The First Week, Part II, and Beyond
SUMMARY:Finished the check-in process at the Embassy, which involved running all over the Embassy, scheduling appointments and meeting almost everyone, including the DCM (Deputy Chief of Mission), who's second in command after the Ambassador. Asked for work to do and am now on my way to becoming the Microsoft Access guru at the Embassy (never learned it before)! Attended a reception at the DCM's house, where I had my first Pisco Sour and met Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for WHA Charles Shapiro. My friend Rotney came to visit for a night. We met the President of Peru (Toledo) and had an Ambassador sighting to make the most of Rotney's short time here and start the week off right.
FOR DETAIL LOVERS, ONLY:
Those of you who saw me during my student days (not so very long ago) may recall that one of the easiest ways to locate me was to stand in the middle of campus and wait for me to run by. There always seemed to be an errand to run, a class to get to, or a meeting to attend. The first couple days at the Embassy were the same, so I quickly felt at home.
After my initial meeting at the Ambassador's house, I returned to the Embassy and dove right into the rest of the check-in process. I met with the IPC and ISC people to get my internet log-on information; I met with the RSO people to get my badge and be submitted to more security information then I ever cared to know (although earthquake protocol and numbers for decent taxi services were much appreciated); I met with the Health Unit only to discover that the typhoid, etc. vaccines that I got before leaving the States were not enough if I want to chill out in the Amazon (and I do)--I'll need yellow fever and malaria vaccines, too. But most of all, I met with the DCM. Now for those of you who don't speak Embassy-eze, DCM stands for Deputy Chief of Mission, and is the second highest position at the Embassy, after the Ambassador, of course.
Phyllis (The DCM's first name, and yes I'm dropping names right now) is really down to earth and I found it very easy to talk to her. By the time we met on Tuesday afternoon, I had been pretty much all over the Embassy and had a good idea of the culture and operations. However, I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to be given real work to do. Jared, the other intern, apparently had all kinds of projects to work on and receptions to attend, while I seemed to be left to my own devices, wandering the building and working through my check-in sheet. Part of the problem was that my supervisor was just returning from a family funeral and my unofficial sponsor was new to our department, making my entry into the internship a little disorganized. So when the DCM asked what I was hoping to accomplish professionally, I told her that I'd like to get some more hands-on HR work, and that I planned on mentioning that to my supervisor when I finally met her the following day. She took this information and gave me a couple of concrete examples of projects I could possibly help with, for which I was very grateful. I left our meeting feeling confident that this would not just be one of those paper-pushing/photocopying internships that you sometimes hear about. I'll spend my summer working hard, and will have solid experience to fall back on when I get home.
Being tossed in relatively on my own wasn't all bad, though. Like I said, I was able to get to know a lot of different people in different departments, and used my status as a Midwesterner as a contact agent. Those of you from Minnesota are well-aware of Wisconsin pride, but it's a bit foreign to most of the employees here, since many of them are from eastern and southern parts of the state. They seemed to get a kick out of my loyalty to the Packers and apparent comfort with being labeled a "Cheesehead".
I had to change one habit by my second day, though. Although the climate here is much like what I left, but with less rain, I could not seem to convince people that I wasn't cold as I wandered around in short sleeves. I quickly learned that for my own peace of mind and others' physical comfort (they literally got cold for me), I should always have a light jacket or a sweater with me when donning my "summer" shirts. Unfortunately, I only have one jacket and one sweater. Fortunately, many of the outfits I packed are long-sleeved. Even better, there's plenty of shopping to do in Lima, including lots of apparel made from the oh-so-soft baby alpaca wool that's native to the country. Monday is Memorial Day and I don't have to work (we get both American and Peruvian holidays). Guess what I'll be doing, wink wink?
On Wednesday, I finally met with my supervisor. She promised to find work for me to do, so I was thrilled when I was asked to help the Financial Management Office (FMO) with a project involving benefit distribution. Well, at least that's how I define it. It doesn't have as much to do with HR as it does computer application development, but it's related, so it's a start. And many of you know that I'm a computer geek wannabe, so I'm content for the moment. The crux of the project is that I have to create an application in MS Access that will make utility payments for all of the Embassy housing more efficient. Right now, they're using MS Excel, which is alright but can take forever to fill in data by hand, which also makes it more mistake-prone. There was just one problem with this project being given to me: I don't know how to use Access. But neither did anyone else that was involved, and since I'm the one who has the time to learn right now (and the interest), I'm their girl. I'm actually having a lot of fun staring at the computer screen for hours at a time, reading the Microsoft Access "One-Stop Reference" book as if it's the latest New York Times Best-Selling Novel. Like I said, computer geek wannabe. And I've been wanting to learn Access forever. I'd say I just got my first internship-based transferable skill. Ha.
