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Note: Mike completed classes in February 2005 at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia. He and his family are now stationed in Seoul, South Korea. Click here for Thoughts on A-100 Training, or click here to go to Mike's blog on daily life in Korea.
7/5/04 – “Together Again, Visiting Washington, and Fireworks on the Balcony”
My family arrived in town this week. They finally moved here after a four-month separation. I took Thursday off along with the 3-day Fourth of July weekend to relax and enjoy life as a family. It is so good to be back together again! I missed them very much. My wife and son joined me in D.C. along with my father- and mother-in-law, and I was instantly been transformed from a married “bachelor” to a father-husband-son-in-law. It will be interesting living together as a family of five in a Northern Virginia apartment until we leave for post.
I began the week by joining the welcome reception for the 120th A-100 class. The reception was held on Monday morning, June 28th. I have been a member of the 118th Welcome Committee since March. Our labor finally bore fruit as the new members of the 120th in freshly donned suits consumed doughnuts, coffee, juice, and water provided by the 118th. Our class reception is a blur to me now, so I really enjoyed being at the 120th’s reception to meet and greet, listen to the 120th being sworn in by Foreign Service staff, and take photos of the festive occasion. Members of the 118th helped set up and take down the refreshments, and Andrea welcomed the 120th to the State Department on behalf of the 118th. It went by quickly, and the 120th is well on its way in A-100 training.
I completed my consular training (ConGen) on Wednesday. We finished one last case study review on Monday, and on Tuesday morning I aced the final exam covering American Citizen Services. On Tuesday afternoon we watched a video called “Fish!” discussing the famous Fish! philosophy. Spawned in Seattle (pun intended), the Fish! philosophy was developed by Australian Stephen Lundin after observing the management techniques of a fun-loving fish market at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The store is famous for “flying fish” thrown across the store for gutting and packaging after being selected by a customer. Although we won’t throw any fish or work in a fish market as consular officers, we have a lot to learn from the Fish! philosophy. The video reminded me of all the years I lived in Seattle. I remember going occasionally to Pike Place Market and watching the fish market antics, although I never bought a fish there. I enjoyed watching employees toss fish with amazing precision through a small opening at the back of the market to be gutted and packaged for customers. Ah, I do miss Seattle. It seems like so long ago since I was there.
On July 3rd we decided to tour the National Mall. I’ve seen it many times before, but my in-laws have never seen our nation’s Capitol and wanted to see it for the first time. We traveled by Metro to the Smithsonian and walked around the Mall. When asked their touring preferences, they immediately said that they wanted to see the White House. I’m glad that we did not go down to the Mall for the July 4th celebration, because the parade and other morning festivities were cancelled due to rain. The weather in the afternoon improved, and the Fourth of July concert on the Mall and fireworks over the Washington Monument went on as planned. I’m fortunate to have a view of the Capitol and Washington Monument from my balcony, and for the first and perhaps only time we had a bird’s eye view of the festivities. I never thought I would have that opportunity. It makes me very proud to be an American and to serve my country.
Dear reader, as my family arrives and I begin my Korean language training I will not have much time to write. I will write as often as I can. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on A-100 training and life after A-100. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Perhaps someday after a long career in Foreign Service I will incorporate these entries into a memoir. There is still a lot left to write.
6/29/04 – “Summer Solstice, June Departures, the Eastern Shore, and Yahooligans”
Summer arrived last week with the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. At 9 p.m. the sky is still dusty gray, and the sunset still holds steady well into the evening. Summer is here at last! Fortunately, it hasn’t been too hot here in the D.C. area—the weather last weekend could not have been better. This week President Clinton’s long-awaited memoir hit the bookshelves, and Michael Moore’s documentary “Fahrenheit 9/11” hit the theaters. It’s the start of another political season leading up to the 2004 Election. It’s going to be a hot one.
We began studying American Citizen Services (ACS) in consular training (ConGen). ACS include emergency and non-emergency consular services provided to American citizens traveling and living overseas. American citizens sometimes find themselves requiring assistance from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General. Opportunities to assist American citizens at post are both numerous and diverse. They include routines services such as voter registration and notarization as well as assistance in the event of an illness, arrest, and victimization, even death. ACS are documented extensively in the Foreign Affairs Manual (7 FAM). These policies help guide consular officers when ACS issues arise. ACS work also requires common sense and a cool head, especially during crises or extremely difficult situations such as child custody cases. We spent the week studying ACS, 7 FAM regulations, and learning how to handle ACS-related situations as consular officers. The section included two of our most difficult ConGen roleplays—prison visits and death notifications. We took turns serving as consular officers as well as incarcerated persons and performed simulated prison visits. We also notified hypothetical next of kin that a fictional relative had passed away overseas. ACS can a very challenging job, but it is probably one of the most rewarding aspects of consular work. ACS let you assist your fellow Americans and help show them that their government cares about them. It must be personally rewarding.
On Thursday the 118th A-100 descended on the Aegean Taverna in Arlington for a feast honoring those who will soon depart for post. Our first big wave of 118th classmates is now heading overseas. At least a dozen of my classmates will leave for post by mid-July. Many more will follow in July and August. I wish I could join them, but I have to stay at FSI until I finish Korean language training. Most of our classmates and their loved ones turned out for one last big class get together. We will continue to have departure dinners every month, but the turnout will decrease as more people head to post. By March we will have all left FSI. The dinner itself was spectacular. We dined on Greek food and drink, toasted to health and happiness, and engaged in good conversation. I met up with friends and colleagues I hadn’t seen since A-100 training, and I said goodbye to a few I may not see again for a long time. I also distributed the 118th A-100 class gift, bringing to closure a huge project I’d been working on since the end of April. The gift consisted of an elegant metal pocket cardholder engraved with the Department logo and name and the words “118th A-100 Class”. (One of my colleagues graciously arranged for the cardholder.) The gift also included a DVD featuring our class Follies, a CD with hundreds of class photos, and a VCD slideshow featuring the best photos of the 118th A-100. I was happy that the dinner was well attended, giving me an opportunity to personally hand each classmate his or her class gift.
