Surprise! It's a blog-post on Thanksgiving!

Sharing good times at gracious friends' flat. 

 Or, more accurately, a post about being thankful......

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of thankful friends. Many people have been doing daily postings on facebook as to what they are thankful for; and some of them are very inspirational.

I am thankful that I have found a 'Connect' group through my church, from whom I can learn a lot. The group is completely in French. Thus, it is incredibly challenging to spend 2-4hrs. with this group every Thursday night. And yet, it is, without question, my favorite part of almost every week. It is challenging in every sense of the word. Not only to get myself there on time, at 19:00hr. because they are, indeed, Swiss and start on time, but to have the mental endurance to focus on every word that is being said and practice my comprehension. It also takes incredible self-control my strong desire to hide in a corner, sit with only those I know can speak English, or not speak at all. While my attempts at communication in French are limited and child-like at best, this group is incredibly gracious and kind, I never sense hostility or frustration from them at my inability to communicate clearly. I am so thankful to be able to know such individuals, even if I miss-out on much of their personalities due to the current language barrier.

Classes...yes, what a blessing to be able to learn. Though, at times, I would prefer other blessings, I am, indeed, thankful that I can read, and type, and write, and speak. Such simple things which are true gifts to have, not rights.

Recent chocolate chip 'cookies' I
made for my 'CONNECT' group.

Food, food, so much food. While the world has twisted it into a struggle area for so many women (and men!), and I myself often find that it has become a kind of 'god', I am surely blessed to not have to worry if I will eat each day. It is only a matter of what, when, how, and how much.

Group of us went to see a local ice hockey game,
Geneva vs. Zurch. Geneva won of course.

Physical ability. While in India I tore a part of my quadricepe muscle and was confined to bed rest for a week and unable to walk properly for several weeks. While I thought that I was grateful before that event for my physical ability, I have, forever, an increased appreciation for my working legs. Every time I walk or run (too far) or my feet hurt, I think of that time when I had no choice but to lay in bed...God, thank you that I can walk, that I can run, there are so many people who cannot.

Enjoying some Indian naan with friends!

You. Thank you for reading this. It is likely, because you, at least know me and are interested to some degree, in what is happening to me here in Switzerland (or you are just board, which is fine too). Every day I am reminded of the blessing of true friends. While I LOVE traveling, meeting new people, and learning about new cultures...I am realizing, more and more, that life is all about who you share it with. It can be anyone, actually. While we are all the same on some levels, we are all, of course, very unique...and it takes time and effort to get to know people. It actually takes a lot of effort. I find that I long for those deep relationships which we all seek, but it is when I move away, and start life again in a new place, that I realize the depth and significant of the relationships that I left behind. To all those in places I have lived in the past, I am profoundly grateful for each of you. I do think (and pray over) you often and wonder how your life is going. We are each on our own journey, but God has blessed me with extraordinary travel companions at points my life. I'm privileged to have spent time with you in the past, I hope to hear more about your present, and I anticipate seeing you again, if not on this earth, than there-after. And if, perchance you are reading this and you are not sure if you will see me on this earth again, than you better email me right now so we can be sure to meet in the eternity to follow. [If that sounds creepy to you, then you better email me anyway, so I can clarify!!! Haha]

Ok, well, due my full week ahead and desire to post my 'Thanksgiving Post' in a timely fashion[i.e. before Christmas!], I will end there. I would love to hear things that you all are thankful for as well; just post below! Also, a quick note, I will be in CA for 2 weeks, over Christmas and New Years, and would be thrilled to catch up with as many of you as possible. If you will be in CA at that time, and would like to see my face, let me know! I'd love to see yours.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM GENEVA!!!

With Thanksgiving and Hugs,
Jessica

Q-Tips and Peanut Butter....

Our final IR class, held at the World Economic Forum

Peanut Butter and Q-Tips.....What? Those two things don't fit together in your mind? Well, they do for me. Both items are taken for granted when in the US, but they cannot be found any where else in the world! Yes, it is sad. I also wanted my tile to reflect the eclectic nature of this blog posting.

Hanging out in the World Economic Forum after class

So...let me start with a short update of the last few weeks. Just to give you a flavor of life, as I currently know it---which is ever changing. To start with, there is no pattern to anything, at this point. Over the course of the year I will be completing 24 modules. They are all of a different duration, with no pattern to their scheduling. For the most part, this is because the instructors are practitioners themselves of what they are teaching. This makes for awesome, applicable courses, but quick demanding workloads and eradic classes based around their work schedules. Thus far, we have completed one module, have one paper to complete a 2nd, one group project to complete a 3rd, and are in the mists of two others with a new one beginning this week. The program, as I have mentioned, is very unique and not very old. The alumni are very active and many are still working around town, coming in to give presentations, etc. and all remain enthusiastic about the program.

