My Foreign Service Life

Christine talks about delivering a baby in a different decade from the last with an OBGYN who refused (??) to give any anesthetics (???). She also talks about baby supplies shipments to post, and "birth coaches".

In this episode, Christine discusses what it's like having a baby at post and med-evac rules past and present. She's joined by both her sons to talk about spousal employment at post and what it's like to be at a new school for 3 months. 

In this episode Christine experiences a tragedy even while enjoying a beloved West African Expat tradition.

Christine explains what the embassy can do for you, an American citizen, and we visit one of the hot spots in Senegal. We learn about some more sketchy characters hanging around ex-pat Africa in the 80's including... Nina Simone???

Christine talks about the hardship of fertility treatments, being pregnant at post, the speed at which gossip travels, and holidays overseas.

Christine and her two guest sons talk about everything that happened in Dakar including, poorly thought through pranks, the downfall of a former wrestler, the different forms of security clearances, and love in the Foreign Service

Christine is joined by both of her guest-sons in this episode to talk about their new post: Dakar, Senegal. They talk about security in a foreign country, the cat distribution system, and topless beaches.

Christine talks about the difficulties of leaving family behind as well as mandatory home leave.

Christine talks about how bidding works and the ins and outs of choosing a post.

Lots to cover here: confrontations with gendarmes, avoiding bribes, and economic collapse that leads to suitcases of money at dinner, secret codes over classified radio

In this episode Christine talks R & R, which is neither restful or relaxing, home leave and crying in super markets.

Season 2 will be out Feb 17th! Watch the feed for more life in the Foreign Service.

In this episode Christine talks about the party life of Kinshasa along with kids school, pets, and R&R.

This is the final episode of season 1--watch this space for season 2 

Christine and Derald attempt to climb the Rwenzori Mountains with some friends and encounter small prop planes, malaria, altitude-induced euphoria, and the would-be final resting place of one Californian.

In this episode we get a look at what living through an economic collapse looks like, and the connection between campaign finance and ambassadorship.

In this episode, we learn the advantages of the French school system as young Gabe gets an invitation to the Dictator's house. Not knowing it was an invitation that should have been refused, Christine and family head over for a party.

In this episode, Christine and family move to a new post in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). She gets into how schools worked for diplomatic expats and the pain of moving throughout your childhood when email wasn't a thing.

Christine learns that living in a small community of expat means if you mess up, it affects everyone. And this was the 80's so a VCR was involved.

Though Christine absconded to Africa a single woman with a small child, she left Burundi married. She talks about the effort to navigate the Burundi matrimonial system as well as building a family as an ex-pat.