First of all I want to thank everyone for the supportive comments, and there is life after not passing the OA. It has been an interesting time in Jerusalem and Palestine. Right after the OA I flew to Tel Aviv to continue working on a project for Mercy Corps. It is always good to be back in Jerusalem, especially when your office looks down on the Dome of the Rock in the Old City. One the first day of Ramadan the IDF entered the Qalandia Refugee Camp, which actually doesn't look like a camp, and killed two young Palestinians who allegedly had done some bad things. We had meetings inn Ramallah the next day when the burial and protests were going to take place and made a quick exit through a checkpoint for NGO's. There is a picture on the digital NY Times right now of the area where the usual protests take place.
The project I am working on is very different than what I imagine life would be as an FSO. It is definitely less structured, and even before I took the OA I knew that if I had passed I would not have taken the position. The NGO challenge is much more in line with what I have done in the private sector, and there is a lot more flexibility for my family.
Basically, I am responsible for kick-starting the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the West Bank and Gaza. I have been working on strategic relationships with companies in Silicon Valley, and the team has deals in place with some of the leading tech companies in the world who are providing financial investments and sending engineers to Gaza and the West Bank to train young Palestinians on Android, HTML 5, App Engine, iOS, and other programming platforms. We have also secured several million dollars to start a seed investment fund that will back young Palestinian entrepreneurs.
Given what is going on at the UN this week I can't imagine doing anything more important than this right now. Best of luck to everyone in the process, and thanks again for the well wishes.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
OA Results
Well it wasn't pretty. I had to travel half way around the world after the OA so this is my first chance to share the gory details. I actually wound up doing worse than last year, only passed the SI this time, and wound up with a 5.0. There were twelve of us and don't know how many passed as I was the sixth called out from the room. The only really surprising thing during the brief exit interview is that my examiner went on and on about the numbers, and budget implications on hiring. She very well could have been trying to ease the sting, but was surprised since the 13 D's should be consistently applied in the best of times or the worst of times.
The only thing that I can add without going into the NDA realm is that the different group dynamics during the GE from year to to year will always make it a new experience. Three people from my GE group were still standing and hopefully one of them made it. Everyone was an upgrade IMO from last years group and if the three of us who didn't pass this time fell short of the mark I am even more confused with how the GE is scored. The entire group worked well, adovcated, and pushed back where needed to focus on giving the ambassador the best recommendations. I thought the project we supported wasn't particularly a strong one and was vocal about that without being an ass( or so I think) so I don't have much else to offer.
The SI IMO is still the most straight forward part of the day and I thought the questions were very fair and thought provoking.
I am 0/2 on the CM so don't have the foggiest idea so won't give anyone any bad advice. I definitely had more time to address the quant issues this time around, and definitely devoted more of the memo to facts and figures. There is definitely something in the grading rubric that I must be totally missing.
Having done this twice now I am even more perplexed of what to think about it. In the chit chat that takes place in between sessions and what you see of of 4-5 others during the GE it was the usual, very interesting and diverse group. I'm not sure the process gets it right per se, but with the quality I have seen the last two years I am not sure the OA has to necessarily get it right to assess great people into The State Department.
The only thing that I can add without going into the NDA realm is that the different group dynamics during the GE from year to to year will always make it a new experience. Three people from my GE group were still standing and hopefully one of them made it. Everyone was an upgrade IMO from last years group and if the three of us who didn't pass this time fell short of the mark I am even more confused with how the GE is scored. The entire group worked well, adovcated, and pushed back where needed to focus on giving the ambassador the best recommendations. I thought the project we supported wasn't particularly a strong one and was vocal about that without being an ass( or so I think) so I don't have much else to offer.
The SI IMO is still the most straight forward part of the day and I thought the questions were very fair and thought provoking.
I am 0/2 on the CM so don't have the foggiest idea so won't give anyone any bad advice. I definitely had more time to address the quant issues this time around, and definitely devoted more of the memo to facts and figures. There is definitely something in the grading rubric that I must be totally missing.
Having done this twice now I am even more perplexed of what to think about it. In the chit chat that takes place in between sessions and what you see of of 4-5 others during the GE it was the usual, very interesting and diverse group. I'm not sure the process gets it right per se, but with the quality I have seen the last two years I am not sure the OA has to necessarily get it right to assess great people into The State Department.
Friday, July 22, 2011
DC Bound
I just printed off my SOI and double checked everything and the suit which I seem to only where once a year for government interviews or oral assessments still fits. I can't say that I had the sort of preparation as I did last year. There wasn't much if any of a Denver/Boulder contingent this time around, and I just had a hard time this year.
So I am hoping that the old adage that the best preparation is having taken the OA before. I remember when we had our final break last year and several of us went down to the Starbucks around the corner and I remember saying that I had no idea how I had done. I thought I had done well enough to pass, but didn't. I would definitely encourage everyone who does not pass or passes, but doesn't pass with a high enough score plus bonus points to submit an FOIA for your scores.
While I didn't pass last time it really came down to a lousy hypothetical performance during the SI. So I spent a lot of time going over that and I definitely recall a few things I said last time which led to the 4.8. I really thought I did well on the GE, but only scored a 5.3. I do think there is a degree of a rising tide lifts all boats during the GE. I was the only one that finished the presentation in time to allow for questions, and we wasted the first five to ten minutes going over things that could have been covered during the presentation phase. I honestly don't think I would have done anything differently. I drew out the two quiet members in our group, went first, asked questions, advocated, but evidently didn't do enough of the right things. The one part I personally felt conflicted about was walking the fine line between letting other members of the group have their voice versus stepping in when they took the conversation in the weeds. So I think this time around if that happens I will be a little more assertive.
I wrote several new SI stories and two for the one question that sort of stumped me last time around. I didn't think that I got off to the smoothest of starts, but wound up with 5.7 and 5.6 on those two components of the SI so I was wrong yet again.
The CM is the CM and seems to be the one section that gets the most people. Last time around I think I made a technical/admin problem so I really thought I bombed it. I won't make that mistake again, I will have my reading glasses in case the lights go out again so I can read the material in the binder, and I will make sure to ask the proctor what s/he wants us to do in case something goes wrong during the exercise. Our proctor said she would check in on us last time, but never did.
I guess I am going into the OA this time assuming that I will probably not pass the CM so I didn't do as much prep as last time, but did write two essays and read all of the sample answers. As bad as things went last time I don't think I can do much worse than a 4.9.
I can definitely improve on the SI. I was very strong on two sections and worked on my SAR responses to all of the testable dimensions and really practiced on my approach to the hypotheticals. So I hope I can raise my overall score by improving on that part of the SI.
I don't think I can do too much better than I did on the GE last last time. While I didn't do any group sessions I did five or six presentations in front of the video camera and worked on my presentation strategy and transitions from section to section of the presentation.
Since I have a job offer in the Middle East working in the West Bank and Gaza I think the pressure should be a little lower this time around. The good folks at the Board of Examiners definitely threw us a curve ball last time so I will be expecting something different than the practice materials which should help as well.
Good luck to everyone!
So I am hoping that the old adage that the best preparation is having taken the OA before. I remember when we had our final break last year and several of us went down to the Starbucks around the corner and I remember saying that I had no idea how I had done. I thought I had done well enough to pass, but didn't. I would definitely encourage everyone who does not pass or passes, but doesn't pass with a high enough score plus bonus points to submit an FOIA for your scores.
While I didn't pass last time it really came down to a lousy hypothetical performance during the SI. So I spent a lot of time going over that and I definitely recall a few things I said last time which led to the 4.8. I really thought I did well on the GE, but only scored a 5.3. I do think there is a degree of a rising tide lifts all boats during the GE. I was the only one that finished the presentation in time to allow for questions, and we wasted the first five to ten minutes going over things that could have been covered during the presentation phase. I honestly don't think I would have done anything differently. I drew out the two quiet members in our group, went first, asked questions, advocated, but evidently didn't do enough of the right things. The one part I personally felt conflicted about was walking the fine line between letting other members of the group have their voice versus stepping in when they took the conversation in the weeds. So I think this time around if that happens I will be a little more assertive.
