40 Countries and 200 Cities!

So now that I’ve hit a 40/200 milestone – 40 countries and 200 cities visited – I hereby humbly offer my “5 Best Countries to Visit” and “10 Best Cities to Visit” lists.  To be “fair,” I’ve only included countries I’ve visited at least twice and saw at least three cities.  After all, it wouldn’t be fair to judge Indonesia on a one-time visit to (shudder) Jakarta.  Also, for a city to make the list, I had to go on at least two different occasions.  While I feel confident that, say, Barcelona would make the list, it could also be that the one time I went I just got really “lucky” and saw/did everything cool, or had great weather, etc.  SO, without further ado, let’s start with my top 5 countries:

#1 UNITED STATES – Remember, this is best places to VISIT, not live.  And while the U.S. is one of the most dangerous countries in the world—and includes large swaths of, er, “unfriendly to foreigners” folks—you can’t deny the sheer diversity of amazing places to visit/see.  Any country that includes a mix of places like San Francisco, NYC, L.A., New Orleans, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, the Pacific Northwest, Las Vegas, Disneyland and Disneyworld, etc.  is a must for the true traveler.  Of course it’s huge and spread out, but still #1 just coz of that diversity.

#2 FRANCE – Of course Paris is a big draw here, but you’ve also got the French Riviera, cool historical cities and castles, beautiful countryside and wine valleys, etc.  As for that famous French prickliness and snobbishness towards Americans/visiting, I’ve been three times to Paris now, and also spent time in Marseilles and Carcassonne and never experienced it.  In fact, Parisians have been very polite and helpful whenever I’ve gotten lost wandering the streets of Paris.

 #3 ITALY – While to many, this would seem like a no-brainer for a top spot, numbers 3 through 5 (and a few beyond that just missed) were hard for me to decide upon/rank.  My recent trip to Venice and Padua helps push Italy up here.  Even then, there are probably others that like this “classic” more than I do.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the history of places like Rome, the architecture, the uniqueness of places like Venice, etc.  But for some reason it just doesn’t GRAB me like other places – and I don’t feel any need to return/see any places I haven’t already seen.

#4 CHINA – Gasps from the studio audience!  J  But, again, we’re talking about places to VISIT.  While I could see myself living in Hong Kong, that’s about it, and I’ll spare everyone my rants about the mainlanders, but in terms of sheer “travel entertainment” it’s hard to beat China – and for similar reasons to the States: size and diversity.  Sure, put your pollution masks on to visit Beijing and the Forbidden City and other cool things there, but also with Xian/the Terra Cotta soldiers, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, Shenzen, those mountains I just forgot the name of they used as inspiration for Avatar, and more.  Also, the food, history, architecture are among the very best.  Plus, TWO Disney parks now! J  Finally, if you really do consider Tibet part of China, well then BONUS!  Honestly, I would put China above Italy if the people just weren’t so hateful and uncouth.

#5 GERMANY – While I’ve enjoyed my trips to Germany, I’m a bit on the fence over putting them here, but, again, after last week’s Christmas Market experience, they deserve to be on the list just for that!  J  But seriously, I haven’t even been to Berlin or Hamburg or some other “biggies” but still love visiting Germany for the history, architecture, food, etc.  Oddly enough, I’ve only spent 3 nights in Germany, but I’ve been to the country on 4 separate occasions and seen Frankfurt (twice), Cologne, Regensburg, Passau, Warnemunde, and Rostok.  Germany is clean, orderly, diverse, and CHRISTMAS!!  J

SPECIAL NOTE: I would put THAILAND in the top five and almost did even though I’ve only been there once.  But it was for 30 days, and I did visit three different places: Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui.  Bangkok is one of the most amazing cities in terms of modern stuff/convenience with gobs of ancient history.  And Phuket and Koh Samui are totally different island experiences that would make a good combo trip.  And the FOOD!  And so CHEAP!  Honestly, Thailand would probably be #2 or #3 on my list.

Eligible countries that just missed the cut: Greece, Mexico, Canada

Countries that would probably make the list if/when I’m able to visit again/see more cities: Ireland, Spain, England – and maybe Turkey, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, South Africa

Now for favorite cities.  Let’s get to it:

#1 SAN FRANCISCO – With the Bridge, the architecture, the food, the culture, the hills, the Redwoods, the ocean, the Bay, the diversity, the history, the pyramid, Golden Gate Park, the weather, the sports, the Progressive/advanced attitude, and more, “The City” is a rock star among rock stars.  It beats NYC because of the weather/striking natural surroundings, and it beats L.A. just because.  J

#2 PARIS – Paris rocks for many of the same reasons as SF: the culture, the history, the architecture, the food, etc., and then replace the Bridge and the Pyramid with the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe.  Paris even is a bit above SF in some areas (history coz it’s longer, and culture), but SF gets the nod because of the weather.  Sure, Paris is great in the Spring, but SF is awesome nearly year round (even with that over-used cliché about cold SF summers).

#3 (TIE) NEW YORK CITY/LOS ANGELES – I went back and forth on these two and finally decided to “cheat” with a tie.  I mean New York has Broadway, but L.A. has Hollywood—and MUCH better weather.  They both rock on architecture (edge NYC), food, culture (edge NYC), and diversity.  NYC has Central Park, but L.A. has Universal Studios (and, kinda, Disneyland).  NYC has a much more fascinating history, but L.A.’s got the beach and the desert nearby.  And did I mention the weather?  J

#5 AMSTERDAM – After the top 4, it got difficult to rank/choose.  But having recently visited Amsterdam (three times now), and seeing something different (the huge/amazing flower garden), Amsterdam gets the nod here.  Plus, there’s the cool/uniqueness of the canals. They also have an amazing history, great architecture, culture, etc.  And yes, the fact that marijuana is legal makes it even better.  As Seth Rogen said, “Pot just makes everything better!”  J

#6 LAS VEGAS – I know people are gonna hate on this, but every single time I’ve been to Vegas (and I’ve been at least a half dozen times by now), I’ve had a blast.  It’s a City as Amusement Park.  And it’s just SO. MUCH.  The lights! The architecture!  The shows!  The food!  And it’s definitely not your grandpa’s Vegas any more.  Seriously, if you haven’t been – or haven’t been in the past 15 years or so – GO.  Just like the movie.

#7 HONG KONG – Like Paris, I figured I’d be “disappointed” once I finally made it to this city that everyone raves over.  But it’s got all the biggies: food, culture, history, and architecture, plus stunning natural surroundings.  And of course: Hong Kong Disneyland!  J

#8 BANGKOK – You could consider this a cheat, but technically I have been here twice.  Spent two weeks, then left my rented room behind to spend a week in Phuket & Koh Samui before coming back for one more week here.  As mentioned above, one of the best cities in the world for pairing an authentic/”exotic” local experience with all the amenities of the modern world (their malls alone!).  Any place where you can get Krispy Kremes and see a first run movie in a modern establishment, followed up by a visit to a gorgeous historical temple and some top notch dirt cheap street food, gets my vote!  And did I mention how CHEAP it is?  Seriously, this city should be higher – and if I go again, it probably WILL move up.

