So yesterday I got a call from Beni and she said that someone from the US Embassy in Praia would be flying out to Cha de Igreja to interview her for a security clearance in relation to my potential FSO job. (All spouses and significant others of potential officers go through this.) Although I've been trying not to get too excited about the chances of all of this actually working out, I'm taking this as a good sign. Hopefully the government is efficient enough not to spend the money to do all that if they weren't reasonably sure that I would, in the end, get the job...but who knows.
Although she knows this interview is in relation to my job, she is VERY nervous about talking to a US Goverment official, and finds it difficult to believe that something as large and complex as the US government wants to take any time to talk to her about anything. Thus the idea of an Embassy security officer taking the requisite time, planes, boats, buses and hikes to get to Cha de Igreja from Praia...just to talk to a kindergarten teacher in the middle of nowhere...is more or less incomprehensible to her. It's a little hard for me to believe as well, but I think it demonstrates the seriousness and thoroughness with which the US takes security issues.
Aside from the personal interviews, the amount of information that they (The State Department) have already solicited from us is voluminous to say the least. The computer generated document that I formally submitted to the Diplomatic Security Service the day I passed the oral interviews was a staggering 78 pages long (Beni's a mere 56) and included a minimum of ten years worth of information ranging from educational background to questions about sexual conduct (although not sexual orientation). They asked for and got the names, numbers and addresses of all past and present bosses, neighbors, friends, relatives and foreign contacts, and personally interviewed many of them. They review bank statements, tax returns, credit reports, transcripts, and court papers. It's my entire life under a microscope. (I wonder what would happen if this process was a prerequisite for running for public office?)
And let's not forget the medical background stuff as well. I sent (and Beni will send once she's here) blood, urine, x-rays, and medical records to Washington and spent hours being poked, prodded fondled, measured and weighed. I was tested for AIDS, cancer, TB, diabetes, malaria and various other parasites...all in the name of employment...and I don't even have the job yet. The process is truly not for the feint of heart or poorly-motivated. By the time I hear one way or the other, I'll have spent a few thousand dollars (some of which is reimbursable) and over a year of my life in pursuit of my dream job.
Anyways, about Beni and her interview. It turns out maybe I'll get some bonus points, as Beni has made arrangements to conduct her interview in Praia, during her 8-hour layover there in transit to the States next week...thus saving someone at the Embassy a lot of time and money. They told her to expect to be there an hour, which is surprising, since we spent a grand total of about 10 minutes in the Embassy getting her VISA.
So, that's where we stand for now. T minus 6 days and counting until Beni gets here and I can't wait!
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