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.

Cookie Time

A shop called "Cookie Time" is my favorite store in Queenstown. It is an NZ original enterprise started initially in Christchurch. Cookie Time only sells homemade, warm, freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and cold milk on tap. During happy hour (6-7pm every night) you can get two cookies for the price of one ($2.50). The cookies are ridiculously good and a mug of cold, fresh milk is perfect to wash them down.

When we make it into town together, I always want to go to Cookie Time. Sean is not a huge fan, but he usually acquiesces and has a bite or two. I try to limit myself to going just once a week, but it's tough. One thing I don't like about Cookie Time is the odd/dumb-looking red bear (called the "Cookie Muncher") that is their mascot. The other thing I don't like about Cookie Time is that there is only one employee so she totally knows who I am and is aware of my frequency of patronage. We're getting to know each other quite well (She's from Sweden and is here on a working holiday visa. Back home she's an architect, but here she is quite happy baking cookies and serving up cold milk. She also gets to eat all the cookies she wants).

I know that you are probably thinking to yourself, what on earth do you do if it's not happy hour and you want two cookies for the price of one? Never fear, just look in a few of the monthly tourist magazines and you can always find a coupon. Cookie Time rocks. Even China agrees - so much so that they are even trying to steal the brand name and/or claim it was theirs to begin with.

Read More 3 comments | Posted by Sarah Sanderson

3 comments

Dan on April 10, 2012 at 1:15 PM

How did you determine that was a bear?
Erica on April 11, 2012 at 7:22 PM

I want to go to Cookie Time!
Sarah Sanderson on April 12, 2012 at 4:58 AM

@Dan - lol good point, monster? dinosaur?

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

Cookie Time

3 comments