#9 WASHINGTON DC – My favorite thing about DC is that everyone I know who has visited says – like me – that they were surprised at how clean it is.  J  But the history’s not bad, too – as well as the architecture, the food, etc.  AND you can’t go wrong with the plethora of free museums.  And museums of every kind.  If I can’t get back to SF when I’m done working abroad, DC is my co-backup choice with L.A.  Bonus: Cherry Blossom season!

#10 HONOLULU – Duh, it’s in Hawai’i

Eligible cities that just missed the cut: Vienna, Portland, Shanghai

Cities that might make the list with a second visit: Copenhagen, Barcelona, Istanbul, Stockholm, Vancouver, Bruges, London, Venice, Singapore, Cape Town

Postcard from Lesotho IV

So this is old news, but I had the second worst employment-related experience of my life some months ago when I had to let someone go.  We had a new employee that we'd gotten a temporary security clearance for so we could bring her on board while waiting for the Embassy to go through the full process (the position had been vacant for some time, we had a conference we needed the new person to attend, etc.).  Anyway, after said employee went to the conference, and was here for almost a month, the Embassy called to tell me she wouldn't be getting a clearance coz it turns out her husband is one of the Lesotho Defense Force "bad guys" who was kidnapping and torturing police officers who'd supported the previous government.  Ugh.  So I had to bring her in my office and, without giving specifics, let her her know she didn't clear.  So she's totally confused, says she's a good person, has nothing bad in her background, etc., and starts crying.  I tried to delicately explain to her that the Embassy does a THOROUGH background check, and that denial of clearance also could be because of "close associations" (you can bet I wasn't going to tell her the real reason and have her husband come after me). 

Now, this woman is either REALLY naive, or is totally clueless/blind about her husband, because she still kept crying, said she didn't understand, she's a "good girl," etc.  It was awful.  I told her it was all on the Embassy - that even though PC is a separate entity, we still rely on them for security checks, etc.  She wanted to know what it was they found, I kept hiding behind "confidentiality," etc.  Finally, I had to "pass the buck" and tell her any more concerns would have to be expressed with the Country Director.  I rarely play this card, don't like doing it, etc., but it also reminded me why I never want to be an Executive Director again.  Ugh.

In other old news, I unwittingly caused a bit of a scandal at the Embassy 4th of July party. Apparently, this is THE big annual event for the Embassy here.  They have a "BBQ," invite lots of locals as well as all the expats, lots of government folks, etc.  As it turns out, the Country Director was out of the country, the DPT was sick, so it was up to me to "represent" - along with the local staff and a handful of PCVs who happened to be in town.  Now, since it was a 4th of July thing, I decided to dress the part.  Wore my red sneakers, blue jeans, white dress shirt with red tie, and then put on my U.S. Flag shorts on over my jeans.  

Unfortunately, as I discovered upon arrival, this event is "formal dress."  The Ambassador, diplomat that he is, covered well when greeting me on arrival, laughing it off, but as I found later he was NOT amused at all.  His secretary threw me ALL kinds of shade when she saw me, told me I should NOT have come dressed like that, etc.  And all I could think was, "Oh, well, how stupid of me not to think that a 4th of July BBQ was a formal dress up!"  I mean, how stupid is that?  Luckily, the handful of PCVs that were with me were not dressed up, either, so for many folks it was just a sort of "Oh, those wacky Peace Corps folks!"  And, as it turned out, I was actually quite popular with the locals who all wanted their picture taken with the crazy PC guy - including the King's brother, HRH Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  Still, when Wendy (the CD) got back, she still got called in to the Ambassador's office to "do some 'splainin"  Whatever.

So I finally got around to trying the local (as in South Africa) soft drink.  One of my big "misses" from the states is Dr Pepper.  They've got just about everything here EXCEPT that - hell, they still sell TAB here!  I mean, do they even still sell that in the states?  Anyway, RSA makes this thing called "Iron Brew" and I finally got a can in the hopes it would maybe be their version of Dr Pepper since no one sells that.  Not even.  In fact, I can't even describe it except to say it's gross.  I guess it MAYBE kind of tastes a LITTLE bit like Ginger Ale.  Ginger Ale that a rat died in.  Sigh.

But speaking of food/drink, I feel pretty sure now that I've eaten more french fries (excuse me, chips) in the past year than in the previous five years combined.  Maybe longer.  They LOVE their chips here!  And I will say the local supermarket (Pick N Pay) across the street from the office makes really good chips.  Another surprising thing I've eaten more in the past year than the past 5 or more years combined is guacamole.  Go figure.  Not coz I get it when I'm out (although I do, on occasion), but because they almost always have avocados here, and I realized it's just not that hard to make considering how good it is.  So yay on that.

One more "fun fact" before I go.  Until my recent cruise out of Venice, I realized that the last NINE countries I'd been to in a row all drive on the left.  I got so used to it that I actually had a panicky moment when my mom and I were on a shore excursion in Greece and I thought "OMG, the bus driver is on the wrong side of the road! We're going to die!" 

It's an amazing, complicated world we live in - full of french fries and chips.

One Year in Lesotho!

It's hard to believe it's been a year since I arrived in Lesotho.  Compared to the previous year, this past one has flown.  Miscellaneous thoughts on my first year here:

Needless to say, it was a bit "disorienting" to arrive in country only to have an attempted coup barely 2 weeks after I got here, leading to the temporary evacuation of all the volunteers to South Africa.  As we approach the one year anniversary, the county has actually gone back in time to the corrupt government that played a role in the "failed" coup and there's dismay all around at the ongoing violence and dysfunction.

In fact, it's hard to feel optimistic about Lesotho ever developing into a functional, even second world country.  The HIV epidemic continues unabated, with fully one-fourth of the population infected.  After being here a year, talking to locals and volunteers working on the issue, it's clear what the culprit is: religion. They're so wrapped up in their "Christian morality" that forbids talking about "dirty" things like the penis, vagina, or sex, that they can't/won't speak frankly enough to make a difference.  PCVs doing HIV prevention education actually have to use the English words for penis and vagina because the kids get SO giggly and freaked out over the Sesotho words that they tune out.  I mean, honestly, WTF?

It reminds me of the recent thing in Colorado where they did a large campaign providing free birth control and teen pregnancies dropped 40%.  Abortions went down significantly, as well, and yet the right/Republicans/Christians STILL don't like it because it "promotes" sex.  Religion: ruining the world for two thousand years now.  Congrats!

One thing I noticed awhile back about the volunteers: they all look WAY better when they're getting ready to leave the country than when they first get here.  We take pics of all of them a couple days after arrival for their ID cards, and then when it comes time for them to end their service, I'm always amazed how much better they look.  Slimmer, healthier looking, a glow.  Seriously, it's amazing and virtually 100% consistent across the board.

