Sunday, September 14, 2008
Busy but Safe
No time to write - just because of stuff to do. All's still quiet. Will be back soon!!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Rock and Hard Place
I spent way too many hours watching the news and reading the articles about this Bolivian crisis on the Internet. I throw my hands up in the air when a couple of articles complain about the lack of attention the States has given South America and then the other articles complain about the "meddling" of the States in South America. Both Morales and Chavez have accused the States of undermining the politics in their countries but give zero proof that there's been anything but a difference in opinion. No suitcases of money, no secret training grounds, no "smoking" email, nada. Just a good scapegoat. Oh, there was the meeting of the Ambassador with the one of the governors a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, there wasn't much said at the time since it's the man's job to visit government officials...all of them, the ones that oppose the federal government and the ones that support it. See, in this country, you're criminal if you disagree with your government...in our country is just the average joe's favourite pastime.
Yup. I'm frustrated.
Haven't started packing yet but sounds like the Embassy might really like us to. John worked until about 6 (so much for the half day) and he's taken the girls to an Attache Teenagers party at an Argentine's house. Hopefully we'll get a chance to talk before we collapse into bed tonight. We did take the girls out for dinner - Jake's at a sleepover - and it was another meal taken between gasps of laughter. We do have fun together!
Yup. I'm frustrated.
Haven't started packing yet but sounds like the Embassy might really like us to. John worked until about 6 (so much for the half day) and he's taken the girls to an Attache Teenagers party at an Argentine's house. Hopefully we'll get a chance to talk before we collapse into bed tonight. We did take the girls out for dinner - Jake's at a sleepover - and it was another meal taken between gasps of laughter. We do have fun together!
Still Quiet
John just headed to work, probably will be a half day today.
The US government approved an "Authorized Evacuation" for us last night, meaning it's voluntary. Yesterday, John bought airline tickets for the kids and I...for security reasons, I won't say for which day but they're arranged. We have some time to decide if we're going but I'm leaving the final decision wholly in John's hands.
The attache families have an awesome resource for evacuation coordination back in DC. The lead lady was at the conference I was at in Tucson last month. The world we live in has provided her with a lot of experience bringing home families from around the planet and looking after them. If we do decide to return to the US, it is a minimum stay of 30 days. The government gives us money for housing and rental cars, after 30 days that amount drops significantly (annoying) but we're certainly hoping things will be much calmer here in a month. My concern is mostly on the return option. I'd hate to be gone from here more than 30 days, I wish it could be less.
So, that's how it stands. I've decided to continue unpacking our shipment from Thursday, there's not much left to unpack anyway!
The US government approved an "Authorized Evacuation" for us last night, meaning it's voluntary. Yesterday, John bought airline tickets for the kids and I...for security reasons, I won't say for which day but they're arranged. We have some time to decide if we're going but I'm leaving the final decision wholly in John's hands.
The attache families have an awesome resource for evacuation coordination back in DC. The lead lady was at the conference I was at in Tucson last month. The world we live in has provided her with a lot of experience bringing home families from around the planet and looking after them. If we do decide to return to the US, it is a minimum stay of 30 days. The government gives us money for housing and rental cars, after 30 days that amount drops significantly (annoying) but we're certainly hoping things will be much calmer here in a month. My concern is mostly on the return option. I'd hate to be gone from here more than 30 days, I wish it could be less.
So, that's how it stands. I've decided to continue unpacking our shipment from Thursday, there's not much left to unpack anyway!
Friday, September 12, 2008
La Paz is Still Quiet...
There was a small demonstration in front of the Embassy today. Someone threw some firecrackers, Bolivian national police (some in riot gear) kept them clear of the Embassy walls.
On an interesting note - General Trigo, the armed forces commander, who we briefly met at a Brazilian celebration earlier this week - has spoken heatedly against the idea of the Venezuelan or any military forces entering Bolivia. General Trigo reacted to meeting us rather like we were vipers (not too surprising, considering the relations between his country and ours) but his wife seemed very warm - I liked her at first sight.
Things have deteriorated in the state of Pando, the government declared martial law tonight. Pando is quite far from here, I believe it's the state farthest north (we're in the middle of the country).
There are discussions about a voluntary evacuation for families. There's a great deal of cooperation/communication between the Embassy and the American school the kids are attending. It's hard to believe we may evacuate when we've only been here a month but the possibility is there. In the meantime, we had a generator and multiple boxes of MRE (meals ready to eat) delivered today. There was gas at the gas station today...no disruption of power yet either. One of the ladies at dinner tonight said there was not one piece of meat at the grocery store today though.
I went to a birthday party for another American attache spouse. There were a whole bunch of international attache spouses present. I received a whole lot of hugs and kisses (even more emphatic than usual) from them. They're a nice bunch.
John met Jake and I at a local restaurant for dinner with other Embassy families. The political issues were the topic of conversation of course. Later, I lamented with John the fact that so many of the Embassy personnel and the families get along so well and so many of us are new. The potential for such a great tour is at stake here. Please pray that we all get the opportunity to work and live together for the next few years!
On an interesting note - General Trigo, the armed forces commander, who we briefly met at a Brazilian celebration earlier this week - has spoken heatedly against the idea of the Venezuelan or any military forces entering Bolivia. General Trigo reacted to meeting us rather like we were vipers (not too surprising, considering the relations between his country and ours) but his wife seemed very warm - I liked her at first sight.
Things have deteriorated in the state of Pando, the government declared martial law tonight. Pando is quite far from here, I believe it's the state farthest north (we're in the middle of the country).
