a moment of reflection

This morning not much was known about the goings on in Libya and Egypt, but by the time I got to FSI it was confirmed that Ambassador Christopher Stevens and 3 other officers had been killed. I'm sad and more than a bit shocked by the senselessness of this violence. I am also appalled by the political rhetoric that has come out in regards to this tragedy. Our work overseas is complicated, difficult, and risky. And diplomats make sacrifices while working for our country and these sacrifices should be honored. Period.

Whenever I get discouraged by these kinds of politics, instead of retreating I go straight to the middle of it all, the center of our Nation's Capitol.  Riding my bike along the newly reopened reflecting pool on the National Mall is a good reminder of what it means to be American, and why I still feel proud to serve in the government. The mall is a place of unity and patriotism, and as I watched tourists and veterans participating in their own reflections at the various memorials, I thought how much of a difference it would make if politicians and pundits could also take a few moments to walk quietly along this historic pond. 

As I was getting back to Main State to meet a friend for lunch, President Obama's motorcode was just leaving. He had come the few blocks over to Foggy Bottom to participate in a memorial service open to all employees. My friend went to hear him speak and she said it meant a lot that he came over to talk to State Department employees. I admire this and appreciate the support, even though I didn't know any of those killed personally.

Below is a video of Secretary Clinton's public remarks (or go here to see it on web).

thoughts

As I head towards the sanctity of the Foreign Service Institute this morning, a place where all U.S. Diplomats spend a significant chunk of their career, my thoughts are with those in Egypt and Cairo. There are many unconfirmed reports from all the major news organizations that several U.S. embassy staff, including possibly the Ambassador, were killed in Benghazi. These reports are a reminder that this job, while often amazing, has it's very real risks. I hope for the best for everyone involved.



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Norskkurs

After a full week of Norwegian language class (norskkurs), I can happily report that I'm absolutely loving it. In total, the class if made up of 4 very enthusiastic language learners/future colleagues, and it's been so much fun to see just how much of the language I remember. So far things have been easy, but I can see that the pace of the course is fast enough that I will soon be in new territory. I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to spend 6+ hours a day fully devoted to language study. It's such an amazing gift and a major perk of this pretty awesome career.

The past couple of weekends I was also lucky enough to have my friends' car while they traveled back out west. This meant getting down to the beach and taking in some polo. Ahhh, the freedom of transportation!

Beach Scene: North Beach, Maryland 

Walking along the beach in Southern Maryland

Polo Ponies

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Things to know about Norway

Today was my first day of Norwegian language training, so I'm finally ready to immerse myself in all things Norsk. And even though my departure date is many months away, that hasn't stopped me from learning a little more about this place that will be home for two years. So here is a short list of things that I've learned.

1. It's Spendy!

I don't think I've been able to mention moving to Oslo to anyone without them immediately reacting to the notoriously high cost of living there. Yup, it's one of the most expensive cities in the world, putting even New York, DC, and London to shame. I've become accustomed to price shock here in DC, but I'm not sure you can really prepare for $15 beers and $40 pizzas. A friend of mine referred me to this funny piece that compares prices in Oslo vs. Portland.

2. The accent is NOT the same as Swedish

When I was back home I had the privilege of talking to the local Daughter's of Norway Lodge. It was a ton of fun, and my first chance to really talk about my future work to people outside of the government bubble. After my talk, I got a lot of questions about the State Department and learning Norwegian, and somehow got off on a tangent about the differences between Swedish and Norwegian (you could throw Danish in there as well). Having studied Norsk previously, I'm very familiar with the sing-song accent, which differentiates it from the other scandinavian dialects. I even mentioned at some point during my time home that spoken Norwegian sounds a lot like the Swedish chef from the muppets. Apparently the Swedes agree, as detailed in a Slate.com article about the rival languages.


3. The scenery is out of control beautiful

The land of the midnight sun and fjords. Norway is unquestionable a place people visit in order to appreciate nature. As a lover of mountains and water myself, I really can't wait until I can get out there and "gå på fjell." I've even done some research into Den Norske Turistforening (DNT or Norwegian Trekking Association), which manages the hundreds of hytta (cabins) around the country. Hiking is a communal, civilized affair in Norway. A long day trek is rewarded by a night in a clean, affordable cabin where you can share stew and wine with your fellow hikers. The English version of their site is here.

And because I lack pictures of Norway (for a little bit at least), I leave you with this hilarious YouTube video titled, "This is Norway."