Hola from Madrid! We’ve been here just over one week and we’ve settled into our spacious, wonderful apartment. Our “HHE” – government-speak for all of our stuff – probably won’t arrive until sometime in February. Until then, I spend about 50% of my brain power thinking about how I want to decorate the apartment. In […]
Tag: cheese
Dinner Was Served
The Dinner Party of the Season (my season, anyways) was a success! I arrived over to the Glamorous Lady’s lovely, art-filled apartment carrying many, many bags of groceries. I’d been preparing all week, so I was equipped with Tupperware of balsamic reduction, caramelized onions, pistachio pesto, and homemade ricotta. As a general rule, I need […]
Four Nights in Nice
Day 1: We rolled in to the colorful, cool, Miami-esque town of Nice in the afternoon. Immediately I was struck by the colors. Aqua water, impossibly blue sky, cool old pastel buildings, and crisp white and pastel outfits. Which is just how I pictured the place, and why I packed specific “Nice” outfits in coral, […]
A Week in Provence
Day 1: Geneva (Which is obviously not in Provence, but bear with me): After several flights (Yemen>Bahrain>Frankfurt>Geneva), we arrived in Europe. Mr.YemenEm and I rented a car (stick shift, which I don’t know how to drive, so he’s the sole driver of the trip. Yay!) and spent the day in Geneva, which is stately yet […]
Chunk or Hunk?
There’s a saying in the State Department that people who come to difficult posts such as Yemen will end up one of five ways – as a skunk, monk, drunk, chunk, or hunk. Those first two refer to losing the will to clean oneself (and probably wallowing in depression as well) and to not getting […]
A Love Story from Yemen
This is the most touching thing you’ll read this Valentine’s Day. No, not this blog. This. Seriously, if you have 10 minutes, read this amazing story about the love between two mentally disabled people. Their story is so beautiful. And here is the most hilarious thing you’ll read this Valentine’s Day. Again, not this blog. […]
The Language Barrier
Some people seem naturally adept at learning new languages. Like Mr.YemenEm who speaks French, Spanish, Arabic and a little Chinese. He’s always had a passion for languages, began learning Spanish in middle school, wanted to be a Foreign Service Officer since high school, and majored in Romance languages in college. He even lived in Spain, […]
Medical Tourism in Istanbul
I’ve worn glasses since I was eight and contact lenses since I was 12. They don’t normally give contacts to 12-year-olds, but since that was the same year I got braces, I wasn’t about to be that girl with glasses and braces. Luckily my dad helped me convince my optometrist that I was an especially mature 12-year-old […]
I’ll Drink to That
There a certain magical hour at U.S. embassy in Sana’a that occurs exactly once a week. During this hour, the desks of the Americans are empty and hope and anticipation hover invisibly in the air. The Americans are gathered, like eager children on the first day of school, or like the feral cats perched on […]
Say ‘Cheese!’
You know how people sometimes ask “If you had to pick, would you rather be deaf or blind?” (Which is a dumb question, because obviously you’d pick deaf. No offense, blind people. Who probably aren’t reading this anyway). Well sometimes I ask “If you had to pick, would you rather never eat cheese again, or […]
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