When Life Gives You Lemons......

Make lemonade. Or lemon bread.  Or lemoncello.  Or lemon cake.  You get the idea.  And this is exactly what I did this weekend.  Its citrus season here in the Mediterranean.  Here in Albania you don't have to look far to see trees filled with the bright yellows and oranges of ripe citrus fruits.  On dreary gray days like the ones we have been experiencing as of late, the citrus are the few spots of color.

We are fortunate to have three citrus trees of our own growing in our small yard.  Our two mandarin and one lemon trees produce a fair amount of fruit.  Because everyone in the house loves them so, we end up supplementing our mandarins with ones from our local markets but our single lemon tree produces just enough of a crop to fulfill my lemon needs.  Last week I went out and picked all of the ripe fruit and had been slowing cooking my way through the pile.  A second round of preserved lemons are curing and a new batch of lemoncello is steeping in the pantry. I had a few more lemons to deal with and then we got gifted with a whole lot more!  While we have a few citrus trees, many of our Embassy families have yards that are overflowing with them.  One couple, who are departing the country soon, gifted us with a whole lot of lemons.  In fact, there are so many lemons that I've been scrambling to find good uses for all of them.

I've spent my Sunday toiling away with all things lemon.  In addition to the a fore mentioned lemon items I've made lemon bread, lemon-thyme bundt cakes, and I have a lemon spiked chicken picatta planned for tomorrow night's dinner.  I had planned to make a lemon curd, for a lemon curd ice cream, but my last four eggs are reserved for tonight's dinner of avgolemono, a Greek lemon and rice soup.  (I'm also out of flour, butter and sugar too!).  Alas, after all of this cooking, not only am I tired but I fear that tonight I'll be dreaming about I should do with my remaining two dozen lemons.  Lemonade anyone?

The Plight of the Worker Bees

Like millions of moms around the world, I'm a worker bee.  Like millions of people around the world who work outside of the home, I'm a worker bee. The job of us worker bees is to make sure the world around us functions as smoothly as it can. Inside of the home we make sure there are groceries in the house, dinner is on the table, there are clean clothes to be worn each day, house repairs are made, appointments are scheduled and kept, and family members get from Point A to Point B and back on time.  We may not be keeping clothes clean and pantries filled outside of the home but at work we are the ones who make sure schedules are kept, the right people are at meetings, speeches are written, bills are paid, and the final results look good.  It is exhausting work.  And contrary to the popular opinion of many, these things do not just magically happen.  Calendars must be juggled and synchronized while events must be planned down to the tiniest of details.  Not all events are big but more often than not the basic logistics remain the same.

Being a worker bee is exhausting but I am a worker bee because on most days I truly enjoy it.  For me there is something therapeutic about creating to-do lists then checking the items off as they are completed. Whether it be an Embassy wide event, a family vacation or a dinner party at my home, seeing my plans and hard work come to fruition brings me a sense of satisfaction. It isn't always easy, many circumstances are often out of my control and on quite a few days it feels as though I am trying to herd cats.  (Two legged, opinionated cats, but they react like cats none the less). But I do it because I like it. 

So remember, you might not see us bees but next time you step up to the podium and look out at a sea of adoring fans, take a moment to wonder who wrote your speech, staged your podium, and positioned your glass of perfectly chilled water.  Consider who issued the invitations to your party and oversaw the production and distribution of just the right amount of food.  When your paycheck automatically appears in your bank account think about how the money magically got there.   At home, consider who refilled your drawer with clean socks and how the food got to the table at the appointed dinner time.  The car pool that transported a teamful of kids to practice and back?  That car didn't drive itself.  The bathroom fairies don't replace the toilet paper roll nor do they make sure there is soap in the shower or toothpaste in the cabinet.   The freshly cut hair and clean clothes for school pictures that even Grandma approves of?  No, your seven year old did not take this upon himself to make it happen.  A worker beed did. 

 And now I'm buzzing off to make my next event look like "it just magically happened!"

Living In A PSA World

I used to hate watching commercials; they extended what should have been a twenty-two minute television show to a full half hour and inundated me with sales pitches for products I neither had an interest in nor needed.  Our move from Norfolk to Washington resulted in our upgrading our cable television plan and with it came DVR capabilities.  I've never watched a whole lot of television but being able to skip over the commercials was pure heaven (and ironically made my television viewing more efficient).  When we first moved overseas and I was introduced to the commercial free American Forces Network (AFN) I thought it would be pure bliss.  (Because AFN is operated by the Department of Defense, airing any traditional commercials could be construed as a product endorsement and are therefore not allowed).  But then I realized that we didn't really have commercial free television; rather traditional commercials had been replaced with public service announcements which proved to be more annoying than the worst discount furniture advertisement ever was.  Plus, no commercials means no Super Bowl commercials, which in my way of thinking, is the sole reason for watching the biggest football game of the year.

