Christmas time in the Kingdom

This week was interesting, we were worried about our presents from friends and family arriving with the delays caused by snow in the U.S. and europe, but Christmas was saved when the APO decided to stay open Thursday and Friday (our weekend here in the Kingdom), and we had 3 presents arrive today on Christmas Eve! The interesting thing about APO is that it is all consolidated in the States, then packaged together and sent overseas together. So, that means that you can get a lot of companies to do free shipping to APO because it is in the U.S., and if you ever ship personally remember the 'express', 'priority', and other expedited shipping only gets it to New York then its on the same priority of everything else that is APO the rest of the trip.

By far, the most interesting part was the Consulate Christmas tree decorating party. The Consulate had a little celebration for all employees to attend which included putting up the tree in the entrance of the Chancery and then we would all eat a bunch of yummy desserts. It all started out great with Christmas music playing and everyone happy to be doing something other than work. Well, it got funny because for some reason we decided the decorating should be handled by the Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Lebanese. They attacked teh tree with determination, excitement, and every possible decoration that could be dug out of the warehouse in time! They even pushed all the Americans out of the way because they knew what had to be done, but they seemed have forgotten that we have been doing this since childhood. They put lights on the tree and then decided to check to see if the lights worked and they didn't. Instead of taking them off they left them and found new ones which happen to be iciles light, that you hang outside, after putting half of them on they then checked to see if the lights worked and only half did. In the end it was amazing to watch these wonderful people work so hard to make the Consulate Christmas tree so special. The tree ended up great, but experience goes a long way and perhaps next year we will shy away from having anyone with 'Islamic Republic of ____' as the key Christmas tree decorator or at least give them a lesson on an easier way of doing things.

Mama Gnome has been in full baking mode, she has made at least 7 dozen cookies already for motorpool, security, neighbors, etc... and has now baked her first loaf of homemade French bread (which looks and smells awesome), and has another, less impressive loaf of bread that is currently baking...we most likely won't mention it again after this post.

We are trying to establish some Christmas traditions, but are noticing that some have to be slightly altered...instead of driving around to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve, we will take the golf cart around the compound visiting neighbors. Instead of Snow Angels, we have made Sand Angels. Instead of waking up to excited kids, hopefully, it will just be the first Prayer Call. The only thing we can't replicate is having our amazing and loving family with us. We miss everyone so much, but we hope that everyone has an amazing Christmas wherever they are.

Sand Storm or a Snow Storm, which do you perfer?

Since Thanksgiving, time has really moved fast and it is now almost Christmas. We have our tree up that Auntie Mini Me Gnome (she is our lifesaver) was nice enough to smuggle in for us and most of the Christmas gifts have arrived by APO. Our wonderful dog Pagoda made it here thanks to our amazing family that got her ready for the big move while we were here. So all in all it is shaping up to be a very interesting Christmas. We are however, lacking in Christmas decorations and the only thing we could find are Poinsettas, so they are all around the house looking cheerful and glee. Baby Gnome is rocking out to her favorite Christmas song "Jingle Bells," she makes us sing it all the time while she shakes her bells... or is it jingle?


Shopping here has been the hightlight of Mama Gnome's days because she still hasn't started her job yet. She has become an expert at operating the difficult TV at the gym and indepth knowledge of course of all the grocery stores in our area. Wereposa commented about LuLu's shopping center on our last post and let me tell you we love the chicken biriyani and can't wait to try out all the other food you mentioned. Also, now that I know that Mozambique doesn't have LuLu's it's off our list of next assignments. Seriously though LuLu's has everything you need and more, but with that being said it gets very crowded and crazy, so we go in the early morning when the Arabs are still sleeping. If we feel like shopping like an American we go to the ARAMCO commissary or the Tamimi market. Hyperpanda is a nice Wal-Mart like option, and the Carrefour is great for Cheeses... the General Manager said he can put in special requests for us, amazing!



