Further to my earlier post...

It feels really strange to get back to blogging after a few weeks of not having done so, but I decided to try to keep this site going and prevent it from falling into obsolescence. So I'll try to post an entry at least once a week.

I started work two and a half weeks ago at the South Asia Desk in MFA. When I learnt from my director on my third day that I was already to tag along on PM's visit to New Delhi at the end of this month, I anticipated to be put through a "baptism of fire" in the following weeks. So far that hasn't happened (mercifully!) and the pace of work has been most manageable. My work so far has mainly involved drafting minutes to other ministries concerning various issues, writing third-party notes to foreign embassies in Singapore, note-taking at meetings and writing submissions making proposals to my higher masters. Of course there come along random assignments like interviewing a former Perm Sec (on a Sat at that!) for the ministry's commemorative book and doing research on appropriate hi-tech gifts which symbolize India-Singapore economic collaboration for PM Manmohan Singh. At the moment we're busy putting together stuff for the PM visit like the press statement, briefs, speeches, etc.

I'm gradually picking up civil service/MFA speak: "further to my earlier email", "Desk will revert to Mission on this", "For your necessary action, pls". And the acronyms, the veritable shibboleth of the civil service tribe: PPS to PM/MM/SM, SA/M, 2PS, PSO, HCG, NRA. My designation itself is a string of three: 2CO/SA/SAA. See if you can figure it out. [Reminds me of a hilarious skit on an episode of Conan I caught yesterday where Conan says T.G.I.F. (Thank God It's Friday), upon which "God" appears and retorts Y.W.S.G.(You're welcome sincerely God). The two then engage in a funny conversation with God answering only in abbreviations! LOL]

All in all a good start to working life. More updates to come.