There are discussions about a voluntary evacuation for families. There's a great deal of cooperation/communication between the Embassy and the American school the kids are attending. It's hard to believe we may evacuate when we've only been here a month but the possibility is there. In the meantime, we had a generator and multiple boxes of MRE (meals ready to eat) delivered today. There was gas at the gas station today...no disruption of power yet either. One of the ladies at dinner tonight said there was not one piece of meat at the grocery store today though.
I went to a birthday party for another American attache spouse. There were a whole bunch of international attache spouses present. I received a whole lot of hugs and kisses (even more emphatic than usual) from them. They're a nice bunch.
John met Jake and I at a local restaurant for dinner with other Embassy families. The political issues were the topic of conversation of course. Later, I lamented with John the fact that so many of the Embassy personnel and the families get along so well and so many of us are new. The potential for such a great tour is at stake here. Please pray that we all get the opportunity to work and live together for the next few years!
Heading Down the Street
I was going to go into the shopping district nearby. Do some shopping that needs to be done. Now I have a houseful of workers, fixing some drapes, installing some screens and drilling a golf hole in the cement floor of our patio. So shopping is delayed but the plan is still there.
This is my early day blog note...as I'm planning to be gone through lunchtime this is all you get! :-)
The kids went to school this morning celebrating the fact that it's Friday. Lisette wore her hot red high heels...with flats tucked into her backpack. Both of the girls have social plans for this evening and are concerned they'll be cancelled due to the unrest. I reassured them that if all stays calm in La Paz, they can party the night away.
I'm trying to stay on top of news but between the pathetic television stations I have on our "cable" TV which has no significant news reporting at all and the Internet which is still reporting stuff from yesterday but nothing from today really...I'm a bit frustrated! So shopping I will go, forget it all for a few hours and get some things done!
This is my early day blog note...as I'm planning to be gone through lunchtime this is all you get! :-)
The kids went to school this morning celebrating the fact that it's Friday. Lisette wore her hot red high heels...with flats tucked into her backpack. Both of the girls have social plans for this evening and are concerned they'll be cancelled due to the unrest. I reassured them that if all stays calm in La Paz, they can party the night away.
I'm trying to stay on top of news but between the pathetic television stations I have on our "cable" TV which has no significant news reporting at all and the Internet which is still reporting stuff from yesterday but nothing from today really...I'm a bit frustrated! So shopping I will go, forget it all for a few hours and get some things done!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Chavez Stirs the Pot
Like we needed that, you know? Chavez has now given the US Ambassador to Caracas 72 hours to get out, in a show of solidarity to Evo. Buds, how nice. Not sure if you read about it, but he's also planning to bring his troops into Bolivia if Evo looks like he's going to be kicked off the throne. Venezuelan troops vs. Bolivian civilians...in Bolivia...Danny Glover still wants to be friends with this guy?
Things are not getting better but for now they're not getting worse here in La Paz. We're preparing for the worst, kind of like prepping for a hurricane, evac and all. John's still at work, he's liking the action just not liking that his family is here with him. Everyone's still hoping that things will cool off and Evo will stop slamming doors. Can't we all just get along?
I'm a bit more nervous but plans are underway to keep us safe. Again, all's quiet on the La Paz front and no word that that's going to change. There's concern that the power might go out but we're supposed to have a generator here as soon as tomorrow. We've got a satellite phone, a bat cave kind of radio with communication between us and the Embassy.
Tomorrow I'll go get more water and toilet paper...maybe pick up some vodka!
Things are not getting better but for now they're not getting worse here in La Paz. We're preparing for the worst, kind of like prepping for a hurricane, evac and all. John's still at work, he's liking the action just not liking that his family is here with him. Everyone's still hoping that things will cool off and Evo will stop slamming doors. Can't we all just get along?
I'm a bit more nervous but plans are underway to keep us safe. Again, all's quiet on the La Paz front and no word that that's going to change. There's concern that the power might go out but we're supposed to have a generator here as soon as tomorrow. We've got a satellite phone, a bat cave kind of radio with communication between us and the Embassy.
Tomorrow I'll go get more water and toilet paper...maybe pick up some vodka!
It's Official
Ambassador Goldberg is going home. No news from John, other than "don't bug me, I'm busy" - he didn't really say that but I got the message.
The reason I called and "bugged" him? We received our UAB (Unaccompanied Baggage) today. We had nine crates, all but one of which were packed and sealed at the house in Virginia. There were a few small boxes leftover, they didn't have a ninth crate with them and we were informed that they'd pack them into the ninth crate back at the moving company. The contents of the boxes weren't valuable.
We had nine crates delivered here today. Upon opening (unsealing) the third crate (they were in no specific order), everyone involved had a collective heart attack to find it completely empty. Skip ahead about an hour, and we found all of our items had actually arrived - they had purposefully sent a totally empty crate!!!! Crazy!! And expensive!!
So, life here at the house is very calm and relieved. The kids are at school (think fortified castle) and John is getting more grey hair at work. Send your prayers directly to him!
The reason I called and "bugged" him? We received our UAB (Unaccompanied Baggage) today. We had nine crates, all but one of which were packed and sealed at the house in Virginia. There were a few small boxes leftover, they didn't have a ninth crate with them and we were informed that they'd pack them into the ninth crate back at the moving company. The contents of the boxes weren't valuable.
We had nine crates delivered here today. Upon opening (unsealing) the third crate (they were in no specific order), everyone involved had a collective heart attack to find it completely empty. Skip ahead about an hour, and we found all of our items had actually arrived - they had purposefully sent a totally empty crate!!!! Crazy!! And expensive!!
So, life here at the house is very calm and relieved. The kids are at school (think fortified castle) and John is getting more grey hair at work. Send your prayers directly to him!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
