Montevideo, Uruguay

Overview:

Uruguay has traditionally been more affluent than other countries in South America and is known for its advanced education and social security systems and liberal social laws. It was the first nation in Latin America to establish a welfare state, maintained through relatively high taxes on industry, and developed a democratic tradition that earned it the sobriquet "the Switzerland of South America". But economic and political turmoil, in particular left-wing urban guerrilla attacks in the early 1970s, led the government of the day to suspend the constitution and launch a period of repressive military rule that lasted until 1985.   Tabare Vazquez's decisive victory in the 2014 run-off presidential election over right-wing challenger Luis Lacalle Pou cemented left-wing rule for another five years. 

Source:  BBC Country Profile

Americna Embassy Montevideo:

The Management Officer was Michael St. Clair, a nice guy who was very responsive and welcoming. An American Regional Human Resources (HR) Officer and Regional Financial Management Officer from the WHA/Florida regional center visits the post quarterly for a week to provide technical assistance with personnel and financial matters.    

The I.M. Pei designed, government-owned chancery was constructed in 1969, and was designated as an A/FBO culturally significant property. The bright, pleasant chancery provides generous office space for most employees. Nevertheless, the building’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems were in need of major renovation work. 

In those days embassy staff had to complete not only personal questionnaires before the inspection but also, what was called, an Administrative Services Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASSQ).  These forms were mailed to OIG prior to the inspection, but in this case the ASSQs were late getting to Washington.  

Findings:

Post management needs to schedule quarterly ICASS Council meetings and should establish an inter-agency working group to address administrative support issues.

HR Issues of major concern include the lack of a FSN retirement plan, conversion of personal services contracts (PSCs) to PSAs and past due FSN employee evaluations. A few position descriptions need to be updated as well.  A local leave plan and social benefits allowance consistent with local law and prevailing practice should be implemented.  Also, hold individual supervisors accountable for the timely completion of employee evaluations and update the position descriptions to reflect current duties and responsibilities. More controls were needed in the use of overtime to ensure that it is approved in advance.  There should be more opportunities for eligible family member employment.   

The Financial Management section was headed up by an experienced Senior FSN Financial Specialist.  The embassy needed to install the latest Travel Manager software and implement using the program for preparing travel authorizations processing travel vouchers.  The embassy should cease the practice of making cash payments and their salaries in cash through the Citibank cashier based on the pay list from FSC/Charleston.  Consistent with the mandate from the Government Results and Performance Act (GPRA) OIG recommended that FSC/Charleston establish a schedule to have FSN salaries paid by electronic funds transfer. The embassy should also resolve the unliquidated obligations of FY 96 State appropriated funds. 

Highlights:

•      Visit to Colonia UN World Heritage Site

•      Walking the Corniche

•      Mercado del Puerto

•      Modern malls with movie theaters.  I remember watching the movie "Hannibal" with                     Anthony Hopkins.

Montevideo Skyline

Motevideo Coastline



Mercado del Puerta the city's principle meat and produce market.

                                         

 

The Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento is a fusion of Portuguese, Spanish and post-colonial styles. The buildings date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Its street plan is organic, contrary to the general checkerboard layout used elsewhere in colonial Latin America.

Colonia, situated on a peninsula, was first settled by the Portuguese in 1680. Portuguese sovereignity was much disputed by the Spanish during the first decennia. They besieged the town and control changed hands several times. The Spanish empire finally took hold of this strategic post on the Río de la Plata in 1777.



Asuncion, Paraguay

Overview:

Landlocked Paraguay is at the heart of South America, surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.  Political unrest, corruption and chronic economic problems have plagued the country's fragile democracy since it emerged from the 35-year dictatorship of the late Gen Alfredo Stroessner in 1989.  Around a quarter of Paraguayans live below the national poverty line. Much of the land is owned by a small number of individuals and successive governments have been slow to implement land reform. The economy is reliant on agriculture and hydroelectric power. Unlike its neighbors, Paraguay does not have a large tourism industry.  Most of the population is of mixed Spanish and Guarani descent, known as mestizos, and speak the indigenous language Guarani as well as Spanish. Former senator Mario Abdo Benítez, of the ruling Colorado Party, assumed office in August 2018.

