Now that Kristin Kneedler has departed the Philippines for another post, I can write about her. She was the Cultural Affairs Officer at the time I retired, and I was very fortunate to have a CAO whom I liked and who liked me back while I was in the process of doing an exit. She was very supportive of the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, the American Studies Program, and the creativity and creative writing workshops I conducted for underserved audiences, especially those in Mindanao.

Kristin and I both love cinnamon-based perfume. Psychic phenomena make her uncomfortable; I once began to read her inside a car, and she made me stop. I will never forget her Jacqueline Kennedy aura and wardrobe.

Before I left, Kristin told me that she wanted my replacement to be, above all things, a writer. She said, "If Tony wrote it, I know that it's okay. I don't have to worry about having to revise it. That's the kind of Cultural Affairs Specialist I want." I wonder if the person who eventually replaced me is a writer, though.

Kristin, God bless you always wherever you are!