Cycle 5 – Item 306

7 (Fri) November 2014

Samgyeopsal

3.0

by me

in my apartment

-Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines-

with (g-staff) colleagues

At WHO, a disheartening aspect of the job is that everyone’s badge states an end date.  Reason being, everyone is there in a different capacity / different type of contract: general service, intern/volunteer, consultant, technical officer, director / short-term, temporary appointment, fixed term, continuing term. During my 10-month stint, I’ve had 3 badges, 3 end dates.  The vast majority of professional staff stay no longer than 2 years.  As such, the Organization’s institutional memory lies primarily within the continuing-term general support staff (“g-staff”), mostly administrative assistants, who are here for life – their end dates are like Aug 2045, the month in which they turn the mandatory retirement age of 65.

I’m tired of saying goodbye.  Interns/volunteers, I wrote off by Day 2.  Consultants, mostly young and single and outgoing, had been my crowd for awhile, until the wear-and-tear of farewell parties started grinding on me.  Technical officers had seemed to be a safer, long-term bet, but even the ones whom I’ve grown closest to (e.g., JR, CAL) will be leaving at the end of the year.  So, if I want to develop friendships that will last for the duration of my stay here – hopefully at least 4 years – I should look either to senior professional staff or g-staff.

For now, g-staff.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)