On Saturday my friend Eric and I headed to Ocean City, Maryland and to the Delaware Shore to soak up some rays. It had been awhile since I’d left town—I needed to get out of town for a little R&R. I originally planned to head to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on my own, but Eric suggested a much shorter trip together to the Eastern Shore. We drove to Ocean City and stopped to eat at Hooper’s, a fabulous seafood restaurant on the waterfront. You can’t miss the big red barn-style building as you approach town heading east on highway 50. The crab claws and crab cakes were delicious. Then we hit the Ocean City boardwalk and meandered along the beach to the amusement park and pier. The pier juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, offering a panoramic view of the waterfront. A word of warning, though—think twice about walking on the pier after a big meal. The motion of the waves against the pier can make you really seasick. In the afternoon we drove up the Delaware coast to less-crowded beaches. We stopped at Delaware Shores State Park. I relaxed for a while and read a magazine as I tried to tan. Unfortunately, I could only put up with the biting flies for so long before I deserted my beach outpost and headed to the water to wash away the offending flies. The water was cool, the waves refreshing. I walked on the beach, enjoying the mild sunshine and the fresh air stirred up by the ocean currents, searching the sand for ocean artifacts. A few sand crabs, small jellyfish, and shell pieces peppered the beach. I saw the remains of horseshoe crab that had seen better days. (I initially wondered whether I had found Darth Vader’s helmet.) In the evening we headed to Dogfish’s Head Pub in Rehoboth Beach. It’s a must-visit place if you’re a beer aficionado. I highly recommend a daytrip to Ocean City and Delaware Shore. It would definitely be a great family outing. I’ll probably take my own family there this summer. My son Alex will enjoy the boardwalk and amusement park.
The 120th A-100 class arrived on Sunday, one day before the start of their A-100 class. Many members joined us for a family get-together in the afternoon and for a welcome party at The Continental Pool Lounge in the evening. I enjoyed meeting many of the veterans of the A-100-2002 Yahoo group who are virtual celebrities. Erica, Suzanne, Krista, VK, Dew, Evan—I met them all (I’m still searching for Kat). I enjoyed putting a face and a personality to these Yahoolians who commiserated with me on that Yahoo group for FS hopefuls. I enjoyed meeting all of the members of the 120th I met. Many in the 120th already knew me from their 120th group, and the party at The Continental brought that group to life. The 116th through 120th A-100 classes include most of the Yahoolians I got to know over since I joined A-100-2003 in March 2003. It’s good to see that most of the hopefuls who were active on the board are finally in the Foreign Service. Endings are always better when they’re happy.
6/12/04 – “NIVs, Reagan Viewing, and Reflections on A-100”
This week was overshadowed by the death and remembrance of President Reagan, especially in the nation’s Capitol, where the president was flown on Wednesday. He was at the Capitol rotunda lying in state until Friday, when his state funeral was held at the National Cathedral. I went on Thursday evening for the public viewing, and on Friday I completed the purchase our townhouse in Vienna. I also celebrated my anniversary in absentia while my family was in Las Vegas on vacation. A somewhat quiet week ended with flurry of activity.
We studied non-immigrant visas in consular training (ConGen). I am particularly interested in the NIV section of the course because many of my friends and relatives have been through the non-immigrant visa process. Some have been denied visas, and I wondered why. Most were denied due to “immigration tendencies.” I wondered what was meant by “immigration tendencies” and why individuals who I knew did not intend to immigrate to the U.S. would be denied visas on these grounds. I now understand that according to the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 section 214(b) any alien seeking an NIV is presumed to be an immigrant until “he establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer and to the immigration officers that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15).” The non-immigration section of ConGen training is built around determining whether the applicant is qualified to receive an NIV. I was surprised to learn that when consular officers adjudicate visas they essentially grant an alien permission to appear at a U.S. port of entry before an immigration officer, who then determines whether the alien should be permitted to enter the country based on documentation presented. This shatters the myth overseas that consular officers personally grant visas. The myth is likely perpetuated whenever a visa applicant hears, “I’m sorry, but I can’t give you a visa today.” The reality is that the applicant did not meet the qualifications required for the visa they seek; they did not overcome the burden of proof. In ConGen we studied various types of NIVs ranging from A to V visas, the documentation required for each visa, and the qualifications that have to be met in order to adjudicate a visa. We also started NIV computer systems training. I practiced visa interviewing with a couple of my colleagues, and it took me over 5 minutes to complete each interview. I still have a ways to go to become an astute and efficient visa interviewer. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of NIVs is determining which type of visa, if any, the applicant should receive and processing visa paperwork, including annotating a visa and determining reciprocity requirements. At a “visa mill” where officers process hundreds of NIVs every day, interviewing, adjudicating, and processing are probably very efficient.
This week I celebrated my wedding anniversary. I stayed here while my wife and family went to Las Vegas on vacation. It makes perfect sense, right? It makes sense in the context of the strange world of the Foreign Service. We decided that I wouldn’t return to Seattle during FSI training, and after my family arrives my wife and I will take a trip somewhere together and belatedly celebrate marital bliss. June has been especially busy for us because my family has to pack out in Seattle, sell the cars, and rent the house by the end of the month. We also have to take care of transitioning our finances to D.C. The time will go by very quickly, albeit in haste. Still, this feels much better than in April when life was still in limbo. The plan we had worked out months ago is now being set in motion, and we’re more than ready to implement it.
On Thursday evening six of my colleagues and I went to the public viewing of President Reagan’s casket at the Capitol rotunda. It was quite an ordeal! We arrived at 10:30 p.m. thinking that the crowds would be smaller in the late evening. 8 hours later we paid respects for one minute to President Reagan. I should have known that the Federal holiday on Friday and the final hours of the public viewing would bring out tens of thousands of people. Estimates placed the total number who attended the viewing at 200,000. I think that at least 50,000 people stood in line on the National Mall overnight. Although the line moved fairly fast, the sheer number of people waiting in line was amazing. We started across the street from the Washington Monument and snaked around the Mall. To pass time our group talked, joked, and sang songs, anointing ourselves as the unofficial “Foreign Service Glee Club.” Our rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” near the Wading Pool west of the Capitol steps got a standing ovation from the crowd (everyone was standing!). We talked politics and about the legacy of President Reagan. A reporter from the National Journal stood in line behind us and talked to us about our thoughts on Reagan’s legacy. We shared some information, although we made sure that our dialogue was neither inflammatory nor attributable to the State Department. We were provided with bottled water to quench our thirst, and fortunately I had brought some granola bars to pass around to the hungry troops. We initially estimated that the wait would be three hours based on the experience of colleagues who went on Wednesday. However, once we saw the masses we estimated a five-hour wait, and by hour 4 we realized that we would wait much longer. Eight hours later, we finally entered the rotunda. We circled around the flag-draped casket flanked by five frozen soldiers from different branches of the military. The dome overhead was ethereal. I walked silently around the casket, staring at it silently. One minute later, I walked out and marched down the stairs out the capital with the others in line. Was it worth the wait? To me, personally, it was definitely worth it. I could finally thank President Reagan personally for his service to the country. It was an honor to sacrifice personal comfort for a few hours to pay my respects to him. Others who wanted take apart in this once-in-a-lifetime event also thought it was worth the wait. Some who went merely to see the casket and rotunda might have been disappointed. The experience left all of us sleepless and fatigued but thankful that we had persevered.
