As a new retiree we are enjoying our first few months by just exploring abit. We have decided for now not to return straight back to the USA and to explore Europe - as our kids work there and it is the one region we have not seen much of over the years. Our base for now is Albania - where we once worked 15 years ago. We were seeking warmer weather, warm people, and a base close to our kids. An additional bonus is randomly meeting former and current UNICEF staff and international development types. In less than 1 month retired it is amazing who one bumps into:
Last week we attended the funeral of the mother in law of a very close UNICEF colleague in Surrey, England. While being introduced to family members we know nothing about - my colleague for a person who had worked in Tanzania in the early 2000s as head of a large INGO. We shook hands and were happy to have something in common - and then a smile crossed our faces as we both knew we had met in Dar - our kids were same age and I recalled specifically chatting with him at a bar about all the PEPFAR money pouring in and how the INGOs were all worried about misuse of this money. The conversation flowed freely - and we found out we had both worked in Northern Iraq in early 1990s and knew the same people. We went back over the assassination of 2 colleagues - and had very similar versions of the 2 or more theories the entire NGO community had on these shocking deaths.
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| me and Sundus |
While in England we took some time to see London. While lingering in the gift shop of the National Portrait Gallery I looked up from a table of napkins with Henry the VIII on them so see a very familiar face: it was the legendary Staffan De Mistura. I approached him -mentioned I knew him. And the conversation flowed freely - several times or paths crossed - I was a very young new UNICEF staff and he was a legend. He remains a legend and is still the SG's Special Rep for Western Sahara at age 80!
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