I've also discovered that even with the challenges living in a third world country, I like my job so much that I'm actually in a pretty good mood virtually all the time.  Sure, I have ups and downs, but I also have many more days when I find myself thinking, "Hey, I'm living the life!" and enjoying what I'm doing.  Sure, there are random, stupid policies I disagree with (off the top of my head: the "Fly America" act which requires us to always use a U.S.-based carrier to fly to conferences, fly PCVs home, etc. - even if it costs significantly more.  And it always does), but still, on the whole, it's WAY cool working to support these volunteers who are doing amazing things, coping with WAY more challenges than I am.  They are truly an inspiration - and a nice counterpoint to the continual slack-jawed stupidity and violence I read about in America on an almost daily basis.

I'm also kind of waiting to see if we'll ever have a "slow period" at work.  No doubt the main reason the past year has flown is because it's always so busy.  Between signing 50 million things a day, dealing with almost a hundred emails daily, planning for an almost endless series of conferences and trainings for staff and/or PCVs, overseeing the operations of the post, supporting volunteers, etc. etc. etc. It's amazing the year hasn't flown even faster!

As for the one thing that sticks out most about Lesotho....believe it or not, it's the drivers.  It continues to blow me away just how absurdly reckless they are, the complete disregard they have for driving at a reasonable speed, blowing through red lights, passing when not appropriate, etc.  It's hard not to judge them for their outrageous vehicle fatality rate when they continue to drive SO stupidly and recklessly!

Oh, and one year in and I still find the incessant taxi honking stupid beyond belief.

Hmmm, I'm thinking I should end with something positive.  Lesotho IS a beautiful country - esp. when the mountains are green.  It actually looks like Ireland in the summer.  And the locals I work with are cool.  There!  End with the upbeat and be ready for year two!  :)

Postcard from Mauritius

So this was one of my stranger trips.  I usually adhere to the "forced march" school of vacationing where I do and see as much as I can to "maximize" my experience.  But this time I spent most of my time lounging at the pool, reading, strolling along the beach, etc.  I did go into Port Louis and do some shopping, and also spent a day at the races, but I really needed some "chill time" after a busy busy time at work.

Luckily, the resort at which I was staying - the Westin Mauritius Turtle Bay - was beautiful, so even though it did still occasionally feel strange to not be DOING more, it was still a nice break.  And Mauritius itself is beautiful.  Then again, now that I've been to about a dozen different islands, in some ways they kind of blur together.  But in a nice way.

One "island thing" I noticed while there is that island birds sound better.  It's almost like it's a prerequisite for island birds to sound better.  The birds in Lesotho, with some exceptions, are mostly crow/raven/"cawing" type birds.  Of course the general quiet on an island resort lends itself to hearing birds more.  But it was nice.  There was also that S-L-O-W pace of life like when I lived in Hawai'i.  The time went slower, which was nice for my break.

On the negative side, transportation costs were insane.  Even though we were maybe 6-7 miles from town, it set me back over $60 to get there and back.  Getting to the resort from the airport was $70.  If I'd known better, I would have rented a car - so tip for those considering going.

I got a really good deal on the resort - still not even sure how I lucked into it.  Apparently, it was TOO good a deal coz they initially tried to tell me I did NOT have half board, just breakfast, but I showed them the confirmation from Hotels.com and it got squared away.  And thank god, coz food was also very expensive--hell everything not already paid for at the resort was expensive.  I spent almost $50 a pop for the two days I ate lunch there--including an unfortunately awful burger my last day.

But the breakfasts were good and the dinner buffet was among the best I've had.  The variety, the quality, it was awesome.  Besides Mauritian food, over the course of 5 nights I had Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai, seafood, American, and more.  I added Marlin to my "animals eaten" list and enjoyed it.  And bonus: they had a cold stone ice cream bar that I availed myself of every night.  Yay.

As mentioned, I spent one day at the races.  I'm thinking I've been to a horse race SOME TIME but can't remember when.  Anyway, when I was looking at "Top Things to Do In Mauritius" the Regal Crown Club box at the races was #1, so I figured what the hell.  It was kinda pricey - 6500 Rupees (about $180), but they picked me up from the resort, and took me back, and that's about 2000 Rupees right there.  There was also free-flowing wine, beer, and cocktails, and "little nibbly things" all afternoon.  So I hobnobbed, drank mimosas, and rum & OJ, and rum & coke, and ate nibbly things, and watched 8 races.  Turns out the Champ de Mars Racecourse is not only the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere, but the second oldest in the entire world!  Oooooooh!

Since I had no idea about the horses, the jockeys, etc., I'd decided ahead of time to just bet 200 Rupees each (just over $6) on my two lucky numbers (2 and 5) for each race just for shits and giggles.  As it turns out, the #2 horse won half the races--and only one as the favorite!  If I'd bet all my money on just #2 and skipped the #5s, I would have cleared a couple hundred dollars.  As it was, I still came out about $20 ahead on the day, which was fun enough considering my "system."  Met some fun people.  Most all Brits.

Also at the resort I did do a glass bottom boat trip which was okay, but beyond the races, and a day shopping and sightseeing, it was all pool, beach, pool.  :)  Oh, I also decided Hindu temples are my very favorite of all temples.  Mauritius is heavily Indian due to historical indentured servitude, although most everyone speaks French as well as English.

Final fun fact: I did not realize until reading up before I left, that Mauritius is the only place where the Dodo bird ever lived!  So of course I had to find a Dodo bird Christmas tree ornament and also bought a pint of Mauritian rum mostly for the cool bottle with a dodo bird on it.  :)

Postcard from Swakopmund

Turns out Swakopmund is taken from the Nama word Tsoakhaub, which means "excrement opening" describing the Swakop river.  The town sits along the Skeleton Coast, so named coz of the thousands of shipwrecks along the coast due to often foggy conditions.  The town also borders the Namib desert, which is called, "the land God made in anger."  Early Portuguese explorers called the region "the gates of Hell," due to its harsh conditions.  Does this sound like a great place for a Peace Corps conference or what?   HA!

Anyway, it was kind of weird being in a former Germany colony, as both RSA and Lesotho are both former British colonies.  The difference?  Those rule-following, more polite(!) Germans left behind a legacy of better drivers who actually follow traffic laws, stop at red lights, and yield to pedestrians. Score: Germany 1, Britain 0

The architecture was better/more interesting, too!  Score: Germany 2, Britain 0

"Unfortunately," both Swakopmund and Maseru have the same "non-consumer-friendly" hours for shops.  That is, 9-5, M-F and then 9-1 Saturday, with some shops also (or either) being open Sunday 9-1.  In a way, it's kind of cool coz it "de-emphasizes" consumerism, but I was bummed since we arrived Friday evening, and I was hoping to do some souvenir shopping after the Sat. morning "pre-conference" meetings I had scheduled.  Luckily, I did manage SOME shopping.  Whew!

BUT, in Swakopmund, a few, random shops did have Sunday hours where they were only open 5-7 or 6-7.  This is actually kind of cool since it gives you that chance to go to the drugstore if you absolutely need something but allows employees/owners to not have to be there all day.  So, final score: Germany 3, Britain 0.  Sorry, Bex!