I didn’t get much sleep on Friday. After I got home at 7 a.m., I slept for 3 hours until the plumbing company called to say that the last minute work done on our townhouse needed authorization. I slept a couple more hours until the 3 p.m. closing on our townhouse. At 2 p.m. I went to the escrow company in the Dupont Circle area by Metro to sign the closing papers. The closing symbolized the end of a long journey to find a home. We started looking for it in late March, and now the home is finally ours. After we won the bid on the home, we spent some time getting ready to buy it. We secured a loan, negotiated with the owner over fixes that needed to be done, established power of attorney so I could sign the closing papers in my wife’s absence, wired the down payment to the escrow company, went through a final walk through, and negotiated a new lease with the current tenant. Although we haven’t yet finalized the new lease, we should be done within two weeks. I am thankful that we’re not leaving until December because it gives us some time to work with the tenants to improve the home before we head to Seoul. We’re planning to manage the home without using a property management company. Property managers usually ask for a percentage of the monthly rent (8-10%) to manage the property, and depending on the area many will ask for first month’s rent each year to secure new tenants. Fortunately, we can work with the existing tenants even though we’ll be thousands of miles away from Virginia. We plan to designate a local proxy here who can help keep an eye on the property for us while we’re gone.
After three months in the Foreign Service, I reflected on my time here and where members of the various A-100 classes are now. The 119th class (May) received their post assignments on Tuesday during the Flag Day ceremony. I hear that most were satisfied with their assignments; a few were disappointed. The 120th A-100 class beginning June 28th is now busy preparing to converge on the Washington D.C. area. Some 120th class members already live in town. Although they don’t have to worry about the headache of relocating to D.C., they’ll miss out on the per diem benefit that out-of-towners receive during training at the Foreign Service Institute. Members of the 120th from out of town are busy preparing to relocate. They have a gazillion logistics questions, but fortunately my class, the Mighty 118th, set up an online group for them and have been answering their A-100 logistics questions (it’s a tradition for A-100 classes to assist upcoming classes). We can relate to what they’re going through because we went through the same trial by fire just four short months ago. The pain and frustration is still fresh in our minds. The 116th A-100 was gracious to help us out, and the 119th is just starting to gear up to help the 121st A-100 coming in September. Our class will welcome the 120th A-100 class on 6/27 with an A-100 pre-party. We’re also planning their welcome reception on 6/28 and a few follow-on activities. The 120th will get to do the same for the 122nd A-100 in January 2005. By then most of us from the 118t will be at post.
6/5/04 – “President Reagan, D-Day, Making Movies, and Taxation without Representation”
Although the day today
was quiet and drab, it was certainly newsworthy. President Ronald Reagan
passed away today at the age of 93. Although he’s been out of the
public eye for quite some time, his presence lingers. President Reagan
left us with lasting memories of the 1980’s and the end of the Cold
War. His policies shaped the post-Cold War world. On the eve of the 60th
anniversary of D-Day, his death will weigh heavily on that somber occasion.
As a member of the Gen X generation, I believe that President Reagan’s
legacy impacted our generation like no other. We do not have firsthand
memories of World War II or D-Day, although we’re thankful for the
efforts of the men and women who bravely served our country and lost their
lives defending freedom. The Gen X generation's coming of age was largely
defined by the 1980’s and the events of that decade. Many of us
who are in our late 20’s and early 30’s are now joining the
Foreign Service. We are new Foreign Service officers faced with the important
challenge of promoting American foreign policy overseas, and we’ve
been given a unique opportunity to build trans-Atlantic relations by remembering
D-Day and President Reagan. Thank you!
Today thoroughbred Smarty Jones failed in his quest to become the first
Triple Crown winner in horse racing since Affirmed in 1978. I wonder which
will happen first—another Triple Crown winner or a Cubs or Red Sox
victory in the World Series. Never bet on a horse that’s guaranteed
to win! Fate will have the last laugh.
I finished immigrant visas (IV) in my consular course (ConGen) on Thursday. (Every time I hear or write “IV” word I think of hospital IVs.) This segment is based on section 9 of the Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM), which deals with both immigrant and non-immigrant (NIV) visas. We learned about the various types of immigrant visas as well as visa ineligibilities—circumstances that would render an IV candidate ineligible for an immigrant visa. We read three manuals on IVs, visa ineligibilities, and supplemental documents. We also received a large case study binder with sample cases, including one IV case we had to process from initial petition to visa issue. As always, the cases were complicated and gave examples that were far from routine. We continued our computer systems training, learning about the systems we will use to process IVs. On Wednesday we performed IV role-plays, portraying either IV applicants or the consular officers processing their cases. I passed the IV exam, but I didn’t do as well as I’d hope. I studied the material for hours, and I pored over the 9 FAM. I took the full time allotted to complete the exam. I was surprised that I missed any questions at all. However, after reading the correct answers I understood why I missed what I did. ConGen exam questions are very tricky. The questions are multiple-choice and seem straightforward at first glance, but one word can change their entire meaning and the correct answer. You have to read and re-read a question thoroughly before answering. The exam is probably a good simulation of the true nature of consular work. Immigrant visa cases can be routine, but they can also be tricky because each case is unique and requires a keen eye to process. This is especially true when determining whether or not a case is subject to ineligibilities. I’ve learned a lot about consular affairs during my short time in ConGen, but I also realize how little I still know about consular work. I don’t feel like I will truly know consular work until I work on an IV or NIV line. I also need practice before I step up to process real cases.
