Nous sommes le visage des États-Unis

Yesterday in Paris, some of the Language Assistants were invited to a United States Embassy briefing. Getting into the Embassy in Paris is a pretty exclusive affair, you have to go through about three stages of security and also have an escort through the building. But once you're on the grounds, you're on U.S. soil. Pretty cool, actually. There's no real marker to the building as it's set back from the street, but once you pass the second security checkpoint, the American flags make it unmistakable.

The brief started off with one of the officers talking to us about security and safety and also what the United States Embassy can and cannot do for us if we find ourselves in trouble. He also told us some pretty interesting facts about our citizenship status with the United States. I'll list a couple for you:
-A valid U.S. passport goes for about $16,000 on the black market. It's the most valuable item a person can have abroad.
-There are only 6 Americans in jail in France, which is an all time low.
-Police powers in France are much different than in the United States. No Miranda rights here. When they ask questions, you are expected to answer and they will use each piece of information you tell them against you.

The second part of the brief was more about what our role is as American citizens in France and how we represent ourselves. Technically we're "Ambassadors of Goodwill" (and yes, I will be putting that on my resumé because that sounds awesome). Even though the TAPIF program is through the Éducation Nationale, a French governmental organization, the officers at the U.S. Embassy seemed genuinely appreciative of what we're doing in France. They were continually thanking us and reminding us that we are representative of Americans and that many of our students will generalize about Americans through our representation. The officer also went into explaining the process about becoming a Foreign Service Officer and gave us some really key insight that not many people can say that they've heard about the selection process and the exam. He also offered us his personal assistance if we are considering the exam, which was extraordinarily generous.

They then went into the demographic diversity of France. Though France is generally looked at as a homogeneous society, it's the most diverse country in the European Union in terms of ethnicities represented. It was one of the most interesting and stimulating discussions I've had since being in France. The officer who was speaking to us was the Cultural Affairs Officer and presented us with a volunteer opportunity to work with diversity outreach in France through an Embassy affiliated organization teaching English in one of the poorer suburbs in Paris. This is an opportunity to not only teach English, but actually help disadvantaged individuals advance and achieve. I will probably try to take a few hours at the social center if I can fit it into my schedule.

My experience at the Embassy briefing was invaluable and stimulating. It was one of the most interesting things I've done in France so far. It asked me to look into what I want to do in the future and where I see myself. I'm so glad that the program offered us the opportunity to speak with those Officers who represent the United States abroad and key get insight into the operations of the Embassy.

FWOTD: l'ambassade (n.): Embassy