Nineteen months after I took the first step to becoming an FSO, I am now going to be the proctor tomorrow for the very same Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) tomorrow. It's a fun feeling to get to be on the other side of the table, and watch as some more people start their journey to the Foreign Service. Hoping that Embassy Khartoum has a strong showing tomorrow.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Full Circle
Nineteen months after I took the first step to becoming an FSO, I am now going to be the proctor tomorrow for the very same Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT) tomorrow. It's a fun feeling to get to be on the other side of the table, and watch as some more people start their journey to the Foreign Service. Hoping that Embassy Khartoum has a strong showing tomorrow.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
9/11/2011
Today we had a short memorial service at the embassy.
With such a young embassy, many of us grew up, and most of us started our careers after 9/11.
I wonder if I would still be doing this if it weren't for that day. If I would have developed any interest in U.S. foreign policy.
It was nice to be surrounded today by so many people dedicated to the country, so many who will put themselves in harms way in order to serve. Today I'm just proud to be American and to be a representative of my country.
With such a young embassy, many of us grew up, and most of us started our careers after 9/11.
I wonder if I would still be doing this if it weren't for that day. If I would have developed any interest in U.S. foreign policy.
It was nice to be surrounded today by so many people dedicated to the country, so many who will put themselves in harms way in order to serve. Today I'm just proud to be American and to be a representative of my country.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
3.5 weeks in Khartoum
Hello! I'm here! Remember me?
After almost 4 weeks in Khartoum, and a particularly crazy day today, I figured it was time for an update. It's hard to write one entry covering everything here so far, but I'll do my best to give a quick recap.
Colleagues (in Bathing Suits)
My very first evening here I saw many of my colleagues half-naked. The pool is the hub of social life in Khartoum. Still jet lagged, I made the social rounds at pool volley ball and trivia. I even ended up meeting the Charge d'Affair (no ambassador in Khartoum) and didn't realize who it was till a few days later.
Because of the generally small community here and security restrictions, your colleagues at Embassy Khartoum also quickly become your friends. And I can't complain about that at all, cause the people here are generally great. Back when I was bidding, I told my CDO that one of the most important factors to me was having a good social scene and morale at post- and Khartoum is the place for that. Since it's a no-dependents post, most of the people here (both at the embassy and in the rest of the expat community) are young and single, which means a lot of people in the same boat as me. I was worried about getting a post where, at the end of the day, everyone goes home to their spouse and kids for the evening, but here it's happy hours, parties, pool time, and restaurant outings.
Since then, there have been many, many other pool days. Last week was an unexpected week off for Eid, and while I was in the office almost every day, I also made it to the pool almost everyday. I also went with a couple of the girls to get henna, and have just learned that I am allergic to bad quality henna. Looks great, itches like a snitch.
A Modern(ish) City
Khartoum itself is way better than I imagined. Despite the fact that the road I live on is unpaved, there is a lot of infrastructure in most of the city, tall, shiny buildings going up, and a busy and large population here. I arrived during Ramadan, which meant the city was pretty slow and shut down for most of the day. Now that it's done, things are livening up a bit and I'll finally get the chance to go out and explore more.
What never shut were the "fancy" places in Khartoum. Believe it or not, there are a few (very few) hot spots around town where you can get a croissant and a latte, fresh olive focaccia, italian food, and be comfy and air conditioned. The clientele at these places is almost entirely expat, due to the prices, and in former times I would have felt guilty about doing something so clearly designed for a non-Sudanese audience. No more. I embrace the latte. (And I have a 3x/week housekeeper. Who am I?)
My (two) job(s)
Of course, the reason I'm here is my job. But lucky me, I have not one, but two jobs at the moment. Before I arrived at post, I was warned that the only Consular Officer would be on R&R shortly after my arrival, leaving me as Acting Consular Chief. So yes, lil' ol' 3-weeks-on-the-job me is running the Khartoum Consular section at the moment. I was able to learn quite a bit before the other consular officer left, and the local staff here are absolutely amazing (and know how to do my job better than I do), but it's still a bit nerve wracking to be in charge. Interviewing for visas is hard enough (already I've made people cry, second-guessed my self for days, and, today, someone threatened to sue me...), let alone dealing with destitute Americans the need to be repatriated, organizing visas for high level officials to go to the UN General Assembly, handling all the accountable items, and taking care of a second country (Juba doesn't have real consular capabilities yet, so everything from South Sudan still mostly gets taken care of through us).
Jealous yet? Well, don't forget, I'm not actually working as a Consular Officer in Khartoum, I'm a Political Officer. And it just so happens that my portfolio is making headlines. And the human rights report is on the table.
And did I mention I've only been here 3 weeks?!
Overwhelming is one way to put it. But also really, really exciting, enjoyable, and generally cool. My boss is great, a very good teacher. As I said, the local staff here are lifesavers. And having the social support network seals the deal.
It's been a bit of a whirlwind so far, but no complaints.
