First day of school

Much to our surprise, our son quietly said goodbye to Daddy this morning and bravely stepped into his Spanish-only kindergarten (or pre-primary, as they call it here) classroom. How did he get so big!? Apparently his favorite part of today was going to the English-only classroom (in his bilingual school, they spend about 3 hours in each classroom). When I saw him tonight, he said he had a fun day. Fingers crossed that this positive outlook will continue.

little imp wanted her pic taken too

In weather-related news, Hurricane Irene passed by Santo Domingo but did cause flooding and destruction in some parts of the country. We barely had any rain at all, but the wind was impressive. We have been watching the projections, thinking of the rest of the Caribbean, and worrying about the East Coast.

I started on the visa line yesterday and today interviewed 42 people. It felt like 150! The norm for our post is probably 85-100 so we are not as busy as some. My colleagues are great and I'm really enjoying getting to know everyone and grateful for their patience with me.

Tomorrow marks two weeks at post!

ConGen

This will have to be quick. I should be doing something more productive, but once the kids go to bed, I am worn out!

I must say that my basic Consular course (ConGen) is awesome. I love it. I'm totally overwhelmed, but it's fabulous. It appeals to my detailed and organized nature- I am really looking forward to actually doing my job! I wish I could say more about it, but I'm not allowed. This blog will have to focus on my life outside work.

I really wish I had pushed myself to accomplish more over the last month, because I am now quite busy. All that "white space" during ConGen? Um, yea. There's a reason. During that time, I'm supposed to be reading the instructional guides or working on Case Studies. I'm also taking the Spanish for Consular tradecraft course, which requires 1-2 hours of computer work plus an hour of conversation practice every week.

So now I'm stressed. Because I have to not only excel at this course, but also get us ready to leave for post. Ack. Somehow, it'll get done.

I hope.

Spanish

3+/3+ (speaking/reading)

This is a good score. I'm pleased. I only needed a 3/3 for my job, so I'm humbled that I exceeded the necessary score. I'm grateful for my 4 mos of training and my excellent teachers.

But on the other hand, I'm disappointed in myself. I made some really dumb errors. Things that I knew. Or things that I should have known. I'm pretty sure I've never said the word "contracted" before, as in "contracted a disease," but I said it like 5 times today, all wrong. In case you're wondering, the past tense of contraer is contrajo (just like traer = trajo). Not contrato (can't figure out how to add an accent on the 2nd o). Ugh.

And there's that "I work for" error that I've been making for 20 years, and I thought I had finally fixed after 4 mos. You say "trabajo PARA" not "trabajo POR". But I said the wrong one today. So frustrating.

I know I'm not the first person to pick apart her test, kicking herself for each error. But here I am. Frankly, I'm pretty psyched about the 3+ in reading. When I first started Spanish class, I would have cried if I had gotten the reading I got today. But I muddled through and apparently did decently.

I'm really glad it's over. And I'm happy with my score. Mostly.

It feels like a big milestone. On to ConGen on Monday. In the meantime, meetings with my Desk officer, vaccinations, MD appointments for the kids, etc.

Time to move on...

Well, here it is- my last week of Spanish (hopefully!). Last week my two classmates (and another friend who started out with us) passed their Spanish tests with flying colors (yea!!) and moved on from the halls of the Spanish section. It felt strange and a bit sad to be left behind, but I'm a big girl and I'll be ok. I've had class with another woman who joined our class a few weeks ago, but she tested on Friday and so I had 4 hours of solo conversation with my Cuban teacher on Friday. That was pretty cool. Not sure what's going to happen tomorrow or Tues, but on Wed I will test and *hopefully* move on to the next frontier: ConGen!

ConGen is short for Consular General, which is the class that will teach me how to actually do my job. I'm looking forward to it, as everyone says it's a great course.

Last week two of our best friends left. Buen viaje, amigos! Espero que nos veamos pronto.

I should probably go do some review or something!

tues

My mama took me away to our cabin in West Virginia for a spa weekend- it was glorious. I haven't been to our cabin in about 5 years, I think, and it was so good to be back and just lie there in the living room, looking at the green, green trees through the huge windows. It's only about 1.5 hours from the DC area, so if anyone is longing for a relaxing, nature-filled weekend, check out this site. And of course, it was great being with mom. On the way back, we spent 4 hours at the outlet malls! Really, it was a perfect weekend- thank you Mama and D for taking care of the kids!

Yesterday was a big adjustment- one of our classmates is gone and we have a new teacher, a young Cuban man. I like him a lot, but it's just a different atmosphere in class now. We spent the afternoon learning more about Cuba and I was totally riveted. I had another Spanish evaluation and my consultant says I'll do just fine on the test. They really gave me a generous Spanish schedule.