I wrote several new SI stories and two for the one question that sort of stumped me last time around. I didn't think that I got off to the smoothest of starts, but wound up with 5.7 and 5.6 on those two components of the SI so I was wrong yet again.
The CM is the CM and seems to be the one section that gets the most people. Last time around I think I made a technical/admin problem so I really thought I bombed it. I won't make that mistake again, I will have my reading glasses in case the lights go out again so I can read the material in the binder, and I will make sure to ask the proctor what s/he wants us to do in case something goes wrong during the exercise. Our proctor said she would check in on us last time, but never did.
I guess I am going into the OA this time assuming that I will probably not pass the CM so I didn't do as much prep as last time, but did write two essays and read all of the sample answers. As bad as things went last time I don't think I can do much worse than a 4.9.
I can definitely improve on the SI. I was very strong on two sections and worked on my SAR responses to all of the testable dimensions and really practiced on my approach to the hypotheticals. So I hope I can raise my overall score by improving on that part of the SI.
I don't think I can do too much better than I did on the GE last last time. While I didn't do any group sessions I did five or six presentations in front of the video camera and worked on my presentation strategy and transitions from section to section of the presentation.
Since I have a job offer in the Middle East working in the West Bank and Gaza I think the pressure should be a little lower this time around. The good folks at the Board of Examiners definitely threw us a curve ball last time so I will be expecting something different than the practice materials which should help as well.
Good luck to everyone!
Friday, July 15, 2011
OA Scores
My FOIA request for my OA scores showed up today, and boy was I surprised. The one thing you learn going through this is you really have no idea how things are evaluated. I really thought I did well on the GE, OK on the SI, and I knew that I didn't pass the CM, but didn't know if I blew it.
We are out of town so I had a friend read me the breakdown. I passed the GE with a 5.3. On the SI I scored a 5.7 on experience and motivation, 5.6 on past behavior, and a whopping 4.8 on the hypothetical for a 5.4 total score. I wound up with a 4.9 on the CM so I didn't totally blow it.
While I didn't pass the CM, the hypotheticals did me in. I actually thought I did OK on them so need to go back to the drawing board.
I have a week to put in some solid prep next week so with the actual scores now have a better idea what to focus on. I am looking forward to round two of this, and with an offer in hand will definitely be relaxed and see if I can improve a bit on the CM, GE, and hypotheticlas.
We are out of town so I had a friend read me the breakdown. I passed the GE with a 5.3. On the SI I scored a 5.7 on experience and motivation, 5.6 on past behavior, and a whopping 4.8 on the hypothetical for a 5.4 total score. I wound up with a 4.9 on the CM so I didn't totally blow it.
While I didn't pass the CM, the hypotheticals did me in. I actually thought I did OK on them so need to go back to the drawing board.
I have a week to put in some solid prep next week so with the actual scores now have a better idea what to focus on. I am looking forward to round two of this, and with an offer in hand will definitely be relaxed and see if I can improve a bit on the CM, GE, and hypotheticlas.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Personal Narratives
I know this is probably arrogant, but I wanted to write a few tidbits that I learned over the last two cycles of trying to do this. While I am 2/2 on getting to the OA I am still pretty certain that no one really has the inside scoop, even the great ones on the Yahoo board. There are too many people who speak with absolute authority on the process, and when you see people who are on the register either fail the written test or not make it past the PNQ you realize that no one really knows, and it can be a real crap shoot.
So with that as a backdrop this is my advice. Make sure that you understand the question being asked and answer the question. Really understand the dimensions being asked and make sure you address them in an engaging way that answers the question.
I have no way to back this up, but I also think the style of writing that leads to a passing score on the essay portion of the written test isn't necessarily the style of writing that leads to a good personal narrative. I know when I first sat down to write my narratives last year I tried to write a classic four or five paragraph essays and what I got was a lot of fluff, and couldn't adequately answer the question and show my personality in 1300 characters. Again I have to thank someone else for that bit of advice, but basically I shredded what I had written and essentially, for lack of a better word, just threw up on the page. You just don't have enough space to write the set-up or thesis paragraph that you find in a typical essay. Just get right down to the nitty gritty. That's what I have done both times. Remember it is a personal narrative and not an essay writing contest.
I think the other trap, especially if you are an older candidate like me, is to fall into the trap that the gravity of the experience or the personal resume will carry the day. I think that is wrong. I know that I looked for the "ah ha" sort of stories initially, but I don't think you need to have cured cancer or saved a comrade in combat to get the attention of the examiners. Remember that you are applying for a job as a generalist, and that technically you don't even need a college degree to become an FSO. So focus on the most engaging story that answers the question and shows the person who is wading through thousands of stories what makes you interesting.
I am a management cone candidate and where it made sense I tried to tailor the narratives to play upon my strengths as a management cone person, but I didn't try to force a square peg into a round hole. I think in both cycles two of my stories were more cone specific.
The other piece of great advice that I got was as you are writing think about how you would relate the story to a friend. I think this gets back to what works on the written test versus what gets you noticed during this part of the process. Again I have nothing to back this up, but some of the better, successful stories that I have read were more trivial in the grand scheme of life, but were written in a more familiar tone without being overly colloquial. The one common theme was the writer's personality came through loud and clear. I know as a former military guy we tended to write in an overlay formal and stiff way. Don't do that for sure.
Not that a ton of people read this stuff, but I hope that someone finds this useful. I know that I have gotten some great advice during this crazy process, and wanted to share what some really gracious people have share with me along the way.
Good luck!
So with that as a backdrop this is my advice. Make sure that you understand the question being asked and answer the question. Really understand the dimensions being asked and make sure you address them in an engaging way that answers the question.
I have no way to back this up, but I also think the style of writing that leads to a passing score on the essay portion of the written test isn't necessarily the style of writing that leads to a good personal narrative. I know when I first sat down to write my narratives last year I tried to write a classic four or five paragraph essays and what I got was a lot of fluff, and couldn't adequately answer the question and show my personality in 1300 characters. Again I have to thank someone else for that bit of advice, but basically I shredded what I had written and essentially, for lack of a better word, just threw up on the page. You just don't have enough space to write the set-up or thesis paragraph that you find in a typical essay. Just get right down to the nitty gritty. That's what I have done both times. Remember it is a personal narrative and not an essay writing contest.
I think the other trap, especially if you are an older candidate like me, is to fall into the trap that the gravity of the experience or the personal resume will carry the day. I think that is wrong. I know that I looked for the "ah ha" sort of stories initially, but I don't think you need to have cured cancer or saved a comrade in combat to get the attention of the examiners. Remember that you are applying for a job as a generalist, and that technically you don't even need a college degree to become an FSO. So focus on the most engaging story that answers the question and shows the person who is wading through thousands of stories what makes you interesting.
I am a management cone candidate and where it made sense I tried to tailor the narratives to play upon my strengths as a management cone person, but I didn't try to force a square peg into a round hole. I think in both cycles two of my stories were more cone specific.
The other piece of great advice that I got was as you are writing think about how you would relate the story to a friend. I think this gets back to what works on the written test versus what gets you noticed during this part of the process. Again I have nothing to back this up, but some of the better, successful stories that I have read were more trivial in the grand scheme of life, but were written in a more familiar tone without being overly colloquial. The one common theme was the writer's personality came through loud and clear. I know as a former military guy we tended to write in an overlay formal and stiff way. Don't do that for sure.
Not that a ton of people read this stuff, but I hope that someone finds this useful. I know that I have gotten some great advice during this crazy process, and wanted to share what some really gracious people have share with me along the way.
