2006 year in review

Merry Christmas!
In this, our ninth annual holiday letter, we report on our journeys abroad and hope to reconnect with family and friends. Though the steady stream of visitors to Nassau makes this reconnection letter a little less critical that in the past - who knew that we’d see more of family and friends by moving to another country?
We have settled into daily life in The Bahamas well, with school, work, and errands being very much like life anywhere, the rest of this letter notwithstanding. We have adapted to the $13 ice cream, $6 milk, driving on the left, bad music and embarrassing American tourists. We’ve traveled to several of the “family” islands – smaller outlying islands serving as the traditional home for many Bahamians, visiting Elbow Cay (www.beautifulbahamas.com), Harbour Island, swam with dolphins, snorkled some of the best reefs anywhere, stayed at Atlantis resort, and generally enjoyed The Bahamas. We visited St. Thomas, Antigua, St. Lucia and Barbados on a Disney cruise that was a highlight and, according to Conor, the “best thing ever in my entire life.”
My work in Nassau as a Political Officer has been amazing. I get these surreal “foreign service moments” where I have a sort of out-of-body feeling and marvel that I’m doing what I’m doing. I got quite a few FSMs this year – flying on a Blackhawk helicopter at 500 feet looking down over the beautiful Exuma islands. Walking around drug dealer Carlos Lehder’s compound on Norman’s Cay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Lehder) Just last night, having dinner with the Bahamian Foreign Minister talking about cars and movies. Meeting Secretary of State Rice (who lives like a rock star, from a list of hotel room needs to traveling posse to personal jet), Sean Connery (who is wrinklier and crankier than he was in Thunderball), a hoard of Senators, and Jeb “the smart one” Bush (who called me “Greggo” and teased me about my youthful appearance.)
Kate loves our home and a lifestyle that gives her the chance to spend time with Conor and focus on family. Unfortunately, Kate’s life of leisure has drawn her into the dark and addictive world of crafting. But I suppose that one must hit rock bottom before one can turn things around. The success of Kate’s hand made jewelry at local jewelry and craft shows has only encouraged her, so I use this letter to appeal to friends and family to assist in an intervention. Seriously, and I hesitate to sound a boorish 1950s husband, it has been wonderful to have Kate working – a job at which she is GREAT – to keep the family running smoothly and happily. This is made a bit more important living in a country where you have to pay bills in person, where it sometimes takes an hour to travel 5 miles, and where you have to go to 3 stores to find a simple loaf of bread.
One of our main reasons for moving abroad was Conor. He loves the extra attention of his parents, the beach and the incredible sense of community we enjoy. It really is an incredible experience for him – one that will have its challenges as we move every few years – but one that is helping make him an even more amazing, loving and intelligent little boy. (Plus British school uniforms are the cutest thing ever.) He’s playing soccer now (though connoisseurs of the sport would disagree that clumpy, flower picking mob is playing soccer), swimming, starting to read and thriving in math. His teacher (a very sweet Nigerian woman) calls him a math prodigy and his principal (a less sweet British disciplinarian) has dubbed him a favorite. His sense of empathy, his caring for other people, is remarkable for his age and a defining character trait that living in another culture, befriending people from around the world, has helped to highlight (www.worldweave.com/procon.htm.)
Shadow is doing well and, as a result of Kate’s time at home, is now firmly Kate’s dog. I’m horrified, of course – MAN’S loyal friend my eye. That said, he remains the world’s most affectionate and good natured, though not the brightest, dog. Dodger passed away in September after losing a battle with heart disease. We will always remember Dodger’s uncanny (uncanine?) intelligence and loyalty. One day a few years ago, he jumped in front of an attacking German Shepard to protect Kate and baby Conor. (Shadow, showing a rare attack of good sense, high tailed it in the other direction.)
We have learned that our next posting will be Shanghai, China, where I will serve as vice-consul. Kate and I are thrilled, me immediately and Kate after a couple of days of “OH MY GOD I’M GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN MANDARIN” panic. It is an amazing city, with much to offer culturally (www.shanghaiist.com), great homes for officers (www.hongqiao-villa.com) and a world class school for Conor (www.saschina.org.) We’ll be back in Washington from July 07 to July 08 for full-time training before heading out. I’m really looking forward to it – Target, Taco Bell, Mexican restaurants, unexpired goods on grocery shelves. The chance to reengage with the US will be great, as will the 9am-2pm job I’ll have going to school with Kate for the year.
As I look back on the year, I think about relationships. My former boss taught me that all business is personal, but that is equally true of diplomacy and politics. It is it much harder to dislike people, even those with whom you disagree, when you get to know them (except for Sean Connery. His first words to me were his feeling that I was uglier than the blond woman who held my job before me. Harrumph. Well, Sean, you are no Daniel Craig.) I’ve learned that people are people, and that important decisions – world changing decisions – are about relationships. Policy is made at parties. Decisions are about that comment made over dinner. About moods and friends and feelings. There is surprisingly, shockingly little difference between a foreign minister and a tax driver, between a Governor and gardener. Across cultures and classes, people are people.
We leave 2006 hoping to continue to make new friends while reconnecting with old ones as we move across the globe. Until then, we hope that our letter brings us a bit closer, and helps us to overcome the distance that our new life may create between friends and family.
With all our love, Greg, Kate, Conor and Shadow