Day 1327: Holi Phagwa

I’ve seen a lot of interesting festivals over the years… but I haven’t experienced Hindu Holi Phagwa yet.  Today should be fun!  Have a great day everyone!!!!

Day 985: April Fool’s Day

Okay… so last year on April 1^st my SchutzHappens post vaguely hinted at Serena being pregnant again.   

Ummm… yeah… so… it took my Father-In-Law a little time to recover from the news before realizing it was April Fool’s Day. 

Classic.

Don’t worry.  Number three isn’t on the way… YET!

Day 863: Stay At Home Because You’re Well Day

Sweet Lord in heaven!  It’s ‘Stay At Home Because You’re Well Day! 

Listen folks, I’m a big believer in taking mental health days.  And your mental health is just as important as your physical health!  Do you have sick days accumulated?  Take one.  Don’t go crazy… but taking one sick day when you’re healthy from time to time can be refreshing.  But do it in the middle of the week.  Don’t do it on a Monday or a Friday… if you play hooky to extend you weekend you should take annual leave.  I’m talking about mental health sick day.  Those should be islands of time… taken on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Better yet, pull your kids out of school for the day to stay home with you!  It’s just for one day; they’re not going to fall behind.

Sometimes you just need a day at home or a special day with your kids.  Playing hooky with your kids is the foundation for some great memories.  You can go see a movie with your kids anytime, but I guarantee they’ll always remember the time took off work to take them.  ;)

Oh, and take advantage of today because ‘Stay At Home Because You’re Well Day’ is on a Tuesday.  Celebrating it this year will be a lot more fun than celebrating it in 2013 and 2014, trust me… no one needs to play hooky on the weekend. 

Day 858: A Hungry-Man Thanksgiving

Well folks, I’m still not 100% sure how I’m going to spend my Thanksgiving Holiday today.  On Halloween I felt a slight twinge of loneliness… after all it was Gilliam’s first Halloween.  So now, here we are.  Thanksgiving… and I’m feeling a little more melancholy.  Today is a day that I can feel every painful minute of the last four (plus) months I’ve been away.

Prior to today, I have spent one Thanksgiving away from family… but that was back in college.  I was in rehearsals for a show and didn’t have the time to drive home so my roommates and I hosted an ‘orphans’ thanksgiving for a bunch of our friends and professors.  But college is a different animal.  College is a time when you’re trying to claim your own independence and the definition of ‘family’ blurs.  I may have been away from my actual family, but I was dining with my theatre family.

Now, I have a family of my own… and the definition is no longer blurred.

Sure, in the last four month I’ve fostered some very close friendships.  Friendships that will undoubtedly last for quite some time… as I’ve said in the past, a friendship is defined by a shared experience… and serving in Pakistan is certainly that.  However, friendship is no longer a replacement for family.

So, yes, the American Club is cooking a delicious feast for all of us lonely souls today… and all my new friends are hosting countless ‘orphan’ Thanksgivings around town… but… you know what I really want to do? 

All I want to do is stay home, heat up my Tyson’s Hungry-Man Turkey Dinner, turn on Skype, and share a meal with my family… I’m a man of simple tastes.

But don’t you worry about me… as the song says, ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’.  ;)

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers!  And whether you are American or not… today would be a good day to give your family a hug.

Day 851: Eid al-Adha, The Islamic Festival of Sacrifice

Last week I received a very nice note from Nitika and Tu Nga regarding my inclusion of Diwali and Bahá'u'lláh's Birth on SchutzHappens!  Thanks!  Being a Catholic dude from the States, it means a lot to get your thumbs up on my coverage… since I have a very limited working knowledge of the Hindu & Baha'i faiths.  But I try!

Anyways, in keep with this theme… it’s really important for us to look for the things we have in common as a world community, rather than our differences.

For that reason, Eid al-Adha is probably one of the best Islamic holy observations to study because it’s so easily relatable to other Abrahamic religions. 

In short, it commemorates a belief shared not only by Muslims… but Jews and Christians alike:  The time Abraham showed his willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael/Isaac as an act of obedience to God.

In practice, Eid al-Adha is a day of prayer celebrating family and generosity.  It is not uncommon to present gifts to the poor on Eid al-Adha.. 

A more traditional practice of the holy festival would consist of the sacrifice of a domestic animal, much like when Abraham scarified the lamb/ram rather than his son.  The meat would then be divided into three equal parts to be distributed to others. The family retains one third of the share, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and the other third is given to the poor and needy.

But if the idea of animal sacrifice makes you squeamish… well… think about that the next time you enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner… just because Honey Baked Ham does the dirty work doesn’t mean there isn’t a sacrifice.  ;)

Have a great day everyone!

