Employees headed to hooches...

Items you might want to include in your consumables shipment...

Soup mixes/cans

Any speciality food items you like, Thai Mexican, Indian...

Tea, coffee, coffee filter

Crackers and snack food

Laundry soap, dryer sheets, bleach, spot remover

Towels and washclothes
Bedding (beds are twin size), pillows
Small pastic container with drawers
Clorox wipes
Bath soap
Swiffer wet/dry ones (for the kitchen floors)
Small pastic bags (for the wastebaskets)
Dust cloths (it is very dusty and dirty)
Good quality air purifier and humidifier
Shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, hair color
Cosmetics you like...very little available, even the basics like mascara
Toothpaste, mouthwash
Contacts and lens cleaners, Visine
Calendars, family photos
Candles
Holiday decorations, birthday candles
Greeting cards
Any hobby items that you want to work on (in moments you have some free time)
Toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels, napkins

220 Volt Coffee Pot, Tea Kettle

Bed risers to maximize storage under the bed (you can buy these at Bed, Bath and Beyond)

Dishes (if you don't want to eat off paper plates), flatware, glasses, mugs, plastic storage bowls with lids

Adaptors, batteries

Small stereo system

Hooches are provided with TV/DVD, microwave, small refrigerators, telephone and shower curtain

The Wandering Drays...United.

Fellow Foreign Service blogger, Heather, eloquently describes all her anticipation and excitement as her husband returns from a year long tour in Iraq...

"Finally. Just One Week.

I'm feeling melancholy tonight, thinking back over my husband's unaccompanied Baghdad assignment.  It's been nearly 1 1/2 years since Jason started the seemingly never-ending journey to Iraq.  Six months in D.C. for training; nearly a year in Baghdad.  And now, we have just a week. 
One teensy weensy week.  But the longest week.  Ever.  To get through.

In just one week...Jason will be home.  And I won't have to look forward to NOT looking forward to him heading back to Iraq.

Come to think about it, in just one week...

I alone won't have to bandage up boo-boos and wipe away tears when the kids fall and get hurt.  And I alone won't fail at mending broken hearts when friends hurt the kids' feelings.

There will be a real cook in the house.  One who makes meals.  That actually taste good.

Someone else will be here to carry the never-ending mountains of laundry down two flights of stairs to the basement.

I won't have to eat lunch alone in a restaurant reading a newspaper.

I won't have to walk through the house with the cell phone hoping for great reception in a room that won't dump our call into the black hole abyss of dropped calls.  Or hold my free hand over one ear while squishing the cell phone up to my other ear as tightly as possible so I can hear him better.  Because even a call that I can barely hear him is better than no call at all.

I'll be able to get mad at someone else, other than the kids, for using up all the hot water just before my shower.  Or for using my towel.  Or for forgetting to put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom on the dispenser.



We'll watch the kids as they catch fireflies with the sun drifting off into the horizon.  We'll both hear the baby as he tries to say new words and watch as he climbs into things he has no business climbing into.

We'll stay up late and talk about our dreams and plans.  And listen to the kids giggling upstairs as they pretend to fall asleep.

I won't go to sleep every night feeling all alone in a house full of sleeping children.



We'll be a family again.  All together, as we should be.  What a journey we've made to get back to exactly where we belong."

Thank you, Heather, for letting us share this on our blog.  

To follow Heather's blog and read more about her experiences during the UT, click here.  

Stay connected...

Are you a fan of Facebook? Did you know the following U.S. Embassies have Facebook pages? They all include lots of photos and updates about current events and news. It is a great way to feel more connected and also a fun way to share information with the kids.


U.S. Embassy Pakistan http://www.facebook.com/pakistan.usembassy

U.S. Embassy Baghdad http://www.facebook.com/embassybaghdad

U.S. Embassy Kabul http://www.facebook.com/kabulusembassy

Take a look at the essay Diplomacy in Tough Places.  The essay is written by a Foreign Service Officer currently serving in Iraq, who is also the author of an insightful blog about life in Baghdad, Wing Tips on The Ground.

Check out these EFM opportunities in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan...

Is your direct hire spouse/domestic partner thinking of bidding on an assignment in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq?

Did you know that there are EFM employment opportunities at these posts for you to accompany them?

NEA-SCA/EX coordinates the rewarding and valuable EFM opportunities to these unaccompanied posts and they would love to hear from you.

Additional Information and to apply:

AfghanistanEFMS@state.gov

BaghdadEFMAps@state.gov

PakistanEFMS@state.gov

~Tips from the Field~

Know before you go… Install Skype prior to leaving and be sure that it is functioning.

Cleanliness is next to godlessness…. Don’t like to clean up?  Send paper plates and cups because work hours are long.

You can have too much of a good thing…. Don’t ship too much!  Space is limited.

Packed and ready to go…. The PX has limited amount of toiletries, and the APO takes two weeks, so be sure to pack whatever beauty supplies you need.

Eyes Wide Open…. Someone from Lahore reported, “Homes are spacious, with high ceilings and windows- recommendation bring blackout curtains or a sleeping blinder/eye shade to block out the light.  Also, many homes have marble floors- suggestion bring a pair of slippers to keep your feet warm.”

All dressed up…. Bring light weight clothes and sturdy shoes.  The weather and laundry are hard on clothes. 

These boots are made for walking…. If you are not going to be working in the embassy, purchase a pair of hiking boots and chinos to wear every day.


Do you have any tips from the field to share?  Please do!

Diplomacy at Home for the Holidays

Thank you to everyone who attended the December 14th event!  We were so happy to have the opportunity to meet everyone in person and we so appreciate your support.  Here are a few photos from the event.  :) Enjoy!

Happy Holidays from UT!