Good luck!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Job Offer
Just had a conference call with the NGO that I did some pro bono work with in the Middle East, and they want me to join them full-time. The position would be to lead their entrepreneurial economic programs in the West Bank and Gaza as well as a little work in Egypt. I would be living in East Jerusalem and I could work out of my home in the US about a third of the time.
We are going to have a family pow wow later to discuss.
We are going to have a family pow wow later to discuss.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Bad Omen?????????????
I must be quick on the refresh button because for the second year in a row I have an early OA date. I am not certain, but I think I have the first available day this cycle. We have some good friends who live in the DC area so the whole family flew out last year and we made a mini vacation out of it. It was the first time for my kids so we hit a lot of the major sites, and the icing on the the cake was a Goo Goo Dolls concert the night after the OA. They are one of my favorite if not my favorite groups to see in concert.
If you have read any of my dribble you know that I came up just short with a 5.2. With the budget crisis and hiring uncertainty I didn't like my chances to make it back to the OA. So I made it, have my OA date, and the Goo Goo Dolls are back in DC the night after my OA date for the second year in a row. As much as I would LOVE to see them again I am thinking I will just hop on the last plane back to Denver on the 25th. So, sorry Johnny Rzenik, but this year rather than drowning my sorrows with Name, Iris, and Slide I'll just sit in my middle seat in the back of the bus with those little bottles of scotch celebrating(hopefully) with the person who keeps stealing both arm rests.
If you have read any of my dribble you know that I came up just short with a 5.2. With the budget crisis and hiring uncertainty I didn't like my chances to make it back to the OA. So I made it, have my OA date, and the Goo Goo Dolls are back in DC the night after my OA date for the second year in a row. As much as I would LOVE to see them again I am thinking I will just hop on the last plane back to Denver on the 25th. So, sorry Johnny Rzenik, but this year rather than drowning my sorrows with Name, Iris, and Slide I'll just sit in my middle seat in the back of the bus with those little bottles of scotch celebrating(hopefully) with the person who keeps stealing both arm rests.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
OA 7/25
From the chatter on the Yahoo site it looks like I managed to grab the very first test date this time around. I actually wanted to test later in the cycle this time, but since it looks like I will be getting an offer from an NGO I just wanted to get the earliest option available.
I waited until mid-March to send off my FOIA request to get the breakdown of last years OA so I am guessing that I will not see anything before my test date. I am going to probably review CM the most since that was the only section that I did not pass last time. Despite coming up short by just .05 last time I definitely did not crush the SI, or at least I don't think I did.
I thought that I did best on the GE, and learned a few things that I will keep in my back pocket depending on how the group dynamics play out. I found that video taping myself was by far the best way to prepare for the GE, and will probably do that a few times again. The other thing I did was set an alarm for five minutes so that I had a good sense of what five minutes feels like. The day I took the GE only two of us finished our presentations with time for questions. That really hurt the discussion phase since we had to spend the first five minutes going over things that should have happened during the presentation phase.
I definitely want to go through the OA again, but if I do get an offer from this NGO it will be just about impossible to say no,and not sure if I could hold them off for another six weeks.
I waited until mid-March to send off my FOIA request to get the breakdown of last years OA so I am guessing that I will not see anything before my test date. I am going to probably review CM the most since that was the only section that I did not pass last time. Despite coming up short by just .05 last time I definitely did not crush the SI, or at least I don't think I did.
I thought that I did best on the GE, and learned a few things that I will keep in my back pocket depending on how the group dynamics play out. I found that video taping myself was by far the best way to prepare for the GE, and will probably do that a few times again. The other thing I did was set an alarm for five minutes so that I had a good sense of what five minutes feels like. The day I took the GE only two of us finished our presentations with time for questions. That really hurt the discussion phase since we had to spend the first five minutes going over things that should have happened during the presentation phase.
I definitely want to go through the OA again, but if I do get an offer from this NGO it will be just about impossible to say no,and not sure if I could hold them off for another six weeks.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Checking In From Jerusalem
I finished up my last full day of work in Jerusalem today. I get to play tourist tomorrow, and then it is off to Cairo. While I don't have a choice to make just yet, this has been a great week to see how a major NGO operates. It has been great to see a real multi-cultural workforce work together. There are Americans, Canadians, Serbs, Nepalese, and Palestinians in the office. One of the things you see right away is the race to secure fundings which is the lifeblood for the NGO world, and USAID is the major donor in the space. Gaza is getting the most attention now, and these guys are doing a lot of thinking of how to maintain their position as the development landscape changes.
Unfortunately there will always be tragedies in the world, but they are the bread and butter of the humanitarian focused NGO's. The challenge now is how to participate in the economic development initiatives in the Arab world, especially as the line between NGO's and the private sector begins to blur. That's the main issue that I am out here working on, and am also developing a framework to help build the entrepreneurial ecosystem that for the most part doesn't exist in most Arab states. One of the interesting things in Palestine is that Gaza is ahead of the West Bank in terms of being technology innovators. The Israeli blockade has forced Gazans to go to great lengths to cobble together PC's, routers, and other internet infrastructure. A major tech company will be announcing a partnership to seed start-ups in Gaza, and I have also been evaluating the strategic plan as well as partnership opportunities with other tech companies.
The NGO world definitely rises and falls with its ability to secure mandates. The post 9/11 world has been a goldmine for NGO's with the tremendous upheavals in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that the purse strings are tightening up, a lot of NGO's will have to move closer to embracing the for-profit model in order to fully participate in enterprise development projects.
Other than the funding rat race, the major difference between the State or USAID option is that in the NGO world you don't get that USA in a box experience that you might find in an embassy or mission setting. You have to figure out your own transportation and housing options, and there just isn't the support network that exists when you work for the government.
Unfortunately there will always be tragedies in the world, but they are the bread and butter of the humanitarian focused NGO's. The challenge now is how to participate in the economic development initiatives in the Arab world, especially as the line between NGO's and the private sector begins to blur. That's the main issue that I am out here working on, and am also developing a framework to help build the entrepreneurial ecosystem that for the most part doesn't exist in most Arab states. One of the interesting things in Palestine is that Gaza is ahead of the West Bank in terms of being technology innovators. The Israeli blockade has forced Gazans to go to great lengths to cobble together PC's, routers, and other internet infrastructure. A major tech company will be announcing a partnership to seed start-ups in Gaza, and I have also been evaluating the strategic plan as well as partnership opportunities with other tech companies.
The NGO world definitely rises and falls with its ability to secure mandates. The post 9/11 world has been a goldmine for NGO's with the tremendous upheavals in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now that the purse strings are tightening up, a lot of NGO's will have to move closer to embracing the for-profit model in order to fully participate in enterprise development projects.
Other than the funding rat race, the major difference between the State or USAID option is that in the NGO world you don't get that USA in a box experience that you might find in an embassy or mission setting. You have to figure out your own transportation and housing options, and there just isn't the support network that exists when you work for the government.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Into the Fire
I had been pursuing several different options while I waited for the the results from the QEP, and am heading off to the West Bank and to Cairo tomorrow to work on a project for a large NGO. This is a pro bono consulting job of sorts,and also an extended interview process for both of us.
This is a much different opportunity then working inside an embassy, and this NGO certainly works in a very rough and tumble atmosphere. They have been very active in Libya, and have humanitarian operations in Misrata. I don't think I will be doing anything nearly that exciting during this trip, but I suspect this trip to the West Bank will feel very different than when I was last there in February.
One of many questions is what happens next in the Middle East? One of the major priorities going forward with this NGO is to attack the massive youth unemployment issue in the region, and in particular make investments in the technology sector to stimulate entrepreneurism and job creation. It is the sort of challenge quite frankly that blows away what I might do as a junior management officer in the Foreign Service. I see it more as being a technocrat executing policy which you don't have any say in (just like when I was in the military) versus being truly entrepreneurial to achieve a strategic objective. Not that one is necessarily better or worse, but definitely different.
