kampanaryo_spy wrote:
abb,
MY GOODNESS! i regret not having pitched you the question before. because of the "Z" in his surname, i really wanted to ask you how is he related to former DFA Secretary Domingo Siazon!
When he became secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, that was when I knew Domingo Siazon is the only DFA secretary who is a true technocrat because he rose from the ranks in the foreign service corps; the rest were presidential appointees.
Did you know that i took the FSO (foreign service officer) exam, one that is considered the toughest exam in the philippine bureacracy? i took the qualifying exam in davao (1998?); there were three other testing centers (manila, cebu, and cotabato). we were about 500 (almost a third of whom were second or third takers) in davao and i was one of 11 who advanced to the second phase of the hiring process. entire philippines bagan 300 plus dan min qualify sa second round.
three days an exam. NOSEBLEED!
kon yaka pasar garo ako (may 3rd and final level na 3-day na interview sa manila....nosebleed!!!!), an entrant position ko VICE CONSUL, which is actually the diplomatic term for clerk...nyahahaha
K-Spy,
Wow… K-Spy, ayay kon ako daan ga hypothermia 
. Daan blackout an ako utok sa nerbeyos.
1998? Sus K-Spy kadayaw garo yadto kon parallel universe na kita (Nick Bantock Griffin? Sabine? 
) kay nan 1999 I saw him twice, July and December. Kaduha ako min-uli. I saw him sa Mla (gikan ako sa ato kay ga lubong kami kan anhin Tatay) kay attendee siya nan B-D party nan father in Lu. Lu and Alexa were there too kay min lupog sila si Karlo intawon yabilin in NY with Sylvia, our wonderful live-in Mexican babysitter.
Saw him again in December kay diton sa kami ga celebrate nan millennium. May kataw-anan kay nan sa reception, during cocktail hour inin si Karlo (2 years 8 months) ga barong. Tapos inin si Huling na paga assigned ni Mommy kan karlo na yaya paga pa dagan-dagan si Karlo sa hallway ga sunod ako kay cutiehay kodakan kay gabarong sa taraw siya. Iton si Mang Doming (this could get a little tricky because we refer to him as Mang Doming but we address him as Mang Junior) ga sugat sila ni karlo sa hallway. Inin si Ambassador medyo bow-legged gamay barely noticeable. Pag sugat nila break an dagan ni Karlo almost sa iya tuhod haw min hangad. Kodak moment!!!. As soon as I’ll find that picture I’ll share it with you.
Dakoe an respito ko nan ini na tao. Once he was asked, what it takes to be a good foreign service officer laong niya, ini amoy sabot ko --- if one’s goal is to become a “career (I’m adding high ranking) diplomat†kinahanglan may, kon sa ato pa, in short, may ikaboga. Kay kon appointed nan let’s say presidente, pag change nan administration, recall isab sila. Siya bagan an second longest serving Minister of Foreign Affairs or DFA Secretary (sorry it's hard to keep up with these titles ) he served under two Presidents (Ramos and Estrada). The longest was of course, Carlos P. Romulo who served under many presidents including F.E.M. dili ko kalimtan kay an ako very first passport issued in 1979 may gold seal na round with stamp nan iya ngan signature next to it. And I can’t forget the story Mr. Harold Sachs told me that when Carlos P. Romulo was asked at the UN gathering jokingly, “How do you feel?"- - - being a man of smallest stature in the group, Romulo answered, “I feel like a DIME surrounded by NICKELSâ€. 
I laughed and said to Mr. Sachs.... now they know…no one, under any circumstances, should under estimate a Filipino.
I don’t think he was implicated with anything pagka hugno ni Erap. Was he? Bisan ga ilis-ilis nan Presidente an Pilipinas he still holds a job at ambassadorial level, so he must know and excellent at what he does. And he's principled.
K-Spy, we see him at least ka isa sa isa ka tuig kay every October kay way palta mo attend sa siya nan b-d nan iya mom. If I have your permission and if the timing is right, I’ll bring this up in a conversation, next I see him. The exam. If okay with you? 
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