Source:  BBC Country Profile

American Embassy Asuncion:

The inspection took place from The DCM was David M. Robinson who went on to become a Minister-Counselor, Ambassador to Guyana and currently the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization. The Management Officer was Frank Ledahawsky who is now the Management Counselor in London.  The FMO was Tim Sears was on his first tour and retired now and working as a REA with INL/AME.  Also, the local hire HR specialist, Karin MacGuire, was very impressive and, in fact, was nominated to become an HRO.  She is still working at the embassy as OIG is conducting a virtual inspection of the embassy this year.

Findings:

Embassy was housed in 50-year old building with insufficient office space. Accordingly, post management needed to submit space design plans to A/FBO to remodel the executive office areas, political, economic, consular, regional security and consular section to include a proper cashier office and contiguous office space for all consular section employees. OIG understood that funding for construction of new embassy compound was postponed due to a funding shortfall and was scheduled for 2010.  Management was still working under the old Joint Administrative Operation (JAO) and had not really embraced International Cooperative Administration Service (ICASS).  OIG recommended that the ICASS council hold regular meetings to address administrative support issues and provide direction to the interagency working group.

The only issue in Human Resources was a need to analyze the current retirement coverage for LE Staff and recommend a supplemental Defined Contribution Fund or replace the local pension fund which was going bankrupt. There were no major findings for financial management.

Highlights:

There was not much to do in Asuncion.  We did stop in Buenos Aires overnight in route to Asuncion to connect to our flight.  John McCarthy and I went to a Tango club to enjoy some music and dancing.  I remember getting ripped off by the taxi driver who cheated me out of change showing me a 20 Peso when I had given him a 50.     

Grand Lopez Palace 

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption

Downtown Asuncion

      

Lima, Peru

Overview:

Peru's rich and varied heritage includes the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco and the lost city of Machu Picchu plus, spectacular scenery, including Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. A growing number of visitors are being drawn to its variety of attractions.  The country has been experiencing an economic boom. Foreign investors, attracted by the government and encouraged by favorable conditions, have been keen to get involved in exploiting the country's mineral wealth, sometimes in the face of local resistance. A left-wing primary school teacher with no experience of national politics, Pedro Castillo beat conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori in a very close contest in 2021. He pledged to carry out radical constitutional changes as well as economic policies for the benefit of the poor but has since moderated his rhetoric. Peru has become the world's leading producer of cocaine. 

Source:  BBC Country Profile

American Embassy Lima:

The inspection took place in Lima, Peru, from January 26 to February 23, 2001.   Our team leader was John T. McCarthy.  John was Harvard educated and served as Ambassador to Lebanon (1988-90) and Tunisia (1991-94).  He retired to Woodbury, Connecticut.  He was on the Board of Save the Children.  He is married to well-known artist Marija Pavlovich McCarthy.  The deputy was Richele Keller.  Other team members were Douglas V. Ellice, Jr (CONS), Edward W. Linhart (MGMT), Paul H. Tyson (POL), Thomas F. Foulger, Joseph Lahnstein (DS), Paul O’Brien, John Taladay, and Stephen Tomchik. This was my first inspection with the OIG.  The other senior management inspector was not that helpful in terms of assisting me with what to review in Financial Management and Human Resources.  I just followed the administrative guidelines.   I learned much more from Richele particularly with writing up findings and recommendations.   The DCM was Roberta Jacobson a South American specialist who went on to become the Ambassador to Mexico (2016-18) and who was recently named by President Biden as the Coordinator for the Southern Border.  The Management Counselor was Elizabeth Hinson a very sharp officer.  I don't remember who the FMO was but the senior LE Staff Financial Specialist, Hedy Saria, was very competent and basically ran the day-to-day operations.  The HRO was Bernie Garcia who felt that Hinson was a micro-manager. 

