A very bizarre call

Tue Jul 2 22:08:05 UTC 2002

This is weird. I just got a call from (hang on ::plays first part of
conversation that got recorded because my machine picked up::) a David
Rodriguez with (what sounded like) Taras, Pravlak, and Millionay (a law
firm) in D.C.

Mr. Rodriguez said that State Department records show I took the Foreign
Service exam in 1992 (actually, I took it twice and couldn't have told you
the years offhand, so he's probably right). Apparently somebody sued them
for discriminatory practices towards women in the selection process, and
some of the women who didn't make it to the oral exam may get there.
Including me.

*blinks* Is this bizarre or what? I didn't give him any information he
didn't already have, but I okayed it for him to send me information on the
case and said yes, I was interested in taking the oral exam.

Maybe there is a real case. Or maybe the whole terrorist thing has made
careers in diplomacy suddenly a tad less attractive and the droves who had
applied in past years are not droving anymore? Who knows? I know I was
within a few points of the cutoff once, and made it to the orals once.

I just thought this was a nicely weird thing to happen on my birthday,
thought I'd share. And if anyone's in DC, open your phone book and see if
you can figure out who the heck this firm is......

--Amanda, maintaining her dignity and refusing to acknowledge the figures
littered about her on the ground, helpless with laughter at the idea of
Diplomat!Amanda