Other random/fun fact about Namibia: after Mongolia, it is the least densely populated country in the world. Although the size of Alaska, the population is about the same as Lesotho's (about 2 million), which is the size of Maryland.  Rwanda, on the other hand, which is also about the size of Maryland, has 12 million people.

In other news, I added two animals to my "animals I have eaten list."  Kudu and Oryx.  The Oryx was a little better, but that could be because I had it in a restaurant, and had the Kudu at one of the hotel's mass-produced lunches.  At the end of the day, they both looked like beef, and the tastes weren't very distinctive from beef, either.  Had I not known ahead of time I was eating a different animal, I probably would have never known.

One ultra-cool thing about the hotel/entertainment center we stayed in was the fact that it housed the town's only movie theater - a small, two screen affair that rotated between 4 current releases.  One of which was always a local/RSA flick.  I managed to see "Jurassic World," (awesome), "Spy" (fun), "San Andreas" (so-so, but it's my duty as a California native to see all earthquake flicks), and "Mad Max" (fun/a trip).

What made "Mad Max" more interesting/fun for me is that it was filmed in the Namib Desert, where I'd spent the morning 4-wheeling before going to see the movie.  The Namib desert is the only real desert in the southern half of Africa and is thought to be the world's oldest.

It was a trip being out on the desert.  The vastness, the silence, etc.  Coming across ancient, dried up sea/lake beds.  (Bonus for you, Llu - I snagged you a very pretty white rock from one of those sea beds, so you can promote it as a rock from the land God made in anger).  The other interesting thing about the desert was the changing color of the sand depending on where you were, what time it was, what direction you're facing, etc.  If you haven't seen them, check out the pics I posted.  Pretty awesome stuff.

Definitely feeling "blessed" to have had the opportunity to go to such a cool/unique place thanks to being a part of Peace Corps.  Yay!

I've finally snapped.

I just can't stand it any more.  The violence.  The hate.  The hypocrisy.  The good people (like me) standing by and doing nothing but crying, lamenting, raging.  South Carolina is the last straw.  I have to do SOMETHING.  Something more substantial, something more significant.  I have a black nephew living in a red state and I'm terrified something bad will happen to him some day just because of the color of his skin and because he has the misfortune of living in a country that has become so consumed with hatred and acceptance of violence.

Honestly, it is hard to even put into words the frustration I feel.  The pain.  The rage.  The sadness.  The incredulity. The fear.  The disgust.  The shame.  I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I can't do SOMETHING MORE.

I LOVE working for the Peace Corps.  I love having a job that helps idealistic Americans get out into the world and try to make a difference.  As "backward" and depressing as Lesotho is, I still often find myself feeling really happy here just coz I love my job and I love being around people who are doing for others.  And once my gig ends here in another year +, I was hoping to take another PC gig in another country.  But it's not enough anymore. 

As fucked up as America is, it is my home.  I LOVE America, I love the idea of how it started and what it stood for, warts and all.  And, again, it's my home.  I need to come home and do something to stop the sickness and the hate and the killing and the violence.  I need to protect my nephew and others who are losing their lives just because ignorant racists think it's okay to kill someone of a different color.

Maybe it will take awhile, but I'm starting today to look for an organization that's doing SOMETHING to fight racism and/or violence and/or hate.  It might take awhile, and I'll be honest and say I'm still enough of a realist/selfish enough to know I'm going to have to find something in a place where I can also be happy living.  So I'm putting the word out to all my friends and acquaintances, to network network network and help me.  I NEED to find a job with a solid organization doing good work in the areas mentioned above in any of the following cities: San Francisco, DC, L.A., New York, or Portland

It's not enough anymore to share Jon Stewart clips; to sign petitions; to rage and cry with my friends; to slam those ignorant, racist hate-filled savages; those demagogic, hypocritical, vile FOX hosts and politicians.  I need to do more.

And once I'm back in the states, I am begging any and all of my friends to harangue me into doing anything else of substance you may be doing on your own: march, protest, start a movement, volunteer my non-working hours to groups that may be doing good work but can't afford to support me with a salary, etc.

And, finally, I call on anyone and everyone I know to also step up in whatever way you can.  To take your own rage and frustration and sadness over these endless, horrific events and make a change, do something different, stand up for your beliefs, WALK YOUR TALK.

It may take me awhile to find a good fit, but I won't give up until I do.  Because, esp. now, all I can think of is MLK's quote:  "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

Postcard from Lesotho III

So one of the "perks" of being Acting Country Director--which I was again last week--is attendance at the weekly Country Team meeting at the Embassy.  The Ambassador sits with the heads of each Agency (Peace Corps, USAID, CDC, DoD, etc.) for updates, sharing, etc.  I put "perks" in quotes coz I find it boring and always "negotiate" with our Country Director for her time off and when she wants to make me Acting CD based on having to go to these meetings.  This week, I happened to get there a little early, along with the Security Chief, the Chief Political Officer, and the guy from USAID and I was punished even further by having to listen to them all prattle on about beer.  BEER!  They were talking about it as if it were like WINE, and having tastings and and and....BEER.  I mean, honestly, it all looks, smells, and tastes like piss.  I don't get it.

Speaking of the Embassy, several weeks ago I had my first "Top Secret Briefing."  Of course I can't say what it's about, except that it was recently in the news - and we knew about it first.  Ooooooh!  But seriously, we all actually went into this "secret" sealed bunker in the Embassy compound that was scarier than the briefing itself.  I would NOT want to be trapped in that room. Esp. with those people.  The briefing was SO over the top, like something out of a movie, and I was torn between thinking, "This is really cool" and "This is really lame."  Ha!

In other news, I kept wondering why my house would get so hot during the day on the living room side, which faces north. "It's a northern exposure, dammitt, not a southern one!  What the hell......oh yeah, I'm in the southern hemisphere! Duh!  Carry on!"  In other Southern Hemisphere news, I found out it's a myth about the water in your toilet flushing in the opposite direction--dang, that's the whole reason I took this job/moved down here: to see that!

Scandal with the King!  One of the fun things about walking to work is seeing the weekly posters the local papers put up with the latest headlines to try and get folks to buy their paper.  A couple of weeks ago there was one that gasped (well, figuratively): "The King Drinks SA Water"  Of course, SA refers to South Africa.  I loved this for two reasons:  One, was just the way it was worded - sounded like a taunt/slur you'd hear on the playground.  "Oh yeah?  Well, your mom drinks SA water!" Snap!  The other reason I like it is for the irony: RSA gets a good chunk of their water from...you guessed it...Lesotho.  So the King of Lesotho was drinking SA water at an event - water that they probably imported from Lesotho.  Quel scandale!

I've decided that scientists need to spend more time identifying and tweaking/wiping out the "selfish asshole" gene - seriously, think what a boon to humanity this would be.  While I've always been appalled and annoyed by selfish assholes, it seems that as I get older I have even less patience for them.  Those people who cut in line wherever, that get in the short "10 items or less" line with a boatload of stuff, thieves, the loud cell phone bleaters in the movie theater, etc.  Lord knows there are huge swaths of China and America where they could find candidates to test this research on.  Get with it, science!  Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe global warming and the upcoming devastation of the earth/complete annihilation of the human race is nature's way of addressing this issue.