Findings:

The embassy compound was new having been built in 1995 and since had increased by 60 American staff.  A new USAID building was under construction on the compound and scheduled to be completed in 2002.   There were issues with the lack of adequate parking, shortage of housing and the Ambassador’s residence.  In terms of administrative services there were some redundancies in the delivery of services between the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development which needed to be clarified and eliminated.    

There was confusion regarding participation of Locally Employed (LE) Staff participation in the local government health plan which was referred to the Department’s Legal Advisor for a legal opinion.   Overtime payments to LE Staff were excessive because there was no requirement to approve in advance as required by regulations.

In the area of Financial Management the embassy used the Suspense Deposit Account for unauthorized purposes that required special authorization from the Bureau of Financial Management and Policy. 

Highlights:

Having drinks with Doug, Richele and Paul

The team got along pretty well but only a few of us got together nightly for dinner. I was surprised that some members actually brought food in their luggage and didn't eat out much.  I guess they wanted to save as much per diem as possible. Most of the team members made the trip to Machu Pichu but, unfortunately, since I had the incident with my heart in 2000 I was afraid to make the hike to an altitude as high as 13,776 ft.  Also, regret not going on a trip to Iguazu falls.       

• First taste of Ceviche

• Happy hour at the Costa Verde on the Beach Road

• Walking Mira Flores district

• Watching the Super Bowl at the Marriott hotel

Favorite Italian Restaurant:

La Trattoria di Mambrino 

Calle Bonilla 106, Miraflores, Lima, Peru

 Best Ceviche

 Pescados Capitales

 La Mar 1337, Miraflores

 This lunch-only cevicheria serves the freshest fish   in original combinations.  Their classic ceviche de   pescado is to die for.    

                                                                         

                          Lima Skyline                                

Above Beach Road

Plaza de Armas where Francisco Pizarro founded Lima bordered by the Government Palace

                                     

Basilica Cathedral of Lima

          

       

 

The Ravens pounded the Giants 34-7 behind a furious defensive effort, forcing five turnovers and holding New York to 152 yards to win their first NFL championship.  Ray Lewis was the MVP.

2000 Year in Review

Highlights:

• As an Instructor in the Management training section at FSI (Foreign Service Institute) I had the opportunity to travel to New Delhi, India ( April 1-8) Islamabad, Pakistan (April 9-14, and Bangkok, Thailand in April 28 -  May 22 to give Supervisory Skills training and Customer Focused Management to local staff and attend an IMO conference with a stop in San Francisco May 23-26 on the way home .  (See separate blog on trip)

• Week of February 21 attended a conference at the Charleston Financial Service Center. 

• CFO Bert Edwards made it a point to speak to every new FMO class.

• We used to invite the regional bureau (AF, EAP, EUR, NEA/SCA and WHA) budget officers for a roundtable discussion with the FMOs to get an understanding of the Bureau's role vis-a-vis funding and relations with FMOs.

• Being assigned to FSI gave me an opportunity to develop some resource materials for FMOs to use in their job.  Reference items included:

• Listing of Due Dates for reporting requirements, requesting office contact and phone number.
• Financial management subject in alphabetical order and specific FAM/FAH site authority. 
• Management contact list by topic, office responsible, name of person responsible, telephone and FAX number.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

    

Farewell Messages from Colleagues

• Although it was just a one year tour I made a lot of friends in the School for Professional Studies.  I thank Janet Beuschel for arranging the one year "Bridge" tour and my FMO instructor colleagues Tom Quinzio and Nada    . 

• In August I was assigned to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) as a Management Inspector.  Initially I worked on the survey phase of the inspection of Dar es Salaam and Nairobi.  First exposure to Regional Bureau, HR/OE, HR/CDA, A/OPR/CR, A/OPR/OS and M/FLO.  Even the Under Secretary for Management, Patrick Kennedy and Bill Eaton.

