classmates, I also understand that it's very normal to feel totally inept in the beginning. In fact, being thrown into some crazy FUBAR situation almost seems to be a rite of passage for many of us. The good news is that I'm gradually becoming more confident and I only feel inept 49% of the time. Now if I could just remember how to speak Hebrew.

It's also reassuring to know I'm not the only one going through a major transition. Both of my boys are now attending a new school and have adapted very well so far. They went from their carefree summer schedule to early morning wake-ups and six-plus hours of school each day. They've already made friends and are blissfully enjoying the perks of an international private school. As a product of public schools, I had the bigger shock. The pre-K through 12th grade facilities include iPad-equipped classrooms, a stadium-seating auditorium and a swimming pool. The campus looks straight off the set of Beverly Hills 90210. And then there's those luxury coaches that pick them up and drop them off every day. No rickety yellow buses spewing noxious plumes of diesel. "Back when I was your age," I tell them each day. Yes, my transformation into a grumpy old man is almost complete.   

My wife has also been be a super trooper. Over the past six weeks J has handled almost all of the challenges of getting us settled in. I say "almost" because I'm still responsible for the occasional pest control duty. But she's done a lot. She entertained the boys inside our suburban townhouse during many a long, hot summer afternoon. She tapped a network of expats to find us our after-school babysitter whom I'm pretty sure has super-human cleaning powers. She organized a ton (literally) of random stuff delivered to our basement. And my personal favorite, she's channeled her inner Jewish mother to spoil me with some wonderful home-cooked dinners.

The latter is probably going to change as she has now begun working full time at the embassy with me! I'm happy that she is hanging up the apron for this new gig though. She was never meant to be a June Cleaver and her brief audition to be on "Desperate Housewives of Tel Aviv" didn't pan out. We're both being cast for new roles that will take some time getting used to. I'm confident the growing pains won't last long and we'll soon move to the "head of the class." (Wow, my recollection of 80s television is really telling--I didn't get out nearly enough!) In the meantime, stay tuned for our new reality show. Any ideas for a name?   

Smooth Landing (so far)

It didn't really sink in until the evening of July 11 when the flight attendant switched from English into Hebrew for the perfunctory announcements before take off. This was really happening. My family and I were on our way to Israel! My sons instantly beamed when they heard Hebrew over the cabin intercom like it was some kind of inside joke. For the past year, Hebrew was an abstraction for them in which funny sounding words occasionally made their way into dinnertime conversation. Now this language, and whole new life for that matter, suddenly became very real. I hope this "ah-ha" moment remains fondly etched in our memories.

Just with hearing Hebrew on the plane for the first time, I think it has taken a few days for the whole family (myself included) to process our new surroundings. After arriving to a spacious three-bedroom townhouse and a fridge stocked with plenty of comfort food (thanks to our awesome community sponsor), we are slowly adjusting to life on our own. So far, we've managed to take care of a few necessities like grocery shopping, service requests and administrative check in. There is still much to learn though.

Since J will begin work at the embassy at the end of August, one of our top priorities is to find a nanny to watch our kids after school. Our search so far has offered an interesting glimpse into the informal, and oftentimes underground, work sector in Israel. Most available nannies are from the Phillipines or South Asia and are looking for employers to sponsor them so they can work legally in Israel. Needles to say, this system has created a highly mobile and motivated supply of workers who are eager to maintain their livelihood and residency status. Word of mouth is aparenty the key to tapping into this network. One local Israeli even advised scouting out local parks for nannies and approaching them on the spot. Propositioning strangers about scoring some "high-grade nanny" may sound a little sketchy at the moment but it may become our go-to strategy. We do have a few leads and hope someone will pan out before too long.