My plane leaves Monday morning right when the window opens up to schedule the Oral Assessment, so I will be frantically trying to schedule it from the airplane before we take off. Since this is just a trial run I definitely want and need to keep all of my options open. Based upon my interactions so far with many of the senior people in the organization, if given the choice I would probably not take the OA if they offer me a permanent position following this assignment.
This is a much different opportunity then working inside an embassy, and this NGO certainly works in a very rough and tumble atmosphere. They have been very active in Libya, and have humanitarian operations in Misrata. I don't think I will be doing anything nearly that exciting during this trip, but I suspect this trip to the West Bank will feel very different than when I was last there in February.
One of many questions is what happens next in the Middle East? One of the major priorities going forward with this NGO is to attack the massive youth unemployment issue in the region, and in particular make investments in the technology sector to stimulate entrepreneurism and job creation. It is the sort of challenge quite frankly that blows away what I might do as a junior management officer in the Foreign Service. I see it more as being a technocrat executing policy which you don't have any say in (just like when I was in the military) versus being truly entrepreneurial to achieve a strategic objective. Not that one is necessarily better or worse, but definitely different.
My plane leaves Monday morning right when the window opens up to schedule the Oral Assessment, so I will be frantically trying to schedule it from the airplane before we take off. Since this is just a trial run I definitely want and need to keep all of my options open. Based upon my interactions so far with many of the senior people in the organization, if given the choice I would probably not take the OA if they offer me a permanent position following this assignment.
Monday, May 16, 2011
QEP Results
Despite the high drama of the budget crisis and how that would impact the QEP process just downloaded my letter and saw the Congratulations! so I have made it to the OA for the second time. I guess I should be pretty pumped, but during the wait the train has started to leave the station on a really interesting opportunity.
It looks like I am heading over to the Middle East on sort of a trial run assignment for an NGO. One of their major focuses now is what to do next following the Arab Spring and how do you tackle the huge problem of under employment in the region. I had a great series of meetings with them last week and the plan is to fly over and look at several potential projects in the West Bank and Egypt. There are several very prominent US tech companies who are looking to make investments in the region, and I could be the point person running all of the youth employment programs in the Middle East and North Africa.
Good luck to everyone.
It looks like I am heading over to the Middle East on sort of a trial run assignment for an NGO. One of their major focuses now is what to do next following the Arab Spring and how do you tackle the huge problem of under employment in the region. I had a great series of meetings with them last week and the plan is to fly over and look at several potential projects in the West Bank and Egypt. There are several very prominent US tech companies who are looking to make investments in the region, and I could be the point person running all of the youth employment programs in the Middle East and North Africa.
Good luck to everyone.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Still Waiting
Nothing terribly exciting to report. Just waiting like everyone else and State has been making calls to verifiers. So far none of mine have been called for the second year in row. I have been spending a lot of time on Plan B and Plan C, and have made some decent headway with a couple of NGO's that have large operations in the Middle East?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Two Weeks and Counting
I love James Bond movies and especially the early Sean Connery era movies when the bad guys were about to launch an attack and a guy in some sort of Eastern European voice would be counting down the launch sequence. So we are two weeks and counting and about six more to go. This has to be the most one of the most interesting(in a sort of bad way) QEP in recent history. How will the budget crisis impact an already mysterious process? You could probably make the case that the future hiring need beyond the existing registers is about zero, but at the same time State probably wants to allow quality candidates to enter into the pipeline and let the OA score plus bonus points sort of who does and doesn't get hired.
For all of the agony of the FSO process I still say it is the best one out there in terms of this type of government work. I just got dinged from an unnamed agency after being approached by them on two separate occasions only to be told that for some reason I didn't have the right stuff to continue my candidacy. Don't get me started on USAID and NGO's. There is such an institutional bias in those two groups that I could go on and on about.
So while it sucks to be a victim of bad timing it is what it is. I finally sent off for my OA scores from last year and will interested to see how I got to my 5.2 after passing 2/3 sections. Despite it being a weird day in some respects I knew what the standards were, and no question I left .1 out there so I have no one to blame but myself. Had I done better in the SI, despite passing I would probably be hired right now since I have a truck load of bonus points.
So while it is easy to throw stones at State and feel sorry for ourselves on the outside looking in, it is still the best thing out there.
For all of the agony of the FSO process I still say it is the best one out there in terms of this type of government work. I just got dinged from an unnamed agency after being approached by them on two separate occasions only to be told that for some reason I didn't have the right stuff to continue my candidacy. Don't get me started on USAID and NGO's. There is such an institutional bias in those two groups that I could go on and on about.
So while it sucks to be a victim of bad timing it is what it is. I finally sent off for my OA scores from last year and will interested to see how I got to my 5.2 after passing 2/3 sections. Despite it being a weird day in some respects I knew what the standards were, and no question I left .1 out there so I have no one to blame but myself. Had I done better in the SI, despite passing I would probably be hired right now since I have a truck load of bonus points.
So while it is easy to throw stones at State and feel sorry for ourselves on the outside looking in, it is still the best thing out there.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
What Next?
Now that everyone in the February Cohort has submitted our personal narratives it is the long wait until late May or so to find out if we continue in the process or if it is the end of the road. I imagine that there will be a lot of disappointment when we all hit the link to see if the first word is Congratulations!
The whole process is a bit of mystery, but I would suspect even with the size of the registers and the budget crisis that State will still bring quality candidates into the pipeline. I guess the question is how high will the line be drawn in each cone as to how many candidates are invited to the Oral Assessment. This is surprisingly the only stage in the process where State can raise or lower the flood gates during the hiring process. As someone who has spent most of his career in the private sector it seems a strange way to run an organization.
That being said, as I have looked at other geo-political options,as flawed as the FSO process may seem it is certainly far better than most of the others. It has been a little over a week since I hit the submit button and have the sinking suspicion that I might have changed my previous narratives a bit too much, but the good news is that I only have another seven weeks or so to dwell on it.
The whole process is a bit of mystery, but I would suspect even with the size of the registers and the budget crisis that State will still bring quality candidates into the pipeline. I guess the question is how high will the line be drawn in each cone as to how many candidates are invited to the Oral Assessment. This is surprisingly the only stage in the process where State can raise or lower the flood gates during the hiring process. As someone who has spent most of his career in the private sector it seems a strange way to run an organization.
That being said, as I have looked at other geo-political options,as flawed as the FSO process may seem it is certainly far better than most of the others. It has been a little over a week since I hit the submit button and have the sinking suspicion that I might have changed my previous narratives a bit too much, but the good news is that I only have another seven weeks or so to dwell on it.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
PNQ's Submitted
I just hit the submit button and it is done. I nearly hit the submit button earlier, but as I proofread one last time, I decided to write a new essay for the Intellectual Skills narrative. I guess only time will tell if that was the right move. It was a coin flip between a story that I used last year, and a fresher experience that showed a different side of me. Also, since I am ex-military and I hit on that experience in the leadership narrative and the new sixth narrative I wanted to do something different.
Timing is usually everything and this might wind up being one of the worst times in recent history to be entering the QEP phase. It will be interesting to see just how quickly the State Department has flipped the switch on the QEP to reflect the current state of affairs on the hiring front. I imagine the magic line in all of the cones will be a lot higher than it was last year.
If I don't make it to the OA this time around, it won't be because I used the same narratives. I wound up using only two of the same stories, one major edit, and three new ones. I upped my overall FSOT by twelve points, have a SCNL, and several new experiences so I definitely didn't rest on my laurels or did I change too much?
Timing is usually everything and this might wind up being one of the worst times in recent history to be entering the QEP phase. It will be interesting to see just how quickly the State Department has flipped the switch on the QEP to reflect the current state of affairs on the hiring front. I imagine the magic line in all of the cones will be a lot higher than it was last year.
