U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

Who are you and what have you done with Sean?

Sean and one of his classes

I am over at Sean's place and he is currently sitting at his desk grading papers. Earlier today he finished typing out all of his lesson plans. He keeps everything organized in one of those portable accordion folders and saves and cuts up pieces of paper from the trash and saves it for scrap paper. Meanwhile, my place is a bit of a disaster at the moment and I have some stacks of papers that I haven't given back for weeks. I have never seen this side of Sean before. Perhaps it is because he is not surrounded by his usual posse of ultimate frisbee guys or maybe because he hasn't had to have this type of organization and responsibility until now. I don't know. But for those at home, never fear - Sean is still Sean. Sunday night he stayed up late to help with teaching the logistics of "Flip Cup," he played ultimate on Saturday and he eats as much American fast food as he gets the chance to. I am pretty sure that ultimately you can take a Sean away from the Doyles but you can't take the Doyle out of the Sean. I am also pretty sure that he is not going to read this blog post =)

Working hard

Here's what a student wrote recently about talking with Sean and Jordan at English Corner last week:

"I was really delighted today. Just now, I went to English Corner, talked with our foreigner teachers. Foreigner teachers were all activity and gentle. One of those teachers, whose name is Sean he is my foreigner teacher, Sarah's boyfriend. He is gentle and easy to get along, and he worked very hard. He answered every question which we asked. In order to let us understand him, he spoke very slowly and always ready for explaining the simple questions. When we talked about his girlfriend, he didn't shield his love to her and he told us that he had about 4 girlfriends before Sarah but now he only loves Sarah. I liked Sean. I liked his smile and his attitude to his work.

Another foreigner teacher whose name is Jordan. I also liked him very much. He was gentle and full of energy when we communicated. He was the last foreigner teacher who left English Corner today even there were only two students even until the two students wanted to leave, did he leave. I was moved. I hoped we can become good friends. In all, I liked the foreigner teachers who came to our college this year."

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Wanderlust

In Mandarin: 旅遊癮 (lǚyóu yǐn)

According to my Mandarin teacher, the term 'wanderlust' can best be translated as 'a travel addiction or craving'. In the above translation, 'yǐn' has several meanings such as 'a strong impulse', 'a longing', or 'a desire'.

U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

Who are you and what have you done with Sean?

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