Lately I’ve been spending just about every evening fighting my personal computer as I try to turn our 118th A-100 Follies into a DVD movie (to read more about the Follies, see my journal entry on 3/27/04). I’m happy to announce that I finally finished our Follies DVD and will outsource it to a vendor to burn 100 copies for my classmates. I hope it will be ready before the next wave of A-100 compadres heads overseas. I borrowed the digital video (DV) footage of the Follies from an A-100 colleague. Burning video footage onto a DVD seems like an easy task, but it’s time consuming and takes substantial effort to complete. Never believe the corporate hype bragging about how easy it is to make DVDs. To make a DVD movie you need a digital camcorder, an IEEE 1394 card installed in your personal computer, and a firewire to connect your camcorder to the computer. You also need DVD movie software and a DVD burner. Some PCs such as Dell’s higher-end Dimension series have everything you need to create DVD movies except the camcorder and firewire. I use Roxio’s Easy Media Creator software to create movies (Pinnacle is also excellent). The most difficult part of the movie-making process is uploading DV footage onto your computer. The firewire connection can be testy, and oftentimes the footage is flawed when it’s uploaded. It can be garbled, jumpy, scratchy, faded, or incomplete. Once the footage has been correctly uploaded you can use DVD software to edit it and turn it into a movie. The software lets you crop footage and add titles, background music, subtitles, and transition effects. You can also create a menu that displays when the DVD is played. The DVD software also controls the DVD burn process. DVD burning is the most time-consuming part of movie making. A typical DVD holds 4.7 gigabytes of information, and at 4X speed a DVD burner can take up to two hours to burn a single DVD. I have a multi-format DVD burner that recognizes four common DVD standards—DVD-R, DVD-RW (rewritable), DVD+R, and DVD+RW (it does not recognize DVD-RAM). Most personal computer DVD-ROM drives will recognize any of these formats, but most DVD players use DVD-R format. Three weeks later, I finally produced a good, quality Follies DVD-R on my fourth try. There’s nothing more frustrating than spending two hours making a DVD, putting it in your DVD player, pushing play, and watching nothing happen. I’m happy that I finally finished the job and am sending the Follies DVD off to the vendor for duplication.
Here is some information for anyone planning to live in Arlington. Last week I received a letter from the County of Arlington announcing that all vehicles parked in the county are subject to the Vehicle Personal Property Tax. Unbeknownst to me, I was supposed to register my vehicle with the County within 30 days of arriving so I could pay for a $24 rear-window decal and pay the Vehicle Personal Property Tax by October 5. The County sent notice to me and virtually everyone else in my apartment complex. We were given 15 days to pay up, so I scrambled to mail a copy of my car registration and check to the County. I’m now waiting for the decal to arrive so I can place on my vehicle. I wish that were the end of the story, but now I am expecting a tax bill from the County in July even though I will be moving out of Arlington in mid-July. I plan to call and receive a pro-rated bill so that I’m not stuck paying too much tax. I don’t yet know how much I’ll pay out of pocket to the County, but I do know that it’s not covered by the State Department. If you’re planning to move to Arlington soon, don’t wait for the county to send you a nasty-gram. Go to http://www.co.arlington.va.us/treas/ to learn more about the Vehicle Personal Property Tax.
5/31/04 – “Republic of Z, Meskerem, and Shenandoah”
Happy Memorial Day! I’m glad to have an extra day off to stop, reflect, and recuperate in anticipation of the week ahead. On Saturday, May 29th the National World War II Memorial was dedicated on the National Mall. I did not attend the ceremony because the event sold out a long time ago. Living in our nation’s Capitol amidst such a momentous occasion makes this Memorial Day weekend very memorable for me. It reminds me that I am serving my country as a Foreign Service officer. The low rumble of Harley motorcycles has temporarily replaced the sound of cicadas as thousands of bikers converge on Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day weekend. I’ve been told that the cicadas will be back in full force in early June and their noisy mating crescendo will begin in a week or two.
I finished by second week of consular (ConGen) training, and I passed my first test. ConGen is divided into four six-day sections, including passport and nationality, immigrant visas, non-immigrant visas, and American Citizen Services. This week I completed passports and nationality and began working on immigrant visas. Passport and nationality focused on 7 FAM, one section of the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual. We studied a variety of topics related to 7 FAM, including passport issuance and denial as well as acquisition and denial of U.S. citizenship. I took the nationality exam and passed, although I missed one question. I was bummed that I was eliminated from competition for the “Purple Robe”, an honor bestowed on the individual or individuals who ace all four ConGen exams. The “Purple Robe” is a purple robe worn by the winner(s) at the ConGen graduation ceremony. It is much akin to the Yellow Jersey or the Green Jacket in cycling and golf. A few of my colleagues are still in the running for the honor. It is not easy to earn the “Purple Robe”. I started the second ConGen section, immigrant visas, on Wednesday. I’ll write more about it next week, but suffice it to say the course becomes progressively more difficult. The non-immigrant visas section is apparently the most difficult of all. The rumor that ConGen is difficult is true! It’s very difficult to condense an entire section of the FAM and cram it into your head within six days.
The Republic of Z is one of the most fascinating aspects of ConGen training. The Republic of Z was developed several years ago by ConGen staff to give students a training ground for learning consular work. Z is a fictional country located in the South Pacific off the coast of South America. Countries X and Y share the large island with Z, although the ConGen course focuses primarily on relations between Z and the United States. Z is an independent nation with its own history, geography, government, demography, and legal system. Its people, Zians, seem to be united in the fact that their first or last names all start with the letter “Z”. (I have yet to encounter Zorro in a case example—perhaps he immigrated from Z to Mexico.) The American Embassy is located in the Zian capital of Zug; however, all consular affairs are handled at Consulate General Rosslyn in Rosslyn, the country’s major seaport. (This consulate also lends its name to our consular course.) ConGen Rosslyn’s consular services are actually performed at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Arlington by students going through consular training. Zians and Americans with Zian connections are a crazy lot with lots of unique consular issues. The Republic of Z is an award-winning teaching concept, and other FSI training organizations have begun to use Z as an method for teaching students in an incubator. ConGen Rosslyn at FSI is filled with Zian décor ranging from flags to maps to national birds to purple dossiers filled with information about Z. It reminds me of my own fictional world, Anbara. Although Z has been around for years, Anbara may even pre-date the Republic of Z. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who enjoys designing fictional worlds and that they’re being put to good use. Fictional worlds let students learn about international relations without preconceived notions that are drawn when real cultures are used.