Day 849: Have a Party with Your Bear Day

I… um… today is a tough day for me.  You’ll remember a few weeks ago on ‘Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day’ I shared a piece of my heart with you.  My dear sweet Honey Jo Bear… lost forever.  I have no bear to take to work… and now… today… on ‘Have a Party with Your Bear Day’… I have no bear to party with.

Jo!  Where are you Jo?!?

Jo… this song is for you!  Ladies and Gentlemen, the ‘Alone for Party With Your Bear Chorus’!

Thanks guys… I can tell you feel my pain.

Day 848: National Clean Your Refrigerator Day

FINALLY!  I have found the most sensible strange day of observation of all!  Move over Tea Party!  President Obama, it time for a day of reflection… because it’s ‘National Clean Your Refrigerator Day’!  And the media is all a buzz!  Er… umm… that is if you count the media as bunch of random bloggers… er… or me. 

Seriously though, what better day to observe than ‘National Clean Your Refrigerator Day’?  A refrigerator is a nasty stink trap!  And… well… I’ve been meaning to clean it… I have!  I’m obsessed with a clean kitchen… it’s just… cleaning the refrigerator is so much work.

 But!  Today there is no excuse to put it off any longer!  Here is a song to help you get in the mood:

 

Day 845: Birth of Baha'u'llah

When it comes to Abrahamic religions do you ever think Baha’i, the fourth largest with almost 8 million followers worldwide, ever feel jealous of their big brothers Judaism, Christianity, or Islam?  It’s unlikely, because the Baha’i believe God is powerful enough to manifest himself/herself/itself is multiple human forms giving legitimacy to all three… not to mention some Indian and Far Eastern religions as well.  If Rodney King was a religion… he’d be Baha’i.

Baha’i is actually the 9^th largest world religion in the world… but if that doesn’t sound very impressive I should note that Judaism the 7^th largest.

Anyway, Baha’i seems to be a very interesting experiment in faith.  It’s almost seems like a faith based on a comparative religions class, except with a prophet, not unlike Jesus or Mohammad.   They believe that all world religions share a common thread, the same God, and believe that one day all religions will become one.  Not by means of conversion, but by focusing on what we all have in common rather than our differences.  And by focusing on what we have in common we’ll be able to let go of these differences and become one community.

In the idealistic way of accepting your fellow man, I adore the Baha’i faith.  These cats have it right.  But… in the actually practice of religion I was raised in the Catholic tradition… and if the Baha’i are right… then it shouldn’t matter which tradition I practice… as long as I accept and treat all as my equal, right?

Anyway, today is the Birth of Baha’u’llah.  According to the Baha’i faith, Baha’u’llah is the latest human/prophet manifestation of God.  In short, he’s the one that finally connected all the dots.  Essentially, this is their Christmas.

But, don’t take my word for it… here’s a video from Baha’i World TV.  The production value is quite low (especially the first three minutes), however the information is quite good.

 

Day 844: Veteran’s Day

Let’s keep it simple and focused today:

Day 842: Young Readers Day

As you all know, on this blog I love to observe holidays AND brag on my kids… well, today I get to do both because it is ‘Young Readers Day’!!! 

In a previous post I shared how Serena has started Grayson on the Hooked on Phonics series… and he’s been progressing amazingly.  Sometimes in the evenings when we Skype Gray will read me the latest book in his series.  I just love watching him sound out all the letters individually… then all the sounds together… and then his excitement as he realizes the word as he shouts ‘MAT!  The word is MAT!  The cat sat on the mat!  Okay dad?  The cat sat on the mat, okay?’

‘That’s perfect buddy.’

And then we turn to the next page and do it all over again.  He’s able to make it through most pages without any help.  I am very proud.

Well, Serena sent me this picture just in time for ‘Young Readers Day’.  While waiting for the arrival of Secretary Clinton to the meet and greet (where yesterdays picture was taken), Serena gave Grayson a pen and a pad of paper to keep him busy.  She didn’t monitor him or use the time as a lesson… she just let him do his own thing.  Well, a few days later she was looking through the note pad and found a couple pages of interest.  He’s only 4 years old and he did this without any supervision:

Seriously… four years old and he tried to spell Octopus!?!  He got five of the seven letters AND had then in the correct order!  He’s a much better speller than I will ever be!

Keep up the good work buddy!  I’ll be home soon!

Day 838: Diwali, The Hindi Festival of Lights

I spend a lot of time focusing on bizarre and strange days of observation that we could do without… and that’s all fun and good, however, there are a lot of OTHER holidays of great significance to people all over the world that I’ve been ignoring.  


For the most part American’s have no idea what a lot of these other religious and cultural holidays are really about… and back when I took a comparative religion class in college, I discovered a lot of curious similarities between my Catholic/Christian upbringing and cultures that seemed so different on the surface.  