On Wednesday evening, I got to go to my first reception, at none other than the DCM's house. It's as luxurious as the Ambassador's house, although less museum-like and more homey. I could definitely enjoy the perks of either of those jobs. I'd especially enjoy the personal drivers. As I tell people here, my driving in the States isn't that great. No way do I want to drive in a foreign country!
Anyway, this reception was in honor of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for WHA Charles Shapiro, who was briefly visiting Lima. Sounds fancy, no? It is. Based on what I can tell, he's pretty much second in line to Condaleeza Rice (fondly referred to in the intern house as "Condee"). Okay, no, he isn't, I lied. But from this link, you can see that he's one of the high branches on a very confusing tree of officials. I'm still new to this government hierarchy thing, you'll have to forgive me. In any case, I got to sit next to the guy, and he spoke to me directly on several occasions. I even got a huge laugh from the crowd when he turned to me and said "Isn't that right?" with such gusto that I replied with equal enthusiasm "Oh yeah!" before realizing that I wasn't quite sure what I had just agreed to. But it seemed safe to say that he wasn't playing one of those childish pranks where you ask a person to "just say yes" only to lock them into an unsavory, and potentially compromising, positions. He was too nice to pick on me like that. I continued enjoying my Pisco Sour.
Now, as this was my first Pisco Sour, I must give due acknowledgement to this famous beverage of Peru. Pisco, a type of grape-based brandy, is famous for its unusual flavor, and is used in several varieties of drink. The most famous of these is Pisco Sour, which somehow involves whipped egg whites to create a frustratingly elusive white foam on top. No matter how hard you try to get a good impression of the foam, it dissolves before you can dissect the nuances of its flavor. When your lips touch the citrus-yellow base of the drink, however, they're received by such a potent zing of taste that they suddenly recoil and are hesitant to return!
Basically what I'm saying is that Pisco Sour is a strong drink! As I've been made fun of for saying this out loud among my fellow Pisco Sour drinkers, I must admit that one glass of the stuff does not constitute an adequate sample size. In fact, my college education taught me that I should ideally consume no less than 29 more Pisco Sours before asserting that it is indeed strong. Only with 30 samples can I have statistically conclusive results. I'd say the odds are in my favor, though, as it took me over an hour to finish one Pisco Sour, which was only slightly bigger than two shot glasses worth of beverage (including the foam). The wine I had afterward took me less than 20 minutes, and I was eating at the time. I'll stick to my guns. That drink was fuerte (strong)!
The rest of my week was relatively uneventful. I began learning Access and attended a CLO (Community Liasion Office)-sponsored Happy Hour, where I tried my first Cusqueña beer, which I prefer to the Pisco Sour. This was a good opportunity to get to know some of the other Embassy personnel a little better, and dinner was delicious! On Saturday, Jared and I took advantage of a CLO-sponsored bike tour in Miraflores, which was my first excursion to a different part of Lima. It's beautiful! Miraflores is one of the richest neighborhoods, situated right on the coast and home to much of the Lima nightlife. It's also one of the key places that the Embassy houses its long-term personnel. Their apartments are magnificent! I might have to take the Foreign Service Officer exam come spring and become a full-time government girl. We shall see.
On Sunday, I had my first visitor in Peru. My friend Rotney, who is half Peruvian, was in the country visiting his relatives, and we had made plans to meet up before leaving the States. The details were kind of sketchy due to my limited communication mediums here, but I had his flight time, and figured there couldn't be too many flights coming from Cusco at the same time. I called my favorite taxi driver, Carlos (He has a great selection of music that he blares at top volume as we groove down the Pan-American highway! He wants to go dancing sometime, so stay tuned for future developments (don't worry, I'll be safe about it)), and we headed to the airport. I didn't expect to feel so excited over seeing a familiar face so soon in my trip, but I was! Rotney and I just became friends about six months ago, through school, but he's a great guy to hang out with and I would recommend him as an international travel buddy any day!