• The week of August 14 I attended the Inspectors General Auditor Training Institute at Fort Belvoir.

• OIG orientation and training took place the week of September 11

• My first inspection was of the European Bureau which lasted from October until mid-December.  EUR/EX was Lynn Dent and Budget Officer Roger Simpson who was instrumental in getting my assignment to Athens in 1994.

• I also received a certificate for completing 25 years of service with the Department of State.

Favorite Memories:

• Returning to the U.S. also gave an opportunity to see old friends and get together with others that I served with overseas.  Especially liked getting together with Jim Robertson and Roger Meece.  Both Jim and Roger and I go back to Peace Corps days.  I played squash with Roger out at the Fairfax County gym.  He went on to become the Ambassador in Zaire and retired to Washington state.  I attended Roger's swearing in October 2, 2000.   We still stay in touch with Jim and see him and his wife Claire every time we go up to Washington.  

• January 28, 2000 saw Harry Connick Jr. at a concert.

• May 31st farewell lunch with Tom and Naida.

• I used to meet my friends from the Department and overseas at Ireland's Four Courts Pub near the Courthouse Metro in Arlington.  Fond memories of holding court with former colleagues like Mark Young     

• In July I experienced a mild heart attack playing tennis and had to have an angioplasty with a stent planted in my arteries.  Another stent was added in December as a result of scar tissue.  I'll never forget Dr. Bryan Raybuck who took  

U.S. Events:

• Wary investors bring stock plunge; beginning of the end of the Internet stock boom (Feb. 25).
• Cuban boy Elián González, 6, at center of international dispute, reunited with his father after federal raid of Miami relatives' home (April 22).
• U.S. presidential election closest in decades; Bush's slim lead in Florida leads to automatic recount in that state.  Republicans file federal suit to block manual recount of Florida presidential election ballots sought by Democrats.  Florida Supreme Court rules election hand count may continue. U.S. Supreme Court orders halt to manual recount of Florida votes. Supreme Court seals Bush victory by 5-4; rules there can be no further recounting (Dec. 12). 

World Events:

• Austria at center of European dispute after conservative People's Party forms coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, headed by xenophobe Jörg Haider (Feb. 3).
• Reformists win control of Iranian parliament for first time since 1979 Islamic revolution (Feb. 26).
• Governing of Northern Ireland passes back and forth between Britain and nascent Northern Irish parliament; major dispute over IRA's refusal to disarm (Feb-May).
• Former Indonesian president Suharto under house arrest, charged with corruption and abuse of power (May 29).
• Presidents of North and South Korea sign peace accord, and at least symbolically, end a half-century of antagonism (June 13).
• Vicente Fox Quesada elected president of Mexico, ending 71 years of one-party rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (July 2).
• Concorde crash kills 113 near Paris (July 25).
• Palestinians and Israelis clash, spurred by visit of right-wing Israeli leader Ariel Sharon to a joint Jewish/Muslim holy site; "Al Aksa intifada" continues unabated (Sept. 30 et seq.).
• Nationwide uprising overthrows Yugoslavian president Milosevic (Oct. 5); Vojislav Kostunica sworn in as president (Oct. 7).
• U.S. sailors on Navy destroyer Cole die in Yemen terrorist explosion (Oct. 12).
• Mad cow disease alarms Europe (Nov. 30 et seq.).     

Movies:

Best Picture was "American Beauty".  Best Actor was Kevin Spacey "American Beauty".  Best actress was Hilary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry".  Michael Caine in "Cider House Rules" and Angelina Jolie in "Girl, Interrupted" won best supporting actor and actress respectively.  Sam Mendez won as best director. 