On Friday a group from the Mighty 118th A-100 went to Meskerem, an Ethiopian restaurant located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was a treat to try something different for a change. When I was home in Seattle I primarily ate Chinese food, and after relocating to the D.C. area my diet shifted towards Italian and Mexican cuisine. I suspect that Meskerem’s food may have been slightly westernized; it tasted better than the goat and cassava meal I tried at nearby Bukom a couple months ago (goat tastes gamy and is like gourmet cheese—it tastes great but is quite smelly). My colleagues Jeff, Shawn, and Tony joined me in sharing a big bowl of messob. We ate it using injera, Ethiopian-style bread. Injera looks like a large, grayish pancake. To eat messob, tear off a piece of injera and dip it into the messob bowl, scooping up sauces and beef, lamb, egg, and various vegetables. It’s more difficult than it sounds for a utensil-centric person. We laughed as we watched each other try to master the art of eating with injera. I’m positive that we broke every Ethiopian rule of injera etiquette while we were eating. At times Ethiopian food tasted like Indian cuisine, sans rice. Some of the sauces reminded us of Indian curries. After finishing our meal we considered trying some traditional Ethiopian desserts on the menu—flan, carrot cake, and baklava. However, we decided to head down the street and engorge ourselves with some good ol’ fashioned ice cream.
On Saturday I journeyed to Shenandoah National Park in western Virginia. I was anxious to escape urban life for a while and return to nature. I drove down to the south end of the park and drove north through the park. At 35 MPH it takes about 4 hours to drive the entire length of the park. The park’s center of activity is Skyline Drive, a road that winds along the Shenandoah ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Numerous overlooks allow visitors to pull off and survey the valleys that sprawl on both sides of the ridge. It’s very beautiful! I miss the glistening snowcaps of the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, but Shenandoah’s rolling green mountains reflect a more subtle type of beauty. I stopped to climb up to Blackrock Summit, a relatively easy 1-mile hike. The rock formations on the summit are spectacular. I also hiked for a while around Bearfence Mountain. I met up with a young deer grazing along the path. I was amazed how close I was to it—not more than five feet—and I managed to take a few photos of it without scaring it off. I soon realized that the park deer are actually somewhat domesticated after driving past several deer lingering near areas with heavy human traffic. Their diets most likely include Doritos and Slurpees that are given to them by park visitors or are readily found on the ground. I was a bit disappointed by how urban the park felt. I’m not used to driving by police officers waiting to nab speeders, hearing loud engines and loud music pass me by, fighting for a parking spot at a choice location, or wildlife and humans freely mixing. Still, I enjoyed getting away from D.C. and experiencing nature on an absolutely gorgeous day. After two weeks of almost nightly thunderstorms it was a welcome change.
5/23/04 – “ConGen, Alex, and the Return of the Cicadas”
Last weekend my son Alex celebrated his first birthday. First birthdays are special, and I missed it. My son will never again have a first birthday. He remains in Seattle with my wife and family. They will join me in July after my wife’s job ends, but until then we remain apart and maintain separate households. I did not know how difficult it would be to live apart, not only emotionally but also financially. It’s an odd feeling transitioning to a new lifestyle and leaving your family behind temporarily. My wife sometimes feels frustrated because she can’t be here to experience this life with me. I constantly reassure her that we will all be together again soon. For once, I know how she feels when I look at photos of my son’s first birthday party. I missed a really important occasion. From the photos I could tell that Alex really enjoyed all the festivities. He doesn’t spend much time with other children who joined him for the party, but he really enjoyed playing with their toys. He couldn’t wait to unwrap his presents and play with his new toys. I feel terribly missing out on one of the important milestones in his young life. He hasn’t started walking yet unassisted—I really hope he’ll wait to walk on his own until after I see him again. I really want to see his first real footsteps. I know that shouldn’t be too remorseful, because I could have made a short, hectic trip back to Seattle for his birthday. We decided against it because I did not have enough paid leave accrued, and the cost would have been substantial in terms of per diem and airfare. I may return home for the final packout, but we have not yet decided whether I will. We also have to look ahead and figure out when we want to use our rationed leave. We may use it for Christmas in Hawai’i en route to Korea.
On Tuesday I began ConGen Rosslyn, the 6-week training for new Consular officers. I am on the Economic career track, but I must take ConGen in order to prepare for my two-year consular tour in Seoul. (Junior officers generally take additional courses related to their upcoming assignment, not their career track.) On Monday I wrapped up my work on the Korea Desk in business suit and switched to casual on Tuesday at the Foreign Service Institute (ah, the life!). Most junior officers are assigned to consular tours during one of their first two tours, and as a result they must attend ConGen training. The class is still known by its original name, just as A-100 training is named for a room that no longer exists. Rosslyn, a section of Arlington just west of the Lincoln Monument, was the previous location of the Foreign Service Institute before the FSI moved to its present site at the George P. Schulz National Foreign Affairs Training Center (NFATC). Veteran Foreign Service officers who attended A-100 in Rosslyn told me that the FSI was formerly located in a cluster of office buildings in Rosslyn. I much prefer the collegiate atmosphere of the present site.
In the coming weeks I’ll talk more about ConGen training as I learn more about consular work and my stomach begins to hurt from all the legalese I must digest. Some maintain that the A-100 training isn’t challenging enough because we don’t need to take exams. I’m quickly realizing that if that is true it’s probably a blessing, especially if you relocated to D.C. and need time to adjust to life inside the Beltway. ConGen is harder than A-100 training because we are graded and can fail the course. We must pass four exams over a variety of consular-related topics, and we must study more information than we did in A-100. I’ve heard that other cone-specific courses, especially the GSO (management) class, are also difficult. GSO training is several weeks longer than ConGen. Economic job training lasts three weeks. However, prior to your third tour you can enroll in a much more intensive 9-month Economic training program at FSI. I am definitely planning to take advantage of this training after my second tour.
As a result of the Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, Consular training administrators need to send scores of students through ConGen training simultaneously. (The DRI increased State hiring levels, substantially increasing the number of ConGen students.) ConGen training is located one wing of the FSI, and students are rotated through a variety rooms with staggered schedules. New classes begin almost weekly, and classes of 24 are broken into groups of 8 to review cases, engage in consular role-plays, and learn about Consular-related information systems. The training area includes a mock jail cell to help students learn about American Service Services (yes, Americans do get thrown in jails overseas at times) as well as a simulated Consular section featuring actual non-immigrant visa windows. Both assist with role-playing to help us learn the consular function. The training allows me to meet up with some of my colleagues from the 118th A-100. While I was at Main State I hardly saw anyone from my A-100 class. Most of us are now going through ConGen because we will all perform Consular work at post.
