Pack-out and Aloha

We had our first official State Department pack-out on August 10th.  To prepare, we went through our storage unit, our sublet, and my parents' garage and segregated and demarcated all items as UAB (unaccompanied air baggage, which will arrive at our DC apartment just weeks after our arrival) or HHE (household effects, which will go into storage in Maryland to be seen again only when we leave for post).  It was a hectic few days.  By the time the movers arrived at 7 am, we had everything in neat piles. 

Five movers arrived and brought along two huge trucks.  The guys began by opening all our pre-packed boxes and repacking everything.  That was a relief, as we'd done everything pretty haphazardly the first time around.  ;)   The HHE crew then followed us to our storage unit in a nearby city and did the same thing there. We were done by 2 pm -- the easiest move Eva or I have ever done!  Then again, we've never moved with the assistance of five people and two enormous moving vans before.  These professionals moved like the wind and were very good-humored and nice folks.  We just PRAYED we would not exceed our authorized UAB limit of 450 lbs -- which, of course, we did.  We will just have to take the Wii, Rock Band 2 drums, Eva's KitchenAid, and all our clothes n the car with us.

After the movers left, we spent the next two days moving out of our San Francisco sublet and into my parents home.  All we had there were our remaining kitchen items and clothes, but it somehow took forever.  We both feel like we've spent the last few months of our lives moving.  I guess I have to get used to this process as an FSO.

let freedom ring

Fantastic news of the day: PROP 8 WAS OVERTURNED! While this matter will surely be appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (and then likely to the SCOTUS), Judge Walker's 136-page decision thoroughly and effectively memorializes the weaknesses of the arguments set forth by the Prop. 8 proponents. The constitutional right to marry, Judge Walker said, "protects an individual's choice of marital partner regardless of gender." He also said domestic partnerships in California are a "substitute and inferior institution" that lack the social meaning and cultural status of marriage. Additional choice quotes from the holding:

That the majority of California voters supported Proposition 8 is irrelevant, as ‘fundamental rights may not be submitted to [a] vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.


Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.


The sexual orientation of an individual does not determine whether that individual can be a good parent.


Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.

Haters, see you in the Ninth Circuit.  Justice prevailed today!

As my lovely wife Eva said, "THE CASTRO IS GOING TO BE OFF THE MID-CENTURY MODERN BENCHES TONIGHT!"  (she's so cute.) She was right. This is what took place outside of our window in San Francisco's Castro District:

(Photo Credit:

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The SF Chronicle)

Our condo is officially on the market

...and it has its own website!

Our first open house was last Sunday and our agent said about 40 people came by. We are going to lose quite a bit of money, as we purchased our home at the height of the market in 2006. Our neighborhood is also quickly gentrifying and property values are sure to recover as soon as the economy improves. Nonetheless, we're pushing forward and tying up all our loose ends (including selling our home!) to prepare for the Foreign Service. Hopefully this is not a huge gamble and my security clearance comes soon.

Some pics of our beautiful Inner Mission condo, which we'll miss dearly:

 

foreshadowing

During all the craziness of trying to get our place painted, staged, boxed up, packed away, and cleaned, I have been the fore(wo)man. This means that sometimes I have to try and communicate with folks that don't speak any English, and sometimes, like yesterday, they speak only broken Mandarin since Cantonese is their first language.

Yesterday I was woken up at 730 by our painter who wanted the lo-down on what was all left to paint at the house. I walked him through the house in my shorts and tank top and told him in my very limited Mandarin what needed to be painted and with what color. He talked a lot. He said words that I've never heard before. They he made gestures that looked like driving a car and asked me to follow him into the hallway to the elevator. I didn't have any shoes on but thought that maybe he just wanted to make sure that I had a car so that I could get the rest of the paint we needed. Instead, he led me out to the street in my bare feet to his car and gestured for me to get in. Huh? I pointed to my feet and said in Mandarin, "I am not wearing any shoes!" Later, I realized what I actually said in Mandarin was, "I don't have any SHRIMP!" He became very confused. Then he pointed at the meter and said more things that I didn't understand. What?? Oh! You need coins! No problem - I'll get them for you. I ran inside to get some more clothes and shoes on and grab the coins.

He again gestured for me to get into the car, only this time he wanted me to drive! I brought a mini bottle of paint and asked if he wanted me to take him to get more paint. Yes. Ahhhh ok, now I am getting somewhere! I begin driving us to the paint store (good thing I can drive a stick shift) and after a few blocks he begins to yell confused things at me. I say that I'm turning up here in a block. This calms him for a second until I speed up on the next road. I told him I have 10 more blocks to go and then he gets really upset and makes me pull over and hands me his phone. I call the only person I can think of: my father in law. Turns out he just wanted me to park his car in a place that isn't metered. I drove us to the garage and we giggled all the way back to the house. Thank goodness for the Chinese sense of humor.

waiting. anxious. waiting.