Our other introduction to Tel Aviv has been the summertime weather. I've had the distinct displeasure of experiencing one heat wave after another over the past month. From Denver to D.C. to Tel Aviv, the weather has been hot, hotter and hottest. Although the temperature usually hovers in the 90s for most of the summer in Tel Aviv (unlike other parts of the Middle East), the humidity can be downright oppressive, even at nighttime. The weather cooled down over this past weekend but I've been told that the heat lasts throughout August and September. I guess I shouldn't complain about heat when we live just a five minute drive from beautiful Mediterreanean beaches.

In fact, the highlight of our stay so far was an evening out with our host family. It began with dinner after work at a seaside restaurant perfectly positioned to watch the sunset over the Mediterranean and the flickering nighttime lights of Tel Aviv. Afterwards we treated ourselves to some tasty gelato followed by an evening stroll through the old port town of Jaffa. A path up a hill led us to an old Crusader fort with an even more picturesque vista of the bustling city below. Abandoning all plans for a sensible bedtime, we allowed our kids to frolick in the central plaza and then wind their way down a maze of descending cobblestone paths to the harbor. We definitely plan to return for many more visits in the two years to come.

Don't get the idea that life in Tel Aviv is all play and no work. My first week in the office definitely showed that my job will be demanding and anything but dull. I just happened to arrive on the eve of an official visit from a bevy of high ranking U.S. officials including Secretary Clinton herself. It was pretty much all hands on deck for the logistics of her visit. I didn't get roped in this time but there will be many more visits in my future that I will help coordinate. I'll definitely need to be attentive to detail for those.

To be honest, my biggest insecurity is that it's been a number of years since I've worked in an office and it will take take for me to get reacclimated the pace and lingo. The wonderous yet sinfully addictive BlackBerry has helped me to keep up so far but I also need to work on my communcation skills both inside and outside the office. I'd like to think that I'm a little more articulate than Milton from Office Space but at times I'll probably sound like Paul Rudd in this scene from "I Love You, Man" which, by the way, is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen and should be a cult classic IMHO.

All in all though, I feel it's been a relatievly smooth landing and transition into my first assignment in the Foreign Service. Entering one of the most important U.S. missions in the world and already knee-deep in a range of substantive issues, I need to pinch myself every now and then. It's already too late to return tray tables to their upright and locked position. I've landed. 

The End-of-Training Power Rankings

Tomorrow will mark the end of my 50th week of training at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI). I'm not expecting anything special to commemorate my "golden" anniversary. No champagne toasts from younger trainees. No plaques in my language lab cubicle. Not even a "senior citizen" discount in the cafeteria. In fear of becoming that kid who still hangs around his old high school, I plan to keep a low profile during my remaining time at FSI. Thankfully, I will be in Tel Aviv in exactly two weeks!  

I've thought long and hard about this farewell to FSI. Since original ideas are hard to come by in my advancing age, I decided to model this blog after ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons' "Power Rankings" of NBA players, which weaves pop culture seamlessly into cogent sports analysis. I would try to emulate his style here but I don't watch nearly as much reality television as he does.

With that short and utterly non-sensical segue, I now count down the top ten highlights of the past 50 weeks in my very own "End-of-Traning Power Rankings"!

#10- Interesting AND engaging speakers
From Day 1 of A-100 to last week's Security Overseas Seminar, I have been briefed on almost every imaginable topic of interest ranging from dental coverage to counter-surveillance techniques. Although some days felt like a slow death by powerpoint, I admit that the majority of speakers imparted useful information and some were very good storytellers. The few that could do both were especially enjoyable. Two notewothy highlights were hearing from the U.S. ambassador to Syria and the big boss herself.  


#9- Bid lists and more bid lists
I didn't realize how addicting bid lists could be until after I received my first one last summer. Since then, new lists with postings in all corners of the world have provided the subject for frequent daydreaming and wanderlust. I won't bid on my second tour until next summer but this hasn't stopped me from strategizing based on projected vacancies.