More to come.
After almost 4 weeks in Khartoum, and a particularly crazy day today, I figured it was time for an update. It's hard to write one entry covering everything here so far, but I'll do my best to give a quick recap.
Colleagues (in Bathing Suits)
My very first evening here I saw many of my colleagues half-naked. The pool is the hub of social life in Khartoum. Still jet lagged, I made the social rounds at pool volley ball and trivia. I even ended up meeting the Charge d'Affair (no ambassador in Khartoum) and didn't realize who it was till a few days later.
Because of the generally small community here and security restrictions, your colleagues at Embassy Khartoum also quickly become your friends. And I can't complain about that at all, cause the people here are generally great. Back when I was bidding, I told my CDO that one of the most important factors to me was having a good social scene and morale at post- and Khartoum is the place for that. Since it's a no-dependents post, most of the people here (both at the embassy and in the rest of the expat community) are young and single, which means a lot of people in the same boat as me. I was worried about getting a post where, at the end of the day, everyone goes home to their spouse and kids for the evening, but here it's happy hours, parties, pool time, and restaurant outings.
Since then, there have been many, many other pool days. Last week was an unexpected week off for Eid, and while I was in the office almost every day, I also made it to the pool almost everyday. I also went with a couple of the girls to get henna, and have just learned that I am allergic to bad quality henna. Looks great, itches like a snitch.
A Modern(ish) City
Khartoum itself is way better than I imagined. Despite the fact that the road I live on is unpaved, there is a lot of infrastructure in most of the city, tall, shiny buildings going up, and a busy and large population here. I arrived during Ramadan, which meant the city was pretty slow and shut down for most of the day. Now that it's done, things are livening up a bit and I'll finally get the chance to go out and explore more.
What never shut were the "fancy" places in Khartoum. Believe it or not, there are a few (very few) hot spots around town where you can get a croissant and a latte, fresh olive focaccia, italian food, and be comfy and air conditioned. The clientele at these places is almost entirely expat, due to the prices, and in former times I would have felt guilty about doing something so clearly designed for a non-Sudanese audience. No more. I embrace the latte. (And I have a 3x/week housekeeper. Who am I?)
My (two) job(s)
Of course, the reason I'm here is my job. But lucky me, I have not one, but two jobs at the moment. Before I arrived at post, I was warned that the only Consular Officer would be on R&R shortly after my arrival, leaving me as Acting Consular Chief. So yes, lil' ol' 3-weeks-on-the-job me is running the Khartoum Consular section at the moment. I was able to learn quite a bit before the other consular officer left, and the local staff here are absolutely amazing (and know how to do my job better than I do), but it's still a bit nerve wracking to be in charge. Interviewing for visas is hard enough (already I've made people cry, second-guessed my self for days, and, today, someone threatened to sue me...), let alone dealing with destitute Americans the need to be repatriated, organizing visas for high level officials to go to the UN General Assembly, handling all the accountable items, and taking care of a second country (Juba doesn't have real consular capabilities yet, so everything from South Sudan still mostly gets taken care of through us).
Jealous yet? Well, don't forget, I'm not actually working as a Consular Officer in Khartoum, I'm a Political Officer. And it just so happens that my portfolio is making headlines. And the human rights report is on the table.
And did I mention I've only been here 3 weeks?!
Overwhelming is one way to put it. But also really, really exciting, enjoyable, and generally cool. My boss is great, a very good teacher. As I said, the local staff here are lifesavers. And having the social support network seals the deal.
It's been a bit of a whirlwind so far, but no complaints.
More to come.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Semper Gumby
Always flexible.
This week, I was thanked for my flexibility in being willing to stay an extra 6 weeks in DC. Yes friends, you all have the pleasure of having me around this summer, I hope you're excited.
I'm not the first of my classmates to have a change, and definitely have one of the most minor. One colleague learned that her job had switched, and she managed to get her post to grant her an extra couple months in DC to do some more training to help her with the new portfolio. Another colleague got moved from a country's consulate in one city to its embassy in another. In the scheme of things, being asked to stay an extra 6 weeks to do consular training isn't a big deal at all. I guess I'm glad to be getting my first dose of gumby-required changes at this early stage of things.
So I will get to take the infamous ConGen afterall. In addition to that, when I go to post I'll have under my belt Political-Economic Tradecraft, Religion and Foreign Policy, and several security trainings.
While I'll be uber-prepared, it's hard not to be a bit disappointed that my departure has been delayed, mostly because I'll now be missing the South's independence, scheduled for July 9th. Of course, I would be in Khartoum, not in Juba, and the 9th would likely be just like any other day in that part of north Sudan, but c'mon, who wouldn't want to be in a country when such an important event is going on?