If I don't make it to the OA this time around, it won't be because I used the same narratives. I wound up using only two of the same stories, one major edit, and three new ones. I upped my overall FSOT by twelve points, have a SCNL, and several new experiences so I definitely didn't rest on my laurels or did I change too much?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Arabic Tutors
If anyone is looking for online Arabic instruction please let me know. I am volunteering at a local refugee center and I am working with several refugees who have recently arrived from Iraq. Some of them have very impressive teaching credentials and worked as linguists or translators for the U.S. Army in Iraq. I am working with them to set up tutoring services and have prepared with them, an outline to help aspiring FSO's get to the S-2 level in Arabic.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Arab Social Innovator Grant
I got some great news from Jordan last night. I wrote a grant proposal for the Synergos Social Innovator Program, and we won the grant! This is great news and will allow us to continue to work on women's empowerment and micro-development programs.
One of the great success stories that I wrote about in the grant was a woman who received a small investment and training. Her family lived in horrible poverty and her oldest daughter was "married off" at fifteen because they could not provide for the family. They live in an area that will never see a tourist dollar in a million years so there are not a lot of options for people in the village.
The organization bought her a tabun oven to make tabun bread that she could sell at the local markets and to tourists visiting some of the tourist sites about thirty minutes from her village. She also received training in food preparation and hygiene, and transportation to and from the various markets.
She made more money in one day, about 300 dinars, than her family earned in an entire year. She now bought the land next to her home for her oldest daughter to build a house and they are growing more herbs to prepare other local dishes to serve the growing tourist market in the region.
I am so happy for Ramez and Suhair and they can now develop some of the other programs that we mapped out when I was in Jordan.
One of the great success stories that I wrote about in the grant was a woman who received a small investment and training. Her family lived in horrible poverty and her oldest daughter was "married off" at fifteen because they could not provide for the family. They live in an area that will never see a tourist dollar in a million years so there are not a lot of options for people in the village.
The organization bought her a tabun oven to make tabun bread that she could sell at the local markets and to tourists visiting some of the tourist sites about thirty minutes from her village. She also received training in food preparation and hygiene, and transportation to and from the various markets.
She made more money in one day, about 300 dinars, than her family earned in an entire year. She now bought the land next to her home for her oldest daughter to build a house and they are growing more herbs to prepare other local dishes to serve the growing tourist market in the region.
I am so happy for Ramez and Suhair and they can now develop some of the other programs that we mapped out when I was in Jordan.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
SCNL
I wanted to confirm something for people who are about to take the SCNL phone test or who are contemplating learning one. If you do pass the test the results are good for FIVE years. I found that hard to believe, but after passing the FSOT again I received the, you said you speak a language email. I replied that I had passed last year, and I heard back that they had my results and that I am good for four more years.
It is hard to believe that is the case. I know I start forgetting things after a couple of weeks of not speaking Arabic. So I guess the moral of the story is that if you really want to do this, it is probably time well spent.
It is hard to believe that is the case. I know I start forgetting things after a couple of weeks of not speaking Arabic. So I guess the moral of the story is that if you really want to do this, it is probably time well spent.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
PNQ Flip-Flopper
So I guess I can never run for political office as I am now an official flip-flopper. I took a real hard look at my PNQ's which got me through to the OA last year and decided to do a bit more editing. The PNQ's seem to be fairly static from year to year, but there were a few subtle changes this year.
State made a minor change on the Intellectual Skills narrative so I tweaked my answer a bit to make sure that I specifically addressed the new wording. I basically re-wrote my Interpersonal Skills narrative to reflect my continued interaction with the main subject of the story. This was one of my strongest stories and my instinct was just to leave well enough alone, but I didn't want to be lazy on the off chance the same person reviews my narratives again. I felt the same way with the Communication Skills narrative. My old story was very strong. I mean how many times do you pick up a mother and son(Palestinian refugees) and give them a ride, and then they share figs from their lone fig tree with you. But, I had a new experience that addressed the question so decided to write a new narrative.
I am a management cone candidate and the Management and Leadership Skills narratives are perfect cone-related stories so I am not going to touch them. The sixth narrative was really tough to write and basically you have to condense your SOI to 1300 characters. I think this was a good addition to the process.
So it looks like I will submit three new stories, two exactly the same, and one with only very minor editing.
Good luck to everyone and I am sure there are a lot of people banging away on keyboards this weekend.
State made a minor change on the Intellectual Skills narrative so I tweaked my answer a bit to make sure that I specifically addressed the new wording. I basically re-wrote my Interpersonal Skills narrative to reflect my continued interaction with the main subject of the story. This was one of my strongest stories and my instinct was just to leave well enough alone, but I didn't want to be lazy on the off chance the same person reviews my narratives again. I felt the same way with the Communication Skills narrative. My old story was very strong. I mean how many times do you pick up a mother and son(Palestinian refugees) and give them a ride, and then they share figs from their lone fig tree with you. But, I had a new experience that addressed the question so decided to write a new narrative.
I am a management cone candidate and the Management and Leadership Skills narratives are perfect cone-related stories so I am not going to touch them. The sixth narrative was really tough to write and basically you have to condense your SOI to 1300 characters. I think this was a good addition to the process.
So it looks like I will submit three new stories, two exactly the same, and one with only very minor editing.
Good luck to everyone and I am sure there are a lot of people banging away on keyboards this weekend.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Recycle or Not?
There is always a lot of discussion about recycling previous PNQ's if you passed the written test in an earlier iteration. I guess I fall into the camp that if they are your very best stories that specifically answer the questions, then you should use them again. I am going to practice what I preach. However, this time around we have six questions to answer, and the sixth question is more like a mini-SOI than a PNQ per se.
The PNQ's tend to be pretty static, but one of them was worded a bit differently so I will tweak that PNQ to answer the specific tweak in the question. I have great stories that address leadership, management, and cross-cultural compatibility so there is no reason to mess with them, and I am changing one PNQ to add a newer experience. I think the mini-SOI will be the hardest to write because there are a lot of questions to address in 1300 characters. This was a really good addition to the PNQ phase IMO.
It seems as if the bar has been raised and fewer applicants are getting through the QEP phase which is why I am sticking with my very best stories. I am on the record and we'll see what happens.
The PNQ's tend to be pretty static, but one of them was worded a bit differently so I will tweak that PNQ to answer the specific tweak in the question. I have great stories that address leadership, management, and cross-cultural compatibility so there is no reason to mess with them, and I am changing one PNQ to add a newer experience. I think the mini-SOI will be the hardest to write because there are a lot of questions to address in 1300 characters. This was a really good addition to the PNQ phase IMO.
It seems as if the bar has been raised and fewer applicants are getting through the QEP phase which is why I am sticking with my very best stories. I am on the record and we'll see what happens.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Passed
I know all of my many devoted readers, ha ha, were waiting on pins and needles for the results of the FSOT. Well, I passed. This time around the test scores were included in the results letter which is a nice change.
Job Knowledge 64.56
Biographic Information 61.91
English Expression 50.53
Essay 8
That is 177.00 which was about a 12 point improvement and I improved in each section.
So I guess I am not the greatest editor of awkwardly written passages, but can write OK myself. They must have graded my second essay or felt very sorry for me.
Job Knowledge 64.56
Biographic Information 61.91
English Expression 50.53
Essay 8
That is 177.00 which was about a 12 point improvement and I improved in each section.
So I guess I am not the greatest editor of awkwardly written passages, but can write OK myself. They must have graded my second essay or felt very sorry for me.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
ACT Update
I have to give two thumbs up to ACT for how they are handling the problem that happened during the essay portion of the Written Test. About ten minutes into the essay my 2 1/2 paragraphs vanished. I received an email from them today saying that if I failed the essay portion of the test(and passed the other sections) I would be able to take the test again in June.
We are expecting the results of the test any day so I am guessing they already know the verdict.
We are expecting the results of the test any day so I am guessing they already know the verdict.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Any Day Now
If ACT holds true to form we February test takers should hear the news in a day or two. After receiving an initial email from ACT regarding the issue during my essay I haven't heard anything new from them. I am assuming they were waiting to see if they even needed to grade my essay or not. I don't think anyone really knows if one of the two essays was a practice prompt for future tests.