So what does a Department of Defense endorsed public service announcement look like?  They are all about propaganda.  While most of the topics are serious, more often than not, the message is often lost in the bad (intentional? unintentional? I don't know what is worse) acting.  It might be a young women portraying no military spouse I have ever seen and who looks better suited for a sports bar or nail salon spot, espousing the benefits of Exchange shopping or it might be a diverse group of soldiers, sailors, and airmen urging young people to enlist.  Serious messages about domestic violence and suicide prevention are necessary but dark enough to kill the mood of even the funniest comedy.  Sometimes we you can see multi-star Generals and Admirals talking about safety abroad, family values, or command morale.  What Right Looks Like, the latest educational campaign pokes fun at the right and wrong way to approach life.  Video snippets show us how not to talk to co-workers, interact with our host nation nationals, and other etiquette related behavior then demonstrate what proper behavior looks like. Although varied and humorous or serious or inadvertently both, after a while all of these messages begin to sound and look the same.  I never thought I'd find myself longing for an obnoxious salesman yelling at me through the television screen, but I do.

Every once in a while AFN messes up and we do get a glimpse of a real U.S. based commercial.  This usually happens during live programming and the glimpse of American commercialism is a treat for sore eyes. During one particular Sunday evening football game this past fall we saw an entire Subway commercial and half of a Honda one before the screen cut to one of our regular PSA spots. Imagine our brief excitement!  When operating smoothly, however, we can expect to view a slew of PSAs at twenty and fifty after the hour.  I'm realizing that I can discuss SOFAs, the top European travel locations for military (Edelweiss Resort), and the steps we must take to prepare for retirement, but I have no idea what new products Nabisco is selling, the latest American fashion trends, or what movies are opening soon in theaters near you/us.  In conversations with my U.S. based friends many cultural references are simply lost on me.  I am both geographically and mentally separated from American culture.  Some days I miss it while others I don't.  I do, however, know "what right looks like."

Riding the Rails in Budapest

We spent the past weekend in Budapest, Hungary. It was my second trip there but the first for Glenn and Sidney so we spent most of our time re(exploring) the City's great sights.  Thanks to Budapest's great public transportation system --in the form of a funicular, trams, trains, the underground subway, and a cog rail, we covered a lot of territory in a very short time.  We were whisked to the top of the Castle District on the Budavari Siklo, a three carriage funicular that was unlike any other I've ever ridden.  I had ridden the Budapest underground during my  previous visit.  Despite one schedule change that was only transmitted in Hungarian and resulted in my ending up in a part of the city I had not anticipated visiting, I loved their subway system.  It was immaculately clean and efficient (even the high speed escalators that whisks passengers deep into the bowels of the city moved quickly).  Most charming of all, the actual subway cars resembled something from decades ago yet were better maintained and more attractive than the new ones that grace most of America's public transportation systems.  I have to admit that on my most recent visit, I was saddened to not be able to ride any of these old fashioned cars.  Rather, it looked like we were riding in brand new subway cars that were just as efficient and well maintained.  Coming from a land with no safe public transportation, the last thing I should have been doing was complaining about it being too new!



The little engine that could

 At the suggestion of my friend Pam, and with step-by-step transfer directions provided by the concierge at our hotel, we spent Sunday riding the rails up into the Buda Hills.  With no particular end destination in mind, we took a total of four trains--the subway (via very new subway cars), a tram, a cog rail train, then finally an antique train pulled by a steam engine-- as we left the rain of the city behind us and exchanged it for rolling hills and falling snow.  This final train was the Gyermekvasut, or Children's Railroad. A relic from the Communist Era, this small railroad, under the supervision of adults, is operated by children ages 10 to 14 who do everything from selling the tickets, serving as on board conductors, and guiding the trains into the stations.  The only thing they don't actually do themselves is serve as the train engineers (and I bet that is the best job). 

The train arriving under the direction of  children

The Gyermekvasut got its start as a program of the Youth Pioneers in the 1940s and from the crisp salutes as the trains enter the stations to the sharp uniforms that are smaller versions of those worn by Hungarian State Railway employees, the railway's Communist roots are evident.  The Gyermekvasut was modeled after similar versions operating in the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia with high achieving students from Budapest schools being selected for these coveted positions.  What started with a few kilometers of track eventually and work camp like youth employment conditions has expanded to its present 11.2 kilometers of narrow gauge rails and children lining up to participate in what I think is the coolest hands on work experience a child could get.