Yet I guess there's no use in being bummed. Honestly, I may not have been able to make it by then anyways, with the potential hold up on my visa. And this gives me more time to acquire stuff (which I made some darn good progress on last weekend), be here for my sister's 21st (what kind of older sister would I be if I didn't take her for a drink?), spend a 4th of July in the States for the first time in about 5 years, and since my 160th colleague also assigned to Sudan is heading out before me now, I can learn from everything she experiences while there.
So DC summer, bring it!
This week, I was thanked for my flexibility in being willing to stay an extra 6 weeks in DC. Yes friends, you all have the pleasure of having me around this summer, I hope you're excited.
I'm not the first of my classmates to have a change, and definitely have one of the most minor. One colleague learned that her job had switched, and she managed to get her post to grant her an extra couple months in DC to do some more training to help her with the new portfolio. Another colleague got moved from a country's consulate in one city to its embassy in another. In the scheme of things, being asked to stay an extra 6 weeks to do consular training isn't a big deal at all. I guess I'm glad to be getting my first dose of gumby-required changes at this early stage of things.
So I will get to take the infamous ConGen afterall. In addition to that, when I go to post I'll have under my belt Political-Economic Tradecraft, Religion and Foreign Policy, and several security trainings.
While I'll be uber-prepared, it's hard not to be a bit disappointed that my departure has been delayed, mostly because I'll now be missing the South's independence, scheduled for July 9th. Of course, I would be in Khartoum, not in Juba, and the 9th would likely be just like any other day in that part of north Sudan, but c'mon, who wouldn't want to be in a country when such an important event is going on?
Yet I guess there's no use in being bummed. Honestly, I may not have been able to make it by then anyways, with the potential hold up on my visa. And this gives me more time to acquire stuff (which I made some darn good progress on last weekend), be here for my sister's 21st (what kind of older sister would I be if I didn't take her for a drink?), spend a 4th of July in the States for the first time in about 5 years, and since my 160th colleague also assigned to Sudan is heading out before me now, I can learn from everything she experiences while there.
So DC summer, bring it!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Proud Owner of...
It's kinda awesome and I pretty much feel like a rock star. Now just keep your fingers crossed that my dip visa gets processed in the next 6 weeks.
An update on life after A-100 forthcoming, I promise.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Flag Day
Since Friday, I've been busy 1) processing, 2) celebrating, and 3) researching (yes, vibrant members, that was a public speaking joke). But now it's time to write out the story of that great day.
Flag day was phenomenal. While our coordinators did their best to keep us occupied and entertained all morning, it certainly didn't help to distract me from the afternoon's event. I was literally dancing around FSI, getting out all the pent up energy I had before it started. Mom and dad came to watch, and after getting them situated and answering a last minute question from my mom on, of all places, Sudan, I took my seat in between two of my closest 160th friends.
Luckily, both these seat-neighbors had been warned that I would be doing an anxious thigh-grab on them as each flag went up, and they got what I promised had been in store. The fun started when our CDOs filed into the room with 3 big racks of flags. Instantly we started analyzing them, trying to see what was and wasn't there, trying to find the flags we wanted to be handed. After a delayed guest arrived and introductions were made, the fun began. Flags and colleagues began to be called, and it was surreal to see my own Flag Day finally unfolding. Only about eight flags in, a second Sudanese flag popped up on the screen (the very first flag called was the other Sudan post, given to an awesome colleague who I look forward to working with). When it flashed on the screen I felt a twinge of... apprehension? anxiousness? I'm not sure what it was, but as the flag came up I thought "wow, this might be it".
In all honestly, I hadn't given Khartoum much consideration. It would be a great post, but since it was only Arabic language designated at a 0/0 I had thought it unlikely: they would either send me to an Arabic 2/1 post, or to a Spanish post I assumed. How wrong I was, because a second later the presenter announced my name and the Sudanese flag was in my hand.
I had about a minute to think about it as I collected my folder, waved to my parents, and took my seat. Then it was back to the fun of the event- my friend on my right side literally squealed and jumped out of her seat when she was called for Riga, my left-hand friend was clearly in shock at getting Geneva. It was so exciting to see all of my classmates get their assignments after getting to know them for 5 weeks. It's hard to believe it's only been 5 weeks, because with each flag, I knew if that was what he or she wanted, it that would be good for his or her family.
All in all, I think the CDOs did a pretty great job at giving people posts that made them happy. So far I've only discovered a couple people who were clearly disappointed in their assignments. A lot of people were confused at how they ended up with a certain flag in their hand, but more than anything people were uber-happy.
I'm still wrapping my head around Sudan. It is going to be such an amazing time to be there, getting experience in my cone, in the heart of one of the biggest focal points of the international community. Sure, I'll have to deal with the drawbacks of limited mobility and nasty weather (but hopefully I'll come back with a nice tan). But besides that, I think this is going to be AMAZING. I'm hoping to get some more info tomorrow on what to do next. Right now I just want to get it all moving! Who needs another week of A-100 when I have to apply for a diplomatic passport, contact my embassy, and pack up my life over the next two months?!!
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