criplomats

John and I flew home to Hot Springs this week! It’s been really cold here — we can’t remember when we were last home during winter. Yesterday we bought tickets on a whim to see the Piccolo Zoppe Winter Circus and we had so much fun! We laughed and laughed, ooh’ed and ah’ed, and clapped till our hands were red! A small family circus, they are based in Greenbrier, Arkansas – who knew? More photos below!

During the week, I’ve gone to yoga a couple of times…had x-rays of my leg taken, along with a consult with an orthopedic surgeon (all good!)…made a pot of chili with cornbread…baked banana nut bread to take to a new family down the street (coincidentally one of the guys who did our consumables pack-out in October)…went out shopping and to dinner with Alison and Peewee…refilled water jugs downtown…dropped off charity items at the Garland County Humane Society Thrift Store…had lunch with John at the Goat (great hamburger) and at La Hacienda where I had yummy chicken soup:

I usually have some things to donate to the Humane Society Thrift Store when I’m home. After a yoga class this week, I noticed a woman in my class carrying a distinctive canvas bag that looked familiar. Yep! It was one that I donated and she bought it at the thrift store! I was happy to see it had a good home!

John went to a couple of events in Guyana before we left town. Here are a couple of photos from a military event:

Here are some more photos of the circus!

We had a low key but fun Thanksgiving lunch with two friends from the embassy, Mellisa and Joe – the turkey was delicious at Oasis Cafe and we enjoy their good service.

The big news is that our household effects (HHE) were delivered/unpacked Monday and Tuesday – my cup runneth over, haha! It’s been fun but a lot of work to get everything put away, decorated, etc. We have most things done but still some odds and ends here and there, and of course, the art will need to be hung. But the house is coming together nicely and it’s starting to feel like our home.

John took Monday off to help with the delivery, but he was back at it on Tuesday. He had two evening events this week on his own, then I went with him to a fun art show at the EU ambassador’s residence Friday night in support of combatting gender-based violence. Yesterday, we went to the French ambassador’s residence for lunch with him and his wife – they are both lovely and they have a good sense of humor. We really enjoyed our visit with them.

Here are a couple of photos from last week’s AmCham event, plus our photo at the Marine Ball.

I went to three events with John this week (he’s still the Chargé d’affaires). Monday night was the celebration/dinner for the University of Guyana graduation. It was in a big pavilion on campus, and many of the graduates were in attendance in their finery. It was fun to see them!

Friday John hosted AmCham Guyana at the Ambassador’s residence. Each year the Chamber brings in senior citizens from assisted living facilities to treat them to turkey lunch. It was fun to see them and they seemed to have a good time. In addition to the seniors, we met many AmCham members, as well. John gave a welcome speech to kick things off, in addition to carving the turkey.

Last night we attended the Suriname Independence Day celebration. The Suriname ambassador to Guyana spoke, along with the Guyana prime minister. They had some indigenous dancing, singing, and drumming and showcased Surinamese products.

Other big news is that the Toyota 4Runner arrived this week! I went to the embassy with John on Friday, and after going to the revenue office to get our drivers’ licenses, I drove the truck home. It’s a bit unnerving because they drive on the other side of the road than us, so my brain is going to have to get rewired for that, plus our car is left-hand drive. Wish me luck!

I finished reading Fay Weldon’s “The Life and Loves of a She-Devil” (very strange!). We finished the original Inspector Lynley series and started on Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren. I enjoyed chatting with Joan and also with Lea this week. Lea was in Guadalajara and it was fun to hear about our old stomping grounds and folks at the consulate there.

I was very sad to hear than Ann Antkiw passed away this morning. She was in the Little Theatre Group and worked for the Tico Times in Costa Rica, and was one of the wonderful ladies who welcomed me when I arrived there in 1996. She was a force of nature. Rest in peace, Ann.

I went to the Mahaica River this morning for some fun birding – it was quite the adventure! Mellisa picked me up at 4:15 AM, then we rode with Celia and her husband Tesfaye for a rather harrowing ride in the dark to the river, about 1.5 hours from town. We spent a couple of hours on a boat with Mahaica River Tours and saw some cool birds (the Hoatzin, the national bird was the highlight) and some red howler monkeys! After a good home-cooked breakfast of fresh roti bread, fresh-caught mackerel, and a smoked eggplant dish called choka, we headed back into town – what a fun morning! It was beautiful!

Tuesday was Veterans’ Day, so Mellisa and I went for an early morning walk with some birding at the national park. It was lovely! We saw a lot of herons and egrets. The park has a nice paved pathway. We treated ourselves to a Starbucks coffee afterwards. We also went out for breakfast on Saturday at The Bistro, which was nice.

I finished reading “Vladimir” and started “The Life and Loves of a She-Devil” by Fay Weldon. John and I finished “The Asset” and enjoyed “All Her Fault.”

John is the Chargé this week and he attended a few events – here are a couple of photos! In the first one, he’s sitting across the aisle from the President (not shown in this photo).

We celebrated John’s birthday this week – happy birthday! It was pretty low-key although we did treat ourselves to pizza. We also celebrated the 250th birthday of the Marines at a fancy do at the Marriott Friday night. It was fun to get dressed up and out of the house a bit!

Otherwise the week was routine. I got back into my walking every morning, followed by yoga on You Tube, and I worked on some stressful insurance/Medicare paperwork (hopefully moving toward resolution!). I read Oliver Sacks’ “The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat,” which was fascinating and finished

John and I binged on the latest season of “The Diplomat,” plus we got up to date on “Slow Horses” and “Down Cemetery Road.” Last night we binged on an excellent Nordic crime show, “The Asset” – lots of good tv right now.

Rainy season is starting to return to Guyana and the rains are breathtaking when they come. It rained so hard a few nights ago that water came in under the kitchen door. It will rain like crazy for 10 minutes, then stop abruptly and turn to sunshine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard such heavy rain!

We continue to enjoy the birdwatching around the house!