Los Libros

Lately I've been reading a lot. I know many FSOs and world travelers who gorge themselves on a ton of books (or internet sites or whatever) about their future assignment from the moment that they discover that they're going to a new place in order to learn every single thing that they can before going. These people probably are very much more prepared to live and navigate the culture that they're about to enter. My motives for reading are a bit more escapist in nature. Though I'm learning and trying to remember all the lessons that a new diplomat needs to be sent out into the world, in the quiet of evening I try to decompress and turn to the content of my bookshelves. There are always a few travelogues or Lonely Planet guides... but far more numerous are books from genres only tangentially related to travel. You're far more likely to see me reading a classic (or maybe not so classic) science fiction or fantasy novel than a book exploring the political culture of country X,Y, or Z.  My audiobook queue is filled with David McCullough books on the history of great American people or their works. 

The thing about these genres (history, science fiction, fantasy) is that they make you think. Science fiction and fantasy are all about the counterfactuals. What if the world or the laws of nature were different? What will the world or galaxy or universe be in 10, 50, 100, or 1000 years? Really they're both genres on a continuum that goes from plausible to extraordinary. Meanwhile, histories force us to examine and reexamine the meaning of our culture and worldview. In looking to the past, we hope to gain some insight for future paths. As a great philosopher once said (somewhat ironically echoing the sayings of older philosphers) "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." 

Which brings us back to books. I've lately had some rather broad discussions with the spouse and others on the utility of paper books. I understand the portability factor of e-readers and the interactive interface that makes looking up a word (foreign or otherwise) with the touch of a finger. And I admit to using my tiny little iphone more and more for quick web browsing. But it's going to be a long and painful process for me to abandon the printed word. I feel a tremendous feeling of awe and anticipation when I open a book for the first time. There're so many possibilities that could be contained within it. And from a very early age I was taught that the library is a sacred space for our civilization. 

So I will continue to read, and continue to learn, and continue to think about the what ifs of this world. It's my way of preventing calcification and cynicism. And this messed up world could use a little optimism and what ifs, I think.

Palabras

Many companies and jobs have a new employee orientation, but none that I know of can match the process of A-100 (the training class for new Foreign Service Officers). The basics of it are pretty well known: six weeks of introduction to the Foreign Service, from the internal HR systems and paperwork through the tools and basic precepts of international diplomacy. But the lessons we're learning go beyond the content of a thousand powerpoint presentations (of which there are plenty). The Department is attempting to inculcate us into a cohesive group that believes in the power of ideas and ideals to change the world. That's some heady stuff there.

One thing that I've personally gotten out of it is the power of words. I've actually been thinking about this a lot lately, in both my personal and professional lives. Words can set the tone of an interaction. They can build up a relationship, or tear one apart. And they're the foundation of our beliefs and ideals, the things that make this country tick. I think sometimes we roll our eyes at the notion of serving the country merely for the sake of a series of pieces of paper, one of which starts with the words "We, the People." We sometimes think it jingoistic to be overly patriotic. But it's those words that set the tone for a whole set of principles, a culture of equality, a society committed to tolerance and freedom and justice. That is what makes this country great. 

And yet. There are also those words that tear us apart. Hypocrite. Totalitarian. War Criminal. Tyranny. Secrecy. Abusers of Power. The words that are anathema to our self-image.  And they are bandied about in our conversations, in our press, and in our dealings with the rest of the world. There are no easy answers. But as the Wire says, we must have a code. And maybe the best that we can do is hold ourselves to that code and follow it where that takes you. 

I believe in America, and the ideals upon which it is founded. Defending and explaining those principles and applying the law, here and abroad. And that's part of my code. Those words: integrity, loyalty, freedom, justice, and equality. These are my words. They are important in my work and at home. And they are powerful.

New Beginnings

It seems cliche to say that no one really knows where the world will take them. But in my case, this saying is absolutely true. I've decided to start this blog to talk about my life, my travels, and my thoughts.  I'm beginning writing at a time of transition. I've been trying for 9 years to join the U.S. Foreign Service, and today is the day that I finally got the offer to join an orientation class. Oh internets!  I cannot promise you that I will always be able to tell you what I'm doing or be entirely frank about how much I hate/love X about the people in Y country, as the State Department is pretty strict about these sorts of things, but I will try to make this blog something worth reading.

I think I'll probably end up writing some retrospective posts introducing myself over the next little while, but the short story is this: I'm in my late 20s, currently working at the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico... one of the most dangerous cities in the world, right across the border from El Paso, Texas... one of the "safest" cities in the U.S. I'm here because my spouse is also a diplomat serving a tour here to fulfill the State Department's requirement that an entry-level officer work for a time doing visa/consular work. Before coming here I worked in D.C. at the State Department and the Department of Labor. Before joining the Foreign Service, I developed budgets, catalogued letters from Saul Bellow's mistresses, audited and paid millions of dollars of freight bills weekly for a major tech company, researched the development of democracy in colonial possessions, learned Ottoman (a dead language), fell in love with transportation planning, and married the love of my life, who I met while studying abroad in Morocco. And more. 

And so, I'm happy to finally put this disclaimer on my blog and join the growing ranks of FSO (Foreign Service Officer) bloggers. May I not disappear:

The views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and not those of the U.S. government of any agency or department of that government.