But wait!  This just in!

http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-created-a-drug-that-makes-people-more-compassionate

Huzzah!

Speaking of China, I am - bit by bit - doing better at controlling my previous gut-level, automatic disdainful sneering whenever I encounter someone here from Mainland China (again, for those who missed my earlier rants on this subject, it's not the Chinese that are so horrible on a macro level, it's the MAINLAND Chinese - as validated by other Chinese throughout the world).  I actually had come close to stopping that completely, but then I invariably have to fly somewhere and there are always a few mainlanders heading home, and I end up having to deal with their astonishingly boorish behavior once again.  Sigh.

Speaking of again, the other day I saw something that should put fear in the heart of anyone, pedestrian or motorist, on the streets of Maseru: a Basotho man teaching a Chinese woman how to drive.  Of course, a Basotho teaching ANYONE to drive is scary enough.

Seriously, I continue to be astonished beyond belief at the way they drive here.  It's particularly disgusting when everyone knows/sees every day the number of accidents and deaths.  I mean, I've always been a fast driver, but the speed at which they drive here: downtown, on residential streets, etc. is just ludicrous and ridiculous.  The blatant red light running.  It's amazing.  Since I've been here, at least 4 Americans have been involved in serious accidents, with 3 of them having been severely injured.  And the locals, too.  It's hard NOT to be judgmental of their continuing, ridiculously stupid and life-threatening behavior in this area.

And yes, after 10 months at post, I am STILL annoyed by the stupid, incessant honking of the 4+1s. "Oh YES, thank GAWD, you honked at me 8 times, Mr. Taxi Driver!  I had no idea that I needed a taxi and that your clearly marked taxi was, indeed, a taxi!"

My Favorite Year

So at this time last year I was wrapping up my stay in China.  With a year's reflection, I am still a bit surprised/disappointed at the dichotomy between my initial excitement at the prospect of living in China vs. how ready I was to leave after a year.  Don't get me wrong, there was much about China I liked: the food, the cost of living compared to the states, etc.  And I did really like Guangzhou.  With the exception of the Tiyu Xilu station, the metro was pretty convenient and efficient - albeit often crowded (duh, Guangzhou has 20 million people living in it).  On the whole, the city was clean (although some parts had horrific smells).  It was very modern, had most of the same conveniences of America, although with some differences.  There was a decent amount of stuff to do, and was conveniently located to Hong Kong, Shenzen, and Macao.  And I loved the idea of working for Disney and liked a lot about my job.

But the people.  It goes to show how important this one aspect is, and of course it makes sense when you take time to think about it: no matter how wonderful a place is, if you're surrounded by millions of people you don't like, it can be unpleasant.  Conversely, I've learned that you can live in some relative shit holes, and if you're surrounded by nice people, people you love, etc., it can be bearable.  I won't re-hash all the "negatives" of the Chinese, as most folks have already heard me bitch about their rudeness, selfishness, how uncouth they are, etc.  But I WILL emphasize again that it seems to be almost wholly a MAINLAND Chinese "issue."  I found the Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. to be perfectly fine - and was both gratified and dismayed to find that the Chinese in those places had the same disdain for their mainland cousins.

So anyway, it's a year ago this month I escaped, and I have to say that this past year has to rank up there as one of my very favorite years--up there with my junior year at OU, my second year of PC, and a few other random years in San Francisco and probably one or two in San Diego.  But the main reason this past one ranks up there is, of course, because of travel.

It was this month last year I got to go on that fabulous cruise of the Baltic Capitals with a fun group of friends, and then spent 3 months afterwards zipping around Europe and SE Asia knocking many, many places off my bucket list while waiting for my security clearance for Peace Corps.  At the end of the day, in the past year, I was able to visit 17 countries and 25 cities.  I added Copenhagen, Singapore, and Cape Town to my very favorite cities list, and also got to spend time in a couple of "old favorites" - DC, Paris, and Amsterdam.  I got to see my boys for the first time in too long, and added another few cities to my "lunch with Doreen" list - one of my favorite people because she's a wanderer like me and I've been able to meet up with her and have lunch on 4 different continents now (granted, we lived in 2 of those continents at the same time) and in at least 6 different cities.

I got to "come home" to a great (busy) job with Peace Corps, living in a unique African country that not a whole lot of people have ever been to due to its location and obscurity.  And, ironically, I'm living in the nicest house I've ever had while also dealing with the challenges of living in a third world country.

And if all that wasn't enough, I've already got lots of awesome plans and adventures lined up for the coming year - including a conference next month in Namibia, a birthday trip to Mauritius, and a trip in September that includes a few days in Dubai, a few days in Venice, and then a week cruising the Greek Isles.  Also hoping to see Victoria Falls and Kilimanjaro in the coming year, along with another dream cruise next year to South America (Argentina, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, and Chile).  Yes, indeed, it's great to be me!   Haha.

Shooting guns, driving recklessly, and blowing up stuff on the taxpayer's dime!

So the first thing I see when settling in one of the classrooms for my "Foreign Affairs Counter Threat" (FACT) training is a guy on the floor in front of me with his leg blown off and bone protruding.  Needless to say, I was a bit, er, "taken aback."  Until I realized it was, of course, a dummy--albeit a very realistic one.  Looking around, I saw 3-4 others scattered around the room; all in various stages of injury with a variety of missing limbs.  Great start to the course.

As many of you know, I was not happy with having to be here in the first place.  The Peace Corps Director tried to get a waiver from the State Dept. for us "peaceniks" but no dice.  So there I was in West Virginia with about 60 other "diplomats" for a weeklong training which is now mandatory for any embassy/mission employees going overseas (there is not enough space here for me to explain the complicated relationship PC has as a part of/not a part of the embassies/missions overseas).

One of the first things we discovered was that - outside of the training facility itself, and our rooms at the hotel we were staying at in nearby Winchester, VA - we would all be under surveillance during the training.  This was so we could learn how to "spot and report."  They made it somewhat obvious (somewhat, that is, depending on your powers of observation/"situational awareness") so we could learn how to effectively report once we're at post (along with another PC staff - from Madagascar - I was the only one who'd already been living in country).  I made sure to pay attention the first time I went out after that so I could do my report and be done with it, so I could then focus on the more important things - like finding the Taco Bell and movie theater.

It turns out Winchester actually has a disproportionately high crime rate due to being situated along a drug trafficking corridor (hey, it's the border of W. Va - their biggest industry after coal is meth).  We learned that, on average, during each week's training, 1-3 crimes are reported by trainees thinking it's suspicious looking surveillance, when it's actually a drug deal going down.  Nice, free policing for the community!

Unsurprisingly, a good chunk of the trainers are former military.  A LOT of beards.  In fact, not one of them did not have SOME kind of facial hair.  Not sure what that's about, but have a feeling Freud would have something to say about it.  One weird one, though, was this good-sized former Marine, who did the "Personnel Recovery" training and he looked like a huge Kewpie Doll!  It was kind of disconcerting.

