RIP computer :(

Shortly after writing the most recent post my beloved laptop Hank the Rockstar died. I turned him off one last time and that was it. Buying and shipping a new computer took time but within the last month, Lil' Percy arrived.


And of course there's still a month gap from when Lil' Percy arrived to now...Oops!

I have been furiously studying for the Foreign Service Officer Test. I took it March 5th in the US Consulate in Osaka. I'd like to work in embassies one day as a Foreign Service Officer. This is the second step after submitting an application in a process that usually lasts awhile...sometimes a couple years-while. But after talking with the extremely friendly Foreign Service Officers after the three hour test I am more confident than ever that this is what I'd like to do. They just about talked my ear off! They are my people.

The test is, as one current consulate employee described it to me, kind of like a game of Trivial Pursuit. The questions are about management philosophy, economics, US government, US history and culture, as well as world history and geography. I was asked to answer questions ranging from the history of England to the location of certain countries to the proceedings of Congress to the appropriate way to handle employee reviews. On top of the breadth of knowledge, the test results mean different things at different times and are mostly dependent on job availability.

So, though this job looks to be in my future, how far in my future we'll just have to wait and see.