We spent a couple of hours on the train chugging through the Budapest woods.  Because it was the weekend the train was filled with other families escaping, yet experiencing the wet snow.  As the train pulled into each station it was met by at least two saluting youth and upon departure our tickets were checked and announcements were made by the child workers on board.  The service was efficient and impressive.  This simple train ride was one of the coolest ways I have played tourist in a long time. 



The boys checking out a map at the train station



 

A False Sense of Security

Despite living in an ever increasing dangerous world, I feel that so many of us walk around with a false sense of security.  I know that most days I do and it takes a tragic turn of events for me to do a reality check.  I chalk it up to being an American living overseas in a country that for the most part, loves Americans.  While a predominantly Muslim country on paper, we are fortunate that Albania lacks the radical and extremist tendencies that dominate other demographically similar countries.  Albania has also has a long appreciation for the United States dating back to 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson lobbied for the protection of Albanian independence.  After a long period of self imposed isolationism, this appreciation was revived at the end of the last century due to U.S. involvement in the Balkan Wars of the 1990s and it continues today thanks to the support from the United States for Albania's 2009 entrance into N.A.T.O. and our ongoing recognition of Kosovo as an independent nation.  (The population of Kosovo is approximately 93% Albanian and a very nationalistic vibe permeates the entire region).  Throughout the country, and the region, it is common to see the American flag waving alongside Albania's red and black flag.  Because of this level of adoration, it really is easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.  But we must not let this happen.

We see daily reminders that the United States is not revered throughout the world and in many countries being American diplomats can be a very dangerous proposition.  Last Friday's explosion at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey and September's attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, drives this point home.  Although Sana'a, Cairo, and Damascus are in the forefront of our recent memories,  these attacks on American Embassies and American ideals are not something new.  We only have to look to the 1998 coordinated bombings of the Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the 1983 attack in Beirut that killed 63 Embassy employees or even Ben Affleck's 2012 bio-pic Argo which portrayed the 1979 hostage situation  in Tehran.  Clearly, there is a large segment of the world that does not like us.

So how do we keep ourselves safe or is it even possible to do so?  I feel that safety is a relative term with everyone having a different interpretation of what is and isn't safe.  However, I for one, refuse to live in fear of what might happen.  The best part of living overseas is getting out and exploring our surroundings.  To not get out and see the world would mean missing out on many of life's great adventures. And it would also mean letting the "bad guys" win. I for one, refuse to let that happen.  So where do I personally go from here?  Just as I can't assume everything and every place is safe, I can't assume it isn't.  I am reminded that I need to remain alert and aware of my surroundings at all times.  If I do so I can continue to get out and explore my world.

In the News

How do you get your news?  Print media or broadcast?  Online or in actual newspapers?  Television or radio?  A combination of the above or do you eschew the news in its entirety?  For me, its a combination of all of the media forms listed above.  When we were living stateside, I was a regular subscriber to whatever our local newspaper happened to be at the time and I had my preferred television networks from which I gleaned what was going on in the world.  In the car I would faithfully listen to NPR during my daily commute.  This media combination gave me a biased yet informed view of what was happening in my world. 

Since moving overseas, my news gathering habits have changed.  Printed newspapers are a thing of the past and even subscriptions to printed news magazines are a thing of the past since they arrive at post weeks or sometimes months after the news was breaking.  To get my newspaper fix I faithfully read the online version of the Washington Post each morning.  Of course, when I am reading it here in Albania, the clock is just striking midnight back in DC so the news I am reading isn't necessarily the news of the day.  But, in today's fast paced interconnected society, newspaper web pages post immediate updates to breaking news so their information is usually more current than what I would be watching on live television anyway.

We subscribe to local cable here in Tirana so I could watch Albanian news programs all day if I wanted to.  (Albanians are somewhat fixated with news so it seems as though every channel offers news or news commentary throughout the day).  I am able to test my language skills since the broadcasts are in Albanian although strangely translated English subtitles may scroll across the bottom of the screen for some programs.  While I am still able to watch the major American news networks--ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX and NBC the broadcasts are usually a day late.  Seriously.  The American Forces Network, or AFN, uses satellites to broadcast these mainstream channels around the world.  Some shows are actually broadcast live; NBC's Today Show which airs at 08.00 on the East Coast starts at 14.00 here in Europe.  It can be a bit disconcerting to have them discussing starting the day when we approaching quitting time, but I chalk it up to just being a part of the experience.  (So is the fact that AFN does not air any commercials since doing so could be viewed as the U.S. government endorsing certain products.  Rather we get inundated with public service messages reminding us about the need to obey local laws (Albania really doesn't have any), how to be a good neighbor and co-worker, and the most recent ethical campaign of "what right looks like").  Much to my delight I discovered that NPR is available via a hidden AFN channel and it is broadcast in real time so I can listen to Morning Edition as I prepare dinner.

