Adapting to change
Diplomatic passports, expat reflections and travel news
“Probably the only thing one can really learn, the only technique to learn, is the capacity to be able to change.”
— Philip Guston, artist
Life Lately
A few days ago, we attended a garden party celebrating Romania–America Friendship Day at the Romanian ambassador’s D.C. residence. Andrew and I had to run to the mall last minute to find something for me to wear. Poor planning, I know, but all my dressier clothes are in storage in Belgium, and I still haven’t replaced hardly any of the 12 pairs of shoes the movers lost somewhere between London and D.C. *sigh*
The party was fun! All three of Andrew’s Romanian teachers from the Foreign Service Institute were in attendance. They introduced Andrew to their friends so he could practice Romanian. We even met the most recent U.S. ambassador to Romania Adrian Zuckerman, who was born in Bucharest.
The current Romanian ambassador Andrei Muraru and the former prime minister of Romania Nicolae Ciuca both gave speeches outside around the pool.
Afterward, we tried the embassy’s signature cocktails—the Black Sea with cognac and the Carpathians cocktail with whisky. There was a beautiful buffet with traditional Romanian and American foods. I had to sample the little hamburger slider, of course!
Earlier this month we officially submitted our applications for our diplomatic passports. We lucked out and found a nice gentleman at a café downtown who took our passport photos with his DSLR. We’d tried the photo department at a nearby CVS before, and the images were dark and blurry. Much better the second time around.
What I’m Watching
Andrew and I recently streamed a British documentary from the 90s called One Man, Six Wives, 29 Children. The film is available on YouTube and focuses on a polygamous fundamentalist Mormon family living in the Utah desert. Quite the alternative lifestyle!
Travel and Culture News
Eleven tons (24,000 pounds) of garbage were removed from Mount Everest in a cleanup mission that will take years to finish. The Nepalese government hired sherpas to remove the debris, mostly comprised of old tents, food packaging, oxygen bottles and ropes from older expeditions.
A former Nazi bunker in Hamburg, Germany has reopened as a hotel and lifestyle destination after a €100 million renovation. The structure, originally built by a thousand slaves over just 300 days, has 3.5-meter-thick concrete and steel walls, and formerly featured massive anti-aircraft guns on the roof. Now, The Hamburg Bunker has a Hard Rock restaurant, coffee shop, plenty of guest rooms and a rooftop oasis.
The printed guidebook isn’t going anywhere. Sales of travel guidebooks have nearly reached pre-pandemic levels, despite predictions that technology would destroy the industry. Not only is the printed guidebook handy for scribbling notes and avoiding ads, printed guidebooks also attract less attention from pickpockets compared to an expensive phone.
Expat Observations
On Threads, I asked British and Scottish expats living in the U.S. for their opinion on American culture. Most said they enjoyed the friendliness and optimistic attitude of most Americans, while others said they felt society was fake, shallow and vain. What do you think? Weigh in here.
On the Blog
I wrote about the Palio di Siena horse races in Italy and how best to attend as a tourist. Andrew and I went last year and are so sad to be missing the festivities this time around. Perhaps in 2025 we’ll return.
In Other News
The paperback version of my handy little wine window guide to Florence is now available on Amazon! I’ll be forever grateful to anyone who buys a copy and writes me a kind review. :-)
That’s all for now! Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned or whatever has been on your mind lately.
Cheers,
Michelle