                                               

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl XXXIV was between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans.  The Rams defeated the Titans by the score of 23–16, capturing their first Super Bowl win and first NFL championship since 1951. The Rams entered their second Super Bowl in team history with an NFC-best 13–3 regular season record. It was the franchise's first playoff appearance since 1989, when they were still in Los Angeles. The Titans, who were originally the Houston Oilers, also finished the regular season with a 13–3 record, but advanced to their first Super Bowl in team history after entering the playoffs as a wild-card team.   The game was tied 16-16 with 2:12 left in regulation when quarterback Kurt Warner completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaac Bruce to regain the lead. The Titans then drove to the St. Louis 10-yard line with six seconds remaining, but on the final play of the game, Rams linebacker Mike Jones tackled Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line.  This play went into NFL lore as "One Yard Short", or simply "The Tackle".  Warner was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the sixth player to win both that award and the NFL MVP during the same season.  As of 2019, this was the most recent Super Bowl that featured two teams that had never won the title before.

World Series:

In the 2000 World Series the Yankees defeated the Mets, four games to one, to win their third consecutive championship and 26th overall. It was referred to as the "Subway Series", referring to the longstanding matchup between New York baseball teams; it was the first World Series contested between two New York teams since the 1956 World Series. Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

The Mets advanced to the World Series by defeating the San Francisco Giants, three games to one, in the NL Division Series, and then the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to one, in the NL Championship Series; it was the team's fourth World Series appearance, making it the most of any expansion franchise in MLB and the Mets' first appearance since winning the 1986 World Series.  The Yankees were the first team in baseball to win three consecutive championships since the 1972–1974 Oakland Athletics, and the first professional sports team to accomplish the feat since the 1996–1998 Chicago Bulls.

Training Local Employee Staff at Embassies in Islamabad, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; and, Bangkok, Thailand

 

1999 Year in Review

 Highlights:

• Visit of the new Department of State CFO, Bert Edwards January 1999 who came to the Department from Arthur Anderson.

• Travelled to the Charleston finance center for a  conference in February.

• The Year of Y2K the year 2000 when the "millennium bug" would attack all computers worldwide.  It was barely a problem but my boss Rob McAnneny questioned my leaving a year early before my assignment was up.  In reality it was for Patrick who had some issues and wasn't doing well in the French school.   

• Departed Paris July 16, 1999

Any excuse for a Party

Received a gift of framed painting of Pont Neuf

    

• Transferred to Washington D.C. in August and moved back into our house in Falls Church that had been rented the 12 years that we were overseas.

• Started one-year tour at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) as an Instructor in the Financial Management Officer (FMO) course, thanks to Janet Beuschel and Tom Quinzio.  Janet retired in December 1999 but is still working in retirement at the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services (ICASS) center in Washington. 

• Teaching at FSI was an excellent "bridge" assignment to get acclimated back to the U.S. and use my experience as an FMO.  I continue to maintain contact with one of my students, John Bredin, who has done well with assignments in Bangkok and London and now on his way to Paris to be director of the Financial Support and Training Office (FSTO).      

• I remember playing FMO Jeopardy with students to reinforce learning about systems and regulations.  I taught mainly cashier supervison, financial planning segments, and updated the  Certifying Officer course.   

Favorite Memories:

• Bike rides around and outside Paris and along the Canal St. Martin and Canal de l'Ourcq.

• Attending French Open tennis tournament and the Women's final when Steffi Graf defeated Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.  Andre Agassi won in the Men's final, 1–6, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–4, against former world No. 4 Andriy Medvedev.

• Trips to SHAPE commissary in Belgium for shopping.  Patrick learning to drive.

• In June a Visit to Paris of my friend from Peace Corps days, Jack Colbourn.  We made a weekend trip to the Loire valley and remember having problems with the car.  

• In July attended a four week Wine course at Le Cordon Bleu.

• Good timing for both Jeffrey, who was starting High School at George C. Marshall, Baccalaureate program, and Patrick entering middle school.

• It was long after I started working at FSI I bid on a position as a Management Inspector with the Office of Inspector General (OIG).  I had a meeting with Hal Fuller in October to discuss the job and was successful in being assigned to the OIG for a two year tour beginning the summer of 2000.   

