Six weeks ago, if you would have asked me what my dream post was, it most definitely would not have been a subtropical city in China. Just tells you what managed expectations can do for a person. :)
With no Japan or Korea post on the list of available jobs, I lobbied to get assigned to a place that would allow me to pick up a third language. I wanted Mandarin. Hong Kong would have been a wonderful place to live, but the work would not have anything to do with my career track in public affairs. To make matters more complicated, junior officers are required to stamp visas during the first two tours in order to become tenured. So I wanted to work the visa line in China so that by the time I get to my second tour, I can take a job related to my "major."
We leave in July. Until then, I'll be learning Mandarin here. We hope Aric can continue to work until we leave and finish his coursework. The timing of everything continues to be impeccable.
Come visit us in D.C.!
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1 comment:
Greetings. I'll be starting A-100 on Jan. 5, and was hoping you might be able to tell me about your posting. I'm very interested in Guangzhou (I assume that's where you're headed, based on this article), and would very much appreciate if you could tell me a bit about how you came bid it. Was it your first choice among those on the list? Is it competitive; meaning, were there lots of people in your class that rated it a 'high' and lobbied to go there? If you have a minute, please get back with me via e-mail: manning08@gmail.com
Really enjoyed reading your blog.
Cheers! Brian
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