Goat cheese, I would celebrate you any day

This week we celebrated a local holiday called Shavout. The holiday is all about the harvest, the ten commandments, and the consumption of copious amounts of cheese. To celebrate, we drove to a famous cave where a family makes fresh goat cheese. Below you will see the cheese we sampled and the goats themselves. Yummy!

Unrelated, but I also got a really short haircut!

The Foreign Service Oral Assessment

From time to time I get questions from friends or followers of my blog about the third stage of the Foreign Service Exam: The Oral Assessment.

My best advice for the Orals is to make sure that you don't over-think it. Have you read much about how it is organized? On the State Department Careers website, you can read about the 13 dimensions that the testers look for.

There are three major parts to the Oral Assessment: a group exercise, individual interviews, and a timed writing test. The group exercise is the one that probably needs the most explanation.

The group exercise is a simulation of what it is like to work in a group in an Embassy. The group has to decide which projects get funded (or some similar scenario) while the testers sit in the corners of the room taking notes. Before I took the test, I had heard that it was a good idea to volunteer to be timekeeper, notekeeper, moderator, etc. But I actually didn't volunteer for any of those roles, and my project did not get "selected," so don't believe everything you read on the internet. It's how you act and articulate that really matters. Think about the pros and cons of your project and explain them clearly and carefully. I noticed that many people during the group exercise had a lot of trouble expressing themselves. One thing I did was ask other people for clarification. I took notes while other people were speaking. And I made sure that my body language was open (you know, facing the people talking, nodding, etc.). The group exercise is not just about making a speech and then "phew its over." You need to be engaged the whole time, but not in a bossy and aggressive way.

I imagined, if I were posted to some small African country, who would I want to be stuck with? This is probably going through the testers minds. I've sat in on some real-life grants meetings where people are arguing which projects should get funded--so the skills you demonstrate in this test will be applicable in the job. You want to show that you are not only articulate and smart, but also a good listener and a well-balanced person. I know it sounds goofy, but it helped me to think about it that way.

For the day of the test, I packed my own lunch, and I was glad that I had brought something healthy to eat. Some people bring snacks for their fellow testers. Don't do anything that is severely out of character, but do what will make you the most comfortable. A lot of people chatted with each other in between tests (the tests are short and intense and there is a lot of down time), but I sat and read a magazine to decompress.

I hope this helps and good luck to you, dear friends!! If you have any more questions please let me know.

Top Image "Atlas Paper Pinwheels" by Betsy Ryan Hany on Etsy

Dry Shampoo

I have a confession: I'm not a morning person. And anything that lets me sleep in a little longer is my new best friend. Lately (as in, for almost a year) I have been reducing the frequency of washing my hair. It may sound gross, but it's not! And my hair has never been healthier (my hairstylist said this also).

I've been hearing a lot about dry shampoo on the blogosphere, so I decided to purchase some by Oscar Blandi. I love it!!!! It smells great, gets rid of grease, shine, and bed head (key for someone with short hair like me).

I highly recommend it. Oscar Blandi is a good brand, but I'm sure there are others. Have you tried it? Any thoughts? How often do you wash your hair?

Five Years!

This weekend my husband and I celebrated our five year anniversary. This accomplishment astonishes me when I think about it. I don't feel that old (I'm not, actually; we got married very young), but I'm also aware of how much we've changed. We have so much fun together, and it keeps getting better! What a cheese-ball. I'll cut to the chase:

We decided to celebrate our anniversary by taking a trip to Athens, Greece. Most weekends we just sit on the couch and catch up on episodes of 30 Rock or Glee. But we wanted to splurge because five years is a big deal.

And we couldn't have picked a better weekend getaway. Athens is so cool! The geek in me loved the archeology sites, museums, and mythology. Seriously, I'm inspired to read up on ancient Greek history (any book suggestions?). The foodie in me loved the tavernas, souvlaki stands, and street cafes. A friend of mine who lives in Athens gave us some awesome tips and took us out to a traditional greek meal. We booked a cute hotel room within walking distance of the Acropolis and played love-struck tourists for three days. Here are some highlights:

Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity

Here are a few pictures from our recent excursion to the West Bank town of Bethlehem. We visited the Church of the Nativity, which is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world and, according to tradition, marks the birthplace of Jesus. The first basilica was built in 327 AD by Constantine's mother, subsequently burnt down and was rebuilt in 565 AD. Supposedly, when the Persians invaded the region in the early 600s, they spared the structure because a mosaic inside the church depicted the three wise men wearing Persian clothing.

Looks peaceful enough, right? Wait for it...

When we got to the grotto of the nativity, there amassed a crowd like we had never scene before. We were waiting our turn patiently when a tour group of at least 75 old ladies (not Americans) arrived and elbowed their way in front of everyone, moaning and not making eye contact with any of the other visitors. The photo below is actually before these women arrived (if you can believe it!!). I was so incensed (and also feeling extremely claustrophobic) that we bailed on the grotto.

Besides that weird experience, Bethlehem is a nice town and easy to get to from Jerusalem. I'm sure we will be back to visit some of the other attractions and to shop for souvenirs for our families!

Worth the Climb

Recently my two Aunts flew across the ocean for a brief but action-packet visit. While they were here, we set off on a road trip across Jordan that culminated in Wadi Musa, the home of Petra.

Some of you may know Petra as a UNESCO World Heritage Sight, archeological treasure, and home of the ancient Nabataean civilization. Still others--if you're like me--may know if from the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

I had been looking forward to this trip for months. And even with my high expectations, Petra still blew me away. I can easily say it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. If you ever get the chance to go--do it!

Jordan itself is very accessible to foreigners. Every Jordanian knows at least two phrases in English: "Where are you from?" and "Welcome!" And most people who work in the tourism industry speak English well.

The pictures are of the Treasury, the High Place of Sacrifice (well worth the hour hike), and a donkey that mistook my camera for food.

Considering Current Events

It has been a while since I updated my blog. I've been to America and back and on a short trip to Jordan.

Meanwhile, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya are all undergoing revolutions with varying degrees of success. As I'm writing this, American and European forces are organizing a military intervention in Libya.

Japan has suffered through an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster.

I have been on a hiatus from my Google Reader for Lent, but I wanted to update my blog to tell you about my friends Joel and Ashley who designed a poster to raise money for the American Red Cross efforts in Japan. They are donating 90% of the proceeds, and they have already raised $1,000! Please consider visiting their website and buying one: http://thispapership.com/a-thousand-paper-cranes-for-japan.

The concept behind their poster is the Japanese legend that if you fold a thousand paper cranes, you can make a wish and it will be granted. I first heard about this legend at the 9-11 memorial museum in New York City. They have on display a thousand paper cranes folded by a child suffering from radiation poisoning after Hiroshima. After 9-11, she donated the cranes to New York along with a wish for world peace.