Eureka Waterfalls!

Following last week's somber messages, I thought it would be a good time to post some happy photos from Damon's trip to Mauritius last summer.  About 45 minutes from our house is a wonderful picnic place called Eureka that also has some terrific swimmable waterfalls.  We had a fabulous picnic followed by wonderful wetness.  Damon and Jena joined me under and on the falls, while Shelly was the land-based photographer.  What a great day!

We're Okay--Pray for our Friends

We are writing to thank our loved ones for your thoughts and expressions of concern and grief and hope this week.  Shelly and I are fine, but we ask our friends and family to keep our diplomat friends in your thoughts and prayers.  The events at Embassies around the world this week has our entire State Department  community reeling.  The killings in Benghazi were tragic, but they did not end this violent episode.  At this writing, there have been demonstrations or attacks at over a dozen U.S. missions worldwide. We have friends, or friends of friends, in many of them.  Certainly we can identify with every one of them, as they do the same jobs we do, day in and day out.   Even in places that are relatively quiet (as our post seems to be), everyone in and around the embassy must be more alert, vigilant, and prepared for what could happen.  Even more than personal safety, though, many of us have thought long and hard about the senselessness of it. The notion that the rage and violence is directed at diplomats abroad because we are nearby and we are symbols.  Secretary Clinton said it far better than I ever could:  "It is especially wrong for violence to be directed against diplomatic missions.  These are places whose very purpose is peaceful:  to promote better understanding across countries and cultures.  All governments have a responsibility to protect those spaces and people, because to attack an embassy is to attack the idea that we can work together to build understanding and a better future."

Shelly and I are okay, please pray for our friends . . . and our world.  

Honoring Their Service, Mourning Their Loss

Statement on the Death of American Personnel in Benghazi, Libya

Press Statement

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 12, 2012

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It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the death of four American personnel in Benghazi, Libya yesterday. Among them were United States Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith. We are still making next of kin notifications for the other two individuals. Our hearts go out to all their families and colleagues.

A 21 year veteran of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Stevens died last night from injuries he sustained in the attack on our office in Benghazi.
I had the privilege of swearing in Chris for his post in Libya only a few months ago. He spoke eloquently about his passion for service, for diplomacy and for the Libyan people. This assignment was only the latest in his more than two decades of dedication to advancing closer ties with the people of the Middle East and North Africa which began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. As the conflict in Libya unfolded, Chris was one of the first Americans on the ground in Benghazi. He risked his own life to lend the Libyan people a helping hand to build the foundation for a new, free nation. He spent every day since helping to finish the work that he started. Chris was committed to advancing America’s values and interests, even when that meant putting himself in danger.

Sean Smith was a husband and a father of two, who joined the Department ten years ago. Like Chris, Sean was one of our best. Prior to arriving in Benghazi, he served in Baghdad, Pretoria, Montreal, and most recently The Hague.
All the Americans we lost in yesterday’s attacks made the ultimate sacrifice. We condemn this vicious and violent attack that took their lives, which they had committed to helping the Libyan people reach for a better future.

America’s diplomats and development experts stand on the front lines every day for our country. We are honored by the service of each and every one of them.

Divine Dining from the Depths

In the category of, “I never dreamed …” this ranks near the top!  Few of my friends could imagine me serving octopus—much less assuring its demise, cleaning, chopping, and cooking it in a savory curry sauce.  Served over a coconut milk basmati rice, this curious sea creature is quite delectable! 

 

A native of the New Mexico desert, one year ago I couldn’t have told you the difference between squid and octopus.  Today I'm able to differentiate whether underwater or on the dining table; who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks! 

Bon apetit!

Want to know the difference - check out this great video squid or octopus

Beauty's Challenge

Here's a dilemma we face both in New Mexico's mountains and on Mauritius' seacoasts.  One of the challenges of living in a place of extraordinary beauty is to keep fresh eyes . . . to not become so accustomed to beautiful surroundings that you begin to take them for granted.  Every once in a while, Shelly and I take the camera out and snap a few photos of the scenes around us . . . these samples were taken within the last month, mainly in our back yard, and the heart-shaped self portrait was in the botanical gardens nearby.  Summer is coming to the southern hemisphere, and the bougainvillea is getting more plentiful and colorful.  Rainbows show up unexpectedly, and sunsets have become an evening ritual.  The ocean's whitecaps arrive with extraordinary sound effects.  The lesson we've learned living here is to never stifle that gasp of surprise or delight, and to not stop our breath from being taken away, no matter how many times it has happened before.    These views help to remind us of our extraordinary environment, and to appreciate it anew every day.  