#8- Oakwood housing
It was love at first sight when I got a sneak peak of the Oakwood Falls Church facility last year. How much do I still love thee, Oakwood? Let me count the ways. Eight is the approximate number of donuts my family consumes every Sunday morning. Seven is the number of days in between each visit from the housekeepers. Six is the number of kitchen gadgets my wife has won during monthly bingo nights. Five (thirty) P.M. on one Saturday every month is the magic time that Parents' Night Out begins. Four is the number of months that my kids have enjoyed the swimming pool. Need I go on?


#7- Hebrew classmates
I studied Hebrew for a total of 36 weeks. Even though it was a humbling experience I ultimately passed my Hebrew test and had the added benefit of getting to know a dozen or so future colleagues with whom I will be closely working over the next two years. The common struggle was a great bonding experience. I already miss some of the role-playing exercises in class where we could make outlandish statements and commit all kinds of gaffes without any repercussions. No more.    


#6- Weekend getaways
Long-term training did not allow any extended vacations but my family and I did take advantage of several long weekends and federal holidays for memorable getaways. The trips included Virginia Beach, Smith Mountain Lake, Hershey, Mt. Vernon, Baltimore, Lake Gaston and the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. They were much needed breaks from the monotony of the daily routine. Of course, many of these road trips required some mode of transport. That's where the next highlight comes in.


#5- The Swagger Wagon
After becoming a full-fledged resident of the burbs las summer, I figured it would only be a matter of time before I owned a minivan like this hilarious YouTube clip. Well, I just couldn't bring myself to do it...yet. But after I found out that I had been assigned to the third hottest city in the world (and that there were no car import restrictions), I knew I would have to roll in my own Swagger Wagon so I went out and purchased a pre-owned sport SUV which is affectionately referred to as "the Lex." She is now on the slow boat to Israel.


#4- Kids gone wild
I've already extolled some of the perks of living at Oakwood but it also offered a swinging social life for my two young boys. Four big apartment complexes with a semi-enclosed common area meant super convenient playdates and endless playtime outside. Imagine college dorms for grade schoolers. Although some of the roving packs of boys weren't always paragons of virtue, the festival-like atmosphere generally kept the kids happy. I hope they realize how good they had it for the past year. 


#3- New friends
As I've mentioned elsewhere, meeting so many interesting and talented individuals has been a top highlight of my experience so far. Since A-100, my circle of friends expanded to others outside the classroom. I was also fortunate to reconnect with a number of old friends from when I previously lived in DC. It has been great spending time with all of them over the past 12 months and sharing this incredible adventure that my family and I are about to undertake. I hope that these friendships remain over the coming years.


#2- Flag Day.
Last Friday, I attended the most recent Flag Day and still felt myself getting a little vklempt over all the excitement in the room when assignments were being announced. I often think back to that day and what an amazing assignment I received. I can't believe how well things have worked out and how much this post suits my interests. I count myself as extremely lucky to receive such a coveted job for my first tour.  


#1- Future tandem.
Without a doubt, the best development over the past year has been my wife's candidacy in the Foreign Service. For those who didn't know, not only did she pass the Oral Assessment last fall, she also passed a proficiency test in Arabic which virtually guarantees that she will receive a call to A-100 when the time is right. We have the added luxury of being able to defer her candidacy for the entire time we are in Tel Aviv with the hopes of syncing up our next tours together. There are a lot of "ifs" for what kind of tour that will be but the important thing is that we stay together. 

Too Good to Be True?!

A little less than a year ago, I received the long-awaited "call" to join the Foreign Service. A whole new life and career instantly materialized before my eyes but that moment last May also marked the culmination of a pursuit that spanned many years and included several unsuccessful attempts. Some may think that becoming a diplomat was my destiny (cue Darth Vader voice) but I like to think that a mix of dogged determination and perseverance won out (proficiency in Arabic also helped a lot). Like Will Smith tells his son in this motivational scene, "You want something. Go get it. Period." Well, it took me about fifteen years to become a political officer assigned to the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. My wife's journey, on the other hand, was considerably shorter.

Did you get that? J got a job...as a political officer...working with me! Holy dynamic duo, Batman!

