Honey, have you checked the sh*tter?

New Zealand's South Island, a fantastically gorgeous place like nowhere else on earth. Where you can gaze at crystal clear, tropical blue water set against snow capped mountains, and enjoy it at comfortable 65 degrees. Where you can drive from a rain forest to a semi-arid clime in a few hours. And where you can eat the best apples I've ever tasted.

the view from the road

A city park in Wanaka, and an unexpected delight when baby + mountain roads + campervan prevented us from making it to our intended destination.

Hanging with an airplane

The view from the road

 Simply stunning Milford Sound (which is not a sound, but a fjord).

Blue mist, and the view from Milford Sound Lodge/Holiday Park.

Wow.

Fiordland National Park

Still in Fiordland National Park

 Mt. Cook/Aoraki

Campervanning the South Island with a 7 mo old: where you can hit your knee on the same protrusion about a 1000 times, pull over about 2000 times to let everyone else pass (except the other 1000 campervans), and go on a search for a waste dump, because not all holiday parks provide them.

http://youtu.be/4fyS5CLBgyM

We had a great time, ate delicious, fresh food (although I'm back to not eating red meat again--I'm afraid I might have met my meal), witnessed the sedative effect of pure, fresh air on a baby, hiked a little, drove a lot, and rested our Manila-fatigued eyes on the beauty of the South Island.

Other than staying a week longer and not being harassed by officious Quantas flight attendants to use the incomprehensible baby seat belt, I wouldn't have changed our trip at all. And any R & R with a baby, sans yaya, is likely to be more Running than Resting.

United Airlines vs. Four-Legged Foreign Service Family Members

At best, United Airlines' decision to exclude Foreign Service employees from the pet transport waiver it granted the military is disrespectful, indicating a complete disregard for the work of the State Department and its employees deployed abroad. United's language is insulting, as they are granting the waiver to the DOD “in recognition of the commitment made by members of our military and the family members (including the four-legged ones) who share in their sacrifice." Because of course, diplomacy has no role whatsoever in the the US's relationship with the rest of the world.  

United's decision will certainly result in many Foreign Service pets finding themselves without a home. Most families can't afford the $3000+ it costs to ship a pet as cargo on a federal employee's salary. If you use a top quality pet shipper and fly your pets on KLM (which treats animals humanely), add another $2000 to the bill.

At worst, it will result in many medium and large sized dogs being abandoned in foreign countries or spending more than two days in transit, being cared for by people who may or may not bother to let the dogs out of their crates in the course of these two days. At absolute worst, it may result in the deaths of pets who are not handled properly, are delayed, or are misdirected while in transit. A dog-loving friend of mine swore she'd never ship her dogs as cargo again after she arrived at the airport to find someone else's German Shepherd waiting for her. By some miracle, she knew the Shepherd's owner, who had received her dogs.

When pets fly as baggage, they follow the same flight plan as their humans, which is, at most, around 25 hours of travel when flying to Asia, and it only costs between $200-300 per pet, a reasonable expense for most families. You can ask a flight attendant to confirm your pet is on board, and they are waiting for you at customs, where you can take them out of their crates for a potty break.

The following is a video created by a family whose husband and father has volunteered to serve in a war zone, and who, when reunited with his wife and children in a year, will be forced to separate from his canine family member if United is the only American carrier available at their next post. According to United, a Foreign Service tour in Yemen/Islamabad/Kabul/Cuidad Juarez is a sweet deal. 



You might think that having a baby has distanced me from my dogs, and although I won't deny that it has changed my relationship with them, Kyle's relationship with Julie has only strengthened my desire to have dogs always be a part of our family. Kyle laughs out loud at the sight of Julie--how could I ever deny him this pleasure? In addition, having a pet teaches children compassion, responsibility, and to be comfortable with animals. When we leave Manila we will not be affected by United's new policy, but getting the dogs in to Albania may be more difficult.

Whether or not you care about Foreign Service families, if you care about animals, please advocate for our dogs by speaking out against United's discriminatory policy. You can contact AFSA, AAFSW, or even your local animal rights group. If you have any doubts about how much Foreign Service families love their pets, check out Foreign Service Tails.

Gotta love the yaya

Nine months later, I finally drag myself back to the computer (or rather, an iPad) and decide it's time to write a blog. A lot has happened in nine months. Six months ago, the mobile home family welcomed a beautiful baby boy! We chose to go home to have the baby and were in Florida for 4 months over the summer and early fall.
Having a baby has significantly changed by perspective on Manila: love our yaya. In addition to loving the fact that I can work part time knowing that my baby is safe and happy at home with his wonderful caregiver, Filipinos welcome babies everywhere! On the plane home from Hong Kong two weeks ago' my 6 month old was active and fussy, but I had plenty of volunteers in the surrounding seats taking turns entertaining the baby. Awesome.
Having a baby has also helped me learn to let go of the little things, a mandatory skill for a life in the foreign service. I just don't have the energy to fret about little things. Maybe that will change when he's older and I'm getting more sleep-
Our next post is Albania. Another 20% hardship, but hopefully one that is hard in different ways from this one. I've learned how to cope with many things about life in Manila that used to irritate me endlessly. For example, traffic is always bad here. How to cope? Don't go anywhere. Seriously. Or rather, be content with going to the one restaurant that's close to you frequently, and make do with whatever the one nearby grocery store is selling. Or even better, order it online at the thegreengrocermanila.com and go to the grocery store as little as possible.
Anyone reading this in the US or at a non hardship post probably thinks I'm nuts, but this is what works for us.
In Albania, the air will be cleaner, there will be mountain views and parks, and the population will be 500,000 instead of 11,553,427. I will still have trouble getting to the grocery store, and when I get there, won't find anything I need. I do not look forward to our next post with rose colored glasses, or beer goggles, depending on your preference, but I hope that I will keep my skill of letting the little things go.

