The Foreign Service Journal, October 2004

OCTOBER 2004 • AFSA NEWS 9 IMMEDIATE BENEFIT PLAN FROM AFSPA The American Foreign Service Protective Association is pleased to announce another opportunity for active-duty, U.S. citizen Foreign Service members, direct-hire, Civil Service Department of State, USAID and FAS employees, and Foreign Service employ- ees (only) of FCS, to enroll in the Immediate Benefit Plan. The next open enrollment period will run from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, 2004, with an effective date of coverage of Jan. 1, 2005. The Immediate Benefit Plan offsets the unexpected and extraordinary expenses incurred in the first days and weeks fol- lowing the death of a loved one and before other benefits are paid. A check in the amount of $15,000 (at age 70 this benefit drops to $7,500) will be issued to your designated beneficiary(ies), generally within two business days of AFSPA's receipt of offi- cial notification of death. AFSA encourages all eligible members to review the Immediate Benefit Plan to determine if this new life insurance pro- gram should be a part of their overall benefits coverage. To enroll in this plan and/or for more information, please visit AFSPA’s Web site, www.afspa.org. ▫ S pending a year in language train- ing is difficult, especially with school-age children. A year is too long for a vacationor to liveout of a suit- case, with most of your belongings storedaway. Recently,wefoundourselves back in D.C., learning Korean in prepa- ration for our next post, Seoul. In retro- spect, it was a good year. Here is what made a difference. PLAN AHEAD. We started making preparationsmonthsbeforedepartingour last post.Most people settle for furnished apartmentswhileinlanguagetraining,but we thought we could do something else. We wanted a place that was affordable, close to Fairfax High School, the Metro systemand amall (we dohave a teenage daughter!). Withthese requisites inmind, my husband and daughter went to work. Shopping aroundvia the Internet, they built a file of options, whichwe dis- cussed as a family. Then, sight unseen, we made a deposit on an unfurnished apartment inFairfax thatmet our needs. Once inVirginia,we contactedoneof the furniture rental companies we had also researchedonline and selected the furni- ture, whichwas delivered four days later. MAKE IT HOME. We had chosen very carefullywhat furnishingswewouldbring (I started a list months before packing out). In the air freight—our only ship- ment—therewerebed linens, towels, the indispensablekitchenstuff, andalsoa few photographs, games, selected decorative items (our collection of refrigerator magnets, for instance), our laptops and some electronic equipment. Mydaugh- ter’streasurebox(containingherCDsand a few other things) also came in the air freight. We added new bed comforters and bathroom rugs, which we planned to mail to our next post. These things made ahugedifference, addingcolor and comfort to the apartment. HITTHEGROUNDRUNNING. Wemade thepointtovisittheschoolbeforewewent on vacation. At orientation, we encour- agedourdaughter toapproachothernew students (she had cards with her name, address, and telephone number). Soon, the phone was ringing. Extracurricular activities are particularly important to ForeignServicechildren. Ina large school such as Fairfax High School, or in any overseas school, integration comes easi- erifthenewstudentisinvolvedinasmall- er group. In language training, this is equally important. Six weeks after school started, our daughter auditioned for a play and was playing in the band. CELEBRATE. Carry on with seasonal traditions. Don’t skip thembecause you don’thaveyour chinaorbecauseyour liv- ing quarters are small. Use disposable plates, cups andornaments. During lan- guage training, we had friends and fam- ilyover. Ourdaughter’snewfriendscame tospendthenight. InDecember,wewent looking for aChristmas tree, the 18-inch variety. We also did what we can’t do while at post: traveledandvisitedrelatives around the U.S., and enjoyed the local library. AVOIDTHESHOPPINGTRAP. I thought we had done well until the time came to pack out. The moving company’s esti- mate reassuredus. Butwehadbeenbuy- ing little things: a book here and there, a prettyplate… I didn’t realizehowmuch we were accumulating until the movers reached our weight allowance. We had to mail the extra stuff. Had I suspected trouble, Iwouldhave selected something other thanexpensive suits tosendbypost. The lessons: keep shopping to a mini- mumandmake sure themoverspack the most valuable items first. CONCLUSION. Language training for ayearwasnot an interruptionof ordinary living, but an opportunity to reconnect with friends andcatchupon familymat- ters. Eventeenagers,whohave the tough- est time moving, can thrive during this period,aslongastheyaremadeactivepar- ticipants in the process. One thing is for sure: language training teaches you to make the best out of today. A year goes by soquickly youcan’t afford toprocras- tinate. AdelaidaLucena-LowerisaForeignServicespouse who has accompanied tours inMexico City, Rio de Janeiro andSaoPaulo, and is currently enjoy- ing Seoul. She contributes to the Seoul-based English language magazine Arirang , and writes reviews for the Historical Novel Society. FS VOICE: FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS BY ADELAIDA LUCENA-LOWER Surviving and Thriving in Language Training AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Continued from page 8