Today I attended the 2nd day of the Security overseas seminar. It covered such uplifting topics as WMD, hostage taking, and managing crises. I took the first day last month, but missed the 2nd due to a sick daughter. Frankly, I'm kind of glad I split them up, as it's really an intense and scary two days. I'm glad we are required to take it, though. I think I finally have the motivation I need to get our paperwork in order so that we will be ready in the event of an emergency. I'm totally capable of doing this, but have just been dragging my feet. But I am committed to making it happen. Wish me luck.

the end of a little era

Two big things happened today- the first of my Spanish classmates passed his test (congrats, A!) and today was the last day of class with our Venezuelan professor. We actually had him for 11 weeks, which may be a record of some sort. Usually, the professor is changed every 4-5 weeks, and I have no idea why we had him for so long, but I'm grateful. He is a wonderful and caring teacher who helped me immensely.

It sounds like the 3 of us will remain together and we'll have a new teacher on Monday. But of course, anything can happen. Maybe we'll gain some classmates. I have only 4.5 weeks until I test. My other two classmates test a week earlier- I don't know why I was given the longest training, but you won't hear me complain. Spanish class is wonderful. I love the language, the schedule, the teachers, the music, the food. This week, we had Venezuelan arepas during class! That really brought me back 20 years. 

I'm trying to start getting things done. But this weekend, I'm going away with my mom to West VA for a spa weekend. Looking forward to waking up in our WV cabin surrounded by trees. Hope you all have a good weekend, too.

My girl turned three..

Last weekend was so crazy that I've only just recovered. My mother in law came to visit for L's third birthday. It was wonderful to have her here, but the time passed too fast with too much happening. In addition to the birthday, it was my 20 year high school reunion and my grandfather's year anniversary with his new wife. We also had old friends in town for a visit. I needed a weekend to rest after my weekend!

In FS news, there was some brief drama when the Spanish section sent an email to my CDO (career development officer) saying that I was on track to meet my Spanish goal of a 3 in speaking/3 in reading before my scheduled test date of mid-June. In fact, they think I've already met my reading goal (I had an evaluation a few weeks ago to assess my progress) and wanted to know whether they should change my test date to May. For the record, no one ran this by me before sending the email. I was briefly worried but emailed my CDO to request that I stay in Spanish until June, and he agreed. So, as of now, I'm still on track to test in mid-June and start ConGen right after. Of course, things could always change. I'd rather not go to post early, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. D is taking the kids to OR at the end of July, so if I get sent early, I might have to go alone.

We still have the same Venezuelan teacher, and I continue to love him and his energy, but I wouldn't mind a bit of a shake up. I know people who have had multiple teachers in just a few months, so mostly I'm grateful we've been stable with a good teacher.

I took the security overseas course this week (well, one day..had to stay home with my sick daughter the other). It was a bit sobering but good to know.

Here are a few pictures of little L's birthday. She was completely adorable. We invited her daycare friends to a party at the Playseum in Bethesda, where they played, listened to a story, and decorated cupcakes. Later that night, some friends in our building helped us celebrate again with pizza and cake. I had promised L a kitty cat cake, and after not finding any at the grocery stores, I was obligated to make my own. Luckily, she wasn't too discriminating.

Here she is all dressed for the party

I was really nostalgic all weekend and wanted to be close to my little girl. I can't believe she's three already. Just a minute ago she looked like this.

I'm back!

I used to be so disappointed and frustrated when bloggers I followed intently stopped posting once they started A-100. But here I am, becoming one of those people...I really don't want to do that. It's just that I have no time during the day to blog (and don't want to do it from FSI) and at night, once the kids are in bed and the dishes are done, I have approximately one hour to do everything I need to do on the computer. AND, my husband and I are usually competing for the computer. There is also the fact that it takes longer to compose a post, as I have to be more careful. 

I also really miss following blogs! I try to visit my favorites every now and then, but it's not as often as I'd like. Sigh. The sad thing is that this is probably as tranquil as my life is going to get in the next few years. My hours and commute are a dream, and life really isn't too demanding. So I'm resolved to keep trying!

Wanted to share the obligatory Cherry blossom pictures! We visited two weeks in a row. After seeing so many pics of the gorgeous trees on FS blogs last year, I was determined to go, and I'm so happy that we did. Some A-100 friends joined us both times, and we had picnics on the mall. 

Spanish is still going great. 2 months to go. Even though I love my current teacher, after 6 weeks with him, I'm beginning to see the wisdom of changing teachers and classes around regularly. I think we're all a bit bored, so we'll see what happens next. A few of our classmates are taking their exam this week for June departures- good luck, guys!