We decided to live it up as best we could in the short time we had (made even shorter by me having to go to work), so once we got his stuff dropped off at my house and had relaxed for about a half hour, we headed out on the town. The first order of business was dinner, so Rotney asked the taxi driver (not Carlos) for a recommendation. As he described a restaurant, I thought I recognized it as a place I'd seen on my bike tour the day before. Sure enough, it was this beautiful multi-gazebo like structure built out over the water so that you eat with the waves crashing directly below you. I asked if it was expensive or cheap, and when the driver replied "mas o menos", we took that to mean in-between, so we said we'd try it. I'm still not sure who's standards the driver was basing his assessment on, but I'm glad we went, no matter how much it cost (and it reality, for the amount and quality of food we got, it really wasn't that bad)!
I was enjoying my meal and the view of the surfers catching the last wave before the sun finally set, when all of a sudden Rotney's eyes got wide and his jaw dropped as he stared over my shoulder. I asked what was the matter, and he was barely able to mutter, "Oh my God, it's Toledo, el presidente!" I didn't believe him, but I turned around, and sure enough, there was a group of people entering the room. I vaguely recognized one of them, but it didn't really hit me until I saw the guy next to him with one of those Secret Service-style wires attached to his ear: The President of Peru had entered the building!! As I sat staring in awe, Rotney gathered his wits enough to ask for "un fototito" (a small picture). The President looked slightly annoyed (I'm sure he gets that all the time), but conceded by say "muy rapido" (very quickly). I started blundering around for my camera, but wasn't fast enough, so we only got one picture. I was still in such a daze that I think I'm staring off in the wrong direction in the picture, but that's okay. I'm demanding a copy, just to prove it happened. We finished our meal, fully aware that the President of Peru was sitting a mere four feet away, eating his own dinner like a normal person.
We explored some of the sights a bit more, ending up in Barranco, another neighborhood known for its nightlife. After such an experience, it seemed only natural that Rotney and I find a bar and watch the presidential debate (between the two guys that are fighting for Toledo's job), so that's just what we did. It was a very multi-culturally political evening, that continued into the next day. Rotney, being a political buff himself, was fascinated with my internship at the Embassy, so I offered to take him with me in the morning. I was giving him a tour of the building, and had just finished showing him the door that leads to the section where the Ambassador works, when the elevator opened and off stepped the Ambassador himself!! We said hello to him as we scurried to catch the elevator ourselves, not even realizing who he was until it was too late! I hadn't officially met him yet (which is strange, according to other employees), and had only seen a picture online that completely belies his size. I was thrown off by the fact that he's at least a foot taller than his wife, so I was expecting a much shorter man! Nevertheless, Rotney and I shared personal space with two of the most important men in the country, within the span of about 14 hours. I'd say that was a great start to my second week, which has been another good one so far! More on that later, time to go home. Besos a todos, ciao!
posted by Jessica @ 12:27 PM
6 Comments:
Dear, Precious daughter, I have only just now been informed that you have this blog and have been adding to it regularly! I have, up to this point,been wondering just how busy you could be that you haven't recorded any impressions on Della! Now I am happy and delighted to be in the loop and your father tells me that you have already written him on your CORRECT e-mail, which, for some reason, I was never given and wondering why the wessajr@state.gov was not operative yet. Alas, it is perfectly clear who is and remains the preferred parent, but I do note with some satisfaction that it is only I, your mere MOTHER, who is credited with supplying your first snacks for your first, albeit crowed, cubby hole! I can sleep well tonight! Keep writing. I love you, mom
Jess, I gotta go with your mom here- she gave you the goodies. Hands-down, mom takes the cake there. Or gives you cake, one of the two. I am so glad to see you are alive and well and learning taking in all that Peru has to offer. I miss you!! Oh and miss Wessa...have you found a peruvian blanket and journal yet??? This baby llama wool sounds like it might make something cuddly... :)
Oh Jess, your stories amuse me to no end! I love reading about your experiences, I feel like I'm reading portions of a book :) Actually..your entries remind me of reading Sammy's Hill! I wish I had the opportunity to do all that you are currently involved in. Lucky ducky. And hey, if I happen to have the funds (which would happen only by the occurrance of a miracle) I will come visit you in Peru. It's winter there, right - but how is the weather there during winter?
jess, wow, this sounds like quite the experience already after only 2 weeks!!!...i'm enjoying reading your adventures with full details on the happenings of Embassy life and Lima! if you ever have a night when you don't feel like going out or doing anything adventurous, think of who you migh trun into, or the pictures and experiences you could have-that's what I learned in Costa Rica!:) keep the blogs coming-it's making my procrastination from real work eventful, haha! take care hun and i can't wait to see pictures:)
love ya, ali
Nice! Where you get this guestbook? I want the same script.. Awesome content. thankyou.
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Greets to the webmaster of this wonderful site! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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