The best thing about shopping here is the selections in the produce section because they have such a wide selection of vegetables either shipped in by boat (throughout Southwest Asia) or airfreight (expensive from Europe). If you want a sweet potato look long and hard because the one from India is different than the one from Egypt. We think they both taste fine but they are nothing like the ones from home, starting with the fact that they are white. So it has been a lot of fun exploring all these new options and most options have worked our pretty well. There is one problem, the butter here is not that good for baking or cooking so our next project is to find good baking butter for the Christmas cookies. Projects are so much fun especially when you get to eat it afterwards.



We have been watching AFN (American Forces Network), our only real contact with the outside world, and have seen all the ridiculous amounts of snow everyone is getting back home and was not jealous until the other day. We thought we were living the good life with the average temperature in the mid-70s and that everyone else back home was freezing their butts off, well that has changed. We received a rather large sand storm the other day and you couldn't see very far ahead and it was terrible to breath. Today is the third day and it is starting to finally clear and we can almost see the sun again. The temperature has dropped and so we may not be able to go swimming any more. We would love to have snow over this dirty nasty dust and sand for numerous reason you can probable guess. Maybe when everyone stops wearing little face masks to block the sand it will start feeling like Christmas or maybe it will still feel like Saudi.


For more good news our HHE arrived last week at the port but here is the bad news our Saudi paperwork isn't complete so we can't get our stuff. Guess you have to take the good with the bad, our stuff made at least and we will received when it's time. For those interested, it only took about a month and a half for our HHE to get here, we were told at first it could be four months but we were talking to the wrong people.


We hope everyone has a great Christmas and will keep all of you in our prayers.

Only a few weeks in Dhahran

Things have been so interesting since our last posting and we have been learning a lot about The Kingdom (Saudi Arabia). We live on the Consulate compound which is very beautiful with green parrots that fly around at sunset; however, it only take 4 minutes to walk from the front gate to the back, so it is tiny. Our house is very old, but big and nice with a cute green front yard. Our UAB arrived a week after we got here and the only reason it took so long was because it went from the US to Sri Lanka then to Saudi. It doesn't make sense but it made it undamaged, and that is the most important thing.

We don't want to paint a picture that this is paradise, because it has a lot of difficulties... but with a positive attitude we can make the best out of anything. It is really difficult for a woman to live here because of all the strict religious laws requiring women to act or look a certain way. Mama Gnome wears an abaya and tries not to look men in the face or to hold Papa Gnomes hands in public. However, it isn't mandatory to wear an abaya because many westener women wear a cardigin (they do get harassed by the locals) but a lot of Saudi women are covered head to toe and all you can see is their eyes. Some of the most restrictive things are that it is illegal for women to drive, no Christian items, no pork, and no alcohol! Also, you have to plan your entire day around prayer call because the shops close for it. Sounds pretty easy to plan the day... well it isn't because they have a prayer call every 2 to 3 hours and since Mama Gnome can't drive we have to coordinate with the motorpool for pick up. It really isn't hard, it just takes some planning thank goodness Mama Gnome is an awesome planner.

We have adjusted to the new life and it is kind of fun. We have already gone shopping at Ikea, found an awesome pecan pie at Tamimi's grocery store, awesome Indian food at LuLu's and the weather here is perfect. The consulate people are very welcoming and throw some great parties. Tonight we are off for a big Thanksgiving dinner the consulate is doing as a group, and Papa Gnome is excited for stuffing! ...more soon!

The First Leg of the Journey to The Kingdom

Well, we can't say the trip so far has been flawless because we have caused some self inflicted drama. Nothing like leaving a bag at Aunt Beach Bunny Gnome's house and not realizing it until we got to the airport. However, we had her super, soon to be, husband swoop into save the day but it still required us to run to the gate, Baby Gnome is heavy!

With our layover in DC we were able to hang out with our dearest friends for lunch. It was amazing to see them and say goodbye (which was sad) but we will see them in Paris in April. We miss them already.

