And… we’re back!

Our vacation in Italy was everything we hoped it would be and more, but not too much about that now as I’m working on a big Italy overview complete with pictures and stories, hopefully by the end of the long weekend.

Our trip back to Tajikistan was thankfully uneventful, although we were a bit concerned when these women in orange vests that said “Health Control” appeared at the gate to our flight in Istanbul and started putting drops in the passengers’ mouths. We asked what was going on and were informed that there is a polio outbreak in Dushanbe and the drops were supposed to serve as a vaccine. The whole thing was very… odd.

Fortunately, the vaccine was voluntary and Stephanie and I opted not to take it, figuring that in less than eight hours we’d be able to talk to our health practitioner at the embassy and get better information. As it turned out, I needed a booster shot and Stephanie was already up-to-date. According to our medical officer, the drops wouldn’t have done anything for either of us.

Getting back into the groove of things at work was surprisingly easy, although Dushanbe itself felt very foreign again. Stephanie and I both commented on how we noticed things that had become commonplace now stood out like they did when we first arrived – particularly smells. We used the weekend to unpack and start going through pictures – and also to restock our fridge.

Unfortunately, we learned that the bazaar near our house has been closed and will be torn down in another couple of months to make way for a new government building. No plans to relocate it. No options for the people who worked there. So now our best option is the big bazaar, which is about a mile away and much more hectic. We both preferred the old one, which was quieter and much more convenient. That said, we were greeted with the fruits of Spring in Tajikistan, literally. Cherries, mulberries, and apricots were in abundance and all delicious. One thing we didn’t do a lot of in Italy was eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and it’s nice to get back to that.

On Saturday we had a pretty good thunderstorm, complete with hail and torrential rain, which was a lot of fun to watch from our attic room under the tin roof. The weekend finished on a sad note as we learned that my Uncle Bill passed away unexpectedly on Sunday. This was our first lesson in one of the harder aspects of Foreign Service life and the difficulties of being separated from family. Modern technology let us stay in close touch with our family, but it’s not the same as being there. Our thoughts are definitely with my Aunt and cousins. Uncle Bill will be missed.