Generally, for a diplomat, I don’t travel much. Usually, it’s a combination of factors such as insufficient funds, nobody to travel with, insufficient vacation days from work, etcetera. But September 2007 seems to be the traveling-est month I’ve had since the days when I lived in Europe and backpacked around every now and then.

Starting September 1st, the month has looked like this:

• Seattle - 2 days (obvious reasons)
• British Columbia - 1 week (getaway)
• Seattle - 2 days
• Seoul - 9 days
• Vietnam - 4 days (long overdue visit to a very good friend)
• Seoul - 3.5 days
• Bangkok - present.

I’m tired, and while traveling is fun and interesting, it’s far more so when (a) it’s spread out and (b) you get to do it together with people who are important to you. I really wish I had a chance in between to catch my breath, unpack, recuperate, and process things (I tried, but they were hearing none of my pleas to delay this trip by a week or two), and I could really use a day or two of total hibernation. I’m sure I’ll have more than ample time to do that over the next several months of nonstop visa line work in Seoul, though.

So here’s to keeping curiosity alive, digging up that last bit of energy, and making the most of the couple of weeks I get to spend here in Thailand. Any suggestions or special requests?

Korea is kind enough to have a great big, 3-day holiday that abuts a weekend.  They call it Chusok, and it’s traditionally the time when Koreans get together with extended family, honor ancestors, play traditional games, etc.  These days, however, it’s the time when Seoul empties and (seemingly) the majority of the country leaves to travel elsewhere.  This year, I joined the travelers, heading down to Vietnam to visit my friend Barbara.

I had a great time.  I had been told to expect a “third world” sort of environment, but I found Ho Chi Minh City to be significantly more developed than that.  People there are excited about the future, and I was told many times that there have been projections from a variety of sources that Vietnam will become one of the top 15 or 20 tourist destinations in the world in the next 10 years or so.  Venturing outside of the big city, I’m not so sure about that, but it was definitely an enjoyable trip.  A few photos . . .

Thanks, Barbara, for being such a great hostess!

I’ve never been terribly good at cooking for just me.

This has led over the years to many, many nights of eating bare pasta or plain hard-boiled eggs or simple homemade crepes for dinner. Things that can be done easily in small quantities and don’t require ingredients like meat or vegetables that are sometimes not readily available, but that may not be the healthiest or most well-rounded meals.

It has also led to many dinner parties. While one motivation for these has always been to see my friends and to enjoy a homemade meal with them, there is usually also another motivation: the urge to actually cook. I enjoy cooking, and I’m pretty sure I’m decently good at it - I’m just really bad at doing it for just one.

Case in point: tonight I decided to cook. I have enjoyed a good ratatouille since my days as a college student in Paris, and earlier today my husband mentioned that he might make some for his Sunday dinner (yes, we’re still apart - don’t get me started). It sounded like such a good idea, I decided to copy him, modifying the recipe a touch to make it my own. This is what I ended up with:

Seriously, this is enough food for about 6 people. I’m pretty sure I’ll be tired of eating ratatouille before this is gone. The good news: dinner was very yummy, and I’ve managed (for once) to make myself a nutritious meal. Added bonus: “ratatouille” is really fun to say out loud.

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve not written anything here for quite a while. Many of you probably know the reasons why, or you may have guessed by the change in my location for a few weeks as listed near the top of this page, but for those of you who’ve still been scratching your heads, here’s why (photos by April):

September 1st was the big day, and we truly had a blast. My only regret: I really wish there had been more time to party at the reception, and to have some real, more in-depth conversations with some of the people who came.

If you happen to be reading this and were among those present that day, thank you so much for coming, and I know I speak for both of us (and surely our families as well) when I say we were incredibly happy to be able to see you and to have you share in our celebration that day. It really means a lot to us.