Full Title
From Afghanistan to Zaire: Reflections on a Foreign Service Life
Description
From Afghanistan to Zaire describes a way of life many American
families would find bizarre, to say the least. Starting in Pakistan
and continuing on to China, Zaire, and Belarus, the most memorable
experiences of this foreign service family are recalled in text and
pictures. The family adventures include a trek to the border of
Afghanistan, a visit to the isolated mountain region of Hunza, a
brief but intense trip to China when tourists were a rarity, and the
pleasures and pitfalls of diplomatic life in Zaire before its civil
war. Finally, there is a description of the reaction of the citizens
of Belarus to the first U.S. assistance following the breakup of the
Soviet Union. While the experiences run the gamut from risky to
rewarding, the family's spirit of adventure, sense of humor, and
wonder at their homes away from home shine through.
Author
Arthur S. Lezin was born in California and educated at Reed
College and Harvard University. His varied career includes stints as
a waiter and dishwasher on passenger boats in Alaska, and as a
salesman in the United States (Levis), and in Europe (diamonds). He
also tested the academic waters as Assistant to the President of
Reed College. After joining the Agency for International
Development, he was assigned with his family to Guatemala, Chile,
Colombia, Uruguay, Pakistan, Zaire, Mauritania, and Haiti. He now
lives, with his wife, Alice, in the Cascade Mountains of Central
Oregon. In addition to portions of this book that appeared in the
Foreign Service Journal, he has published articles on Southeast
Asia, "Pakistan and the Bomb," and Eastern Europe, "Backward
Traditions Burden Slovakia." |