U.S. Events:

• US Senate opens impeachment trial of President Clinton; Senate acquits Clinton and rejects censure move.
• John William King, 24, a white supremacist, is convicted of murder and sentenced to death in case involving the dragging death of a black man, James Byrd, Jr..
• Students Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, storm Columbine High School in Littleton , CO, killing twelve other students and a teacher, then themselves.
• John F. Kennedy Jr., wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister Lauren G. Bessette are lost at sea when a plane he was piloting disappears near Martha's Vineyard, off Mass. 

World Events:

• Russian president Boris Yeltsin survives impeachment hearings (May), reshuffles his cabinet twice (May, Aug.), and takes military action against Islamic separatists in Dagestan and Chechnya.
• Nelson Mandela, first black president of South Africa, steps down (June 16), and Thabo Mbeki takes over.
• War erupts in Kosovo after Yugoslavia's president Slobodan Milosevic clamps down on the province, massacring and deporting ethnic Albanians. NATO begins Operation Allied Force on March 24, 1999, launching air strikes against Belgrade for 78 consecutive days until Milosevic relents.
• Magnitude 7.4 earthquake kills more than 15,600 and leaves 600,000 homeless in Turkey.
• East Timor population votes for independence from Indonesia, which causes pro-Indonesian forces to massacre and uproot thousands of East Timorese.
• Pakistani government is overthrown in the midst of economic strife and intensified fighting with India over Kashmir.
• The world awaits the consequences of the Y2K bug, with more drastic millennial theorists warning of Armageddon.

Movies:

Best Picture was ''Shakespeare in Love''.  Best actor Roberto Benigni, ''Life Is Beautiful''.  Best actress Gwyneth Paltrow, ''Shakespeare in Love''.  Supporting Actor James Coburn, ''Affliction''.  Supporting Actress Judi Dench, ''Shakespeare in Love''.  Director Steven Spielberg, ''Saving Private Ryan''.  

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl XXXIII.  The Broncos defeated the Falcons by the score of 34–19, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. The defending Super Bowl champion Broncos entered the game with an AFC-best 14–2 regular season record. The Falcons, under former Denver head coach Dan Reeves, were making their first Super Bowl appearance after also posting a 14–2 regular season record.   Aided by quarterback John Elway's 80-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rod Smith, Denver scored 17 consecutive points to build a 17–3 lead in the second quarter from which Atlanta could not recover. In the final game of his career before his announced retirement on May 2, 1999, he completed 18 of 29 passes for 336 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and also scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. At 38 years old, Elway became the oldest player, at the time, to be named Super Bowl MVP, a record that stood until Tom Brady surpassed it in 2017 at the age of 39, coincidentally also against Atlanta.  

World Series:

The 1999 World Series featured the Yankees against the Braves which the Yankees swept in four games.  It was the Yankees' third straight defeat of the Braves franchise in the Fall Classic (having beaten the Milwaukee Braves in the 1958 World Series in addition to their 1996 victory over the Atlanta Braves). Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.  This was the first World Series to feature both number-one seeds from the AL and NL, which would not repeat again until 2013.

Attended the 1999 French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros that saw Steffi Graf defeat Martina Hingis in the women's singles and Andre Agassi defeat Andre Medvedev to capture the men's.   

                  

1998 Year in Review

 Highlights:

• The OIG visited embassy Paris for an inspection in January.  I remember meeting OIG Inspectors Al Berenson, Anita Schroeder, Ed Linhart and Mazar Ahsan which piqued my interest in perhaps joining the OIG in the future.   Other OIG inspectors used to stop by Regional Administrative Management Center (RAMC)/Paris on their way to posts being inspected.  That's how I met a lot of inspectors like Georgine Bednar and Rick Jones.  I also used to get taskings for responding to OIG inspection reports on payroll issues.   