So we shall see, and hopefully the drama was much ado about nothing.
So we shall see, and hopefully the drama was much ado about nothing.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Groundhog Day
Well took the FSOT and after hearing all of the grousing from earlier test takers was pleasantly surprised. While I can't say that I understand the sorts of things they ask you it certainly wasn't any different than what I experienced last year. In fact, I thought it might have been a little bit easier.
I am 2/2 in terms of glitches when it comes to the FSO process. When I took the OA last year we had a problem during the CM. It was by no means a material sort of incident, but not something that you should have to put up with during the most grueling part of the OA.
I read the first essay prompt and was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty straight-forward and start banging on the the keys. I was really happy with my first two paragraphs and had about twenty minutes to go when, poof, it was all gone. I have the proctor take a look at things and she didn't have any idea what to do. By the time we figured out that I was hosed I only had about nineteen minutes left.
I did my best with in the remaining time, but I guess we'll see if it was good enough. Since we had to write two essays I can only hope that essay #2 was the one being tested.
I am 2/2 in terms of glitches when it comes to the FSO process. When I took the OA last year we had a problem during the CM. It was by no means a material sort of incident, but not something that you should have to put up with during the most grueling part of the OA.
I read the first essay prompt and was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty straight-forward and start banging on the the keys. I was really happy with my first two paragraphs and had about twenty minutes to go when, poof, it was all gone. I have the proctor take a look at things and she didn't have any idea what to do. By the time we figured out that I was hosed I only had about nineteen minutes left.
I did my best with in the remaining time, but I guess we'll see if it was good enough. Since we had to write two essays I can only hope that essay #2 was the one being tested.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
D minus 1
I wasn't sure what to even title this blog post as I head into the FSOT tomorrow. I went into the process last year knowing that I wanted to do something geo-political, but didn't have any really strong feelings about the State Department. Going into the test last year I honestly had no idea how I would do, but felt that the BIO and JK section would be my strengths and the EE and Essay would be the wildcards.
I wound up doing OK on the test. As you learn going through this, once you pass one hurdle it is more about what is up next. The value of your past performance sort of exponentially decays. Then at the OA nothing else matters except what you do from about 8:30AM - 3:00PM.
Since not making it through the OA (5.2), I have spent more time abroad and have had more exposure to State and USAID. I have realized that the realities of both of those organizations are much different than the perception of what you think you will actually be doing. Especially when it comes to USAID. Knowing what I know now, I am still taking the test tomorrow, but I am viewing the opportunity and the process much differently.
Good luck to everyone taking the test and just remember that this is an imperfect process, but the process is the same for everybody.
I wound up doing OK on the test. As you learn going through this, once you pass one hurdle it is more about what is up next. The value of your past performance sort of exponentially decays. Then at the OA nothing else matters except what you do from about 8:30AM - 3:00PM.
Since not making it through the OA (5.2), I have spent more time abroad and have had more exposure to State and USAID. I have realized that the realities of both of those organizations are much different than the perception of what you think you will actually be doing. Especially when it comes to USAID. Knowing what I know now, I am still taking the test tomorrow, but I am viewing the opportunity and the process much differently.
Good luck to everyone taking the test and just remember that this is an imperfect process, but the process is the same for everybody.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Round Two
It is time to get focused on the final prep for the FSO Written Test. I take it on the 10th so I still have a few days. I did well on all of the sections last time except the EE. I don't remember my exact scores, but they were something like 58/59 on both the JK and BIO, a whopping 48 on the EE and an eight on the essay. I have been spending most of my study time reading grammar books and writing essays. The idea of writing two essays isn't all that appealing, and it has been hard to get motivated for this to be honest.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Muslim Engagement Parties, Speaking Arabic, and the FSO Process
As I am about to start round two in my quest to make it all the way, it was difficult to not be a little bit discouraged after reading many of the stories from the most recent group that just received their QEP results. You can never quite tell how revealing the results are from the Yahoo board since you don't know just how representative that sample of candidates is of the overall pool. Needless to say, it didn't sound very good. On top of that the last person from our study group finally took the OA and unfortunately did not make it. No one passed on the day she took it which doesn't bode that well either. Oh well, all you can do is try.
So last night I attended an engagement party for the brother of one of my co-workers in the office in Amman. We had a small gathering in their home first and saw first-hand, Arabic musical chairs. It was a very traditional home with two separate entrances and sitting rooms for male and female guests. When you enter a home you are always offered a small cup of green, bitter coffee, and as the lone non-Arab I was offered the best seat in the room. I was until the parade of village elders arrived and the game of musical chairs started as we slowly danced our way from chair to chair to give the prime seats to the older guests. So by the end of the night I was just standing in a corner.
I thought this was the extent of the evenings activities and about thirty minutes into it I heard the women start the Arabic sort of chant that you often see in movies and I guess that was the signal to hop into our cars and move on to the next stop. So the long convoy moves out and we stop at the village Diwan. The Diwan was/is a local gathering spot that in older times the local village would meet nearly every night and just sort of hang out for several hours and then go home. Now they are used for parties like this. It had two large rooms for women and men and two small prayer rooms as well.
After going through a massive receiving line of the bride-to-be's family we all sat down. Then a random selection of the oldest guests stood up and said prayers blessing everyone. Then it was more bitter coffee, pepsi, and finally Kunafa. Not once did I see the bride.
So as we are hanging out several of the men start talking to me and are surprised at my level of Arabic. Then they bring their sons and ask if I will give them all an English lesson. So for the next hour I would ask them questions in Arabic and then they would have to translate it into English.
These are the sorts of things you just can never experience unless you speak a language. Now how does this relate to the FSO process? Well as someone much smarter than me said, "timing is everything." It looks like that statement certainly applies to the FSO process. With the current situation, if you can even make it to the OA and pass it, I am not sure you can get an offer unless you speak a language and/or have serious veteran's preference points.
I know not everyone can just go hang out in the Middle East, India, or China for a month, but if you view it as an investment in your future career than maybe it is easier to justify. I thought I had great narratives for the QEP last time, but after my experiences in the West Bank and at the party last night I just might have to swap out a story or two if I can make past the written test again.
The idea of grinding through two essays isn't very appealing, so first things first and time to start doing back to back essays for the next two weeks. Otherwise it will be back to the drawing board again.
So last night I attended an engagement party for the brother of one of my co-workers in the office in Amman. We had a small gathering in their home first and saw first-hand, Arabic musical chairs. It was a very traditional home with two separate entrances and sitting rooms for male and female guests. When you enter a home you are always offered a small cup of green, bitter coffee, and as the lone non-Arab I was offered the best seat in the room. I was until the parade of village elders arrived and the game of musical chairs started as we slowly danced our way from chair to chair to give the prime seats to the older guests. So by the end of the night I was just standing in a corner.
I thought this was the extent of the evenings activities and about thirty minutes into it I heard the women start the Arabic sort of chant that you often see in movies and I guess that was the signal to hop into our cars and move on to the next stop. So the long convoy moves out and we stop at the village Diwan. The Diwan was/is a local gathering spot that in older times the local village would meet nearly every night and just sort of hang out for several hours and then go home. Now they are used for parties like this. It had two large rooms for women and men and two small prayer rooms as well.
After going through a massive receiving line of the bride-to-be's family we all sat down. Then a random selection of the oldest guests stood up and said prayers blessing everyone. Then it was more bitter coffee, pepsi, and finally Kunafa. Not once did I see the bride.
So as we are hanging out several of the men start talking to me and are surprised at my level of Arabic. Then they bring their sons and ask if I will give them all an English lesson. So for the next hour I would ask them questions in Arabic and then they would have to translate it into English.