Welcome 160th!!

Yesterday the newest class started: the 160th. Welcome, everyone! It has been great meeting you over the last few days. I wish you a wonderful experience in A-100 and a great career. If I can help with anything, I think you know where to find me!

The welcome reception on Sunday night went off without a hitch. I'm kind of the worrying hostess type, so it was nice to have it all work out so smoothly. And this morning, my fabulous classmates and I escorted all 89 class members to their first official function and had a little breakfast waiting for them there. It was great to hear that welcome speech again on the other side of the mountain and remember how thrilling that moment was, only 3 months ago.

In other news, Spanish is still totally awesome. I'm moving past my reading block and starting to enjoy the puzzle of figuring out what a reading is about. I did great on my first evaluation (in which they measure my progress and decide whether I'm on track to reach my training goal, which I am). My teacher keeps telling me my biggest problems are confidance and nerves. So true, so true.

I still just feel so lucky to be here. Spring is coming. I have a ten minute commute. I am getting paid to learn a language I adore. And soon I'll be off to a beautiful country where I will do a really cool job.

I know so many of you are struggling to keep the hope alive. I never thought I'd make it here. Keep trying. 

Checking in

It was a busy week and I wish I was still sleeping. My husband was on a work trip this week and the kids and I were on our own. We had a great week but I stayed up too late each night. 

Spanish class is still going great. In addition to 4 hours of class daily, we have an hour of one on one time with our teacher. This week, my teacher spent the hour asking me questions that I have always had trouble answering, like what are the costs of parenting or what is the American dream and how has it changed? I'm learning to take a moment to formulate my answer and then try to point out a few opposing views. It doesn't matter what I say, just that I say it correctly and can defend my position. My teacher pointed out that my problem is confidence and he is so right.

Last night, I started reading a book that my teacher lent me (Secuestrada: Una historia de la vida real)  and I was thrilled to find that I am reading it as if it were in English- just enjoying the story rather than struggling to understand the language. I'm proud of myself- I feel like I am really improving.

I don't think I'll be in Spanish class until June, my scheduled end. The language consultants (we each are assigned a consultant to help with language learning strategies) evaluate us periodically to see how we are progressing and whether we are ready to take the test. I think our first evaluation is in a few weeks. I've been very busy with the plans for the incoming 160th A-100 class (I'm the Welcome Committee co-chair), as well as trying to organize my life, so I haven't devoted as much time to Spanish as I'd like. But I plan to get more serious this week.

In case you're wondering, if I test out of Spanish early, I will work with my CDO (Career Development Officer) to find something to keep me busy until my Consular class starts (6/22 I think). I think they could also change my ConGen start date, but either way, I have to do something productive until my scheduled leave date in August (which is not definite yet- I will start to negotiate that with post in a month or two). I would like to take some FSI Management classes or other classes that will be helpful in my work. Another option is to find a "bridge assignment" at Main State. That worries me because of daycare and commute issues, but we'll cross that bridge later. 

My Regional Studies class (Central Am and the Caribbean) is also getting more intense. We have to read 5 chapters in this book  (although I just noticed there is an updated version of this book as this one ends in 1990 I think!) and prepare for a roundtable over the weekend.

Tonight I'm going to dinner at a Dominican restaurant with most of the current FSI students and their families going to the DR. There will be 20 of us. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better!

Alright, time to wrap up. The kids are agitating.

P.S. My son is watching a Dora episode in which she travels around the world. He periodically pipes up with comments about his daycare friends: "R is going to Russia! K is going to China!" Love FSI daycare.

plugging along

Well, tonight seems a good night to blog. My husband is working late, my son misbehaved and was sent to bed without any stories, and I've finished all my homework. Of course, I could read a book in Spanish....but I am having a serious block with reading right now. More on that in a minute.

Spanish class continues to be fun and interesting. I just love my Venezuelan teacher, who is incredibly charismatic and energetic. He always has time for our questions and really believes in our potential. Apparently our teachers are changed every 4 weeks so that we don't get used to one accent or teaching style, so I'm just trying to appreciate what I have now. Two students were moved out of our class this week. It has been nice to have more speaking time, but I miss my A-100 classmate D.

I love the grammar review we are doing- I think that I have a pretty good grasp of grammar, but have learned that I have more than a few areas to work on. And while I don't love doing presentations, I know they are good for me. But reading is another story. Give me a nice news article to read and I'm happy. But the more complex readings make me want to run away. They are usually about some intangible, ephemeral thing that I cannot grasp, and it drives me crazy! Give me a good article about public health!