Here's how it went down. Earlier this year, J submitted a nondescript application to the Expanded Professional Associates Program (EPAP). Recognizing the need to maintain morale within the home of Foreign Service Officers, the State Department created EPAP to give spouses the opportunity to obtain substantive positions at various posts. I use the word "substantive" because all too often the careers of "trailing" spouses take a backseat for irregular or less than satisfying work overseas. Truth be told, J's best options in Tel Aviv were shaping up to be either taking fingerprints of visa applicants or volunteering part time with some local school or organization. With this in mind, she was already preparing for the prospects of a two-year sabbatical in Tel Aviv.

It's a good thing she threw her hat into the ring for the EPAP position despite ambivalence about the impersonal application process. One of bureaucratic hurdles was a writing test to ensure that the applicant could put together coherent sentences in English. Mind you J attended the top journalism school in the country so she obviously cleared that one. Nevertheless, we weren't holding our breath. Who else was applying and how long it would it take for the wheels to turn?

Well, low and behold, two weeks ago I received an email from my future boss in Tel Aviv asking whether J would be interested in one of two available full-time EPAP positions! He also asked me frankly if it would be awkward to work together in the same section. I admit that pillow talk about Israeli politics might take some time getting used to but I don't foresee any cataclysmic event like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters. After all, we have been on friendly terms since the time when the Berlin Wall fell and we also spent 2004 together 24/7 traveling around the world. Tel Aviv tandem? Yes, we can!

We were dazed for a few minutes by the sudden news and then regained our senses. Was this an official offer? Were there any other steps? Would J have to learn Hebrew in a few short months? For these very reasons, we kept relatively quiet about the exciting development until J signed on the dotted line (figuratively speaking) over the weekend. She also learned that one of the reasons why she was selected for the position was because she is learning Arabic. It turns out the blood, sweat and tears (I can personally attest that she has expended the latter two) over the past 25 weeks has paid off splendidly!

We still need to receive some assurances about juggling the logistics of after-school care for our kids but the eternal optimist in me says everything is going to work out. Now all that stands between us and our first assignment TOGETHER is passing our upcoming language exams. I test in Hebrew on the 18th and J in Arabic on the 30th.

On that note, it's best that we get back to practicing our verb conjugations. I'll be back in a few short weeks with the results from the test. Wish us luck!

Pleasant Living at Oakwood's Diploville

Don't get the wrong idea from my last blog. I'm still yearning to head out to my first overseas post but I really can't complain about life over the last eight months. Several experiences over the past couple weeks have reminded me how good my family and I have it at Oakwood's Falls Church facility.

The people we've met here have been one of the definite highlights. Yesterday was my son's birthday party and almost all of his friends who attended were kids of other Foreign Service Officers. It's to be expected that six-year old-boys will act like six-year-old boys at times but I couldn't help but notice how nice and well behaved they all were. Even though these kids enjoy many spoils both here and abroad, I'd bet that "diplo-brats" in the true sense of the word are few and far between. I'd like to think this has something to do with the parents rather than some genetic predisposition.

Speaking of which, my wife and I have also also become friends with a number of diplomats through Oakwood, most of whom are newbies like me but also a few seasoned veterans. It is quite an interesting social engineering experiment, come to think of it, to stick a collection of collegial cohorts within such a close vicinity. I can't think of any instances of drama that you would normally find in an apartment complex. No fights over tennis courts, parking spots or grilles. No raunchy behavior in the pool or hot tub (at least that I know of). There is no way a reality show about Foreign Service temporary housing could ever compete with the likes of "Jersey Shore" (this is a family-oriented blog so I didn't link to any racy YouTube clips of Snooki).

