This is Two Crabs's TypePad Profile.
Join TypePad and start following Two Crabs's activity
Two Crabs
Washington, DC
A wanderlust U.S. Foreign Service couple exploring the world, one country -- and one pub -- at a time!
Interests: Traveling, skiing, hiking, biking, camping, cooking, film, journalism, foreign relations
Recent Activity
First, thanks for clarifying the attrition rate. And thank you for your well-spoken insights. Living in a bubble definitely gets real old real fast. We're glad you stayed too!
Commented Apr 30, 2013 on When the dream job is no longer a dream job... at Two Crabs
When the dream job is no longer a dream job...
For many Americans, including myself, a career in the U.S. Foreign Service is a "dream job." Visions of working and traveling to exotic locations, getting paid to learn languages, experiencing new cultures, promoting U.S. foreign policy and being on the front lines of diplomacy and security are ...
When the dream job is no longer a dream job...
For many Americans, including myself, a career in the U.S. Foreign Service is a "dream job." Visions of working and traveling to exotic locations, getting paid to learn languages, experiencing new cultures, promoting U.S. foreign policy and being on the... Continue reading
Posted Apr 30, 2013 at Two Crabs
Comment
3
AttirneyGirl: If you haven't already I highly recommend taking a "Diplomat in Residence" (DIR) course if there is a venue near where you live. All your questions are answered during those sessions. 61 of 70 sounds good but I'm not sure. The "passing score" changes depending on the needs of the service. As for current events, yes it's a possibility that it could be on the test. So I would encourage you to keep up to date with the news. Read the New York Times, listen to NPR, download news podcasts, whatever helps you. Just don't resort to getting 1-sentence Tweets because you will not get the substance required. Economist is good too but as I've complained, I find it really boring but I know many peope disagree with me. As for number of questions, I hesitate to answer because 1) it changes, and 2) I might be getting into gray areas covered by the Non-Disclosure Agreement. But I found that I always had enough time for all the multiple-choice sections. But I struggled a little with the essay. I was still writing my last sentence when the time ran out and test closed automatically but i still passed the essay. The whole test only takes about 3-4 hours, not including break times and orientation.
Commented Apr 30, 2013 on Mastering the Foreign Service exam at Two Crabs
Mastering the Foreign Service exam
(UPDATE: Since originally writing this post, I passed the Foreign Service Oral Assessment - FSOA - in April 2009. I received Final Suitability and was placed on the Register in November 2009. In January 2010, I received and accepted an invitation to join "THE LEGENDARY" 152nd A-100 Class. We ...
Korean phrase of the day: 스타워스 영화...
Korean phrase of the day: 스타워스 영화 중에서 "제국의 역습" 이 제일 재미있어요 Translation: Of all the Star Wars films, "Empire Strikes Back" is the best. Continue reading
Posted Mar 16, 2013 at Two Crabs
Comment
0
Haha. I must admit I have not yet watched K-dramas but you now have me intrigued. I've been watching Arrirang TV but I always get bored of the historical period dramas after 5 minutes. I'll have to look for something more contemporary!
Commented Mar 12, 2013 on Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean at Two Crabs
Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean
Once a month in my Korean class, all students are required to deliver a 10-minute speech on whatever topic they wish. Here's my speech from last week -- a summary of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope"...in hangul (Korean alphabet)! Enjoy. May the force be with you...always. 스타워스: Episode...
Irene, Chookaheyo! Congratulations! (Sorry, my computer at work doesn't have Hangul). Good luck with the QEP phase. And thanks for visiting my blog.
Commented Mar 12, 2013 on Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean at Two Crabs
Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean
Once a month in my Korean class, all students are required to deliver a 10-minute speech on whatever topic they wish. Here's my speech from last week -- a summary of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope"...in hangul (Korean alphabet)! Enjoy. May the force be with you...always. 스타워스: Episode...
Japansen: I guess so! See you next year!
Commented Feb 21, 2013 on Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean at Two Crabs
Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean
Once a month in my Korean class, all students are required to deliver a 10-minute speech on whatever topic they wish. Here's my speech from last week -- a summary of "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope"...in hangul (Korean alphabet)! Enjoy. May the force be with you...always. 스타워스: Episode...
Star Wars in 10 minutes ... in Korean
Posted Feb 17, 2013 at Two Crabs
Comment
6
FS Latinos: Where are my amigos?
January's issue of State Magazine featured an article about diversity in the Foreign Service. Compared to the entire U.S. population demographics, the State Department is doing pretty well representing all Americans except for one glaring omission: Latinos, or Hispanic-Americans. According... Continue reading
Posted Feb 2, 2013 at Two Crabs
Comment
2
Happy New Year
Posted Jan 2, 2013 at Two Crabs
Comment
1
We DO learn writing. And as you mentioned, we learn to write as a necessity. But we aren't graded/tested on our writing/spelling abilities. Which is a shame because right now I feel that my writing is better than my speaking skills!
Commented Jan 2, 2013 on 실레합니다: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Korean at Two Crabs
실레합니다: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Korean
(실레합니다: Excuse me. Literally: "I'm committing rudeness and discourtesy!) If you had asked me four months ago if I could learn Korean, the answer would have been a resounding 아니요 (NO!) Although I speak Spanish fluently and a tidbit of French, non-Romance languages might as well be Klingon. Kor...
Absolutely. Two of my male classmates wore boy ties everyday. If you can pull it off, go for it.
Commented Dec 21, 2012 on Dressing for Diplomacy at Two Crabs
Dressing for Diplomacy
Before I joined the Foreign Service, I owned exactly one suit. It was a 10-year-old, off-the-rack Calvin Klein, solid black suit. It was the suit I wore when I passed the FSOA (Foreign Service Oral Assessment). By then, this decade-old suit was looking dated and feeling, err, a bit snug. It...
실레합니다: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Korean
Posted Dec 20, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
3
Have bike will travel
Posted Dec 16, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
1
Enough is enough
Over the past few years, I often receive questions from FSO candidates. I usually take the time to respond to questions as soon as I can, often in much detail that takes me quite a while to compose. As of... Continue reading
Posted Dec 6, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
3
Congratulations, President Obama! Readers, whether...
Congratulations, President Obama! Readers, whether you agree or disagree with the results, you have just witnessed American democracy in action. The system may not be perfect, but it's still the envy of people around the world. As Foreign Service Officers... Continue reading
Posted Nov 7, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
0
VOTE or STFU!
Posted Nov 5, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
0
Ain't That America!
Posted Nov 4, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
5
The Greatest Generation
Posted Aug 26, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
3
U-S-A! U-S-A!
Posted Aug 3, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
3
Masalama, Bahrain
Posted Jul 18, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
4
The Long Goodbye
Posted Jul 13, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
2
Typepad vs. Wordpress
Posted Jul 6, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
4
Happy July 4 from Bahrain!
Posted Jul 4, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
2
Things that make you go hmmm
Posted Jul 3, 2012 at Two Crabs
Comment
2
More...
Subscribe to Two Crabs’s Recent Activity
0 Favorites
Blogs and Sites