• In my position as Chief of FSN Payroll it was a big responsibility for payrolling 5,000 Locally Employed (LE) Staff at 109 embassies in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.  Each country with different compensation plans, wage increases, currency and various allowances and benefits that were subject to change from time to time.   My other responsibility was implementing a training program, not only for classes and instructors, but the logistics of setting up the training center classrooms, computers and projector for PowerPoint.  Classes included Basic Cashier, American and LE Staff Payroll and Travel Manager.  I had help from FSI Susan Caparoso, Janet Bueschel and Tom Quinzio and FSC Charleston Payroll folks  Shelia Madden and Mike Bodle.   

• Home leave July 2 to August 16, 1998.  

• Meeting Management Officers and other FMOs on consultations in route to their post of assignment.  Also meeting with OIG Inspectors going out to embassies for inspections. Bob Reilly was the FMO at the embassy and we had similar backgrounds with both of us being volunteers and PC staff.  Bob ended up being the Management Counselor in Jakarta and went on to become the Ambassador to Micronesia. 

• Setting up classroom for training with PCs, Overheads and projectors.  Developing training materials for FSN Payroll.  Administration of financial management classes including coordination with instructors, arranging training materials and managing class participant lists for other courses besides payroll including Basic Cashiering, Voucher Examiner and Travel Manager.  

• August 7, 1998 tragic Al-Qaida bombings of embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam killing 224 people including 12 Americans, of whom 44 were Embassy Nairobi staff. My office was responsible for processing payments to the families of the employees that died in the attacks.  I had consultations in October with the FMO in Nairobi Charlie Slater.  Charlie ended up being my neighbor in Bangkok where he was FMC Director.   

• TDY to Amman in November 1998.

• Visit of the new Department of State CFO, Bert Edwards January 1999 who came to the Department from Arthur Anderson.

Favorite Memories:

• Moving into our apartment in the 16th arrondissement, Avenue Colonel Bonet, in the Passy neighborhood.  Shopping at the covered our local market, Boulangerie, Boucherie, Patisserie, Fromagerie and Poissonnerie.

• New Year's January 9, 1998.  Walking home at 2:00 a.m. in the morning from the embassy party at the Talleyrand building.

• We didn't need much of an excuse for a party at RFC/Paris to celebrate holidays even Halloween.
   

• Attended FMO conference in Charleston in March.  Remember celebrating St. Patrick's Day at Tommy Condon's Irish pub with my boss Rob McAnenny.  Green beer and Irish music.

• Weekend bike rides ( about 50 miles round trip) outside Paris along Canals St. Martin and  L'Ourcq to one of the regional forests, (Parc de Sevran) stopping in a little town for a coffee and checking out the Saturday markets.

• Train to visit to Futurescope in Poitiers.

• Playing tennis with Laurent Potash at the tennis courts near the Porte Dauphine.  Laurent worked at the LandRover dealership owned by his father.  He ended up working for Cartier.   

• May 1-2 Bike trip from Paris to Chateaudun with Greg Adams, Colette Marceline's husband who worked with USAID.   We took the train from Paris to Versailles and then biked from there to Chartres (50 miles).   We stayed at the Hotel du Boeuf Couronne and visited the 13th century gothic cathedral and then biked to Chateaudun (29 miles) and took the train back to Paris.  Cycling France described entering Chartres "you see the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals seeming to rise out of a sea of wheat fields and float on top of the wheat."   All along the trip with passed quaint villages and fields covered in sunflowers.  Before leaving Chateaudun we had lunch at the L'Arnaudiere bistro.    

• I attended some of the 1998 French Open Tennis tournament at Roland Garros which started the end of May through the first week in June.   Carlos Moya won the Men's singles and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario won the women's defeating Monica Seles. 

• Celine Dion and Johnny Holiday concerts at Stade de France.  

• I had a great, dedicated staff in FSN Payroll some of whom I still maintain contact in my job with OIG.  In Payroll fond memories of Diane Nelson-Lorenzo, Bernard Lefevre, Antonia Neyrins, Djamila, Delphine, Hai-Can Tran, and Alain Bouguan who travelled with me to the Loire Valley and Bordeau on a wine buying trip.  I won't forget the FSN payroll chief Rachid Razwouan, from Tunisia, who used so much sick leave I'm sure he was overdrawn.  I continue to work with Cashier Monitors Khadija Ramach, Catherine Blevin and Gabriel Vancolster.  Not forgetting to mention Mr. Balou, Administrative Assistant,  who was key in setting up training classes and who recently retired and regrettably was very ill.    