These are the sorts of things you just can never experience unless you speak a language. Now how does this relate to the FSO process? Well as someone much smarter than me said, "timing is everything." It looks like that statement certainly applies to the FSO process. With the current situation, if you can even make it to the OA and pass it, I am not sure you can get an offer unless you speak a language and/or have serious veteran's preference points.
I know not everyone can just go hang out in the Middle East, India, or China for a month, but if you view it as an investment in your future career than maybe it is easier to justify. I thought I had great narratives for the QEP last time, but after my experiences in the West Bank and at the party last night I just might have to swap out a story or two if I can make past the written test again.
The idea of grinding through two essays isn't very appealing, so first things first and time to start doing back to back essays for the next two weeks. Otherwise it will be back to the drawing board again.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Back from Jerusalem and The West Bank
Just got back from three days of exploring. Most of my friends and family thought I was nuts to go, but their impressions are based upon what they on US TV, and yes I have a few FOX-news types in my family. The ability to speak Arabic really is a huge advantage and I was able to go and see things that most "tourists" never do. Also, most officical U.S. representatives just can't go check things out. I spent some time with several friends who are West Bank/Gaza and they can never enter Gaza and rarely enter the West Bank. That is really interesting because many times they never see their projects and with the limited or "bizarre" access they do get it makes me wonder who is really on the ground observing and processing things.
I'll write more later and post some pictures of the West Bank and some of the new settlements that are going up. Very tragic regardless of what side you fall on this issue.
I'll write more later and post some pictures of the West Bank and some of the new settlements that are going up. Very tragic regardless of what side you fall on this issue.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Empowering Jordanian Women
This is a blurb from the proposal that I am working on while I am here in Jordan for the Synergos Arab Social Innovator program - http://www.synergos.org/socialinnovators/application.htm
The Story of Um Ahmad:
From a village torn by penury comes Um-Ahmad, an ambitious hard working lady, a fighter in her mid forties challenged by her visual impairment, striving to support her family of 7 children and a retired husband suffering from severe illness. Poverty has entered Um-Ahmad’s home in its brutal form, forcing her to get her eldest daughter married at a young age of 15 years old.
Struggling to earn a living in a village constrained by poverty, cultural limitations and lack of opportunity and guidance, API met with Um-Ahmad as she was providing assistance in bread making at one of the fund raising bazaars organized by IDEAL. Um-Ahmad from that point was determined to take on what she learnt and create her own little business, baking bread - “Taboon” - at the following fundraising events held. Her talent in cooking attracted IDEAL's team to employ Um-Ahmad in preparing meals for tourists walking through the different trails in Ajloun, stopping by Osara, where Um-Ahmad lives for a delicious home-made meal.
This simple stop became a turning point in the life of this family. Um-Ahmad now generates a steady income which enabled her to renovate the dining area at her humble house.
Renovations were also made to the washroom, the only washroom in the house, which previously was dysfunctional.
As you step out of Um-Ahmad’s house after the meal, you will come across her pottery work that is displayed for sale. Also for sale are packed and pickled olives that were grown in her small garden.
Um-Ahmad now aims at purchasing the land next to her house to expand her business in producing pickled olives.
The impact of this detour was also reflected on Osara village as a whole. The village has no site of any relevance for touristic attraction, and was therefore unnoticed. By introducing the “food tourism” theme and direct interaction with the local community in Osara, the stop became a must and a unique experience for both the tourist and the host.
Interaction with the guests, exposed Um-Ahmad and her children to the outer world, developed their communication skills to overcome their shyness, pushed them to learn few words in other foreign languages to welcome their guests and provide a warm and hospitable environment.
This impelling experience has brought a thrilling drive to Um-Ahmad, guiding her to constantly improve, and therefore become an icon in her village and an attraction point.
With a grateful heart, Um-Ahmad’s words could hardly express her immense feeling of gratitude for all the guidance and training that IDEAL provided, but one sentence came out sharp and clear: “you made me and my family visible in a community that was once ashamed to even look at us”.
This is representative of the type of work we are trying to do in Jordan and despite the government getting in the way from time to time a lot is getting done on a shoe-string budget.
The Story of Um Ahmad:
From a village torn by penury comes Um-Ahmad, an ambitious hard working lady, a fighter in her mid forties challenged by her visual impairment, striving to support her family of 7 children and a retired husband suffering from severe illness. Poverty has entered Um-Ahmad’s home in its brutal form, forcing her to get her eldest daughter married at a young age of 15 years old.
Struggling to earn a living in a village constrained by poverty, cultural limitations and lack of opportunity and guidance, API met with Um-Ahmad as she was providing assistance in bread making at one of the fund raising bazaars organized by IDEAL. Um-Ahmad from that point was determined to take on what she learnt and create her own little business, baking bread - “Taboon” - at the following fundraising events held. Her talent in cooking attracted IDEAL's team to employ Um-Ahmad in preparing meals for tourists walking through the different trails in Ajloun, stopping by Osara, where Um-Ahmad lives for a delicious home-made meal.
This simple stop became a turning point in the life of this family. Um-Ahmad now generates a steady income which enabled her to renovate the dining area at her humble house.
Renovations were also made to the washroom, the only washroom in the house, which previously was dysfunctional.
As you step out of Um-Ahmad’s house after the meal, you will come across her pottery work that is displayed for sale. Also for sale are packed and pickled olives that were grown in her small garden.
Um-Ahmad now aims at purchasing the land next to her house to expand her business in producing pickled olives.
The impact of this detour was also reflected on Osara village as a whole. The village has no site of any relevance for touristic attraction, and was therefore unnoticed. By introducing the “food tourism” theme and direct interaction with the local community in Osara, the stop became a must and a unique experience for both the tourist and the host.
Interaction with the guests, exposed Um-Ahmad and her children to the outer world, developed their communication skills to overcome their shyness, pushed them to learn few words in other foreign languages to welcome their guests and provide a warm and hospitable environment.
This impelling experience has brought a thrilling drive to Um-Ahmad, guiding her to constantly improve, and therefore become an icon in her village and an attraction point.
With a grateful heart, Um-Ahmad’s words could hardly express her immense feeling of gratitude for all the guidance and training that IDEAL provided, but one sentence came out sharp and clear: “you made me and my family visible in a community that was once ashamed to even look at us”.
This is representative of the type of work we are trying to do in Jordan and despite the government getting in the way from time to time a lot is getting done on a shoe-string budget.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Best Kept Secret in Jordan
One of the neatest experiences in Jordan that your tour guide will probably never tell you about is in rural, northwest Jordan near Ajloun. A lot of the work we are doing hear is economic development projects to help empower women in particular. The northwest part of the country is very "lush" compared to the rest of Jordan and has a bit of a Mediterranean feel to it.
A series of trails have been constructed that link several small villages together. The Al Ayoun(means the eyes which is also the Arabic word for springs) trail is a must do excursion if you are in Jordan or planning to visit. The group I am working with has done some amazing work in the area to help provide economic opportunities where they haven't existed before.
One of the neatest day trips is to walk with a local guide on the trails and then share meal with one of the local families. You can either make is a day trip or explore more of the area and have a home-stay with one of the families. I have had a lot of great meals in Jordan, but the breakfast I had yesterday blew them all away.
One of the other projects is the Soap House where local women make soap from olive oil and locally grown and harvested herbs. A great gift idea and even better way to help rural, Jordanian families!
A series of trails have been constructed that link several small villages together. The Al Ayoun(means the eyes which is also the Arabic word for springs) trail is a must do excursion if you are in Jordan or planning to visit. The group I am working with has done some amazing work in the area to help provide economic opportunities where they haven't existed before.
One of the neatest day trips is to walk with a local guide on the trails and then share meal with one of the local families. You can either make is a day trip or explore more of the area and have a home-stay with one of the families. I have had a lot of great meals in Jordan, but the breakfast I had yesterday blew them all away.