Organic Vegetable Delivery in Manila!

Dear MPF Clients,

My Personal Farmer is proud to announce and share the wonderful news we received. We just received the water analysis report from the Philippine Pesticide Control stating that our water irrigation up and downstream have no trace of chemicals (report attached). "ND" on the results portion means there are no pesticide residues.


Organic farming isn't just about chemical-free pesticides and using chemical-free fertilizers.  To achieve 100% Organic Farming is also about having access to a water source that is chemical-free.  Having clean and safe water irrigation is VITAL as it has the power to fight disease and save lives. My Personal Farmer has safe water irrigation for its crops and sustenance of its livestock.  With us you can guarantee that you and your family's health are in good hands.

Photo:  My Personal Farmer's Reservoir, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

My Personal Farmer sticks true to its claim- we grow 100% ORGANIC and CHEMICAL-FREE vegetables.  From our pesticides to our fertilizer and to our water source.

Share this good news with your friends and family.  At My Personal Farmer your health is our priority.

Note: For more newsletters, you may visit:  My Personal Farmer - Farmer's Notes - Letters from Renee

--
Donna N. Asistio

My Personal Farmer
Mobile:  +63 (918) 914 3759
Office/Fax: + 632 894 2243
Website: www.mypersonalfarmer.net
Email: donna@mypersonalfarmer.net                                    
  "Heal the Land, its Farmers, and You"
    

The No Fear Approach to Manila

If you are interested in reading more about Manila, I encourage you to visit Here and There, a blog written by friends of ours who aren't afraid of polluted air and little things like flood waters. Enjoy!

Bid List, Part II

The summer bid list is out! Let the obsessing begin!

My bidding strategy has dramatically changed since A-100. The 2nd tour bidding process, although still a directed tour, is different, but my thoughts, feelings, and priorities have also changed.

When we were bidding in A-100, I was inclined to overlook negative comments about posts on Real Post Reports and the OBC's Post Info To Go. In an attempt at worldwide availability, I wanted to be open to a variety of posts, and would try to read between the lines of an author's negative comments to get to the "facts" about a post. In theory, this is a sound way to distinguish reality from negativity, but it did not adequately take into account that I too will be subject to emotional responses while living at that post. If there is an overwhelming amount of negativity coming from a post, there may be a darn good reason it.

We FS folks are all, whether we like it or not, subject to worldwide availability, and bidding can be stressful because most of us want to know what we are getting into. In reality, you never, ever, truly know what you are getting into until you are in it. This goes for any major life change or decision, and life in the Foreign Service is a life of constant adaptation.

Because we don't choose our assignments, especially as an entry level FS family, it is necessary to work hard to approach this life with flexibility and an attitude of learning. But is it also necessary to be realistic, to know one's own limits, and to be aware that the expectations we bring to post can affect our ability to successfully adapt.

I was surprised by my own experience of cultural adaptation. It is generally thought that culture shock begins to wear off at 6 months following one's arrival, but I took much longer. I arrived at post with an open, positive mind and a desire to see the "real" Manila, but at 7 months the city--and perhaps my failure to acknowledge that I was experiencing culture shock--began to wear on me. A short time later, I had the opportunity to experience a 3rd world illness first hand--an "inevitable" experience of life in the Foreign Service. As someone who has always taken health very seriously, I was NOT ok with the inevitability of this experience. However, it taught me that MED is competent and has good drugs.

Having survived a year of illness, frustration, and culture shock, as we bid on our next post I hope I have learned things about myself and life in the FS that will help me adapt at our next post. I have learned that if a post is rated a 25% hardship, there's a reason for that, and it will serve me well to go into the experience of living there with appropriate expectations rather than a desire to overlook reality by being positive. I have learned that culture shock is not a weakness, but an inevitable aspect of life on the move. And finally, I have learned to be honest with myself about my limitations. Negativity doesn't help, but neither does naivete. 

To all of you bidding on this summer 2011 cycle, I wish you luck and a good night's sleep!

Are we still in the Philippines?

Palawan still holds the title of my favorite place in the Philippines, but our recent trip to Baguio offered Palawan heavy competition.

In Northern Luzon, about 4-7 hours away from Manila (depending on traffic), a trip to the Ambassador's Residence in Baguio feels like a trip to another country. The air is clean and cool, and the air smells of ... pine trees!

Baguio was first developed around 1900 by Americans who were thrilled to have found mountains, pine trees, and cool air in the tropical climate of the Philippines. I can imagine their elation to have found a place that reminds us so much of home--even those of us from Florida! These pictures can't truly capture Baguio's sights, sounds, and most importantly, smells.

An early morning view from the patio.

 

The back of the Ambassador's Residence.

US Embassy personnel are welcome to stay at the Ambassador's Residence for a small fee. Children are not allowed in the main residence building, but there are two cabins on campus that are great for families. There are plenty of restaurants in the City of Baguio, but I recommend bringing your own food, taking long walks, and enjoying your respite in the mountains!

For more information about the Residence's history, please visit the US Embassy Website at http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhamb1.html.