On Tuesday, September 13 at 11:30 am, AAFSW/FBS cordially invite you to join us to a guided tour of the Japanese Exhibit, including the rest of the museum. You are welcome to visit the lovely gardens on your own before or after the tour. The style that came to be known as art deco, which flourished from the 1920s to 1940s, was a vivid reflection of the modern era and the vitality of the machine age. Between the wars, as normalcy returned, jazz music blossomed, the flapper redefined the modern woman, and art deco left its mark on every form of visual art. Originating in Europe, the art style, which… Read More
Continue ReadingHelpful Hints for Your Next Move
Moving is always stressful, whether it is down the block or halfway across the world. For those in the Foreign Service, moves happen more frequently — and at greater distances — than for most other people. We have the benefit of joining a ready-made community with support there to make settling into our new lives easier, from GSO helping with housing, furniture, and shipments to social sponsors and the CLO. All of this doesn’t mean that moving is easy, although I’ve found there are some things you can do to help yourself even more. Bring your sheets. Welcome Kit sheets are notoriously scratchy, so bringing your own sheet set in… Read More
Continue ReadingAAFSW Volunteer Luncheon — and an Appeal for Membership
The AAFSW Volunteer Luncheon on June 14 was a great success, with a huge crowd of current and past AAFSW volunteers attending. Many enthusiastic guests kept on arriving, even well after the planned ending time. Once again, an enormous variety of homemade delicious food and desserts were prepared by the AAFSW Board and enjoyed by the volunteers. Elaine Neumann once again generously hosted the event at her comfortable, beautiful Arlington home with its gorgeous gardens. AAFSW provides many services and programs that are fun and enjoyable, where newcomers and old-timers alike meet and make friends. It is so important that everyone in the Foreign Service community, from newcomers to retirees, join… Read More
Continue ReadingMexican Cultural Institute Visit
Roughly 20 AAFSW members got together on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 and enjoyed a guided tour of the beautiful Mexican Cultural Institute. After that, the AAFSW members enjoyed the stunning “GM de Mexico Collection of Drawings and Graphic Art.” Later, we had a tasty lunch at a great Mexican pupuseria close by. The Mexican Cultural Institute, which is currently the cultural arm of the Embassy of Mexico in the United States, was built in the European style between 1910 and 1911 for the Chicago banking family of Mr. Franklin MacVeagh, who served as the Secretary of the Treasury since 1909 with the administration of President William Taft. From 1916 to… Read More
Continue ReadingAnother Outstanding AAFSW Program: Tai Chi on May 31
The Tai Chi performances offered by Alfredo and Shunying Barela captured both the heart and the mind with their movements that were gentle yet strong enough to tackle a bull. Gentle floating movements connected the entire body from head to toe, from the end of the fingertips to the toes grabbing like tiger claws onto the surface of the ground. Tai Chi is a Martial Art like no other! I see Tai Chi as a combination of Yoga, Exercise, Judo, Karate, Brazilian Jiu/Jitsu, and Tae Kwon Do, touching the soul, body and mind with the energy of the universe. Tai chi is a form of focusing on the breathing, letting… Read More
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Realities of Foreign Service Life
Mention a diplomatic career and most people imagine high-level meetings, formal dress and cocktail parties. Few stop to think that behind the occasional glitter of official functions are thousands of families facing all the routines and crises of life, far from home, relatives, and friends, in unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly countries. The Realities series (Volumes 1 and 2) provides reflections and perspectives on the realities of Foreign Service life as experienced by members of the Foreign Service community around the world. The writers share their unvarnished views on a wide variety of topics they care about: Maintaining long-distance relationships Raising teens abroad Schooling and housing abroad Dealing with depression Employment… Read More
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