Confession: My Ultimate Pet Peeve

I'm going to get personal with this post and dive into my biggest pet peeve. This irritation has been a thorn in my side for years, and it has only worsened over time.

I won't leave you hanging for long. I can barely contain my feelings about it in real life, let alone on this blog. That's right, today I'm going to talk about... lecterns!

Don't believe me that neither of the above can be considered a podium? Behold, the proper definitions:

One might ask, "Why does this bother you so much? Sure, nobody says 'lectern' and everyone says 'podium,' but who cares?" Yet in fact, I feel downright justified in my pet peeve for a myriad of reasons. May I present a sampling:

• Especially if you need to plan an event (and especially if you are a Public Diplomacy Officer), you should know the difference so you can request the correct props from your venue for your event. If you request a podium and don't get a lectern, you're not allowed to get mad and deserve 100% of the flak.
• If you describe a lectern as a podium, then what do you call an actual podium? A stage? Often a podium refers to an additional raised platform on a stage, so this error has now cost everyone descriptive power.
• Knowledge of this crucial distinction does not at all correlate with intelligence or relevant experience. I am surprised to hear instructors and colleagues way above my pay grade make this mistake over and over again, especially at the Foreign Service Institute. Thus, I never know whether someone saying "podium" is referring to a proper podium or a lectern. If I assume they know the difference, I'm usually wrong; however, if I assume they don't know, then I'm a condescending jerk for asking.
• There's no particular need for language to evolve here. The word "lectern" is neither difficult nor obscure for the average English speaker, and the term "podium" - as previously discussed - is not redundant.

It feels so good to let that all out in the comfort of the Internet. Yes, I do cringe internally every single time I hear this mistake. You can read another, more detailed rant from a like-minded soul here. (That's also where I got the second image for this post.)

Joining the Foreign Service, in Disney Songs

Here's a goofy (get it? Disney!) post I've wanted to do for a while: expressing stages of the Foreign Service process through Disney music. This list may not be the most informative of my posts, but I hope it makes someone smile or laugh.

When You Decide to Apply: "Go the Distance" (Hercules)

As You're Studying for the FSOT/FSOA: "Almost There" (Princess and the Frog)

While You're on the Register: "When Will My Life Begin" (Tangled)

During A-100: "I'll Make a Man out of You" (Mulan)

When You Get the Bid List: "A Whole New World" (Aladdin)

After Protocol Class: "Be Our Guest" (Beauty and the Beast)

In Security Overseas Training: "Be Prepared" (The Lion King)

Departing for Post: "Opetaia Foa'i - We Know the Way" (Moana)

Getting in Touch with My Roots

One of the hidden treasures I only recently discovered in northern Virginia is the Korean Bell Garden, part of Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. It's especially interesting to visit a place like that as a Public Diplomacy (PD) Officer for the U.S. government, because it's a great example of PD work the Republic of Korea (i.e., South Korea) is doing here in the States. The characters on the walls in the photo above, by the way, say "Korea" and "America"* (referring to the respective countries).

I'm a proud Korean-American, but I have plenty to learn about my heritage. This photo above is of wall art depicting many symbols understood in Korean culture to represent longevity. There were plenty of other points of interest in the garden in addition to what I've included here, too, from traditional totem poles to a fish pond to the eponymous traditional Korean bell.

If you find yourself in northern Virginia, I highly recommend you spend an afternoon when the weather's nice at Meadowlark (or during the Christmas season when they decorate the gardens with beautiful lights). M and I have found it to make for a romantic and unique date.

*Fun fact: the Korean word for "America," "miguk," is derived from a Chinese phrase that can be literally translated as "beautiful country."