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."