Fresh Sugar Cane Juice

Raw cane stalks

Putting a cane stalk into the processor

Mauritius is covered with sugar cane fields, from south to north.  This time of year is the harvest . . . acres of fields being cut down and taken to processing plants to squeeze the sweet juices out, processing millions of gallons, filling little bags to sweeten our coffee and tea.  So, it was a timely and fun experience to find a vendor in a local market who was squeezing out the raw canes to make a refreshing afternoon drink.  We expected a taste of sugar water, but were pleasantly surprised by the light brown drink . . . it had a healthy, fresh, natural taste. . . like fruit, and not too sweet. Quite delicious!

Dry cane, juice squeezed out

Hearts Beating as One at the Maiden Cup

For the second year in a row, we enjoyed the premier horse race in Mauritius, the Maiden Cup. Mauritians are passionate about the races! It is said when the races are on, all Mauritian hearts beat as one.  If they are unable to get to the Champs de Mars racetrack, folks are huddled around transistor radios in the sugar cane fields listening.  Nearly anyone on the street can give you "chio" (tips) on which horse will win, place, and show.  They almost always know the jockey and the training stables of each horse.  We were fortunate that our friend, Raj Dassaye, a Port Louis City Councilor, took us to the Racing Commissioner's suite . . . we enjoyed the sport of kings among the titans of Indian Ocean industry.   So, you may ask, did we win?  Yes!  It was totally random:  I bet on one horse because it belonged to a friend, another because my fruit vendor gave me "chio" on it, another because its name was clever, and another because it was a long shot; and they all won some rupees! More than anything, though, it was a great afternoon under a blue Mauritian sky, our hearts beating as one with the whole country!

The Grand Bay Book Club's Gourmet Hostess

Two of Shelly's new joys in her active retirement are 1) voracious reading and 2) delicious international cooking.  So last Monday was doubly joyful for her as she hosted the dinner meeting of her Grand Bay Book Club.  This isn't just ANY book club . . . this is a serious group of librophiles that has been meeting for a couple decades, has built up an excellent traveling library, and has established some wonderful traditions.

One such tradition is that a different club member hosts each bimonthly dinner meeting (about once a year)  . . . and puts the club's @400-book library on display at her house during the evening.  The women in the club are very serious readers . . . each reporting on a stack of books they have read since the last dinner; and contributing funds each meeting for the purchase of another dozen new books.

The hostess provides all the hospitality . . . Shelly's Labor Day menu was an Italian treat of fresh veggie appetizers, salad with homemade dressing, chicken parmesan, steamed green beans w/ a sundried tomato & dill sauce, quinoa pasta, and the piece de resistance . . . homemade tiramisu!

Libations, book reviews, conversations, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore filled the patio's night air.    

Tamil Temple Tour

About three miles from our home is a temple from the Tamil branch of Hindu.  Colorful, vibrant figures look out over every space . . . there's Ganesh and Shiva and Amman and Murugan and others.  Tamil people come from the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka; and there is a large international diaspora of Tamils, including in Mauritius. Click here if you are interested in more information and history of the Tamil people.  We stopped by the temple over the weekend with our friends Joe and Nancy, and had a tour and an introduction to some of the very intricate and beautiful figures on display there.  The figures are remarkable for their detail and careful artistry; another part of this religion characterized by practitioners' strong faith, strenuous disciplines, and tests of both.

Helping Children in Court

Faculty and leadership of the conference and the Mauritius Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies

I had a wonderful week working with the Mauritius Supreme Court and running a training program for the entire judiciary in the country (judges, magistrates, and court administrators) on how to help children who are in the criminal justice system as victims and witnesses.  The U.S. Department of Justice offered a grant that brought a judge and prosecutor from the United States as faculty.  As program chair from the U.S. Embassy, I had to put together all the administration of the program, and worked with the Chief Justice and the other members of the Mauritius Supreme Court to print manuals, make arrangements with the conference site, and handle all logistics and finances.  It was an excellent program, and will greatly benefit the children and their families who happen to be involved in court processes.  As a lawyer myself, it made me very proud to be part of a movement to expand the rule of law and enhance justice in this country.  I had to pinch myself to realize that I was running a program that included nearly every member of the judiciary in the entire country.  I love this job!  

Court Administrators from all over Mauritius

The Judges and Magistrates of Mauritius

Deliberations during the conference