Greetings from Kuala Lumpur…my new home for the next three years! My husband, Paul Wayne Jones, a career Foreign Service Officer was appointed the U.S. Ambassador to this fascinating country and I’m along for the ride. I’ve been away from my blog (and all my other work too) for many months while my home in Bethesda was under renovation. After the trials and tribulations of living in a construction zone for twelve months, my renters are enjoying the finished masterpiece (ouch!).

We landed in Kuala Lumpur about two weeks ago and are still settling into our colonial-style villa complete with monkeys in the mango trees (my labradoodle  likes to chase them even though I’ve warned  him that they are aggressive little creatures and he might lose his snout) and happy bird songs infusing the air. I’m insanely lucky to have a fabulous staff to help upkeep this historic home. Luanne, my Chinese cook,  a real sweatheart, is a genius in the kitchen. Just this past week she whipped up a silky shrimp curry with sweet coconut rice (her secret: steam don’t boil the rice); perfectly spicy Chinese BBQ chicken with a simple sauce composed of oyster sauce, soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic, 5-spice powder, sesame oil, and a pinch of chili; and a divine wonton soup with sliced green onions and crispy shallots.  Peking duck is in the near future. I can see another book brewing here.

So you may be thinking why does this Jones girl need such a big house, a staff, and her own cook. Here’s the answer: As the U.S. Ambassador’s wife my social calendar for the coming week looks something like this. Tuesday: Ambassador Wives Coffee in the the morning and two receptions in the evening, one for Women in Business and the second hosted by USDA; Wednesday: Malaysian Cultural Group Coffee in the am and Chinese national day at night; Thursday: I’m hosting a reception for 200 people in my home; and Friday: welcome drinks with Netherlands’s Ambassador who lives up the street. Next week’s excitement is throwing a dinner for 150  to salute 24 U.S. astronauts…how cool is that! Good thing I loaded my war chest with a cache of new party dresses and heels.

As soon as I get more settled I plan to  finish those writing projects I started long ago, and to blog and tweet more often. I’m slowly regaining my sanity and I will try hard not to lose it in this social whirlwind. Being an ambassador’s wife is a great honor. My father was an esteemed ambassador and I am so proud to be his daughter. I’m equally proud of my husband and he and I will do our best to represent our great nation here in Malaysia. In the photo below, taken in the State Department, yours truly is in the pink jacket, my gorgeous thirteen-year-old (5 foot 9) daughter, Allie, is in the dazzling dress, my ten-year-old son, Hale, is hiding behind her, and my husband is close to Hillary Clinton, who performed the honors of swearing him into office. http://malaysia.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html

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