My first working week as a FSO has come and gone. I admit without shame that I absolutely love my colleagues--the sheer amount of intelligence, experience, language knowledge and multiple academic degrees all in one room is frankly intimidating. I honestly can say that I feel privileged and honored to work with them all. Plus, they elected me to be one of their social chairs. So, I like them even more now. Cannot wait to see what week 2 brings. One thing is for sure--there seems to be no evidence that the rate of happy hours will go down any time soon.
On the home front, my apartment has slowly begun to look and smell like scenes from the English Patient. A few weeks ago, the avid/obsessed tennis-player Diplomat slammed his racket in his left shin during a rather unimportant game. Apparently, the pain from the hit started to slowly increase over the past weeks. Two visits to the orthopaedist later, he is now taking large white pills every day and bought every single hot pack/shin brace contraption available on the market. Every hour or so one can find him sitting forlornly on the living-room couch or the bed, lovingly rubbing on his leg a smelly potion consisting of Icy/Hot gel, BenGay, tiger balm and healing concoctions prepared by the Pueblo tribe in New Mexico. Then he begins limping all over the apartment, with a hot /cold therapy brace on the leg, performing some odd-looking shin exercises, the smell of camphor and menthol wafting gently yet potently through the corners of the apartment. Add to that a Son in love with boo-boos, asking for a band-aid for his many imaginary ailments about once every 15 mins, and you'll get the idea.
By the looks of it, I am not going to Miami next weekend. I am rather crushed--we simply could not find a fourth person to join us, which made getting a hotel room a rather pricey affair. I can only hope that my pals visit me in DC and we try to party it up locally.
On the home front, my apartment has slowly begun to look and smell like scenes from the English Patient. A few weeks ago, the avid/obsessed tennis-player Diplomat slammed his racket in his left shin during a rather unimportant game. Apparently, the pain from the hit started to slowly increase over the past weeks. Two visits to the orthopaedist later, he is now taking large white pills every day and bought every single hot pack/shin brace contraption available on the market. Every hour or so one can find him sitting forlornly on the living-room couch or the bed, lovingly rubbing on his leg a smelly potion consisting of Icy/Hot gel, BenGay, tiger balm and healing concoctions prepared by the Pueblo tribe in New Mexico. Then he begins limping all over the apartment, with a hot /cold therapy brace on the leg, performing some odd-looking shin exercises, the smell of camphor and menthol wafting gently yet potently through the corners of the apartment. Add to that a Son in love with boo-boos, asking for a band-aid for his many imaginary ailments about once every 15 mins, and you'll get the idea.
By the looks of it, I am not going to Miami next weekend. I am rather crushed--we simply could not find a fourth person to join us, which made getting a hotel room a rather pricey affair. I can only hope that my pals visit me in DC and we try to party it up locally.
congrats and you will certainly rise if not upto under secretary but certainly as a division chief in your career!It is interesting to see so many impediments for my son's tennis, besides his wife! anyhow, u are able to retain him at home on this account in the critical morning hours.
ReplyDeleteThe Weekly State Department Blog RoundUp is posted, and you're on it!
ReplyDeletehttp://tukytam.blogspot.com/2011/04/weekly-state-department-blog-roundup.html
If I've made any errors, or you prefer not to be included, just let me know. Thank you!