Organisationsentwicklungsinitiativen

This very long German word is brought to you today by my latest translating project. It means Organizational Development Initiatives, and it's a good word for what I've been doing lately. You've probably been wondering what's been keeping me too busy to write, huh? I mean, how much can one under-employed girl have to do in a day?

Well. It's been one part busy, and two parts "I don't want to talk to anyone." Next time I graduate, particularly if it's with an obscure skill set, remind me to not do so during a recession.

If you've talked to me lately (but I know most of you haven't), you're probably tired of hearing about my job hunt. Sorry if it's getting dull. I know it's been over a year. It's the biggest project I have going right now and I spend a lot of time every day working on it. The latest news is: I applied today for holiday retail work. I got a very kind and personal rejection letter from Omya in Reinach (same problem as usual; it's too hard to hire an American). I'll be speaking soon with the Chair of Humanities at PCC about teaching African History at the college. I've re-applied at Google on encouragement from a recruiter there. And, I have an interview Monday for a pretty cool internship developing Mercy Corps' recruiting relationships with global universities (it's strangely like the Google position, now that I think about it...)

I'm tired of applying for jobs. And moving--even moving home--has its lonely points, and requires a lot of starting over. I appreciate the old friends from here who have been inclusive and sought me out to spend time together (and I really do have some faithful, persistent, steady friends here!!), and the few from Basel who have been in touch. I anticipated before I left that about a month, or month and a half of post-move directionlessness would be how long I'd be "pretty content" and that after that, it would get harder. I was right, so add that to your "useful knowledge about Steph list." When she moves, she's T - 5.5 weeks to Grumpyville.

But...a wise person I know says when you feel sad and discouraged and disappointed, it's a good time to focus on other people's needs and feelings. It's also a good time to be thankful for the good things we have.

In Pfeffingen, we used to sing grace before lunch:

Jedes Tierli hed siis ässä
jedes Blüemli trinkt vo dir
häsch au euis no nie vergässe
liebe Gott mir danked dir

I think I'd get it wrong if I tried to give you a straight translation of it, but the idea anyway is that God provides food for the animals, and water for the flowers, and he never forgets us. We remember his goodness, and give thanks.

(Feel free to correct me, you Swiss German readers, if I have it wrong)