The biggest chunk of our training time (about one-fourth) was spent on medical - and I feel that part was helpful for all.  The idea is having you prepared in case a colleague or solider goes down defending the embassy and you're the only one around to help.  But what we learned would be helpful in any scenario where you found yourself confronted with someone who'd been severely wounded.  So I definitely appreciated this part - although was a little less thrilled with the ultra-graphic pics that were often shown to help "educate" us (including one dude who'd had a rod flung into his eye).  At the end of the day, I realized yet again that the human body is an amazingly complicated, delicate thing and I thank my lucky stars (knock on wood) I haven't had to experience a traumatic (exterior) injury.

In addition to medical training we learned all about responding to "threats."  How to drive "defensively" and get away during a car chase; how to identify and mitigate the effects of a bomb/IED (improvised explosive device); basic hand-to-hand self defense; how to shoot a Glock and an AK-47; dealing with/defending yourself from fire as a weapon.

A lot of stuff was couched in "well, post-Benghazi, we need to..."  It was hard not to roll my eyes at this.  "Post-Benghazi" has replaced "Post-9/11" as the rationale now for extreme paranoia.  Forget, AGAIN, that there were more serious attacks on embassies during Dubya's tenure.  We need to use BENGHAZI as a benchmark to always remind you that it was the black guy who fucked up.  Whatever.

ANYWAY, outside of the squeamish medical stuff, the training exercise(s) that were most annoying were the driving ones.  Another good chunk of time on this (about one-fifth).  Sure, there were some fun parts (I got to ram a vehicle--twice--with an old beater to escape it's "blockade"), but a lot of it was motion-sickness-inducing turns and screeching and backing, with an instructor who races cars in his off hours and naturally couldn't resist "showing off" a little in between exercises.  I mean, I'm not the kind who normally gets car sick, but I was feeling it more than once.  The student paired with me had 10 years in the military, is an excellent driver, and at one point SHE got so queasy she had to stand outside and observe one of the exercises.  This is why they "encouraged" folks to take Dramamine or ginger tablets ahead of time.

Then, there were the guns.  I was a bit worried that I was going to have some nutso reaction to having a real gun in my hand for the first time - that I'd get all googly-eyed and think, "Ooooh, I feel so powerful!" and immediately want to buy/own one.  Or, alternately, I'd be totally traumatized.  I did actually consider "opting out" - which they allow - but went ahead with the "familiarization" part and then when we were told we would just shoot a Glock 5 times and then an AK-47 5 times, I figured, "What the hell?" and at least I'd be prepared just in case some bizarre scenario came up where I'd have the need (and opportunity) to defend myself.  Shooting the Glock was kind of a "Meh" moment - I didn't have a problem hitting the target, and the kickback was pretty mild, so at the end of the day I didn't feel much of anything either way about it.  But after the AK-47, I admit to feeling just a wee bit traumatized.  It's a heavy gun first of all; and the kickback was a bit much (my shoulder was sore the next day just from firing 5 shots).  But I think the whole "psychological" aspect of it - knowing the history of the weapon, who all uses it (and makes it!) now, and for what purpose, it just felt icky.  Now, if someone was shooting at me, and an AK was handy, would I pick it up?  Sure, but I'd probably focus more on running/getting away first.  However, during the exercise where we learned how to dodge/get away from shooters & use cover, I actually fell down at one point (although thankfully, I was not the only one), so I'd probably be dead in that scenario anyway!  :)

The Crazy Politics in Lesotho - It's Like I'm Back in the States!

So a new Prime Minister has been sworn in and a new coalition takes power.  Unfortunately for Lesotho, it's back to the bad old days of corruption and the same loser Deputy PM who helped precipitate last year's crisis.  Unfortunately, when I try to pass judgement, I am reminded of the similarities between the messed up system here and the one back in the states.

The "new" PM, Mosisili, is actually the old PM, who lost power in the previous election when the 3-headed coalition put ABC head Thabane in as the new PM.  Thabane and ABC rose in the last election by running against Mosisili/DC's corruption.  Metsing, the head of LDC, was made the Deputy PM in the new 3-party coalition and then was promptly brought up on charges of corruption, which led to the  LDC-backed military confrontation with the police (ABC-backed), the not-quite-coup, etc.

Here's where it gets twisted. In the new election, ABC actually gained seats - a fair amount, in fact.  LDC lost a good many seats.  So the election seemed to be a clear repudiation of Metsing, and a desire for ABC to continue rooting out the corruption.  Unfortunately, DC stayed about the same, and eventually ended up almost tied with ABC for the number of seats won (after the complicated system they use to award additional representative seats beyond those decided directly in the election).  But neither one, again, had enough seats on their own to rule as one party.

So the machinations began to see if ABC or DC could form the coalition to govern.  There would be no "grand bargain" to have ABC & DC rule in a coalition together since the primary platform plank for ABC was rooting out DC's corruption.  So Metsing/LDC "switched allegiance" to DC, and along with about 6 other minor parties cobbled together the seats necessary to form a government.  It's no surprise that the corrupt party was able to "convince" (i.e., bribe) enough other smaller parties to join them - and of course Metsing knew he couldn't partner again with ABC after what happened last year.

Even then, as the coalition was being finalized, and before the formal set up/inauguration, minor parties in the new coalition were grumbling they weren't being given all that was promised (including a spot as Deputy PM over Metsing) and they were threatening to defect to ABC so that THEY could end up forming the ruling coalition.  Of course this was just a ploy to make sure the corrupt DC knew if they didn't ladle out some more gravy, they'd be doomed.  So voila, yesterday everything came together for the old/new DC, and Mosisili was sworn in once again as PM and Metsing as Deputy PM.

On the plus side, the corruption suit will still go on against Metsing since his ploy to have the suit tossed in court was rejected.  Stay tuned!

ANYWAY, as mentioned, when I was looking at the results, reflecting on all the dysfunction, etc., I noticed some interesting/distressing similarities between Lesotho's political drama and that of the U.S.  Even though ABC/Thabane got the most votes in the last election, it's DC/Mosisili running the country.  What an outrage!  Why, it's like when Gore got more votes than Bush and yet Bush was awarded the presidency by a corrupt court thanks to votes from his father's appointees!  Or like in 2014 when House Democrats won significantly more total votes, and yet found themselves as the minority party in the House of Representatives - and by a substantial margin.  Yum, smells like nepotism and a rotten system.

Also: ABC ran on a platform of supporting the "common man," rooting out corruption and financial greed and recklessness.  Their strength was in the north and urban areas, while the corrupt, thieving, DC party that's been rewarding the "haves" got their strength from the southern part of the country, more rural, and less educated.  Sound familiar?

Not to mention that when the reformers did manage to take power a few years ago, there was such a pushback from the entrenched, corrupt party that they did everything they could to ensure the new, duly elected party could not govern effectively, blocked everything they could, tried to sue when the new government tried to root out corruption, and then basically ended up shutting down the government.  Now I'll leave it to you to guess if here I'm talking about Lesotho or the U.S. (Hint: BOTH!)