One of the other projects is the Soap House where local women make soap from olive oil and locally grown and harvested herbs. A great gift idea and even better way to help rural, Jordanian families!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Snoring and hopefully becoming an FSO
I never thought there could be any connection between snoring and potentially becoming an FSO, but if anyone is in need of personal narratives or cultural compatibility answers then I know just the place for you. My host family in Amman is wonderful and there are six of us in pretty tight quarters.If you have never experienced Arab hospitality, and Jordanian hospitality in particular, than you are missing out on an amazing experience.
The mother of the house is sleeping in the bigger bedroom with the three children and I have been bunking with the father, in a twin Barbie bed, in the small bedroom. The family has already made a huge adjustment in their daily routine to host me so the last thing I could do is to tell the father that he snores like twenty lumberjacks on speed, and to move out to the couch in the sitting room. He snores so loud the entire apartment shakes.
So I have been going to bed really early to beat him to the bedroom so that I can get a few hours of sleep before he warms up the band. The family always asks me why I am
going to bed so early and I have my random, culturally compatible answers down. The last two nights I have tip toed out of the bedroom to the sofa and set my alarm so I can sneak back into bed.
The apartment is so small and with the rest of the family being females, there really isn't a viable alternative. So if you are in need of stories I can give you the address of a wonderful, but very loud family in Amman.
The mother of the house is sleeping in the bigger bedroom with the three children and I have been bunking with the father, in a twin Barbie bed, in the small bedroom. The family has already made a huge adjustment in their daily routine to host me so the last thing I could do is to tell the father that he snores like twenty lumberjacks on speed, and to move out to the couch in the sitting room. He snores so loud the entire apartment shakes.
So I have been going to bed really early to beat him to the bedroom so that I can get a few hours of sleep before he warms up the band. The family always asks me why I am
going to bed so early and I have my random, culturally compatible answers down. The last two nights I have tip toed out of the bedroom to the sofa and set my alarm so I can sneak back into bed.
The apartment is so small and with the rest of the family being females, there really isn't a viable alternative. So if you are in need of stories I can give you the address of a wonderful, but very loud family in Amman.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Life With a Jordanian Family
The first thing is that I will be a candidate for a Weight Watcher or Nutrisystem infomercial when I get home. If I don't gain 30 pounds I'll be shocked. It is constant eating and eating and more eating. I am living in a small flat with a family with three kids. There is a lot of chaos for sure. I think the hardest thing has been having to adapt my American sensibilities to certain aspects of the living situation. So for those of you who are in need of QEP stories or SI responses then consider living with an international family for a while! Your cup will runeth over.
It is a very small flat and with my arrival everyone has piled into the parents room. Initially I was to share the one other bedroom with the the 10 year-daughter, but now she and her other two siblings are sleeping in the same bed with their mother. So the father and I are sleeping in two little Barbie beds and he snores like a lumberjack sawing wood on a freight train. So needless to say I am not getting much sleep.
I was thinking about inventing a trip this weekend so that I could stay in a hotel and just sleep and take a long, hot shower.
It is a very small flat and with my arrival everyone has piled into the parents room. Initially I was to share the one other bedroom with the the 10 year-daughter, but now she and her other two siblings are sleeping in the same bed with their mother. So the father and I are sleeping in two little Barbie beds and he snores like a lumberjack sawing wood on a freight train. So needless to say I am not getting much sleep.
I was thinking about inventing a trip this weekend so that I could stay in a hotel and just sleep and take a long, hot shower.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Amman
I have been here long enough to get over most of the jet lag and was only up at about 4:30 AM this morning. I asked for directions (in Arabic of course) from the hotel in Jabal Hussein to the Sports City where there is a bit of a forest oasis among the concrete jungle which is Amman. You don't find many cars on the road at 0500 and certainly not any other joggers.
I had passed by the Sports City before, but never knew that there was a track or path of sorts through the trees. The directions were not to difficult and made it there, but couldn't find an open gate at that time in the morning so just kept running since I finally found a spot that was reasonably flat. As I turned the corner I saw someone else running and followed him to the one open gate and then eventually found the path in the dark. So if you are in Amman and looking for a place to run and exercise this is definitely a good spot. Running on the streets, even early in the morning isn't the best, and with the huge curbs it almost feels like you are doing a steeplechase race.
I am definittely getting my feet wet on the NGO stuff here and the many obstacles to trying to help and empower the many less fortunate people in Jordan. The group that I am working with has done some amazing work in the Northwest part of the country in and around Ajloun. This part of the country is a little off the beaten path and not nearly as popular as some of the other more notable tourist spots like Petra, Mount Nebo, The Dead Sea, and others. That being said, there is a lot of very interesting history and lush vegetation that you will not find in the other parts of the country.
The group has done a lot of work educating, training, and providing business skills, mostly to women in that area and has had a tremendous amount of success. I am helping them write a proposal to receive additional funding to expand the current program. A lot of people who visit Amman make it to the Wild Jordan and buy a lot of the products that are produced in the area and the most popular is probably the soap made from olive oil and other locally grown herbs. The actual soap house is located on the trail network that interconnects several of the villages that have come together to build and administer the hiking trails through the area.
The local women have also received training in how to run and operate small B&B's from their homes and whether or not you actually spend the night you can hike the trails and the locals will open up their homes to serve meals and snacks as well as share some of the local history. It is definitely an area worth exploring and not on the usual to do lists while visiting Jordan.
I had passed by the Sports City before, but never knew that there was a track or path of sorts through the trees. The directions were not to difficult and made it there, but couldn't find an open gate at that time in the morning so just kept running since I finally found a spot that was reasonably flat. As I turned the corner I saw someone else running and followed him to the one open gate and then eventually found the path in the dark. So if you are in Amman and looking for a place to run and exercise this is definitely a good spot. Running on the streets, even early in the morning isn't the best, and with the huge curbs it almost feels like you are doing a steeplechase race.
I am definittely getting my feet wet on the NGO stuff here and the many obstacles to trying to help and empower the many less fortunate people in Jordan. The group that I am working with has done some amazing work in the Northwest part of the country in and around Ajloun. This part of the country is a little off the beaten path and not nearly as popular as some of the other more notable tourist spots like Petra, Mount Nebo, The Dead Sea, and others. That being said, there is a lot of very interesting history and lush vegetation that you will not find in the other parts of the country.
The group has done a lot of work educating, training, and providing business skills, mostly to women in that area and has had a tremendous amount of success. I am helping them write a proposal to receive additional funding to expand the current program. A lot of people who visit Amman make it to the Wild Jordan and buy a lot of the products that are produced in the area and the most popular is probably the soap made from olive oil and other locally grown herbs. The actual soap house is located on the trail network that interconnects several of the villages that have come together to build and administer the hiking trails through the area.
The local women have also received training in how to run and operate small B&B's from their homes and whether or not you actually spend the night you can hike the trails and the locals will open up their homes to serve meals and snacks as well as share some of the local history. It is definitely an area worth exploring and not on the usual to do lists while visiting Jordan.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
In Jordan
The trip wasn't too painful since I got the upgrade to business class all the way to Amman. There were also some good movies on the flight which helped pass the time. Finally say The Social Network. I had put off seeing it out of pain and a lot of envy. I had been an investor in a company that while not exactly the same idea as Facebook, was very similar in a lot of ways and was one of the hottest companies in Silicon Valley for a while, but it was the right idea at the wrong time. We wound up selling the company to another social media player for a less than satisfactory outcome, but those are the ups and downs of Silicon Valley. It was an interesting movie to see since I have had some interactions with some of the people portrayed in the movie.
I did several of the important things immediately after leaving the airport and that was getting my hummus, falafel, and kunaffa fix. I thought I had slept just enough on the trip over so that I could sleep when I got here, but was staring at the ceiling long before the morning call to prayer.
I did several of the important things immediately after leaving the airport and that was getting my hummus, falafel, and kunaffa fix. I thought I had slept just enough on the trip over so that I could sleep when I got here, but was staring at the ceiling long before the morning call to prayer.
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