Now traveling with a toddler was a very interesting and a crazy experience which we are now slightly intimidated about doing it again. Baby Gnome really didn't want to go to sleep and she made it known to the entire plane to Frankfurt. The lady in front of us was literally the last person n the plane to turn off her light, and finally we were able to get her to sleep for about 5 hrs of the 8 hr flight. The poor little girl just wanted her own bed and we can't blame her.

Speaking of Frankfurt we have already eaten Schnitzel which will be our last taste of pork for awhile and it was awesome. Additionally, we are staying at the Marriott and they upgraded us to a Jr Suite which included an Entertainment center which had the Motown hits CD collection. Baby Gnome is just dancing around the suite and shaking her little butt as much as she can to artist like Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Commodores. Our favorite so far is "Super Freak" by Rick James, wierd but funny. This hotel has been great and it is right down the road from the natural history muesum called the Senckenburg Muesum. It is a great museum for toddlers to run around and act crazy and a nice park along the way that Baby Gnome got a chance to play in the falling leaves...unlikely she will have that pleasure in the Kingdom :)

We are lying in bed, watching German MTV, drinking our 1/2 liter Franziskaner Weissbiers and eating various pork sandwiches, tomorrow will be an adventure and we are looking forward to it...but not before enjoying our last few hours here!

Hanging out in the Backyard of the White House!

We had an amazing weekend because MeMe and PopPop Gnome came for a visit but is also sad since we will not see them for a year. We took them to all the wonderful DC tourists sites and even got tickets to walk the White House garden. Only twice a year people are allowed on the grounds and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was so fantastic walking the grounds and enjoying the once in a life time opportunity. However, Baby Gnome was yelled at by a Park Ranger for going into the grass which didn't seem to stop her from trying to do it again. After our walk through the gardens we went to Georgetown Cupcakes which was awesome. To further prove the awesomeness of the cupcakes, MeMe ate 6 of them!

It is so sad that we are leaving soon, but don't get us wrong we are very excited about the move it is very sad to say goodbye. We are going to miss everyone especially our country.

times...they are a-changin

So much had happened in the past month since our last post which has kept us way too busy. Shopping Buddy Gnome and her husband, one of the three Amigos, has just left us for their first assignment. Before they left we had a week of festivities from going out to eat celebrating a pretend birthday, wine night, Red Mango, brunch, tea time, and brunch again…of course. It has been so much fun spending time with them, but it has also opened our eyes that we are all going to go our separate ways soon… and they were just the first to go. We only have a few weeks left here so it is time to get down to business and focus on organizing our stuff for the movers, tying up loose ends, and getting all the stuff we need for the next two years that we can’t get there.

There are two new awesome developments that we are super excited about. First, Mama Gnome has run her very first half Marathon! Painfully…but successfully, and best of all it has led to us to signing up to go to France for the Paris Marathon along with the three Amigos and Amigas (and who could forget the Fjord Four?)! Secondly, we have booked our cruise through the Mediterranean with our amazing family. We are really looking forward to being able to see Greece, Turkey, and Italy with the family. This upcoming year is going to be awesome and we can’t wait to get it started.

Adventures in Metro-land

Our friends Blueberry Brently (BB) Gnome and GiGi Gnome have left us so Baby Gnome is sad to see her BFF Cutie Gnome leave. They had so much fun playing and sightseeing that she didn't want it to end. Additionally, BB Gnome was her favorite because he would feed her blueberries, of course...i mean why would it be Mama Gnome or Papa Gnome who have only raised her from birth???

