I have moved

I have moved to a new location. All updates will now be found at http://johnmccrarey.com Just click the link or the title to this post!

Hope to see you there!
johnmccrarey.com

Sorry for the lack of updates

Sorry I haven't been posting anything of substance these past couple of days. Busy at work trying to wrap things up prior to my departure next month.

Last night I ordered my laptop from Gateway. It will be here 22 December. I have been buying Gateway products for over 10 years. I keep coming back because they have fantastic customer service. Last night was no exception. Bailey, the young woman who took my order was very helpful and efficient. Her mother is Korean, so we had a nice chat about my upcoming assignment.

I also made my temporary quarters reservation at the Dragon Hill Lodge. This is a nice hotel right on base. Internet access from my room too! I made the reservation through 1 March which I hope gives me ample time to find an apartment off-base. Uncle Sam is providing me a generous housing allowance so I should have no problem finding a comfortable place to live.

Two things off that preparation to-do list done. I still need to find the transportation office on the Marine base at Quantico so I can make the travel arrangements. Also need to get to the Korean Embassy for a special visa.

Anyway, time to get ready for work. Hope to be back tonight.

Oh yeah, I have a surprise for all me readers. Yeah, you know who you are! Look for it in a few days.

Quote for the day

Change. It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. Certainly it is worth the risk.

---Leo Buscaglia

Yes it is.

From a grateful nation

To the troops. Happy Holidays! (click title)

It's a Girl!

My daughter Renee just emailed to report that she is going to have a girl! Her due date is May 4th. This is our first grandchild and we are so very excited. Congratulations Renee and Mark.....this is going to be so much fun.

THIS is a troubling development

After just experiencing the wonderful side of Instanbul, LGF has some disturbing news about the dark side....

Here's hoping the Turks rise up in defense of their cherished secular society...
(click title to this post to view link)

young people in love....and soon to be married... 

Congratulations to Kevin and Lynn

My son Kevin proposed to his sweet girlfriend Lynn and she accepted. Smart girl! They are both blessed to have found one another. Much happiness and love to you both.

Photoblogging Istanbul

Carol and I spent last week in Istanbul. It was really an incredible city and we had a wonderful time. The history was almost overwhelming. The people were genuinely warm and friendly. Since our Turkish language skills consisted of a few mispronounced words, we were grateful that almost everyone we met spoke English. The food was different, but delicious. We lived like millionaires (the exchange rate was $1.00 for 1.4 Million Turkish Lira). Of course, one night our dinner (including wine and dessert) cost us just over 100 million TL. We did all right though. Great shopping. Took a couple of tours, and walked around on our own a lot (only got lost once, but we found a cab and after Carol corrected my pronunciation we successfully got a ride back to familiar turf.

Not many Americans there, but we met a couple. The shopkeepers say that Americans stopped coming after 9/11 which is really a shame. The city has much to offer and we enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who wants to see some really unique places. Just soaking up the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman cultural influences is worth the trip. It was definitely the most unique place in the world I have had the pleasure to experience.

We encountered lots of Spanish tourists, some Italians. The locals mistook us for German until they heard us speak. One night we were at a club and the MC sang "New York, New York", which was kinda funny with the Turkish accent and all. Then he asked people in the audience what country they were from. He would then sing a popular national song, and the folks from that country would sing along. We were the only Americans, and the song he sang was "This land is your land". It was kind of embarrassing because after the first few lines, Carol and I could not remember the lyrics. So we faked it. Carol heartily joined in with the Spanish song, but I'm not sure she had the right lyrics, unless "aye yi yi yi, I am the Frito bandito" is really their song....

Anyway, the photos follow this post.....

Ok, this is my personal favorite photo. We went to a restaurant that featured traditional Turkish folk dancing, and yes, that included belly dancers. And that's all I think I'm gonna tell...... 

These "apartments" on the upper floor of the harem were reserved for the Sultan's favorites. Except for being virtually prisoners and sex slaves, I guess the job had some perks.... 

The entrance to the "forbidden city", aka the harem.  

I found this tree worthy of a photo. From the grounds of the Topkapi Palace. 

The Sultan-eye view of Instanbul from Topkapi Palace..... 

There was so much to see and so little time....but I have to say for a real glimpse of the lifestyle of the Sultan's of the Ottoman Empire, the Topkapi Palace was the most interesting and impressive.... 

Looking across the Bosphorus to Asia. Instanbul in the only city that spans two continents...... 

