Now that school has been in full swing for over a month, we have developed a definite pattern to our life - in a good way. B has made some friends and enjoys a fairly active social life. K has been out with Suchona quite a bit recently delving into the ayah-run play group world. I've gotten out a bit myself and find that I now have people I can hang out with as well. It's only taken... well... 7 1/2 months. Every place I go, I learn something new. Here, I have learned that I just need to jump in and get involved. It's funny, because I thought I learned that lesson when we lived in California, but apparently it didn't stick and I needed to learn it all over again here.
But all of this is good. I'm feeling very happy with our lifestyle here. My classes are going relatively well - halfway through the semester already and only 4 more big homework projects to go. Josh has been super-busy since his return from India. We haven't really seen all that much of him at all. Many nights, he makes it home just in time to go to sleep and then heads back to school first thing in the morning. The current exercise will end soon though (this week!) and then I think he'll actually be on a normal schedule for a whole week :) It would be really nice if he didn't actually have to work this weekend, but we'll see.
I purchased tickets for the upcoming Marine Corps Ball yesterday, and I have to admit to being really excited to get all dressed up (western style) for a fun evening. Josh will actually get a chance to wear his mess dress for the first time (making the cost per wear still fairly high...) and I've got a dress on its way from eBay as we speak. Online shopping really takes on a whole new life over here. Everything has to be planned out weeks in advance to deal with shipping delays. I've already started our Christmas shopping just because I know it will take forever for the packages to get here, and I need to have time to figure out what I've got and what I still need to get. Good thing Josh and I have generally favored a "less is more" approach for Christmas so the kids won't be expecting to find a room full of presents...
Well, that's about it from here. The protests have almost completely died down (thankfully) and the weather is really starting to be beautiful outside. It's funny because we spent over a year in Monterey - which is admittedly a beautiful place - and got used to cloudy, cool weather year round. Now, here we are wearing pants in 90 degree heat every day. But there's really something beautiful about this place. And can I even begin to mention how nice it is to live near the Equator and not have to worry about daylights savings time??? It's so refreshing that when I get out of bed, the sun is up. Year round. I could absolutely get used to that.
Just a few comments from a seasoned FAO spouse:
ReplyDelete1) The Marine Corps Birthday Ball is THE event of the year at almost all the embassies around the world! It is a time-honored tradition that those Marines take great pride in hosting. And whether you serve in the Marines, the Army, the AF, or the Navy, we all come together to celebrate the tradition of all our services. An event not to be missed wherever you're assigned, especially overseas, where evidence of our patriotism often has to be kept under wraps! While you're in Bangladesh, I encourage you to seek out a local tailor who can copy formal wear from a photograph. You will have future overseas assignments attached to a US Embassy, where there will be a need for formal attire. The labor is cheap, so why not splurge on the fabric for said gowns? I'm quite certain it will be a decision you won't regret.
2) Planning ahead is key to ensuring you're able to celebrate our holidays, even if you have to start thinking about it in the middle of the summer! Good for you for already having ordered presents for your kids, as the APO/DPO isn't the most reliable system.
3) I've always found, in most of my "normal" assignments it takes about 6 months for me to feel settled and comfortable in my new environs. But given the limited amount of time for some assignments, you have to bite the bullet and really throw yourself into the mix early, especially if you want to take fond memories with you as you move on to the next adventure.
Our FAO husbands have an important job, but we, as FAO spouses have an equally important job of learning the culture, and portraying ourselves as ambassadors for the United States. Wherever we're serving, we're being observed in every aspect of our lives, and it's up to us to show the world that we are the norm, and not what they see on TV!
So glad to hear things are calm there. Stay vigilant with your op sec, and most of all enjoy your time, experiencing all there is.