Is the "diplo-bubble" I'm describing starting to sound a little creepy--kinda like this scene from The Stepford Wives? I admit that living at Oakwood does feel like a compound and free donuts in the clubhouse every Sunday morning has become something of a religious calling for us. Rest assured though that the only cult the residents here subscribe to is a commitment to serving our country overseas in a professional way. There's a reason why we are called Foreign Service Officers

I've also witnessed a tremendous sense of determination and solidarity within the Foreign Service. On Friday I received a update from one of my A-100 classmates, who was diagnosed several months ago with a mango-sized tumor on her heart. She has already endured chemotherapy but now is about to face major surgery in hopes of removing it. I've been deeply moved not only by her perseverance but also the support she has received from others. So the very least I can do for her now would be to encourage other Foreign Service Officers who may be reading this blog to consider donating annual leave here (via the intranet) that she can use during for her long road ahead of treatment and recovery.

Sorry to end on that sober note. I'll be back in a month or so with a new blog as I wind down my language study. Mrs. DiploDad will also be finishing her language in the not-so-distant future. I'm still lobbying her to do a guest blog by the way. To get a sense of what she'll go through when she tests, read this funny blog by the spouse of another colleague.

Signing off from Pleasantville!        

Winter Wanderlust

Well, it didn't take long for me to fall off the wagon from my New Year's "mission statement." So much for bold resolutions about being a more faithful blogger. I won't try to make any lame excuses about how I am so busy that I can't find the time. The honest truth is that I lack the motivation these days. How could this be? After all, I've fulfilled my lifelong dream of becoming a diplomat, scored a sweet first assignment as a political officer in Tel Aviv and am getting paid to learn Hebrew for a total of 36 weeks. Why then does waking up every morning feel like this scene from the movie Groundhog Day?

I think my malaise stems from the drip-drip training for what lies ahead. I knew after Flag Day that I wouldn't be heading to the front line anytime soon but the slog of long-term training is now wearing on me. It hasn't helped that some of my A-100 colleagues are already at their posts and the initial reports, as far I know so far, have been glowing. While a few have gloated about exploring exotic locales and meeting foreign dignitaries, I'm spending my weekends in the suburbs and trying to conjugate verbs in the future tense. On top of it, I've had to listen to chatter about bid lists by newly inducted diplomats and even hear where some CNL classmates are headed for their second tour. If that wasn't enough, scores of language learners recently left the frigid confines of the classroom for short "immersion" trips to warmer climates.

I clearly need an intervention. The good news is there some light at the end of tunnel. I still have another couple months of Hebrew to go but I am making some progress. I'm now able to get the gist reading some short newspaper articles and the highlight of my speaking ability was conversing for seven straight hours during a field trip several weeks ago. My class is visiting the Holocaust Museum this week and I hope to get some good (albeit sobering) practice in preparation for my second language assessment on Friday. In next month's blog, I'll give an update on Mrs. DiploDad's strides in Arabic.

The second sign that things are moving along is that I will soon have a new passport for official travel! If you're not familiar with diplomatic passports, they bestow a few special privileges to holders. For one, I should pass through airport arrivals and customs much easier than your typical traveler (without collecting $200 though). I'll surely feel a bit heady when I whip out that black passport. Hopefully I'll never have to invoke the diplomatic immunity clause even though it sounds so freakin' cool to say. I'll have to continually remind myself of what happened in this scene from Lethal Weapon 2.

On a final note, being confined to long-term training hasn't at all stopped me from daydreaming about future posts. I'm ready to confess here in front of all you (chirp, chirp) that I have an addiction. I haven't even served one day in my first post but I'm already thinking about future tours based on reports in Tales from a Small Planet. I know there are others out there like me who do this. C'mon, come clean. What's so bad about a little planning in order to be in Qatar for World Cup 2022? For the time being, I'll be content with taking some short trips on the East Coast to get my fix. In fact, the whole family is looking forward to spending a day and night at an indoor water park in Williamburg, Virginia over the upcoming weekend.

After that, I'm hoping things will pick up and time flies by until we ship out in mid-July. By that point, my case of wanderlust will be hopeless and the only cure will be frequent travel. I'm thinking two years by the Mediterranean will be good detox for that!