Ahh, helluva weekend but it's finally over. So, yesterday was the magic day of the Foreign Service Written Exam. I was surprised to see as man people taking it here in Tokyo. There must have been between 60-80 people by my estimate. Anyway, I was not allowed to leave for six hours and spent a good hunk of that testing. I'm not positive how I did, it could really go either way. I knew about the format and I've even prepared a bit. I timed myself on a couple sample essays earlier in the week and realized just how out of practice my writing is but how it's even worse writing longhand. My already poor handwriting has deteriorated even further and I think I've forgotten almost entirely how to write script/cursive. Well, this time I at least completed the essay in the proper time but it definitely was not the same caliber I wrote (on the computer) for the GRE a couple years back. Anyway, the other sections I really don't know, just have to be patient and wait.
I'm a historically slow test taker and yesterday proved no exception. I was among the last to finish for each section. Most likely it is the kind of people this tests attracts, especially when you're taking it abroad, but there seemed to be lots of interesting people yesterday. Unfortunately, sinceI was among the last to lay my pencil down during the final section, I didn't get the chance to grab the information of the people I had med during the break. For those few hours we were all back at university going through a semester final.
It has been a while where I've been in an environment where I could talk freely and openly with strangers. I haven't gone to the foreign oriented bars and I've avoided Ropongi entirely by its reputation. Anyway, the situation contrasted drastically to the pack of Japanese university students I saw waiting in single file at the Asahi TV building recently. Lined up in their identical suits, identical ties, identical black briefcases, waiting there turn to try and be the one of 50 that impresses the interviewer. They stood lined up not unlike the Agent Smith character in the Matrix once he has cloned himself many times over, minus the sunglasses and caucasian-ness. Not saying a word but silently looking ahead like bears hibernating with their eyes open. None of that was to be had yesterday. In the first place most people came in jeans or other comfortable clothing with the exception of a few others in suits who probably had to go to work afterwards. The attitudes were such a welcome warm change as well. It was easy to tell that a conversation could be started by simply saying the words "so what did you think?" or some equivalent to just about anyone. This seems so trite but after you've been here for a while you start to wonder if language aside, the Japanese would act in any similar way.
The weather report said rain and in proper fashion (the forecasts here don't lie) it did in fact rain. At least twice during the morning, I walked out to wet concrete and skies opening a bit to show off some grayish blue, very Houston. Katherine (a fellow UT Texan who also took the test) and I had some lunch and wandered around enjoying the day and the weather. While stopping for another cup of coffee in Azubu-juban we noticed one of our fellow test takers who joined us and we talked about our situations. Another very American moment that reminded me of some of the things I really miss. The casual encounters, the ever so slight motivation needed to talk to a new person, even the smaller scale of most cities back home (LA and outer-loop Houston excluded) that encourage these things to happen, these are some of the small things I treasure in life.
Anyway, that is that. I don't get my results back until sometime in July. If I pass there is the oral assessment which is even then only the second step. All said it can take a bare minimum of a year but usually much longer to find out if you are going to get a placement. So, fingers crossed.
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