So, periodically, I’m going to profile a religious and/or cultural day of significance… and don’t focus so much on the practice of the holidays… because culturally, the practice is going to look and feel very different.  I want you to focus on the similarities of the themes we are celebrating… because half a world away might not be a different as you think.


 

Day 837: King Tut Day

Do we really need a day honoring the discovery of King Tut’s tomb?  Hmmm… okay… you’re right… it’s pretty bad ass.  


Hit it ‘5 in LOVE’!

Day 833: Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!  Be safe, have fun!

Day 832: National Hug a Sheep Day

That’s right, it’s ‘National Hug a Sheep Day’!  My cousin Pauline sent me this for a possible entry in the blog and I couldn’t resist!  This is hilarious!  And the quote from the website says it all:

‘Well, really it's nice to hug a sheep every day, but October 30th will be an extra special day this year!’

http://nationalhugasheepday.blogspot.com/

I love it… I’m starting to think SchutzHappens needs to spearhead a bazaar day of observation… but what… I don’t know!  Any suggestions?

Day 822: Hagfish Day?

“WhaleTimes created Hagfish Day last year to ‘celebrate the beauty of ugly.’ Hagfish are the perfect example. These deep-sea scavengers ooze slime — buckets of slime. “

Really?  We need a day of observation for the Hagfish?  Why not just watch Ghostbusters?  Heck, I’d rather watch Ghostbusters 2 before watching this video:

Happy Hagfish day everybody! 

Day 813: Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day

‘Celebrate October 11th with Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day! While some may think you are just totally crazy, your Teddy Bear will likely thank you for it. October 11th has been set aside for the world to show appreciation for their Teddy Bears. Coworkers can meet your bear and introduce you to theirs.’


Travesty!  Not only did I forget to pack my teddy bear… BUT, ‘Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day’ fell on ‘Columbus Day’ this year!  Oh, the humanity!  A lost Spaniard takes precedence over my sweet adorable Honey Jo Bear???  I called him Jo for short.


Jo was awesome… I took him everywhere… he even went to Hawaii with me!  He was cuddly AND a snappy dresser.

I’m sure Jo would be very proud if he could see the man I’ve become.  But… well… I have a confession.  I didn’t forget to pack Jo… we would have totally rocked Pakistan together… and Lord knows I could use a hug.  No, I lost Jo a long time ago.  I think I left him at a sleep over and never got him back… I can’t remember.  I think this is why ‘Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day’ makes me so sad.  I shared so much of my life with Jo… and now?  Well, he’s just a distant memory.


My parents gave him to me for Christmas when I was very young… and for many years we were inseparable… and then, ‘poof, like Keyser Soze, he was gone.”  I wonder if he’ll ever find his way home… maybe this Christmas will be the year we’ll be reunited… I think I saw him on eBay (hint, hint!)


Anyway, Teddy Bears are very special.  I gave Grayson a new Teddy Bear on his first day in Washington, DC after we joined the Foreign Service… I figured he could use a travel buddy.  Grayson named him Jo-Jo and they are inseparable… just like I was with Jo… and that’s awesome.

Day 812: Pet Peeve Week

Okay… so it’s pet peeve week and need to have a little chat with all the guys out there.  Now, I’m pretty sure at some point in your life a woman has approached this subject with you… your mother, wife, girlfriend… who ever… but frankly, I don’t think you were paying attention… so it’s time for a peer to peer, man to man intervention.


If you have a problem aiming.  You have two options:


1.  Lift the seat.
2. Take a little toilet paper and clean up after yourself when you finish.


These are your only two option from here on out.  Because when I have a case of the Pakistan’s, it’s not my job.


Thank you,


Goodnight.

Day 795: ‘Mad As Hell’ Day!!!!

Oh man.  I love it!  Yes!  I am ‘Mad as Hell’ AND I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

It’s ‘Mad as Hell’ Day!  Hurray!  And we’re not simply mad for the sake of being mad like Old Man Withers next door who still won’t give back my ball!  This is focused anger and rage against the airline industry!

These people feel my pain: http://www.madashellabouthiddenfees.com/

For those of you living outside the world of the Foreign Service you will probably understand my frustration… and for those of you inside the Foreign Service, I am sure you can share in my misery.

In the last 4 years I have probably paid about $1,000 in excess baggage fees.  Most of the time these fees add up because I am combining Official and Personal… I’ll paint you a picture using my transition from Belgrade to Islamabad as an example.

Normally when people change posts they are eligible for ‘Home Leave’ which means they get a ticket home, which in my case is Atlanta.  However, due to the status of my appointment in Islamabad and some loophole in the regulations, I was not eligible for ‘Home Leave’, so my Official Travel would only take me as far as Washington, DC.