Ah, yes, this is why I moved overseas: to experience a different culture!

Postcard from Cape Town

My main takeaway from a visit to Cape Town:  It's amazing how many amazing places there are in the world!  Yeah, I should already know this, and I kind of already did, but still....  The way the city sits up against Table Top Mountain is just awesome - it is just so very striking. I'm definitely adding this to my very favorite cities in the world list, which now includes San Francisco, Paris, Barcelona, Istanbul, and Copenhagen.

The other thing I realized/remembered while visiting is that I really should live in a city that's on the water.  That will be a requirement for my retirement.  As it so happens, with the exception of Paris, all my faves are on the sea/ocean - and even Paris is bisected by the Seine and is a major feature of the city.

Another plus was the diversity, the history, and the architecture.  The colorful houses in the Bo Kaap - the Muslim neighborhood that my hotel was in; the waterfront; the funky Woodstock area; the tony seaside villages; all very cool.

The vibe is nice, too--with the one downside being the persistence of the beggars.  I've been in cities that have more, and are more "aggressive," but the ones in Cape Town pursue a little longer, and employ a more "emotional" appeal.  Even then, it's interesting to note "cultural"/geographical differences in this aspect of city life.

And I do admit to still having enough of a stereotype of Africa to have thought, "Wow, who would ever think a city like THIS could exist on this continent?"  A few months ago, an RPCV came to the office to collect some stuff she'd left behind after her service because she'd planned on coming back and going to grad school in Cape Town.  I had asked about the city then to see what she knew, and since I was considering a visit.  She said something along the lines of, "I feel kind of bad for saying this, but I remember when I first visited it after a year in Lesotho, I thought 'Wow! Civilization!'"

I'll definitely go again as there was stuff I didn't get a chance to do: Robben Island, the Cable Car up Table Top Mountain, the Monkey & Bird sanctuary, the Wine tour(!), etc.  I do admit to "wasting" some of my time while there going to movies - I'm just such a movie whore and I miss that more than anything.  So I saw "Pride" and "Kingsman" while I was there and highly recommend both.

I also got to have good Mexican (twice!) and for anyone who's going, I recommend El Burro for the best taquitos I've ever had and San Julian for the biggest jalapeno poppers I've ever had!  Also got to have some good Thai.  Yay!  And although I didn't have much luck coordinating airport transports through them, the hotel I stayed in was pretty funky/cool and in a good/convenient location.  The Dutch Manor Antique hotel oozed old world charm, and breakfast was not only good and filling, but there was great company from the other guests, including a mix of folks that included an Aussie currently working Fiji, some Brits currently living in S. Africa with their daughter and son-in-law (Spanish) who were visiting from Dubai, a charming older Swiss woman, etc.

The Saturday market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock is one of the coolest ones I've been to with one of the most eclectic offerings of food, art, and STUFF I've ever seen.  For one of the first times ever in my travels I bought a CD from the local band playing outdoors.  They call themselves a swing band, but the stuff they played was like a mix of country/jazz/swing/blues/hillbilly/folk/rock.  The next day, I bought another CD from an African band playing at the waterfront.  They had four different types of xylophones with a guy who alternated playing the a couple of different horns.  Good stuff.

I was lucky to have excellent weather during my brief stay, so I might not have been so enamored had I been forced to endure one of their famous Cape Storms!  But, again, on the whole, two very big thumbs up and if anyone is interested in checking it out, let me know and I'd be happy to join you!  :)

Postcard from Lesotho II

I've decided Lesotho is basically a nation of Fonzies.  The Sesotho word for yes here is simply "A" - pronounced, like Fonzie, as the sound in "Hey."  But they don't use it just for "yes," they also use it for "yeah" and "I agree" and "no doubt" and "word!" and "uh-huh" and so on and son on.  Accordingly, you hear it a lot, and they literally pronounce it like Fonzie does on "Happy Days."  Most of the time it's amusing, but sometimes it just sounds weird coz they will use it so much in a really brief span (e.g., "A!" "A! blah blah" "A!" "A! blah" "A! blah" "A!"  "A!" - I am not making this up, I have heard numerous exchanges like this).

So I took my first trip to "civilization" last week (i.e., Bloemfontein, RSA).  I had to see an ophthalmologist (name a harder word to spell correctly!), so I tagged along with four Volunteers who were also being taken to specialists.  As you can imagine, Lesotho is a little low on medical specialists and we have to use S. Africa for, well, almost anything outside of a head cold.  "Bloem" (pronounced bloom) as everyone here calls it is not quite 2 hours away, due west (2 hours, that is, unless there's a big line at the border - which is about a mile away from the PC office).  It's about twice the size of Maseru, is the capital of the Free State Province, and is one of three national capitals of South Africa (the judicial one); the other two are Pretoria (administrative) and Cape Town (legislative).  Bloemfontein is Dutch/Afrikaans for "fountain of flowers" and is known as the "city of roses."  The city's Sesotho name is Manguang, or "place of cheetahs."

I was told by the previous DPT here upon my arrival that I would "need" to "escape" to Bloem on a monthly basis to keep from going insane.  But then he was much "needier" than me.  I will say it was a bit surreal to see the difference.  While not, say, a Dubai, it certainly is more modern, and "western" than Maseru.  After my appt. I hit the nearby mall and was able to have Thai food for lunch - that was the definitely the high point.  Otherwise, it was a bit disappointing to discover that most of the shops were, of course, RSA chains that we already have in Maseru!  D'oh!  But then, I was only in town for a couple of hours, and didn't get to see the other "glitzier" mall and what not.

There were A LOT of white people - I want to say it almost seemed like half and half - at least in the mall.  And I'm always thrown by "Afrikaans" (a variation of Dutch) as my "default" is to always think of RSA as "British" - when it was actually a Dutch colony for just about as long as it was British - in fact, English is only the 4th most common language spoken in RSA, and they have something like 10-12 "official" languages.  Talk about your melting pot!

Anyway, at the end of the day, it IS nice to know that "civilization" is a scant 2 hour drive away, but I don't feel it's worth a "day trip" as many here feel.  But that's partly coz I'm just not keen on the idea of spending 4 hours in a car to then spend spend, at most, maybe 6 hours in the city.  It would have to be at least an overnight trip for me - see some movies, do some shopping, eat Thai and other food I can't find here, etc.  You definitely don't want to be on the road here OR in RSA after dark because...

...if I die over here it will most likely involve being involved in a motor vehicle accident.  RSA has the 8th highest "road fatalities" rate in the world, and Lesotho is not far behind at around 11 or 12.  I normally bitch about drivers everywhere (although they didn't seem too bad in the Nordic countries), but the thing here is the crazy ass speeding.  I mean, I'm a fast driver, but to see the way people roar through residential areas, the speeds they go at down city streets, etc.  It's astonishing.