• My office was recognized for the emergemcy response to the horrific bombings of our embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Sar es Salaam, Tanzania.  We had the tragic responsibility to process benefit payments for the local staff that were killed.  Of the 224 people killed 56 were employee employees or contractors.

Secretary's Award

U.S. Events:

• Matthew Shepard, gay Wyoming student, fatally beaten in hate crime; two arrested.
• House impeaches President Clinton along party lines on two charges, perjury and obstruction of justice. 
• President accused in White House sex scandal; denies allegations of affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky.
• President outlines first balanced budget
• Report by independent counsel outlines case for impeachment proceedings against President.in 30 years.
• US Supreme Court rules line-item veto unconstitutional.
• Unabomber sentenced to four life terms.
• Life sentence meted out to Terry Nichols, convicted in Oklahoma City bombing fatal to 168. 

World Events:

• Serbs battle ethnic Albanians in Kosovo (March 5 et seq.). Serbs renew attack on Kosovo rebels (June 1). NATO, on verge of air strikes, reaches settlement with Milosevic on Kosovo (Oct. 12).
• Good Friday Accord is reached in Northern Ireland (April 10). Irish Parliament backs peace agreement (April 22). Background: N. Ireland Peace Negotiations
• Europeans agree on single currency, the euro (May 3).
• India conducts three atomic tests despite worldwide disapproval (May 11, 13). Pakistan stages five nuclear tests in response (May 29, 30).
• Indonesian dictator Suharto steps down after 32 years in power (May 21).
• US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania bombed (Aug. 7). US cruise missiles hit suspected terrorist bases in Sudan and Afghanistan (Aug. 20).
• Russia fights to avert financial collapse (Aug. 17).
• Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet arrested in London (Oct. 16).
• Wye Mills Agreement between Netanyahu and Arafat moves Middle East peace talks forward (Oct. 23). Background: Middle East Peace Negotiations
• Iraq ends cooperation with UN arms inspectors (Aug. 5). Clinton orders air strikes (Dec. 16–19).

Movies:

Best picture was "Titanic".  Best Actor was Jack Nicholson in "As good as it gets".  Best actress was Helen Hunt in "As good as it gets".  Best supporting actor went to Robin Williams "Goodwill Hunting" and best supporting actress was Jill Basinger "LA Confidential".  Director James Cameron "Titanic".   

Super Bowl:

Super Bowl XXXII pitted the Green Bay Packers against the Denver Broncos.  The Broncos defeated the Packers by the score of 31–24. This was Denver's first league championship after suffering four previous Super Bowl losses, and snapped a 13-game losing streak for AFC teams in the Super Bowl (the previous being the Los Angeles Raiders' win in Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season). The game was close throughout much of the contest. The Broncos converted two turnovers to take a 17–7 lead in the second quarter before the Packers cut the score to 17–14 at halftime. Green Bay kept pace with Denver in the second half, before tying the game with 13:31 remaining. Both defenses stiffened until Broncos running back Terrell Davis scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:45 left. Despite suffering a migraine headache that caused him to miss most of the second quarter, Davis (a San Diego native) was named Super Bowl MVP. He ran for 157 yards, caught two passes for 8 yards, and scored a Super Bowl record three rushing touchdowns.

World Series:

The 1998 World Series saw the Yankees sweep the Padres in four games to win their second World Series championship in three years and their 24th overall and San Diego’s second World Series appearance overall since losing in 1984.  Yankee third baseman Scott Brosius was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.   This was officially the first World Series that Bud Selig presided over as Commissioner of Baseball.  For the first time, the same city—San Diego—hosted both the final World Series game and the Super Bowl the same year; in the same venue, Qualcomm Stadium.