Once upon a time, I used to read Isabel Allende for fun. Now, the idea intimidates me. I got a nice easy book, or so I thought, (De como las muchachas Garcia perdieron el acento), but I can't get past the first page. Since I need to score a 3 in reading as well as writing, I'm going to have to get over this block, but right now, it's very strong. 

On Tuesday we started our weekly Central America and Spanish-speaking Caribbean Area Studies class. There is a big group of students going to the DR- maybe 10 of us, so that will be fun. I wish the director of this course had a little bit of my Spanish teacher's energy, but I am looking forward to learning the history. Unfortunately, it is hard to make myself read a history book on my own, so this requirement will help.

My husband is trying to fit in some time each night for his Spanish distance learning course. It's not easy- he's working long hours again and it's usually the last thing he does at night. So naturally, he's not making a ton of progress and has been a bit frustrated. I remind him that learning a language takes time - like learning an instrument, you have to keep practicing what you've learned. This morning I was drilling him on the basics during breakfast - como se llama, de donde es, donde vive, etc. It was helpful to him and also had my kids riveted. When I turned to M and asked what his name was, he answered in perfect Spanish and grinned when we cheered for him. He used to speak pretty well for a 4 year old, so I hope it will come back quickly.

I was browsing Amazon for good Spanish DVDs or CDs that really teach kids Spanish with a minimum of English- there are so many to choose from and I really don't want to waste my $$. If you know of a quality, entertaining resource that is heavy on Spanish, please let me know! I have Fun Spanish for kids by Beth Manners, but I really find that it has too much English and what it teaches is not that useful.

What else? Life is still busy, but quieter. Tomorrow is Flag Day for my friends in the 159th! Good luck, everyone! And I'm the Welcome Committee co-chair for the 160th, so we're busy making plans.

Looking forward to seeing my aunties this weekend.

Tuesday update

Today was day 5 of Spanish class. Seems like things keep changing- we had a few days of substitute teachers and yesterday we learned we have been assigned a new teacher. The first teacher was lovely, but moved very slowly. Our new one moves at a much faster pace, which is great. He's incredibly dynamic and I find myself engaged during the entire 2 hours. He's also Venezuelan, so I feel right at home listening to him (I was an exchange student in Vzla 20 years ago- hola amigos, si estan leyendo!).

Today a new student was added to our class, so there are now 6 of us. It's really too much for intensive language learning- there is a lot of waiting to speak. Last week, I asked the Spanish section to move me to a more challenging class, but I don't know yet whether they will (I will miss "my boys"- my 4 A-100 classmates- if they do!). I certainly don't speak perfectly, and I'm using this time to really work on my grammar and little mistakes that I didn't realize I frequently make. We haven't had much homework yet, so during my ~3 hours of lab time, I kind of jump around from grammar exercises to videos to news. I'm avoiding the literature stuff, which I will surely have to face if they move me up. Not my favorite!

I have to say again how wonderful the schedule is. I'm usually home by 445pm. I am out of the habit of cooking during the week, after years of arriving home at 6:30pm and rushing to feed the kids before packing them off to bed. I have had to remind myself that now I have the time. Of course, the kids want to eat immediately since they refuse to eat their lunch at school. But at least there is time to cook some pasta and vegetables or something simple (vs. frozen veggie burgers or leftovers). We have time to play on the playground. In the summer, I hope to fit in a quick swim after school. It's really a gift and I have to remember to enjoy it, as it won't last too long.

One thing I want to share about the FSI daycare for the parents out there: I never would have thought of this, but one of the best things about the FSI daycare is that all the kids are in the same boat. When we moved here, my son had no idea what was happening- he just knew he was moving to VA near his grandparents. Over the last two months, though, he slowly came to understand that all the kids are going somewhere. His teachers eagerly awaited the news on Flag Day so they could talk about it with him. He proudly tells people he's going to Kindergarten in the DR. He has learned to identify the DR on a map (such as the map carpet in his classroom- how cool is that!) and we talk about who's going where and what language they are going to learn. I can't imagine what this experience would be like w/o that help.

Here are some tidbits for the family. Little M has a new obsession- sharks.
We started off with a few paper sharks.

Here he is reading his new shark book from Grammy and Grandpa

But they are multiplying. Seriously, all he wants to do is draw sharks, talk about sharks, or read his shark book. We are amazed at his drawing skills, though. 2 months ago he was scribbling and didn't take much interest in art. Now he is making real pictures. His progress is incredible and so is his one-track-mindedness.