Of course, this didn’t mean I couldn’t take vacation time… it just meant I had to fund the rest of my trip home myself.  No big whoop.  If I was going to spend a year away from my family, you know I wasn’t going to leave without spending some time at the beach and visiting the folks.

So, I booked a flight from DC to Charleston and Atlanta to DC.

Now, before I continue… I will reiterate: during this trip, I was not only moving from Belgrade to Islamabad permanently, but I was also going on vacation AND reporting to Washington, DC for training and consultations.  Needless to say, I needed a wide assortment of clothing… plus, it normally takes a month or two after arriving at a new post before your airfreight shipment arrives (which contains the majority of my cloths, kitchen supplies, electronics… everything else).  In short, I needed to pack everything I needed to survive for a couple months… plus presents for the family. 

I ended up with three bags.

Leaving Belgrade, Lufthansa charged me 55 Euros to fly my third bag from Belgrade to Frankfurt to Washington.  This is roughly $75 to move my bags about 4723 miles… $0.015 per mile.  Where I come from… this is what we call a ‘deal’!

After spending the night in Washington, I went back to Dulles International Airport for my flight to Charleston, SC.  United charged me $160.00 in excess baggage fees!  For this 452 mile trip I was paying $0.35 per mile.  $0.35 per mile might not sound like much… but it obviously adds up.  And let me give you another number: United’s fees were 23.3 times higher than Lufthansa! 

Then, on my return trip, from Atlanta to Washington, DC, Delta charged me $100.00!!!  This was a little better than United, but it was still $0.185 per mile.  12.3 times higher than Lufthansa.

In addition, to cut down on excess baggage fees, before leaving Washington to go back overseas, I shipped four boxes to post (1 to me in Islamabad and 3 to Serena in Belgrade).  This cost me mere $55.00.  A fraction compared to what I already paid.

Total out of pocket expenses: $390.00

Could I have avoided these fees?  Yes, I guess I could have packed lighter… however, it’s been three months since I left Belgrade… and I still haven’t received my air freight shipment.  For three months, I’ve been living out of those three suitcases.  When I look at the things I packed… I cannot identify one thing I could have gone without for this length of time.  So the real question in this:

‘Is it worth $130 per month to have my stuff?’

I guess… but I really didn’t have a choice now did I?

Any tax accountants out there?  Can I write this off as an unreimbursed moving expense?

Of and speaking of taxes, correct me if I am wrong, but these fees are nothing more than a tax loophole scam, right?  I don’t believe excess baggage fees, meal fees, or rebooking/transfer fees have to be recorded as general revenue, which is why the airlines aren’t lumping these fees into their ticket prices.  Basically, by keeping these ‘extra services’ separate they are able to maximize their earning potential while minimizing their tax liability.

Day 792: Turn Off Your TV Week?

It's 'Turn Off Your TV Week'?  Come again?  Have you ever heard of such a silly thing?  Preposterous!  As you know, I have a healthy appetite for television… and when I’m away from my family… the appetite increases tenfold!


When I’m not at work, blogging, or baking casseroles… I’m probably watching TV… or doing push-ups… but probably watching TV.  


And there is nothing wrong with that… so please forgive me for not recognizing Turn Off Your TV Week.


Now, if the initiative was called something more like, ‘Force your kids to get some fresh air so daddy can rewatch the conspiracy episodes of X-Files… or Twin Peak’, now you’re talking!  I can get behind that holiday!


So, what will I be filling my time with as I desecrate 'Turn Off Your TV Week'?  Well, I’m on a British and Canadian TV kick right now.  I’ve been watching ‘Being Human’ which is a BBC show about a vampire, werewolf and ghost sharing a flat (seriously… I don’t think I could have made that up); ‘Death Comes to Town’, the 10 episodes Canadian mini-series that reunited ‘The Kids in the Hall’; and ‘Slings and Arrows’, the Canadian series about a fictitious Shakespeare Festival. 


It should be fun!  


So kick those kids out of the house, pop some popcorn, and settling into the couch for some quality one on one time with you TV!  


Or turn it off.  SEE IF I CARE!


Love you, bye.

Day 791: International Talk Like A Pirate Day

YAR!


It’s HERE!  It’s finally upon us.  International Talk Like A Pirate Day.  Ye better lift a pint o’ ale ‘er else I’ll keelhaul ya!


Seriously folks, if you’ve never heard of International Talk Like A Pirate Day… you really need to get with it.  What started as an inside joke between a couple friends has turned into… well… something much bigger than they ever imagined.  I think it’s hilarious. 


http://www.talklikeapirate.com/


Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day everyone! 

Grayson Celebrating International Talk Like A Pirate Day... er... or Halloween in 2007!

And the rest of us in 2008!  

Grayson was celebrating International 'I'm Going to Be Batman' Day