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.

The beginning of the end

With two more weeks of school left, things are starting to get a little bit nuts. It's like this every time we are getting ready to leave; we always think we will have more time than we actually do. The calendar quickly fills up with dinners, goodbye parties and last-minute visits with families and friends that we might not be able to see for a long time. This past week and weekend were filled with so many birthday parties (Carnival babies, they are called) that things were getting slightly out of hand. I actually heard Sean say, "I'll be very happy if I don't ever have to go to another party ever again." True, he was laid out on the bed with a severe case of food poisoning from some food at one of the parties but, like his dad said, I should have gotten it on tape.

Drawing of me and Sean by one of my students

Another entertaining phenomenon that has varied according to where we live is what we are given as going away presents. Although very sweet and generous and sometimes humorous, they often create serious problems in terms of getting them home. In China we were given huge framed cross-stitched works of art, giant hand-sewn pillows, scrolls of calligraphy, glass mugs and many boxes of combs and chopsticks. Here in Brazil, so far we've been given: 2 bags of manioc flour, a set of hand-embroidered dishcloths, cake mixes and a decent-sized pencil drawing (see picture). At least Brazil allows each person to come/go with two 70 lb bags free of charge. Looks like even the flour might make it home after all.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Sarah Sanderson

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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

The beginning of the end

1 Comment