And, as I think I may have already mentioned, red lights here are a mere suggestion.  And that's being kind.  The weird thing is, driving schools are a big industry here - if I don't see at least 5-6 "learners" (identified by the large red L on the car) in my neighborhood each morning AND each evening as I walk to/from work, it's a slow day.  And ALL these learners drive PAINFULLY slowly - maybe the reason they all turn into maniacs is coz they're forced into such over-cautiousness when learning.

I don't think I mentioned that, right before Christmas, 3 Americans (including our newish DPT, Debra) were in a really bad accident coming back from Bloem.  Debra and Becky (a temporary duty program manager here) were in the hospital for a month--Becky longer, before finally going home a couple weeks ago to finish recuperating in the states.  So yeah, definitely need to watch out on the road here.  Sigh.

If I DON'T die in a road accident, it will be due to a rage induced stroke over the stupidity of the incessant 4+1 (taxis) honking on the street, trying to snag a rider.  Seriously, I've been on the job 182 days now, 154 days in country, and I STILL can not get used to this--despite everyone assuring me I would.  It's just so STUPID because it's so USELESS.  I have yet to see a single solitary person turn and flag the cab after hearing the stupid tooting.  Yet, I've seen multiple people simply - DUH - put their hand out while standing on the curb and had a non-honking cab stop for them.  Ugh.

Dinner with the Ambassador and Being Confronted with "Lesotho Authoritay"

So last Friday I was invited to a "very casual" dinner at the Ambassador's Residence along with a few embassy staff.  Ambassador Harrington has been in country a couple months now after a (shock!) long, drawn out confirmation process not-so-helpfully "facilitated" by those obstructionist GOP losers in Congress.

The Ambassador's residence happens to be right next to the Prime Minister's house (not sure which came first), and just down the street from the huge project that is building a new Lesotho State House - courtesy of the Chinese (they're taking over, I tells ya!).  The residence and grounds are certainly nice enough, although I still prefer my newer/more "mod" house I've already bragged enough about (I live about 3-4 blocks away).  There was a lot of discussion/disparagement during the evening of the furniture in the house.  Apparently, it's quite a THING to update furniture in an Ambassador's residence, and supposedly can't happen except every 18 years.  There was some debate, however, if one of the very ugly, very floral, very dated couch/loveseat combos was even THAT new.

Dinner itself, and the evening in general, was nice enough, although rather unremarkable on the whole.  We had a "Lesotho style" dinner of beef stew, salad, and either rice or pap.  Pap is the local concoction I just can't eat - it's too bland.  It's basically a maize meal porridge or gruel cooked in water.  Seriously, gruel?  Pap?  Why would I want to eat anything named like that?  At least it isn't as watery and disgusting looking as most of the gruelesque porridges they often ate in China (shudder).  For dessert, there was chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.

During cocktail hour, dinner, and after, talk was mostly about travel, State Department kvetching, and any other random, shared experiences.  Besides me, Debra (the Peace Corps Dir. of Programming & Training) was there, so I wasn't the only "non-Stater" - but the other 6 folks were.  I was definitely the "noob" in terms of Africa travel so couldn't contribute much there, and there was also a lot of DC talk, since even Debra had lived/worked there for some time.  Finally, there was also a surprisingly long discussion about Arizona, of all places.  The Ambassador spent a fair amount of time there (his ex wife and kids are there now), other folks had happened to live and/or work there, etc.  It was kind of weird as the talk went Safari, cheetah, Arizona, DC restaurant, Swaiziland, Lion, Flagstaff, DC neighborhoods, Kruger, and so on.

At the end of the day, while it was nice to go and schmooze, I would rank the evening as pretty much smack dab in the middle of average compared to other dinner parties I've been to - which means kind of a let down since I expected just a wee bit more from an (ooooh) ambassador's dinner.

In other news, this past week I had my first "confrontation" with local authorities when a Sheriff and Lesotho Mounted Police officer presented themselves at the PC Compound, demanded to see the Director of Mgmt. & Ops., and told me they were there to serve legal papers.  I politely informed them that they needed to serve any/all legal papers to the Embassy, at which point the Sheriff told me he'd been to the Embassy and been directed to us.  This was for a lawsuit from a third country national Indian Doctor who had agreed to lease us his former residence as office space, but then dragged his feet for a year on making it available until PC HQ in DC finally put the kibosh on it and told us to look elsewhere.  Even though he has no legal standing, he found a star-humping local lawyer who thinks he can get big bucks from the U.S. gov't.  Not gonna happen.  And due to the convoluted diplomatic rules here, even though PC is semi-independent from the Embassy, we are still "technically" part of the Mission, and thus any legal proceedings need to go through the Embassy/State Department.

ANYWAY, this Sheriff wasn't having any of it and informed me that he was authorized to confiscate four of our vehicles.  Honestly, it was very hard for me not to laugh at the whole thing.  Not at this Sheriff, who was very serious, but just at the idea.  I thought, "Oh, sure, let me just go get you the keys so you and this one other dude can drive off with four of our vehicles."  So I politely but firmly tell him I can't turn over any vehicles, which he ignores and proceeds to rattle off the plate numbers of the vehicles he's definitely going to confiscate.

It was one of those moments where time slowed down.  As he rattled off the numbers - 21, 23, 24, and 26 - I was thinking, "Oh, you're definitely not taking 21 (our Rav4), that's my favorite; hmmm, nope, 23 is Wendy's favorite (the Country Director), oh please, you can have 26 (our little beat up pick up)."  But all I said was, "Look, I know you're just doing your job, but I'm just doing mine and I'm telling you right now that I am not letting you take any of our vehicles."  Our (unarmed) security guards are watching all this with a mixed look of "Wow" and "Are we supposed to really stop the armed Sheriff?" and "This is pretty exciting/scary!"

Finally, the Sheriff says, "We will go back to the Embassy, as they suggested, at 2:00 p.m., but if we receive no satisfaction, we will be back to confiscate these 4 vehicles."  When I told him they wouldn't be allowed back in the compound to get them, he stated they would then "look for them on the street" and confiscate them there.  I then instructed the guards to not open the gate/allow anyone in the compound until further notice, and that the particular vehicles listed were not to leave the compound under ANY circumstances while I then repeated the same to our General Services guys/fleet manager.

I then called the G.S. guy at the Embassy and whined about them not doing their job/"protecting" us and to his credit he admitted that, as he was new, he wasn't aware of the whole story, but would see about straightening it out.  The next day, Sheriff and cop are back at the gate, but the security guards were true to directions and wouldn't even let them in the gate/compound.  I reiterated (through the phone at the guard gate) that they needed to go to the Embassy.  They said they would, but then proceeded to go down the street a bit and wait on the corner and see if we'd leave with one of the vehicles.  When I had to go out later on an errand with our General Svcs. Asst., we were sure to take a different vehicle (#11 - a Land Cruiser), and while they glared at us as we went by, they saw the tag and did nothing.

Long and short of it, the Embassy finally got the Ministry here to pull off the Sheriff, after an exchange of comically formal letters back and forth full of diplomatic niceties and formal protocols about how these things need to proceed, etc.    So no exciting firefight and attempted confiscation.  Too bad.  :)