Despite the limitations we have on our American television viewing, I have actually broadened my news horizons significantly since moving to Albania.  AFN broadcasts the news from all of the major networks so I can go from watching the day old evening news on FOX network then slide right into broadcasts by PBS and NBC.  It has been eye opening and fascinating to hear the same "breaking" news being reported by networks and reporters with divergent political views.  My favorite parts of these broadcasts are the commentaries.  In earlier times I would have immediately changed the channel had some of these commentators started talking.  Now, without any other option, I find myself listening and learning.  I don't always agree with what is being said but I find the viewpoints interesting none the less.  When these mainstream broadcasts are followed up by day old Daily Show and Colbert Report shows, I feel like I am getting a complete picture of what is going on in the world.

When it comes to topics that are especially controversial, whether it be a presidential campaign, Senate  hearings, or debates about gun control, it isn't always comfortable to hear adamant viewpoints that conflict with my own.  Sometimes I find myself getting angry or even surprising myself by agreeing whole heartedly but always I find myself really thinking about what is being said.  And isn't this what media is supposed to be about in the first place?  A society with open and free media should report on all opinions and sides of an issue.  We can't necessarily hear all of these sides in a single news network but when we look at all of the networks in their entirety, if we allow ourselves to, we can get a pretty complete picture of the world around us.  It may not be pretty but it is a reflection of us.

And now I have a challenge for all you.  I challenge you to sit through an entire broadcast of a news network you would normally avoid. If you are a FOX viewer, sit down and watch PBS.  If you are a PBS patron spend a half hour watching FOX.  Think about what is being said and realize that there are two (or more) sides to every story.  You probably won't agree with what you are hearing but think about it and maybe your prospective on life will broaden.  

All Hot And Bothered

Today is a new day in a new month.  February is always a short but somehow painful twenty eight days (made even worse every fourth year when the month is extended by a day).  It doesn't matter where we are living; the days are always scarce on daylight but long on gloom.  Here in Albania, February will mean more rain filled days, damp conditions on the "dry" ones, and endless expanses of gray.  I've found that the key to surviving this month is staying busy. On that front we already have two out of country trips planned with lots of local activities sandwiched in between.  And on a daily basis, I'm once again committing to NaBloPoMo, BlogHer's daily blogging challenge.  I don't always succeed in posting daily but looking at the NaBloPoMo icon gives me the motivation to at least try.

The NaBloPoMo theme for February 2013 is Love and Sex.  The teasers leading up to this month talked about being all hot and bothered.  Perhaps it is my age or my stage in life but rather than hearts and butterflies in my stomach, my first thought turned to hot flashes.   Yes hot flashes.  You know, those hot and sweaty suffocating from the inside out sensations that affect women of a certain age.  They aren't pleasant but unfortunately they are a part of life and are unfortunately becoming more and more a part of my own life.  It looks and feels as though there are some fun times ahead!

But for most people and the true romantics out there, February is the month of love.  You see it everywhere you turn.  Store shelves and windows are filled with red and pink hearts, racks are overflowing with greeting cards, super sized boxes of stale chocolates fill store aisles, and teddy bears boasting phrases that are just too cute taunt those who try to avoid them.**  For a young and budding romance February 14th may be about flowers, chocolates, and dinner.  A more established romance might involve jewelry. Or as is the case in the Brown household, it revolves around a pot of cheese fondue shared amongst three people (and I wouldn't have it any other way).  As with everything, life is what you make of it and having this warm and fuzzy day in the middle of the month is something to look forward to in an otherwise gray month.  It is also closely followed by President's Day Weekend in the United States (and in US Embassies overseas) which while recognizing our founding father provides us worker bees with a long three day weekend.

So however you choose to look at this month, make the best of it and know that spring is right around the corner.  May the month pass quickly and be filled with love and warmth.......even if that warmth comes from hot flashes.

**Here's a fun Valentine's Day fact:  the first American Valentine's Day card was made fellow Mount Holyoke College alumnae Esther Howland (Class of 1847) in Worcester, Massachusetts in the 1850s.  I bet Howland could never have imagined the consumer driven commercialism craze she was starting.