Happy 3rd Anniversary, 132nd Specialist Class

Happy 3 year anniversary to the 132nd Foreign Service Specialist Class! I know what you're thinking: what's the big deal? Well, this pay period (for those of us without prior government service) we begin the next phase of our careers. That's right, we now accrue 6 hours of annual leave per pay period. Let the partying begin! (You know, at whatever vacation location you choose!)

Household Staff

This is my longest-standing draft article from India, so it makes sense that it kick off the catch up series.

During orientation, I asked a fellow new hire (who had lived overseas for awhile) if it was strange to have a stranger in your house all the time. He responded with something along the lines, "Sure, but you get over it really quickly when you don't have to make your bed or fold your own laundry." Household staff are pretty ubiquitous in Chennai, both for expats and for the wealthier locals. Nearly every officer currently employs someone or has in the past.

When we arrived, we hired a driver and an "all-around-er" (nanny/cook/housekeeper). We ended up having to let the driver go a few months later, but our housekeeper has been a wonderful part of our tour. It's going to be a real hit to our quality of life when we have to go back to being responsible adults: cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry... Aside from that, it's a crazy thought that we're in a position to fully employ someone (in many families' cases, multiple people) using solely our disposable income. It's quite the reminder of our comparative wealth to the local Chennaites.

The pictures feature our housekeeper's preferred floor cleaners (we have a vacuum, but she rarely uses it) and homemade dosas for breakfast.

Hardship Differential

As of today, the hardship differential for Consulate General Chennai has increased from 15% to 20%. This percent represents several things, including extra (incentive) pay, second-tour bidding 'clout,' and student loan repayment eligibility. Since it went to 15% right before I arrived and is changing back to 20% right as I leave, I have to assume this is just an indication of how much I improved morale. Sorry to leave you all in the lurch, so to speak. As a parting gift, I give you 5% more money!

If I sound a little bitter... it's probably because I am. Chennai has only improved in the last two years, which means the people that arrived the year I did spent nearly our entire tour under represented by our hardship differential. Of course, there are worse things. For example, two of the other posts on my original bid list have had terrorist bombings in the last two years. I think I'd rather miss out on a little money... than hear bombs exploding, given the choice.

Anyway, long story short. Congrats to my Chennai colleagues.

Hail/Farewell

Each month during transfer season, the Consulate has a ceremony to welcome new employees (or arrivals) and say farewell to those departing (the job, or post). I was farewell'd today. Below is my (approximate) farewell speech.

"I’m not much for formality or for public speaking, so I’ll be brief… and probably sappy. In many ways, I feel like I’ve barely gotten a chance to know Chennai, but it’s already time to leave. Although I’ve been here nearly two years, it still seems like yesterday that I was ordering dosas by pointing at other people’s plates and running downstairs to see my first middle-of-the-night parade. My son recently told our nanny that we’re leaving to go to Argentina, but that he’ll come back to visit her soon. That’s a pretty bold promise mfor a three year old, but honestly, I hope he’s right. Over the last two years, Chennai has become our home and it’s never easy to leave home.

On a happier note, I’d like thank everyone here, especially those in my section, for being so welcoming during my tour. I know it’s hard to have new officers cycling through every two years, especially when many of you have been doing this for decades. However, you tolerated my newness and naiveté with good nature and what I can only hope was just the occasional laughter. Before arriving to post, someone at FSI told me that the people in Chennai are exceptional, and I complete agree. I will miss working with you all and can only hope my future colleagues are as capable and as friendly. Thank you for a wonderful first tour and I hope to see you again."