THE phone call

The last thing I want to be is a blogger who just writes about nothing, so I will make this substantive. I got THE phone call today.

The PO and I had a nice chat. Actually I was a little worried at a couple of the questions she asked me (they pay attention - she asked me a question based on something one of my recommendations had on it!) but then we got to the good part.

"About the program to which you were nominated," she said, "tell me what you were told."

"My recruiter did not elaborate - he told me Business Advising, Francophone Africa, leaving in February 2010," said I.

"That's true," she said, "however, that program is full."

I took that in for a moment, during which she told me that the country originally asked for a certain number of people for the program, then cut that number, and now they are looking for alternate assignments for the people left out in the cold (well, she did not use that term).

"Is it more important to you that you go to a Francophone country or that you leave sooner?" she asked. I replied that the priority in my eyes was a speedy exit from this country and into my country of service. Indeed, I am good at learning languages and am confident that I would do fine in another country.

"We appreciate your flexibility," she said, "there are many applicants who are not as willing to go anywhere in the world."

Well, color me happy! I still get to go!

"I am going to check and see what programs are still open for a February or March departure and get back to you in a couple of days," she said.

Sounds good. I can wait another day or two at this point. Well, as it turns out, I did not have to wait more than 20 minutes. I soon got this e-mail:

"Dear Karin,

Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I have issued you an invitation for a business program that departs for Eastern Europe in late March. It will go out in this afternoon's mail."

So today I got my belated birthday gift!

Tempting though it is, I will not speculate as to the where I will be going. Anyone interested in doing so can go to the PC web site and poke around - there are only so many countries in Eastern Europe!