Happy Hours

Monday night at a bar? Seriously? Apparently part of our training--even this very informal type--is in being sociable, or "representation." As it turns out, it was perfect, with the possible exception of being horribly overdressed. It was a low-pressure way to learn that we have one competitive and one aspiring curler in the group, meet "tipsy C--", discuss pet-importing possibilities in Turkey, and hatch the schemes for a weekend in New York, the 163rd symphonic orchestra, and karaoke! After a long afternoon of diplomatic prose, that was what I needed. Tomorrow we go to "Main State," which is the mother ship in Foggy Bottom, not our normal, cozy nest of a Foreign Service Institute. We'll meet with D.C.-based folks who work in the regional and topic-area bureaus and learn more about career development. Then there's an after-work reception for public diplomacy folks (that's my concentration).