After BB, GiGi, and BFF Cutie Gnome left we had to focus on the laundry list of things to do in getting ready for Dhahran, we had some work to do... So, we went with the three Amigos and Shopping Gnome to get our diplomatic passport pictures at Main State and it was an adventure. We had an uneventful lunch, but when we went to get off the metro it was pouring... so we bought cheap discounted umbrellas so the rain couldn't stop us from our goal... after only 15 minutes of waiting in the metro station watching other poor souls being delivered into the pouring rain by the evil Foggy Bottom escalator. The picture process was so easy it only took Baby Gnome two tries to get her cute picture, she is awesome. The adventure really started when we attempted on heading home during rush hour (or is it hours since it last for 3 or more hours) on the metro it didn't go very very well. So as everyone piled onto a cramped Orange Line train to Virginia... Papa Gnome was left outside with the baby stroller and sippy cup! However, one of the Amigos sacrificed his own body to keep the doors of the metro open for his partner Papa Gnome but they were too much even for him and his strength wasn't enough. The good news is that Papa Gnome was able to catch the next metro, which was practically empty since everyone was crammed onto the first train, the bad news is he was concerned the whole time about being a strange looking, middle aged, white man with an empty baby stroller, hanging out on the metro the whole time!

Dhahran

Now, for a little bit of info on our new home. The Gnomes are in fact on our way to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia! Dhahran is in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, just south of Khobar/Dammam, and about a 45 minute drive across the causeway from the island nation of Bahrain. Most notably, Dhahran is the home of Saudi Aramco, the largest oil producing company in the world.

While life will generally consist of compound life, the Saudi Aramco compound is massive, including a golf course, schools, pools, horseback riding, private beach, housing over 12,000 expat employees and their families…plenty of friends and things to do for Baby and Momma Gnome. On the Consulate Compound, there are pools, parks, several families moving in along with us, and of course the Marines! For a closer aspect to American life, the Gnomes can just drive across the causeway, where Bahrain awaits with a very liberal lifestyle that closely resembles being back in the U.S.. One of the best parts is that we will receive 3 R&R flights during our time in Dhahran, and the opportunity for some really amazing weekend jaunts to local areas like Dubai, Cairo, Petra, and if we are really up for it, maybe even the Holy Land! Gotta run, more from the Gnomes coming soon!

Flag Day the Event

Ohhh Flag Day… If we weren’t nervous enough coordinators walk into the room with all the flags of the countries we could go to… and all you hear is a gasp of excitement from all around us. It finally became very real to all of us exactly what we had gotten ourselves into. The Foreign Service Officers (FSO) sat together in the front of the room while all the spouses gathered together with one another for moral support. God bless the wonderful women that BabyGnome and I sat with, they were great at passing a handkerchief around as we all got the news of our new homes. The ceremony consisted of the director for the CDOs showing a flag, announcing the city, and then a long pause (or it seemed) before announcing the FSO who was going there. We are told not to cheer or make any noise but it couldn’t be helped and everyone gasped or cheered regardless of the rule, it is human nature for goodness sake! As the ceremony went on some of the posts we wanted were taken but then we saw the Green Flag with the beautiful writing on it and realized that it would be our next home even before they said Papa Gnome’s name. He was smiling ear to ear and I was crying for excitement and fright, had we made the right decision to put that high? Will Baby Gnome like it? Will we be safe? Will I survive the heat? I could go on forever but all the tears were of pride for my husband who has accomplished so much for our family.

After all that we went and celebrated with all the other great FSO’s and their families. We spent most of the night with Papa’s Gnome buddies that I like to call “The Three Amigos.” My Shopping Buddy Gnome (sense her husband is one of them) has a name for them as well “Dumb, Dumber and Dumba**”… she is a little more witty than me.

So now we have a lot of planning to do in order to start our new andamazing adventure and I really can’t wait to get it started. We promise more soon on our new home, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Guess the flag...we're off for drinks!

Flag Day is Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the big day! We have made it this far and we really hope we will be able to sleep tonight….although, if last night was any indication it will probably be sleepless again! Auntie Beach Bunny Gnome has arrived to give us love, moral support, a possible shoulder to cry on and of course to be on Baby Gnome patrol at the Flag Day ceremony. It is so great to have family around, and when you have such a big change in one’s life it really means so much.

We have tried to stay very busy the last couple of days and it has really worked because time has really gone by fast. Papa Gnome has been kept very busy with homework and class work, so that has helped… Mama Gnome has been hanging out with her favorite Gnome Buddy shopping, sightseeing… Baby Gnome’s teething has not made things any easier on the home front though…

Tune in tomorrow for the BIG DAY!!! Here we come?????

