Travel fun

I am getting really close to time to leave for Washington DC. In preparation, besides the usual things like sorting and doing inventory of all my effects, making endless phone calls, trying to get my car fixed, and trying to make sure that I'm not missing anything, I've also been doing some traveling.
(Left - Me, Erin, and Heather) Last weekend I drove with Erin to visit Heather in Sidney, MT. It was a lot of fun because we were able to surprise her (which is hard to do . . .) and had a great time hanging out for what is the last time for who knows how long. After all, my being overseas will make it a lot harder to do something like that.
We went to the county fair there. It was a lot of fun. We even got some old time photos. I bought a new purse, one of those Miche purses where you can change the look. I'm pretty happy with my purchase. I got three shells with it. I'd be even happier if it didn't cost so much to get more. But, life goes on.
It was great to spend time with Heather and Erin.
Then this past weekend I went to Seattle to visit my friend Vitaly. It was a lot of fun. I'd never been there before. We went shopping and I learned about some stores that do not exist in Bismarck (perhaps that will prepare me for shopping in DC?) We also spent time in downtown Seattle. There is a great Russian piroshky shop, Pike's market, a wall completely covered in gum (ok, that was a little gross, but definitely interesting), and of course the famous space needle. We went up to the top. Although we didn't eat in the restaurant, we did step into it to see how it spun. It was interesting. Also, on the way up, we got a free digital photo (see right: Eugene, Lani, me, and Vitaly). Lani is Vitaly's sister and Eugene is their cousin.
We went to Soap Lake for the last part of my vacation. Vitaly is from Soap Lake. I guess it is one of two of those kinds of lakes in the world. We didn't go swimming there because it gives people rashes. But we did go out to a different lake. When we first got there, there was a bull snake and everyone kind of freaked out. The weather was beautiful. It didn't rain at all while I was there. I guess this means I've broken the curse (it always seems to rain whenever I travel: Florida, Egypt, etc). (Left - me near the water in downtown Seattle) Either that, or because Seattle is known for rain, it didn't. Hmm, that's an interesting idea. Then on my last night, we went out to a couple bars. We played pool at one, and then Karaoke and dancing at the other one. It was a lot of fun, I have to admit.
I got home late last night. I had asked my sister to do some cleaning while I was gone because someone from the moving company was supposed to be coming by today. When I got home last night, I was surprised (unfortunately not to see that she had actually cleaned, because she hadn't) to see that she had started packing her things. It turns out that the place she is moving into is available now, so she's moving sooner than expected. So instead of having a clean place, there were boxes everywhere when the moving guy came. There is one upside: packing will be a lot easier with more space and without having to worry about Elizabeth's stuff getting packed by mistake.

Ideas

So, I'm still fighting with my neighbors insurance company to get money for my car. The damage will cost $2000 to fix. I don't think they're going to pay that. They will probably total my car. That is kind of frustrating.
I've been reading a book lately called, A Wall in Palestine, by Rene Backmann. It is about the separation wall/barrier between Israel proper and a portion of the West Bank. It is really interesting (written by a French journalist), but if you are not open to anything that demonstrates improper conduct by Israel, stop reading now.

Here are some passages that have stuck out to me so far (unless otherwise noted, passages are by the book's author):
Vladimir Jabotinsky, the ideological father of Likud was quoted in a Nov 1923 article saying that he "dreamed of creating a Jewish State on the two banks of the Jordan, envisioned the erection of a 'wall of iron' as protection from the 'Arab insubordinates.' 'All autochthonic [indigenous] people, ' he wrote, 'struggle against foreigners who settle on their land, and there always remains for them the hope, however faint, that they can avert the dangers associated with settlement. Such is how the Arabs of Palestine will feel, as long as the spark of hope remains that they can prevent the transfiguration of the Arab Palestine into Eretz Israel, that is, a Jewish Palestine. . . . That is why those who hold that an accord with the Arabs is a sine qua non [essential condition] of the Zionist political stance must say to themselves from today on that it is definitively out of the question, and that there is nothing else to do but to give up the Zionist project. Our emigration to Palestine must continue without consideration of the Arab position, in a way that our settling can develop there under the protection of a power that is not dependent on the local population, under the shelter of a wall of iron that this population can never break down. This must be our political stance regarding the Arab question.'"

Menachem Klein (one of the architects of the informal accord signed on October 12, 2003) said, "'The problem for a lot of Israelis who were aligned with [Ariel] Sharon, including those from the "peace camp" is that they have never tried to put themselves in the shoes of the Palestinians. In the end, they are not ready to pay the price of peace, which is to say, to give up land. The Palestinians, on the other hand, have already paid this price with their blood.'
In other words, the Israelis are cloistered in a kind of moral superiority, living in a 'walled' society in which the 'aspirations of other peoples are cropped out of view, and in which they can live in peaceful denial of their role as oppressors."