I've been working with the dude that is going to buy my business and it's all going really, surprisingly well. He's beginning the process with the Master Tenant (just as presumptuous and arrogant as it sounds) and submitting a business plan, initiating the credit check and so forth. He's been coming in to meet patients once a week, which is going great, but this "new business partner" and the glaring absence of Moony in the office is making people a little suspicious. It's all going to have to come out soon..

I really don't feel that overtly stressed about the situation, considering, but I have these acute gripping moments of anxiety that I have only before felt in the months leading up to our wedding last year. I must be internalizing all the affects of the process. A couple weeks ago I was going to bed (that seems to be the favorite time for these episodes to pop up) and had this realization that we were selling the house and felt simultaneously dreadful and sentimental. This has been a welcome reality for quite literally a year which is why it caught me so off guard. Strange. Then last night another occurrence of disquiet gripped me regarding selling my business. It was like I realized that it wouldn't be mine anymore. This seems to be a common (new) theme in my life right now.

It's weird because I am really excited about the next step and trying to just enjoy every day. I know that I will miss this time and create all kinds of nostalgia about it someday. Why can't that be an easy feat?

Maybe this will help: 

musings

As I posted about previously, we made the decision to give our dog Moony away before joining the Foreign Service. Last night I had a dream that I was yelling at Moony's new mom. She was trying to force me to pay his newly accrued vet bills and I was getting upset explaining how that is definitely now something that falls under her jurisdiction now blah blah blah. What could this all mean? Hmmmmm maybe I want my dog back? ya think?

Also yesterday I sent many packages to many people and somehow managed to make it the most stressful thing I've done in weeks. How is that even possible? The very patient and understanding woman behind the counter actually asked me if this was the first time I ever mailed anything (did I mention that people seem to think I'm a lot younger with bangs?). I didn't have the heart courage to tell her that yes, in fact I had, and I definitely wasn't advertising that my very own father is a retired USPS carrier.

Taking Moony to Muir Beach:

plans to ward off extreme culture shock

What Is Culture Shock?

"Culture Shock characterizes an emotional disorientation, caused by continuously unexpected reactions from the new culture. Culture shock can manifest in: anxiety; sadness; depression; migraines; burn out; reduced energy levels; new and/or increased tensions and sometimes aggression in the family; isolation and more." (taken from http://expatwomen.com/general/culture_shock_ines_hofmann.php I don't think they'll mind)

I plan to wholeheartedly go through each of the common stages: Stage One: Honeymoon Period; Stage Two: Crisis Period; Stage Three: Adaptation Period; Stage Four: Stabilization Period. I'm sure there will be tears, tantrums, periods of elation, sadistic declarations, and eventually contentment.

In hopes of not driving my loved ones too insane, I've started a list of things I would like to learn and do should this roller coaster start careening out of control.

* obtain a BS
* hopefully get a Physicians Assistance certificate
* ESL certification
* cooking/baking
* pottery
* martial arts/self defense (I'm starting Muay Thai Kickboxing this week)
* join sports teams
* guitar/piano/other instruments
* canning/fermenting foods
* learn local cooking techniques
* brew beer/make wine
* photography
* study history and geography - esp locally
* get better at public speaking
* be more spontaneous and simultaneously more organized
* travel, travel, travel
* meditate
* write things I'm grateful for every evening (I will try to begin this tonight)

slowly, so slowly

While we're certain that we will be moving abroad, we just don't know when. I'm sure every potential FSO and their families know this purgatory well. Maybe you forget about it later once you are in Hong Kong or Tajikistan or wherever; maybe you wish to go back to that once undesirable waiting game. In any event, I have decided to be as proactive as possible so that once we get the call, I will be ready in seconds flat. Moony has been relocated, I have a buyer for my business, and I'm already beginning to pack up our condo to get ready for the sell. I also promise to do my taxes early this year.

In more fun news, we are making a list of all the things we want to do/see before we move away from this lovely, lovely City and it's even more enchanting surroundings. Some that made the cut include: Tahoe, The Grand Canyon, Vancouver BC, and San Luis Obispo. OK so maybe a few of these aren't really proximal but they'll probably feel that way once we are in South Africa. I will keep you apprised of those upcoming adventures.

I am officially a narcissist.

YAY! My very own blog to complain, explain, share, and bore. you. to. tears. with all the minutia of my life! You must be as excited as I am to have stumbled sorely upon this future work of literary genius. HOORAY for us both!

Within the boundless nature that is this blog to become, you will be carried through the moments that are, and will transmute into, my life. We will walk, holding hands, sharing stories of packing up and selling my acupuncture practice (Honeybee Acupuncture), selling our condo in the beautiful Mission District of San Francisco, and moving to Washington DC to become a 'trailing spouse' (ew) to my wife, a soon to be US Diplomat.