Foreshadowing for Flag Day just landed on my face!

I received an omen yesterday morning that has shed some light on where we will be going for the next two years. This omen is not something I am proud of because it is pretty gross but Papa Gnome swears it doesn’t look that bad on me. Yesterday, I woke up with a huge pimple on my face so that must mean we are going to Japan! That is the only explanation available because why else would Mount Fuji be growing on my face unless it was a sign. However, does Fiji have volcano’s because that could be another explanation for my new toxic friend. If it keeps growing it will have to be named since it now shares my face with me.

Okay seriously, Flag Day is only 4 days away and this planet growing on my face is probable due to stress. Everyone was warned that as it got closer, crazy would come out and so here it is.

It is finally done, we have just turned in our Bid List after all the research, analyzing, and the daydreaming of what life would be like in each location. There are some really great places on the list and some extremely challenging locations but all have their advantages and disadvantages. This list is just a tool to assist the CDO’s in placing families in their new homes but of course they have to make sure they find the right fit for the job so that is why it is hard to get your first choice. We did the best we could with our list and now it is up to God where we go and no matter what we will make the best of it because things happen for a reason. Remind me I said that on Flag Day... especially if we get the Congo.

We have a large number of countries on our high and medium list so we have a better chance of not getting any of our top five but if you don’t try then how will you ever know.

Our Top Five:

1. Japan - Dream Gnome Locations!!!!

2. China - Baby Gnome could party on the Great Wall

3. Germany - Highly unlikely due to language needed

4. Singapore - This is such a fun place

5. Saudi Arabia - Good Chance of getting it

We celebrated the 4^th of July down by the Washington Monument and it was amazing. It was well worth fighting the crowds in order to have our last 4^th in the USA for what could be a long while.

The Bid List is coming! The Bid List is coming!

The Bid List that we have been dreaming of, waiting for, and stressing over will finally be given to us tomorrow! That's right we the Gnome family will finally have a list of countries given to us and on that list will be our new home. It is so exciting to finally see the list and prioritize the countries based on our needs and wants. We are a pretty positive family so no matter what they throw at us we will make the best out of it. Additionally, I don't think we are going to be able to sleep and I am going to go crazy waiting for Papa Gnome to get home, this is so unfair… the waiting should be illegal.

However, getting the list is just the first part and soon after we agonize over how to rate the embassies and consulates, we get to wait on the second part of this process, which is the painful waiting until July 16 for Flag Day. On Flag Day, Papa Gnome will be presented with the flag of the country we will be calling home for the next 2 years. So if I thought waiting 24hrs for the list is bad, I can only think how insane I will be waiting for Flag Day in 4 weeks!

We are calling on all of our friends and family with ESP or second sight, good horoscopes or even a Magic 8 Ball… will you help us guess where Baby Gnome will call home next?

Leaving Orlando

The time has finally come for us to leave our wonderful home, family, and friends here in Orlando. However, it is time to update the world on the craziness that has been our life for the last ten days. It all started on last Monday when the movers showed up 7 hours late and only had one guy to pack all of our stuff. If that wasn’t bad enough we had two different shipments and they were putting the wrong shipment stickers on the wrong boxes. Little did the movers know that Auntie Beach Bunny Gnome (Papa Gnomes’ Sister) was on the scene and caught all of their mistakes. Additionally, if anyone would like to borrow her for their move it can arrange it for a small fee. When that was complete (almost midnight) the hotel couldn’t find our reservation and when they finally gave us a room there was someone else living in it. Can you say awkward? They gave us a room credit so it really wasn’t that bad. Doesn’t sound so bad of an adventure but we aren’t done yet. Thought it would be nice to treat the family to a great dinner to thank them for helping us out because they truly saved us and we owe them more than a dinner. Nothing says thank you like food poisoning so three out of the five us were flat on our back for days! After that life got a lot easier and we were able to spend time with our awesome family who were are going to miss so much. Also, the awesome Mommy Group took Mama Gnome out for an amazing scavenger hunt throughout EPCOT and brunch. We truly made some crazy memories and will never forget all the people who laughed at us as we did the scavenger hunt embarrassing tasks. Special thanks to our friends Pedro (Glynda), Paco (Jennifer), and Jesus (Michelle) for making it all happen.

