March felt like something of an in-between point on this tour: past the halfway mark, but still before it was time to worry about another PCS move.
The weather carried the feeling of a perpetual lazy summer. I was no longer struggling with a walker or wheelchair, and spent much of my time focused on physical therapy. I was endlessly grateful to have regained some mobility and freedom.
We were done with our January and February trips to Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, and soon it would be time for our big April R&R trip back to the United States. But for the moment, it was simply good to be at home.
V and I planned to spend all of March at home. One of my A-100 colleagues from Hong Kong came on a work visit to our post, and we discovered a new-to-us restaurant together. I also did a bit of public speaking by sitting on a panel about women’s contributions to liberty.
We also finally organized and hosted a Balkan dinner for some of our colleagues. In December while in Macedonia taking care of his mom, V had purchased some of his culinary favorites and brought them home to Burma. He had wanted to cook for others for some time, but I hadn’t been up to having anyone over for a prolonged period after my accident.
The meats, cheeses, and spices he’d brought back made our Balkan feast more authentic — and more nostalgic, even though a lot of our typical hosting accoutrements such as our wedding china were missing, packed away safely in storage. Of course, what mattered most was the company and the meal rather than the formality of the hosting.
I finally also visited the infamous Rangoon Tea House for the first time during a work lunch, and the embassy community came together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at a beer-filled fest at the American Club. To be truthful, there was more eating and singing than pinching.
On balance, March was a brief period where we tried to pause and find some equilibrium during this tour. With major periods of activity lying behind us, as well as just ahead, it felt good to simply be in Rangoon.
Collecting Postcards 