Tag Archives: Tumblr

‘Foreign Service Problems’ Gets a Tumblr — 48 Pages of Hilariousness, Laugh or Else!

December 23, 2014 By in Blogs of Note, Diplomatic Life, Foreign Service, FSOs, Funnies, Org Culture, Org Life, Realities of the FS, Social Media, Spectacular, Spouses, Staffing the FS, State Department, U.S. Missions Tags: , , ,

— Domani Spero
[twitter-follow screen_name=’Diplopundit’ ]


“The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better.” 
― Enid Blyton, Mr Galliano’s Circus

 

The Tumblr for Foreign Service Problems has been around for many months now. Sometime this past spring it also joined Twitter. Yes, it is hysterical and absolutely spot on. Below are some of our favorite entries to delight your day. Unless, the Foreign Service has also ruined your sense of humor, in which case, we pray you get it back — fast! or that could quickly be a future entry.  With permission from @FS_Problems:

Screen Shot 2014-12-21 at 3.41.44 PM

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When someone mistakes you for being the Ambassador’s personal household help rather than a Foreign Service Officer or Specialist

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) December 15, 2014

FSprob_butler

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When you’re finally somewhere where you don’t have to soak your vegetables in bleach before eating them.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) July 13, 2014

FSprob_veges

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When you hear someone complain that their free housing that has more bedrooms than they have family members and is in an expensive city, isn’t big enough.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) August 1, 2014

FSprobhousing

 

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When someone asks GSO, who has no control over the furniture contract, why the Drexel Heritage furniture is so ugly…AGAIN.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) May 22, 2014 (Note: GSO for General Services Office)

FSprob-furniture

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When someone is rude to an FS spouse at a reception because the spouse “isn’t important enough.”

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) May 18, 2014

FSprob_spouse

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What posts say about life at post and the job when they’re trying to lure bidders into accepting a handshake.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) October 27, 2014

FSprob_bidding

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When the ELO you’re supervising complains about having to do a visa tour in a visa waiver country when you served at a visa mill before applications were electronic.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) December 14, 2014 (Note: ELO for entry level officer)

FSprob_elos

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When you see incompetent people on the promotion list, while excellent people get passed over for promotion.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) October 2, 2014

FSprob_promotion

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What you do when your boss is looking for someone to work the Shopdel coming to post over Christmas.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) December 5, 2014 (Note: Shopdel, a variation of a CODEL, that is, a congressional delegation mainly for shopping).

FSprob_shopdel

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When someone at home assumes you can get away with anything since you have diplomatic immunity.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) November 8, 2014

FSprob_immunity

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When a family member back home insists that you must be a spy, because who ever heard of the Foreign Service anyway?

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) August 20, 2014

FSprob_spy

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When you watch Madam Secretary and can’t stand the inaccuracies.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) November 3, 2014

FSprob_madam

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When you think you might disagree with an official policy.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) September 22, 2014

FSprob_policy

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Foreign Service truth that they don’t tell you in orientation.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) June 13, 2014

FSprob_truth

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When things are going to hell in a handbasket at post but Washington refuses to acknowledge anything’s wrong.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) October 21, 2014

FSprob_nothingtosee

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What post management says when you’re put in charge of the 4th of July party and given a piddly budget.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) October 9, 2014

FSprob_4july

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When you know that you won’t be promoted before you TIS/TIC out and just don’t care any more.

— FS Problems (@FS_Problems) August 22, 2014 (Note: TIS for time-in- service, time in a combination of salary classes, computed from date of entry into the Foreign Service;  TIC for time-in-class, time in a single salary class).

FSprob_tis

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And oh, look, we made it there, too…

That’s really sweet.  Thanks @FS_Problems! Stay sharp.

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Gifplomacy Explains the Life of French Diplomats, Looks Familiar?

January 1, 2014 By in Diplomatic Life, Foreign Service, Funnies, Social Media Tags: , , , ,

–⨕⨕ Domani Spero

Gifplomacy on Tumblr explains the life of French diplomats through gifs (graphics interchange format). But it’s easily a life familiar to readers of this blog. The gif collection includes this darling polar bear showing what it feels like when you come back from a mission. Ever had one of those days?

 

Below is another gif from the collection showing exactly what it feels like when the ambassador asks you to fight against rumors in the local media.  Feeling much like Hans Solo?  Blow haaarder!

 

And when an agreement is finally reached on a UN Security Council resolution, here is what French diplomats look like. Did ours do this after the Iran deal? We’d like proof in gif, please.

The folks running Gifplomacy and @francediplo_EN missed  Scotty’s gif with his “The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank” for good reasons.  But here’s Mister Spock (via), and his version of diplomacy of a peculiar kind.  Best not give folks some ideas but if you must, set phasers to “stun.”

Via Giphy

Via Giphy

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