(Picture to the left is of the wall in Jerusalem - Friends cannot be divided. I think that's a true and accurate statement) David Grossman, an Israeli author, said, "To be strong and to perceive oneself as weak is an enormous temptation. We have dozens of atomic bombs, tanks, and planes. We confront people possessing none of these arms, and yet, in our minds, we remain victims. This inability to perceive ourselves as we are in relation to others is our principle weakness."

"Sharon finally accepted the barrier not only because it would contribute to Israeli security, but also because it annexed the vast majority of settlements in the West Bank, along with land rich in agricultural potential and water reserves vital to the future of Israel. It might even create an obstacle to the birth of a Palestinian state. It was a plan that disregarded international law and several UN Security Council resolutions, as well as previous accords between Israel and the Palestinians, and formal and informal commitments made to the US, the UN, the EU, and Russia as a part of the Roadmap for Peace."

Ron Nachman (Israeli politician, former Knesset member, and current mayor of Ariel-one of the largest Israeli settlements in the West Bank) said, "I came to a simple conclusion: Israelis wanted separation. They didn't want to be mixed with the Arabs. They didn't even want to see them. This may be seen as racist, but that's how it is."

I haven't finished reading it yet, but that is what has stuck out to me.

Crazy Evening

So . . . how would you feel if you were at home on a quiet Sunday afternoon and into evening and when you went outside to go somewhere discovered that the front end of your car had been smashed in? Well that is exactly what happened to me today. It was quite the experience. There was no information left on my windshield, so I thought it was a hit and run. While I was looking at the damage and reaching into my bag to call the police, my neighbor came to tell me what happened. I guess their new vehicles emergency break wasn't working and it rolled back and hit my car. Great, right?
So because of just having bought the vehicle that day, my neighbor wanted to wait to report the incident until the next day. I left with Elizabeth to go to FHE (which is where I was headed anyway). On the way, I had second thoughts and started telling everyone to get their thoughts. Unanimously everyone said I needed to report it immediately. So, I called, and then left immediately with Elizabeth (in case I needed a witness). When I got home, I let my neighbor know that I had called the police to report the accident. Then we waited for the cop to show up. When he arrived, my neighbor told him what had happened, and then we separately were put in the back of the police car for him to get information. I never realized how cramped the back of a police car is (because I'd never been in one before, though I have been in the front seat of a highway patrol vehicle before; on second thought, maybe when I was younger I'd been in the back seat of a police car at one of those emergency fairs, or something, but I don't know for sure).
In the end, it was quite an interesting and adventurous night. Now I just have to see about getting my car fixed . . . and hope that my neighbors insurance will cover the entire cost. . .

Little update

So, I just learned today that I am allowed to check in to my residence two days before my class begins . . . That doesn't give me much time to get settled and figure things out after I get there. Oh well, at least I know when I can arrive so I can start making travel arrangements/plans . . .

Great News!

So, I received my invitation to orientation/training for the US Dept of State Foreign Service today! I am really excited about it, but haven't really had the chance to process what everything means. I've known ever since I took the Russian language test and was bumped from #37 to #5 (yes, it affected my ranking that much!) a couple weeks ago that this was coming. So, that means that I've been preparing in all the ways that I could.
First, I've been trying to get my stuff in order (after all, I came back to Bismarck to go through my stuff, and I succeeded in doing just that!). Next I've been trying to figure out the logistics of moving with my cat, Gizmo. I learned recently that depending on where I go (even to just travel through certain countries on my way to another location) I would need to have an ISO compatible microchip in Gizmo. In addition, I need health vaccinations! I took Gizmo to the vet this morning and got all of that done. When it gets closer to the time to travel I will actually have to get a health certificate to take with me. I got him a microchip which was injected with a large needle (though surprisingly he seemed to feel one of his vaccination shots more than that one). More or less, I have everything in order to travel with Gizmo.
Now comes the more difficult stuff that I couldn't even begin to touch until after I received my invitation. Since I am moving to Washington DC, I have to figure out lodging (though luckily the State Dept has a contract with a company that provides temporary housing so I will not have to pay anything out of pocket for rent/utilities, and the housing is pet-friendly), I have to figure out travel arrangements, including transporting my things, and most difficult, I have to figure out when I'm going to leave Bismarck.
I told my boss today that I got my offer, and she told me that she cried after she got my message. Everyone keeps saying that they're going to miss me, and that makes me feel good and sad at the same time.
My class begins September 13. That gives me just over 2 months to get everything prepared. I don't have a lot of information/specifics on how A-100 goes (that's what they call the training class), but I've heard that it will take about 4 months. Then, depending on where I go, I may have language training that could result in my being in DC for up to a year. That's about all that I know, but I will definitely keep everyone posted when I know more!