I have to share some of the names of these sharks. I swear I don't know where he gets them.
- Dido Racecar Shark
- Square-dom
- M-soap Water Juice
- Stripe Eye Grey
- Super Daddle Battle
- Crangill

In sibling news, L is potty training. We decided to stop waiting for her to show interest (no! I don't want use the big-girl potty!) and have upped the ante with m&ms and other incentives. So far, so good. No pics of that, though.

And here is a picture of the view from our window a few weeks ago. The kids enjoy watching the goings-on outside the window. We are very happy here.

Spanish, day one

Today was my first real day of Spanish. Yesterday, there was an orientation with all new language learners, then a Spanish specific orientation, then a few hours of standardized tests to assess our learning styles.

I was relieved to quickly learn my schedule. There are actually only two schedules in the Spanish section. Space is tight so the rooms are alternated between the two schedules. I will be in class from 8am-10am and 12:10pm-2:10pm. We are expected to do self-study from approximately 10-11am and 2:15-4pm. We have lunch early, from 11-12 or so. The other schedule is 10:05am-12:05pm and 2:15pm-4:15pm.

I am happy with the schedule, though either one will work just fine for me. Either way, I'll drop the kids off early, around 7:30am, and either start class or do self-study from 8-10. Parking at FSI is difficult if you get there around 9am, and I certainly can't study at home with the kids, so arriving early is the best option.

I'm in class with 4 of my A-100 classmates. They are great guys and I will enjoy class with them. I think I might need to move to a more challenging class, though. I hope to talk to someone about it tomorrow.

I must say, the resources available for language learners are incredible. FSI is dotted with language labs, where tons of resources are at my fingertips. I just click on reading, speaking, grammar, pronunciation, whatever- and up pops a list of links relevant to that area. I can watch movie trailers, listen to songs or dialogue, do grammar drills, read articles identified for different ability levels, and much more. The 'newspapers' link pulls up some 50 Spanish newspapers from the various countries. There were 4 or 5 from the DR! I will have to figure out a pattern for studying as the possibilities are enormous.

The language school makes it very clear that we cannot achieve the desired level through class alone. They encourage us to seek out volunteer opportunities and get creative about using the language. This will be fun for me- I plan to start by watching Spanish news and telenovelas. I bought a novel a few weeks ago, but I'm going to need to read it with a dictionary a mi lado.

I'm also really excited about 2 distance learning courses that are possibilities for us: Spanish for Consular work and Spanish Reading Maintenance (I'm mangling the official names). Both look really cool. I had heard that Spanish training does not prepare you well for working in the consular section, so it sounds as though that feedback was heard.

I met an FSO who recently returned from the DR today. Speaking with people like her gets me SO excited! I can't wait to get there!

Big day tomorrow

It's Monday night and my husband is out seeing a movie with some of my A-100 classmates. It's been a busy weekend. My parents took the kids overnight on Friday so that D and I could go out with friends and get some things done on Saturday am (thank you Mom and Pop!!). We finally opened a USAA bank account (or 5) and will soon begin the painful process of transferring all our direct deposits and withdrawals to the new accounts. Apparently USAA offers great car loan rates and will allow us to ship a car abroad. Really glad that we got that started. I have these tasks that weigh on me and bother me until I do something to get them done. That was one of them.

We also had 2 official playdates for the kids and spent tons of time with new friends. We are frankly much more social than we ever were in NY, and I'm really enjoying it! I love to make plans, but it's also fun to spontaneously get together with people living in our building. It's like college again, but different.

Also did a lot of shopping this weekend. I love buying spring and summer clothes for the kids (well, for me, too, but that rarely happens). I get really obsessed in Feb/March about getting the right bathing suit ensemble for the kids, and this year, it's multiplied, since we'll be going to the beach regularly for 2 years straight! YES! Have I mentioned I'm excited about the DR? I also love Carter's outlets. LOVE. We have one pretty close, which may be good or bad.

Tomorrow I start Spanish. I am excited but a bit apprehensive. I don't know what it will be like. I don't know how much it's going to kick my you-know-what. My husband started a Spanish distance learning course and we are kind of fighting over the computer lately...might have to buy another one. I'm eager to learn my schedule; in fact, I had a dream that I was assigned to a 7:30am class and I was stressing because the daycare doesn't open until 7:30am. I have heard that in that kind of case, they will try to accommodate you, but I don't know for sure. I'm sure it will be fine. But just eager to learn more.

I am really loving our life here in Virginia and at Oakwood. I am really grateful that we have the opportunity to live in this community- we have met so many people and been able to start building friendships because of the proximity. I am worrying about the possibility of a government shutdown and what it will mean for us and the FS community. I am worrying about the Middle East. But overall, we are healthy, happy, and tremendously grateful to be here. More soon!