The cicadas have returned! 2004 Broad X decided to appear now after a 17-year hibernation. Millions of these bugs have descended on 15 states and the District of Columbia. They come out of the ground, shed their outer shells, mate, and die within six weeks. What a short, brutish life! Is it worth waiting 17 years to live that kind of life? What were you doing in 1987, when these critters last appeared? In 1987 the stock market crashed (“Black Monday”), Iran-Contra heated up, and President Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. “Three Men and a Baby” was 1987’s top-grossing film. These Rip-Van-Winkle cicadas certainly missed out on a lot during their hibernation. These 2-inch blackish insects with brown wings and red eyes do not disturb me. However, they seem to have created more fear and hype in humans than I believe is justified. Contrary to popular lore and media hype, they have not blanketed the earth. They do seem to have a penchant for landing on people, but perhaps that’s because there’s so many of them. In some areas of the D.C./NoVa/MD area they have damaged foliage and create an omnipresent buzz similar to sound effects from the movie “The Forbidden Planet.” It’s hard to avoid stepping on shells, dead carcasses, or living bugs underfoot when you’re walking on the street. In some areas you really have to be on the lookout for flying cicadas—it’s best to avoid low-lying foliage because you never know when one will drop on your head. Personally, it doesn’t bother me at all. I figure that someday I will live in a place with creatures far worse than cicadas, and I may have to eat things that make cicadas sound absolutely delicious. I’m even more fascinated by people’s reactions to the Rise of the Cicadas. Some people are extremely afraid of these harmless creatures because of their menacing size and appearance. They actually panic and freeze in horror when one lands on them! Others see the cicadas as a culinary delicacy and collect them for food. One gentleman in Ohio ate so many that he had an allergic reaction (cicadas apparently are biologically similar to shellfish). I’ve heard that cicadas taste best when they’re barbequed. I haven’t eaten one yet, but if I’m at a cicada roast before they disappear in June, I might just try it. Why not? It’s a good source of protein For more information on cicadas than you ever wanted to know, go to http://www.cicadamania.net/.
5/16/04 – “Ants Marching and Employmentally Challenged”
I spent three days on the Korea Desk last week. Korea made the headlines this week for the restarting of multi-party talks in Beijing on the North Korean nuclear issue, the overturning of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun’s impeachment, and the announcement that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will visit Pyongyang. It gave me a sense of pride knowing that I’m heading to a place on the front lines of U.S. foreign diplomacy—while keeping in mind that Seoul is also not far from the DMZ and within ranging of North Korean artillery. I served as the Desk office administrator for a day, answering calls, taking notes, and assisting with miscellaneous tasks. I’ve enjoyed reading more about North and South Korea and learned more than I thought I would ever know. Still, I prefer being able to help out in a meaningful way. Years ago I was a secretary (no, unfortunately not Secretary of State), and it reminded of those days when I managed a department office at a state university. Fortunately, I didn’t have to make coffee or water plants like I did back then.
On Tuesday and Wednesday I attended a couple of computer courses that taught me how to use tools to conduct information searches and write cables. I was especially impressed with the web publishing tool State uses to publish Internet and intranet web sites. It reminded me of “Web Publishing for Dummies” because it makes web page design very easy, even for novice web page designers. The tool provides all sorts of templates that give State-related web sites a uniform structure. That allows the user to focus on content, which should be the real focus of a web page (it’s really easy to spend too much time on format). When I previously worked in the private sector I noted that my previous employers published infinite flavors of web page design with little uniformity. For example, one organization used a black background while another used a white one. One organization with a Java-happy web guru published animated web pages while another with no experienced web designers published static web pages. The Department’s tool will come in handy if someday I have to manage a small corner of the FS online universe, because it will let me focus on content rather than page design.
I ride the Metro whenever I go to Main State. Parking is a big hassle, and even though the closest Metro station is a few blocks away I enjoy the walk. Luckily I’ve been working at Main State during springtime when the weather generally cooperates. I haven’t had to walk the route during a monsoon or in the blistering heat (OK, so I did it a couple of times). A couple of my colleagues ride their bicycles to work. More power to them (no pun intended)! Everyone should give up their car and walk or ride to work if they can do it. I wish I could, but I don’t have a bicycle here in D.C., and I’m only working at Main State for a few weeks. I walk to the Foreign Service Institute campus whenever I can. I think it takes dedication to ride to work every day. Inclement weather, oppressive heat, strenuous riding, and excess sweating can make for an unpleasant trip and an uncomfortable workday. On the other hand, I’m sure it’s rewarding to ride pass car after car stuck in traffic and park near the building.
Riding the Metro, especially at rush hour, is a study in human relations. People descend into and out of Metro stations on elevators in formation like ants marching. Once they reach the lobby however they generally become cats in a herd and scramble to be the first ones through the turnstiles. They pack into train cars and invade each other’s personal space, cramming in to accommodate one more passenger who barely made it into the car before the doors close. A fortunate few enjoy a comfortable bench seat while the rest of us hang onto whatever metallic support we can grasp. People who ride the Metro are generally courteous, moving out of the way for other riders and apologizing whenever they accidentally bump into someone. Still, one often cannot help invading another person’s personal space while riding the Metro. Unless you’re busy reading a newspaper or book, it’s also a challenge figuring out where to focus your attention during the ride. Metro plasters ads and route maps throughout the car, but looking at them day after day is so monotonous. I sometimes discreetly scan the car to see what people are doing during the ride. I sometimes see people engaged in muted conversations, but I mostly see people with expressionless faces blankly staring at the ceiling, floor, or door. Many people exhibit a zombie-like quality while riding the train. In the morning they look like they haven’t had enough sleep the night before, and in the evening they look like they’re tired and have had a hard day. Sometimes I see tourists and visitors riding the train. They’re usually the animated ones who travel with others and talk amongst themselves in a variety of languages. The only one who usually talks to me is the pre-recorded announcer, the one who politely tells me, “doors closing” and “please stand clear of the doors,” and the driver, who reminds us of the station and destination at every stop. I rarely speak to anyone, and when I’m done riding the Metro I usually follow the crowd of ants marching to exit the station. I wonder how many interesting people I’ve passed but have never met. The Metro is a missed networking opportunity.
