Eye Candy

There have been pervasive rumors in Port-au-Prince this week that we'll be getting a high-level visitor in the near future. It was confirmed this morning and recently released to the press: Secretary Clinton will be coming on Sunday!

This is obviously very exciting - sort of akin to a Bono visit for American diplomats - but even more exciting is that I was one of the officers chosen to work the visit. And, as if it couldn't get any better, I'll be working with my A-100 tandem, John.

John and I were in the same Foreign Service entrance class (known as A-100), becoming fast friends. Our class dubbed us "A-100 tandems" and the name stuck - even more so when we were both assigned to Port-au-Prince. Our bromance has continued and we sit in adjoining desks in the Consular Section.

The visit will certainly be a lot of work - and the Secretary's only on the ground for a few hours - but John and I will be essentially in-charge of one of her stops during her visit. Definitely lots of responsibility and pressure (we've been advised to have LOTS of paper clips on hand for wardrobe malfunctions), but a really amazing experience and we're both very lucky to be working such a high-level visit within our first year at Post.

I'm sure I'll have more to say after the weekend is over, right now we're finishing our normal work and getting ready to move into Site Officer mode - spending the weekend planning, prepping and meeting. Not to mention a party my apartment building is throwing for the entire Embassy on Saturday night.

And I'm sure there are skeptics among you asking why John and I were picked for this job, I could certainly argue for our quick thinking on our feet, vast knowledge of US-Haitian relations, and our informed opinions on US Foreign Policy. But I think those all come after the obvious - eye candy for the cameras.