Resumen

Now that the holiday rush is over, its time for a recap of the latest events. After surviving the great DC blizzard of 2009, which trapped us inside of our houses for several days and shut down the entire Federal Government, I was able to fly back to AZ for the holidays, fitting through a window of just a few hours and avoiding another snow storm that shut down the entire heartland of America, bearing down on DC. Many of my colleagues were not as fortunate to get out before the winter blast arrived. Nevertheless, I made it home to spend several lovely days with my family on the beaches of Rockypoint for Christmas, then managed to many of my friends in the Phoenix area, along with a quick drop by at the Prosecutors Office to catch up with old acquaintances who were not fortunate enough to take off of work the day before New Years.

After returning from the holidays, I spent several days readjusting both to the frigid Mid-Atlantic winter, as well as spending my entire days studying Spanish. Fortunately, I was able to pick up right where I left off, as compared to some of my friends who reverted back to speaking their original secondary languages, like French and Italian, without realizing it. Moreover, after returning, I began to put serious effort into my preparations to go to VZ, with only eight more weeks to go. I applied for my diplomatic passport and travel orders, and started my vaccination regimen for South America. I took my vaccination records to the medical unit and was told there was good news, that I would need fewer shots than most other new diplomats who hadn't had as much travel experience as I. Only 8 shots. :( Over the past several weeks, I have had three rabies shots, both Hep A and Hep B boosters, Yellow fever, Typhoid, and Swine Flu. Good thing I'm not going to some of the more seriously infected places. I wold have more vaccine than blood coursing through my veins.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on the day), last week I was informed by HR at US Embassy CCS, that I would not be allowed to come to post on my originally scheduled date of March 6. Because I am doing a rotational assignment in two different offices of the embassy, I have to wait until the person whom I'm replacing replaces the person whom they're replacing, and that that person officially leaves the country. (Was that sentence complicated enough?) Overall, the host government limits the number of US diplomats allowed into the country at any given time, I would not be accredited, would not be able to use the banking system, would not be able to receive any of my belonging from the US, and likely would not even be allowed into the country. Therefore, the decision was made to park me in Spanish classes here in DC for five more weeks, pushing my departure date back until the end of April. As such, I'm here for a while longer.

Last week I was talked into traveling with a group of friends to Juarez, Mexico, the current murder capital of the world, essentially just to visit and spend time with another diplomat currently stationed there. Among the diplomatic circles, Juarez is considered one of the worst assignments one can receive in the foreign service, so as an act of solidarity for all of my friends who have been assigned to serve there, I decided to go and see it first hand, to say that I have been there. While certainly no paradise, I found the conditions there much better than expected. The US Consulate is in a nice area surrounded by very modern amenities, and the houses were very nice, most brand new mid-size two story homes. Plus, access to to the US is just a short drive away, which partially makes up for the innumerable negative aspects of the city. Even though about 10 people were brutally murdered while I was there, the city is so large and the violence so specific, I felt no concern driving around the city, even after dark. We did spend some time in El Paso, visiting some historical Spanish missions some 400 years old, as well as visited some historic town near Las Cruces, NM. While I can say I will never bid on a Juarez post and pray I will never be assigned there, I feel better for my friends who have been sent there, knowing that its not as bad as everyone says.

M