On my way to Main State I occasionally pass by a man who faithfully waits for donations on a well-traveled pedestrian route. I don’t usually give money to strangers—I prefer other charitable ways to give—but I appreciate that this man is waiting at the same spot every day. It’s almost a job of sorts for him. I don’t know his name or his situation, and I don’t know the story of why he waits with cup in hand, but I like him and admire his fortitude. It takes effort to set up shop on the street early in the morning almost every day, like a vendor with no product. The terms “beggars” and “panhandlers” are two stereotypical terms that are still commonly used in America. No one uses the terms “employmentally challenged” or “job challenged” or another term du jour. The term “homeless” comes to mind, but being “homeless” and asking for money on the street are not the same. Perhaps it’s still acceptable to call someone a beggar, but I wouldn’t call him that at all. This man is quiet and thoughtful, and he has a reason for being there. You can see it in his face, and you can tell by how he returns day after day, cup in hand. Maybe he has a debilitating disability. Maybe he can make more asking for money than he can in another occupation. One day when I’m not rushing to get to work and have figured out how to ask him diplomatically I’ll say hello and ask him to tell his story.
5/9/04 – “Diversity, Korea, and other musings”
EEO/Diversity is one of the courses required for all new junior officers. It’s a two-day course, and I sat through the Monday and Tuesday session of the course. Most of the attendees were from the January (117th) A-100. I appreciated the half-day discussion on EEO and the role of the Office of Civil Rights in the State Department. These are regulations we all need to know as Foreign Service officers, especially if we supervise employees. I was surprised to learn that FSNs are apparently not legally covered by EEO rules even in an embassy setting, although FSNs have had de facto EEO coverage under Secretary Powell’s watch. The remainder of the course lacked some of the finesse of previous diversity courses I’ve attended. These types of courses can be very inflammatory if not handled properly because attendees can sometimes feel like they’re being singled out based on their own personal attributes. No one appreciates being called “privileged”, as one inflammatory article we read forcefully pointed out, simply because they voluntarily or involuntarily belong a certain demographic group. One cannot help feeling like they’re being stereotyped or targeted, especially when they can’t change their demographic status. Reducing a diversity discussion to “you [demographic group] privileged; you [demographic group] repressed” is counter-productive to encouraging diversity and opening minds. Still, the instructor was great. He was very skillful in navigating us through some potential landmines and accomplished his mission. He worked with very difficult material. He also did an excellent job teaching us appropriate responses to violations in a State Department context. The best diversity course I’ve attended was when I was a consultant at a firm in Seattle. The course emphasized diversity as a critical component of teamwork and reinforced that everyone regardless of demographic is a member of a diverse workforce. I wish this course had done the same.
The rest of the week I worked on the Korea Desk. During much of the time I read about North Korea, but I also helped set up a going-away party for two employees on the Korea Desk who will be leaving soon. One will serve as a consular officer with me in Seoul, and the other is relocating to Seoul because her husband is joining a Korean company. I also answered phones and couriered passports to obtain foreign visas. While I was waiting in line to pick up the passports I met a specialist from the Department of Commerce. She is heading to China for a six-month temporary duty (TDY). She even knew a couple of colleagues I knew on the China Desk. What a small world! Washington, D.C. seems like a big place, but you often run into acquaintances unexpectedly. We’ve been told that we have to be very careful about how much personal information we divulge, particularly information about our job and personal life. While standing in line near the passport window, I kept thinking about what information to share and not to share. I was not so worried about what information I shared with her; I was more concerned about others who might overhear me. Whenever I rode in cabs to and from Main State, I was faced with taxi drivers who asked me all sorts of questions. I answered whenever I felt I could, and I deflected excessive questioning by asking them questions about their own lives. If they’re preoccupied telling me about their families and career aspirations, they’ll leave me alone. Even if I don’t need to be so secretive in Washington, D.C., it’s still good practice prior to my departure to Korea. I think it is necessary in D.C. as it has the highest incidence of espionage of any city in the world.
On Wednesday I caught the 119th A-100 class wandering through the Main State cafeteria during their first trip to Main State. I had to smile seeing all those new faces wandering the halls. It seems so long ago when I was doing the same thing—even though it was just two months ago. My friend Matt the Elder saw me and gave me a firm handshake. I think he has a perma-grin on his face since joining the A-100; I can’t blame him after having waiting for years to join the Foreign Service! I also saw Helene, another 119th A-100 colleague I’ve known since I went to the University of Washington MBA program in Seattle. I first saw Helene when we took the April 2003 Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE). She passed, I didn’t (I passed the September 2002 FSWE). We’ve kept in touch ever since, and I’ve helped her throughout the grueling FSO application process. She in turn is helping another UW MBA alumnus navigate the process. After one year, two months she finally made it into the Foreign Service. It’s not easy joining the FS as a Foreign Service officer. In 2002 about 31,000 people took the FSWE, and only 500 or so were hired in 2003. Everyone who makes it into the FS should feel proud of their accomplishment. The road to joining the Foreign Service is littered with failed dreams and hard luck.
On Saturday I attended “Explaining America,” a class that teaches about foreign perceptions of American culture and exposes us to difficult questions about the United States. The class isn’t required, and the format is similar to “Composure Under Fire”, one of the modules during the A-100. Still, one can never get enough practice answering difficult questions. During the class I had to answer the hypothetical question, “Why do Americans hate Muslims?” Regardless of your opinion on that question, how would you response in a Foreign Service question? Do you simply answer, “No, they don’t,” or do you give another answer? How do you answer the question satisfactorily without sounding disingenuous or in a negative context? How much do you say or not say? You might be giving a speech on U.S. support for the banana industry in Costa Rica and suddenly get a hostile question on the U.S. role in the Isreali-Palestinian peace process. I focused on the fact that the U.S. has a large Muslim population and has supported many Muslim nations around the world. There are several good Saturday classes at the FSI that I highly recommend, including “Protocol”, “Communicating Across Cultures”, and “Realities of FS Life”. Eligible family members (EFMs) can also attend these courses. In addition, the Overseas Briefing Center (OBC) has a plethora of great courses for FSOs and EFMs offered monthly.
On Saturday afternoon I went to my mentor’s home for a barbeque. All junior officers can sign up for a mentor, a mid-level officer who gives them FS career guidance. My mentor, Ed, is a great mentor. He serves in the Economic cone as I do and has a strong connection to Korea. He was kind enough to invite me for a barbeque with some of his colleagues who also share an interest in Korea. I learned invaluable information about Korean life ranging from getting around Yongsan Military Base to refraining from blowing one’s nose in public. Burping in public is fine in Korea—just don’t blow your nose! What is acceptable in one culture is bad behavior in another. I now know more about Korea than I ever thought I would know. I also know I’m just getting started.
