Monday, September 14, 2009

She Said: Shots...Round 1

That's right folks, you read correctly, round 1. After weeks of trying to gather immunization records from the various places Brian and I have lived, I arrived at FSI to find out just exactly what I needed before we head out. A recommendation for any of you who are thinking you may want to go overseas at some point in your life.......KEEP YOUR IMMUNIZATIONS UP TO DATE. As the nurse reviewed my most recent records (from graduate school, so can't blame mom for this), she slowly read off the shots I should have had up to date, but did not. Tetanus booster (needed in 2006) and Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B series vaccinations that I started while I was in college, but never went back to complete. This means that in addition to the strange vaccines I have to get for going overseas (Typhoid Fever, Yellow Fever, Rabies Series), I also have to get a tetanus booster and complete the hepatitis A and B series. Those of you who know me also know that I hate shots, so this was not good news for me.

In any case, I got my first round today and have to go back for another round in a week or so and then once more before we head out to Venezuela. I found it interesting to hear from the nurse that yellow fever vaccine is in short supply right now. I will actually have to go to a private clinic to get that one before we leave and she recommended a regular flu shot.

So, 3 shots today, next week I'll have another 3, another 2 before we leave for Venezuela, a flu shot at the local pharmacy and a yellow fever shot at the travel clinic. 10 shots before we go and one Hepatitis B in March once we're at post to complete the series. This is one part of traveling that I do not enjoy. Looking forward to a happier blog post next time around.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Our new Gadgets

Good morning all! It's a beautiful day out here in Hutchinson, Minnesota and I am on day 3 of my time here. I am really enjoying it. Thanks to all of you have tried to get in touch with me about getting together. I haven't forgotten about you, I really just needed to get on the ground and reclaim my sanity. I have had beautiful weather and while I have been working on a few logistical items, it is a huge relief to just have some time to relax with family. I'm excited for Brian to arrive this weekend and for our trip to the State Fair!!

Since I last wrote, we have a couple of new gadgets in our apartment, which I'm very excited about. The first unique gadget that I have to share with you is the Magic Jack:




This little device can travel with us anywhere in the world. All we have to do is plug it into a USB port and we can receive phone calls on our very own Minnesota number. We just plug a regular cordless phone into the other end of it and it works like a normal phone line. It's pretty cool. We've been testing it out and the call quality is fantastic. If we have the computer off or closed, the phone will go to voicemail, which we can check either on the phone or through email. It's pretty amazing. We'll be distributing the number privately to those who are interested.

The second device, as many of you may have guessed, is our GPS device. We have heard that this is a really great tool the first couple of weeks in Venezuela. It allows you to record locations you have been to that you may want to visit on your own in the future so you can find your way there without always having to have someone familiar with the neighborhood tag along.
Outside of our new gadgets, we have been receiving reports about shortages. The latest reports are showing shortages of sugar, coffee, rice and toilet paper. Aside from the obvious necessity of toilet paper, any of you who know us well know that the item that most concerns us from that list is coffee. I was shocked to hear about the coffee shortage, but apparently it relates to strained trade relations with Colombia in recent weeks. I guess we'll be stocking up on some Archer Farms Breakfast Blend when we leave and hoping for care packages with coffee in them!!!
Looking forward to seeing many of you on this trip and during our October visit.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

He Said: Ends, Beginnings, & Reminders

Well, I know it's a little unfair that a little less than two weeks ago Steph entered that I would be taking my final Spanish test and that I'd wait until now to officially post the results. BUT, I wanted to be able to contribute a little more than just an announcement, so here's my attempt at a review with some insight:

Ends:

As Steph preluded to, yes, my final Spanish test was two weeks ago. Please notice that I said "final." Yes, I passed!! It's hard to believe that after 17 weeks of language training I was capable of going from almost nothing to having the ability to converse and hold up my end of the conversation. While it was very exciting to finish my test and feel the great accomplishment of having completed language training, it was also very sad to leave the halls of the Spanish department. I will definitely miss my old schedule, the same thing everyday of getting up at a decent time (6:30), going to class, studying, short lunch, class, studying the rest of the afternoon, and then practicing my conversation with Steph at night when I could. It's amazing how comfortable a schedule can be, and I will actually *miss* the structure... I can't believe I actually just said that... wow, how times have changed.

Beginnings:

As you've probably picked up in my posts over the months, there usually really isn't any messing around when it comes to scheduling training within the State Department. So of course in classic style, I finished my Spanish training on a Tuesday and began my job training on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am. Right now I am in the basic consular course, affectionately named "ConGen" within the Foreign Service. The purpose of this six week course is to give us officers the basic legal and institutional knowledge to be able to do our jobs once we've gotten on the ground in country. For me, being the policy geek that I was in a past life, it is really interesting to be carrying around the text of the Immigration and Nationality Act to be able to do my job. Those of you that have been following the blog will note that this is the same class that Steph took and aced so many weeks ago. I guess it's an expectation that I will follow in her footsteps, but of course I've just gotta get the job done too.

The loss of a set schedule has been tough, but luckily (and yes I am saying luckily) there is enough work that I am able to keep an 8-4ish day of sorts. I miss the consistency of my language schedule, but appreciate the variety. Any given day I can be learning new computer applications that I'll be using at post, studying immigration statutes, or even conducting roleplays to simulate situations I may be faced with once we are in Venezuela. The broad spectrum of things that I may face in this position are definitely intriguing. I'll keep you posted as the class progresses, but please wish me luck!

Reminders:

Since my last post there have many things that I have been reminded of and wanted to reflect on briefly.

Spanish: Looking back, I have to say that I was really lucky during my Spanish training. To be able to go from almost nothing to competent in 17 weeks really was an accomplishment. I know that I have to attribute much of that to the amount of work I put into learning the language, but I was also extremely lucky to have the professors that I did during my time in language. I can honestly say that each professor I had contributed something significant to my learning. Be it helping me grasp the grammar rules, or gaining the ability to control the language with a limited vocab, I am amazed when I now get into a conversation in Spanish with a native speaker and can hold up my end. I have said many times that I was looking forward to the moment that I could finally speak. Now, I'm looking forward to the ability to USE the language. Also, one more thing I have to recognize; I am EXTREMELY lucky to have Steph in my life to practice and help me with my Spanish. She has always been my motivation in learning this language, and to be at the end of one road, learning, and moving forward together from here on out operating in a second language will be a real treat. I am so blessed to have her in my life and can't wait for this adventure. A major goal in our lives...achieved!

Reasoning: The other thing I am reminded of often when we are here in DC is the reason we got into this life in the first place; service to country. I have always been a big believer in national service, and being here in DC for training has provided me with many reminders of why this job is important to me. This past Sunday Steph and I ran down to the Memorial Bridge connecting DC to Arlington Cemetary to see the funeral procession for Senator Ted Kennedy. All politics aside, the spontaneous show of respect and patriotism to him and his family as the funeral procession went by (with people clapping, waving, and showing their American flags) was awe inspiring. It reminded me of how lucky we are to be Americans and that I have a whole lot to be thankful and give back for. I remember way back over three years ago when I began this process I thought that consular work was similar to working in the DMV. After learning more about the possibilities of stopping terrorism, protecting the American public from individuals that shouldn't be here, and providing services to Americans abroad, I realize there's a lot more to the job than just pushing paper. I'm glad to know that by doing my job overseas I'll be able to say thank you, for everything I gain and have gained as an American, everyday.