We are going to miss everyone and thank you all for being a part of our lives you have really meant a lot to us.

What's next: A100, Bid Lists, Flag Day and Swearing In

We are now officially unemployed and homeless, and couldn't be happier about it! We will be staying in downtown Arlington in a great, furnished apartment provided by a partnership with the State Department. Mama Gnome can easily walk to anything she needs, and other spouses have already started making contact about making the transition easier for Baby Gnome as well. As for Papa Gnome and the Foreign Service, there are a few knowns about the unknowns...

We have an invite to meet the class and our sponsors the night before everything kicks off, which will be nice to get a first glance at everyone, then right into the process the next morning. Junior Officer Orientation for the Foreign Service is commonly referred to as A100, it is the name of the room it used to be held in. A100 is six weeks long and serves as an introduction to the profession of diplomacy, the work of the foreign affairs community, the Department of State, the mission of the Foreign Service and the role of the Foreign Service Officer. There are a few key events that really define the entire experience:

- Bid List

- Flag Day

- Swearing In

The Bid List: The Bid List is a list of all of the open assignments available to new officers for the next year, it is listed by location, they are unfortunately confidential and not to be released to the general public (sorry Granny Gnome) and the expectation is that Mama, Papa, and Baby Gnome dig in to each available post to develop a high, medium, or low classification on where we want to be assigned. It is given to the officers in the first week of A100 along with many, many classes on how the analyze, assess, and rank the list, and typically turned in by the end of the second week after a meeting with the Assignments Officer and the entire Gnome Family. This is a very stressful process and despite the limited spots and high demand, the decisions the Assignments Officers make are generally very well received despite our understanding that we are available for worldwide assignment... essentially, they don't have to make us happy but do a great job of doing so anyways :).

Flag Day: Flag Day is the day we find out where we will be going, the question on everyone's mind... especially ours. The event is held in an auditorium where family and friends attend, there are a few guest speakers, but everyone's attention is solely on the tables on the stage with a bunch of tiny world flags lined up. Each one of these flags represent an assignment, and as they start through the process they pick up the flag, call out the location (for example, Guangzhou, China), they add in a moments hesitation for dramatic effect while we hover on the edge of our seats, and call the name. If it is your name you walk up on stage, shake hands, take your flag, get your picture taken, and get a packet as you leave the stage. While knowing your location is nice, since it will be where the Gnomes will be living for the next 2 years, the packet gives the details. What job will I be doing? What language will I be learning if any and how long will I be in DC learning it? What is our report date to our next location? All the questions will finally be answered... just writing this has me nervous and excited all over again!

Swearing In: The final event of A100, and although the swearing in is actually done on the very first day (so we can get paid, etc...), this is a very formal event held at the Main State Department and includes lots of high brass, and has included the Secretary of State herself when available. With orders in hand the true adventure kicks off after this!

Last Days in Orlando

OK. Our final days in Orlando are really coming fast, while our long term future with the foreign service is mostly question marks, contingency plans, and the famous foreign service answer, 'it depends', we do have some clarity on our last days however. We have about a week to get rid of the last of our stuff that didn't sell in the garage sale, family arriving from out of town, have a big party with friends and the Mommy Group for Baby Gnome's 1st Birthday (already!), followed by a smaller family party, then movers come and pack up all of our stuff leaving us in a shell of a home. Don't worry, us Gnomes have everything under control, we are moving into the Marriott! Way too much to do and no time to do everything.

Hello World

Hello all! Papa Gnome has left the world of retail management and we are in up to our waist in garage sale today, movers packing up our house next week, then traveling up to the nations capital, and figuring out what's next in our life! But first we have Baby Gnome's first birthday to celebrate and so much to do...so little time!