5/1/04 – “Life After A-100”
Life after A-100 was hard to imagine before A-100 ended. I already miss wearing a suit, sitting in a cramped room with a bunch of great people while beautiful springtime shines into the classroom windows. However, I have to admit that I’m glad life is moving on and I’m starting to assimilate into the larger Foreign Service culture. My classmates and I still see each other in the halls during breaks or at lunch, in computer labs, and during happy hours and activities organized by our diligent “bar czars”. At first I wondered what I should write about now that A-100 has ended. Once I start Korean language training and consular training I will be limited in what I can write because I definitely don’t want to bore anyone who reads my updates. No one wants to read about the minutiae of learning Korean except perhaps those of us who are Seoul-bound. So I decided to refocus my weekly updates on musings about Foreign Service life, and I will share anything newsworthy that I encounter during the previous week.
On Monday and Tuesday I attended Security Overseas Seminar, a course all FS officers are required to attend. SOS is a course designed to teach us how to respond in critical situations at post such as nerve gas attacks and compound fires. The class taught us how to protect our families, our homes, and ourselves while serving overseas. Administering two antidote shots in the event of a nerve gas attacks sounds absolutely pleasant—it reminded me of the scene in the movie “Pulp Fiction” where Uma Thurman was revived with a sudden shot to the chest. I’m not looking forward to anything I might face that was discussed during SOS. I have to realistically expect that everyone who signs up for this lifestyle will experience at least one serious incident during their career, whether it be an evacuation, illness, or security threat. Some of the course modules in SOS overlapped with A-100 training. A handful of my fellow 118th A-100 colleagues joined me in SOS. Others started their domestic assignments, language courses, area studies, cone training, or miscellaneous courses such as SOS. Most of us will attend training at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) for a while. Our first classmate leaves the country on May 14th, and thereafter those of us with overseas assignments will intermittently depart for post. The first wave will leave in June, July, and August, and the second wave will depart in December, January, and February. The last one to turn out the lights will leave next March.
I worked on the Korea Desk at Main State on Wednesday and Thursday. I was thankful that the Desk picked me up during the gaps in my training schedule. Working on the Desk allows me to learn more about the primary interface with the Embassy in Seoul, where I will be working, and it keeps me busy. I felt for the first time that I was really working for the State Department, albeit a small contribution. My assignment included answering phones and information requests and reading about U.S. relations with North and South Korea. I will work on the Korea Desk off and on for the next two weeks.
On Friday I attended a session on Caspian Basin energy policy as part of the former Soviet Union area studies class. I learned about Caspian Basin energy development during the Tri-Cycle in week four of A-100, and I really enjoyed it. I read that FSI offered an all-day course on the subject, so I asked my career development officer to sign me up for it. If you have gaps in your training schedule at FSI, you are responsible for making sure that you have something to do that justifies your per diem and salary. You can work for FSI or for your country desk on a “bridge assignment”, or you can attend additional training if it’s available. I signed up for several classes I thought would be interesting; however, I inadvertently signed up for some mid-level officer classes and was refused because as a junior office I’m not allowed to sit in on mid-level courses. Lesson learned—sign up for additional training that is applicable to your job and your level.
On Friday evening I met up with many of my classmates at Buca di Beppo in Washington, D.C. I’m glad the social committee organized the event so I could get my weekly fix of the 118th A-100. Afterwards several of us visited Larry’s Ice Cream on Connecticut Avenue and/or retreated to the Russia House across the street from Buca. I couldn’t believe how expensive it was! $150 for a bottle of vodka at the Russia House. Buca sells 3 liters of house wine for $63. Needless to say, the bill was huge. One of my kind comrades picked up the tab for most of the vodka, but nevertheless we all shelled out a lot of money to cover the entire bill. Know what you’re paying for up front before you take up that glass at a local restaurant or pub.
On Saturday afternoon my wife and I won our bid to buy a townhouse in the Vienna, VA area following a heated bidding war. I felt we had won the lottery. It’s a great place not far from the Vienna Metro station at the end of the Orange Line. It’s not in Arlington, but it’s close enough. Built in 1981, the townhouse has 3 bedrooms, 3 ½ bathrooms, and a large family room with plenty of storage. It even features a small grassy backyard and a nearby playground. We bought the place primarily as an investment and as a place to live after we return from overseas in 2008. Some tenants are already living in the home, and we will probably continue to rent to them since we will move to Seoul in December. In turn, we will continue to rent while we’re here. The housing market in the D.C./Northern Virginia/Maryland area is so hot now that most domiciles for sale receive multiple offers. We had previously put in four bids for townhouses and lost all of them even though we nearly mortgaged an arm and a leg to buy them. We had been focusing on buying in Northern Virginia, particularly along the Orange Line (property values are generally higher along the Metro line). This seems to be one of the hottest areas to buy into right now. We had to bid about 10% higher than the asking price and waived all sorts of contingencies, including the home inspection, appraisal, and financing in order to win the bidding contest. The contingencies would have allowed us to back out of the deal if the home inspection failed, if the appraisal was much lower than the purchase price, or if we failed to secure financing. It sounds crazy to waive all those contingencies, but we literally needed to in order to buy the property. In addition, we paid a premium above the asking price. A friend of mine from the Bay Area in California said that the market here at present rivals that of the Silicon Valley during the Internet boom. My best guess is that full employment (3.2% unemployment in the D.C. area) and the end of historically low interest rates are driving the market frenzy. I only hope that this boom market won’t turn to a severe housing bust. As long as the purchase price, home value, and rent potential are optimal, it doesn’t matter so much if you pay a premium on the property. For example, if you overpay by $20,000 on a property, but you can charge an additional $200/month rent and your home value increases by an average of 10% per year, then it’s a still a good deal. If the renter’s market is soft or housing prices sink in the coming years, it won’t be a good buy. It’s always a good idea to buy a home as an investment if you can buy, but it’s also important to buy at the right time and right price. Fortunately, I think we avoided overpaying for the property. Time will tell.
On Sunday evening I met up with some of the members of the incoming 119th A-100 class. They are very nice people, many of whom I previously “met” through a Yahoo group dedicated to FSO hopefuls. I enjoyed putting faces and personalities to some of the posters from the group. I’m jealous that they have their entire A-100 experience to look forward to. Still, I’m glad I went through A-100 in March and April while the weather was still cool. A hot, muggy summer in D.C. is a miserable experience when wearing a suit.
I’ve received
great comments about my weekly updates. Thank you! I’ll keep writing
them—maybe someday I’ll have enough to compile into a book.
I figure that if I wait to write about my experiences in the FS then I’ll
never write them. There’s no better time than right now to capture
history.