Diplomatic Baggage : Life on The Go

Alright, the real title of the book isn't that, its actually called Diplomatic Baggage: The Adventures of a Trailing Spouse by Brigid Keenan. A book that I found really interesting and informative, so it was just as well that I went to MPH that day in search of another travel related book (Almost French by Sarah Turnbull, it was borrowed by a friend some years ago and never returned and I'm missing it dearly right now) and found this hysterically funny book about traveling around the world with her diplomat husband.

Having begun her journey quite a long time ago (before I was born actually), when the internet wasn't around/having just started and when phone connections at many third world countries still gave up on you very often (actually who's to say they don't still suck now?) and when they don't give up on you, probably cost an arm and a leg to pay for, she was left to fend for herself and find things to do on her immense amount of free time.

I think she was rather lucky to have her husband posted to all these interesting places (but then I think he rather requested to be posted to such places, they get to state their options) which included Trinidad, Barbados, India, Syria and Kazakhstan. All under-developed nations and mostly with a vast amount of historical sites and cultural enigmas to uncover and discover.

I read the book over the course of three days while in Hong Kong and on the plane back, I think some people who were (un)lucky enough to be near me while I was enjoying a cuppa after brunch at Pop Bites (the ambience and food is amazing here) and traveling on the MTR, Airport Express and the Cathay flight must have thought me a little crazy for I couldn't control myself from chuckling, giggling, laughing and just being amused by her anecdotes about everyday life in these places and the people she met.

I was also impressed by some of the projects she embarked on and actually successfully completed for humane or cultural purposes, what would I not give to have the opportunity to do all the things she did? (well, except for the part about having leeches stuck in between her toes while trekking to a village that could only be done by foot, and having some insect growing in her thighs which couldn't be extracted till they were grown and in the meantime they were feasting on her, yuck!)

I would recommend this for anyone who loves traveling as much as I do, and anyone who loves old buildings and monuments as much as I do too... Now, how do I go about finding myself a husband who's a diplomat, or an ex-pat?