A Turkish toilet. Fortunately, this is the only one of this type I encountered. I'm not sure I trust my sense of balance well enough to attempt putting it to use.... 

The Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in only four months on the Bosphorus..... 

A shop in the Egyptian Spice Market....Carol bought saffron, pine nuts, and apple tea.... 

Our hotel, the St. Sophia. Not exactly the Ritz, but as Hemingway might say it was a clean well-lighted place. And the location was perfect. In the heart of the old city, right next door to the Hagia Sophia..... 

And the shopping experience was quite unique. Carol with a shopkeeper named Erol at the Arasta Bazaar, which is much more laid back than the Grand Bazaar. Our experience was that you didn't just make a purchase, you had tea and a chat as part of the transaction... 

On the "Golden Horn" of the Bosphorus... 

A mural inside the St. Sophia.... 

An example of one of the surviving mosaics inside St. Sophia. They were covered in plaster when the cathedral was converted to a mosque. 

The Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) completed in 537 during Justinian's reign. The minaret's were added after Mehmet II conquered the city and in praise to Allah converted it to a mosque. Very impressive to view, and definitely the oldest structure I had ever set foot in. The history in those walls could almost be felt..... 

The Blue Mosque, constructed at the bidding of Sultan Ahmet I between 1609-1617. 

The view from our hotel window. Yep, the trams made some noise as they passed. But in the distance you can see two of the six minarets that grace the Blue Mosque. The call to prayer was broadcast from there at 6:00 am was definitely a unique wake-up call.... 

This Medusa's head is the base of one of 336 marble columns in the Yerebatan cistern, constructed by Constatine. It was a pretty ingenuous engineering fete and is a pretty amazing thing to see...to dark for decent pictures though...you just have to see it. 

Good news from Afghanistan

For those so inclined, I suggest reading this excellent article (click the title to this post)on just how much progress has been made in Afghanistan. There's still a ways to go, but there is no question that what has been accomplished in 3 short years is amazing.

Back to work

Arrgh. One thing about taking time off is getting out of the getting up and going to work routine. I haven't shaved for a week and am I not looking forward to scraping off those wiskers, putting on the neck tie, and making that long commute to DC. Alas.

Tonight I will post some photos and comments on our trip to Istanbul. An amazing place. See you then.

Hillary making friends at an orphanage.... 

Thanksgiving in Afghanistan 

This is one of my favorites of Hillary in Afghanistan.... 

And So It Begins

I'm moving to Seoul, Korea. Although the general consensus among family and friends is that I've lost my mind (which I don't necessarily deny), this is something of a calling for me. One of my biggest regrets in life was not serving in the military. My father and two brothers are Army vets. My daughter is currently serving her second tour in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne. I am incredibly proud of her and all our troops who are sacraficing so much to defend our freedom and to bring freedom from tyranny to others. Sitting on the sidelines watching these incredible men and women making a difference in the world has only exacerbated my desire to find some tangible way to make a contribution in support of our military. Of course, at 49 my options are somewhat limited. I have been a federal civilian employee for over 28 years, and so for the past several months I have been applying for civilian jobs with the Department of Defense. I was not selected for a position I applied for in Iraq, but the Army offered me a job in South Korea and I have accepted. I don't presume to think that doing a civilian gig in Seoul is heroic or particularly self-sacraficing, but if in some small way I can play a part in our national defense, I am proud to do so.

Ok, that's the altruistic reason for going, such as it is. On a more personal level, I have lived a very comfortable life. Too comfortable perhaps. The chance to live and work overseas in a totally alien culture seems to be an exciting opportunity to get out of my box and experience a new lifestyle. Yes, I am looking forward to the adventure. Of course, the nature of adventure is the not knowing how things will turn out. I know I will miss my family and friends and everything that is familiar and wonderfully American. I have made a two-year committment to the Army, and if I am miserable and lost and lonely, well I will deal with it and learn what I can from the experience. Going in, I have a positive attitude and believe that I have the power to determine what I gain and how I grow as I live this new life.

So, this blog will serve as a diary of my life in Korea. It will be a place where I share my thoughts on what I am seeing, doing, and learning. And since I am fairly political and opinionated, there will likely be some commentary on my views on world events. I have been a blog reader since I discovered the blogosphere shortly after 9/11. This is my first attempt at writing a blog and that will be part of the adventure I am undertaking.

I am scheduled to report for duty on January 23. It is my plan to post on a regular basis. So feel free to drop by and check up on my progress as I begin this new phase of my life.