Yes, I am cheap enough to buy a salad in CH from McD's,
And yes they did include a  disposable dressing
bottle that I havesaved and  been reusing.  :)

Each year of the program, the class has its own dynamic. While all the groups have been relatively small, ours is particularly so. As a core cohort, we are 16 individuals, but there are a number of other individuals who are completing the program in 2 or 3 years and are a part of some of our courses. This makes for plenty of time to get to know my classmates while having a bit of spice with new additions to each class. Though by the end of 24 classes together I'm sure I will know the other 15 people pretty well! Just to give you an idea of who is in the class, there are a couple of other Americans, an Aussie, a Kiwi, a girl from China, S. Korea, Costa Rica, Greece, a Russian, and several people of mixed backgrounds, German, Lebanese, Korean, etc. It's been wonderful getting to know people and the very diverse set of backgrounds that we all have. Of the 16, there are just two who speak only one language.

Outside of class there is of course plenty going on as well. Being an international and lively city there are events, festivals, and groups to meet up with at every turn. I've fallen into a few things, but as of yet have no confirmed pattern to my days. There's volleyball, football (soccer), bible study groups, 'UN Drinks' (i.e. weekly networking), French classes, 1 on 1 French practice, etc. I"m so grateful that opportunities have been presenting themselves, and I've loved walking all around the city to do things.

Being in such a small class with such great opportunities abounding has been a bit overwhelming and a lot to take in. I'm finding that I'm re-evaluating how I interact with people and what constitutes 'an opportunity' worth pursuing. Often my conversations with people are limited in time and scope and I'm on the side of wanting something that they have to offer. It makes for potentially stress-inducing situations all the time! In light of that, it is also very exciting to have so many things laid out nicely in front of me and have the understanding that this is what the next 9 months is going to look like, so I don't have to take everything that is handed to me. With such forthcoming possibilities, I have the chance to test out different means to my end career goals. This is to say that I am able to try out different ways of building/maintaining communication with people. It is an interesting process to evaluate one's behavior and the results, and be able to adjust in such short periods of time. I'm not sure if this is making any sense to anyone......My point? I am learning a lot about myself and growing my communication skills. :)

I have spilled more things in Switzerland than the rest of my life combined!
Yogurt, trashcans, dishes, etc. 

Delicious Thai place for Friday night dinner

A final anecdote. I have been trying to build up my long-distance running ability. I've only come to appreciate the running in the last 6 months or so and thus have been trying to go running more regularly. I find it is a wonderful time to mentally rest and talk with the Lord, or have intense discussions with Him. Either way, I've always had mental blocks about how far I am able to run. Living on the lake gives me the option of running along the lake in either direction, so I've been mixin' it up and trying to run as far as I can before the lake path ends and roads hinder the path. The last few times I've gone running, I've felt that the time proved that I was running much further than my little pedometer had been telling me. For those of you who don't know, my little click on pedometer is one of my favorite travel items. When walking around a new place all day I always love to see how far I've walked, and I've never had a reason to consider it inaccurate. Well, on Friday after running for 1hr 15min my pedometer said 3.5miles. I can walk 3miles backwards  in less time, so I knew it was wrong. I decided I need to check with Google just to know the distance for sure....well, apparently when I thought I was pushing myself to run 3 miles (which is far for Jessica) I had actually been running 8.5miles!! I was/am kind of in shock. With that said (along with other stories I could tell), it has been fun to see God working in my life since I've been here. He is challenging me in the limits that I have placed on both myself and Him. What if I break out of the box? I thought I had before, but it is so exciting to see God continue to educate me on His power and might.....I anticipate more and look forward to sharing with you all too.

Some fun Swiss things I forgot....
-When paying at a cash register it is rude to hand your money to the person, you need to put it down so they can grab it.
-Public transport is so easy and clean.
-Co-ed bathrooms are no big deal
-A $20-$30 meal is cheap
-There are too many cheese and chocolate choices. RUN!

I wanted to end the blog on a sweet note: "The way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." 
[Colossians 1:10]



Blessings, until next time. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this posting!
Jessica

Some classmates and I enjoying a Friday evening next to the Lake after class. 

 In case you are interested to see where some of my instructors work:
http://www.weforum.org/
http://www.usaid.gov/
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

Just another view of the Lake from the south side.

A wondering, but perhaps defining re-realization...

As I begin, I would ask for your grace in the reading of this posting...as I wanted to express some ever developing thoughts and observations of issues that people in general have, myself included. At each new place I live it takes time to gather an understanding of the environment and a feel for the people and 'the way things work'. This is something I love to do and feel that I have become rather apt at doing after moving countries so frequently.

I view on Sunday afternoon, with almost no people.

I've been in Geneva almost 2 weeks now and have been 'going out' quite a bit more often than is typical for me. I've had time to gather myself and get used to the city before classes begin tomorrow. My outings have been everything from sitting by the Lac du Geneve and having people randomly invite me to go salsa dancing, to going with classmates to a city group called 'UN Interns' -- which basically consists of a huge population of the 20s & 30s in the city bar hopping each Thursday night-- to testing out churches. By virtue of being in Geneva the climate is incredibly international and I have yet to meet a person who only speaks one language or is not of mixed ethnicity. The above situations and more have all been full of lively, friendly people, who on  first impression seem to have very interesting lives and are eager to connect with others.

 However, in observing people's interactions, the plethora of opportunities for individuals to engage with each other, and the flavor of the city being one of short-term internationals, I get the feeling that people are functioning on a 'quick-dip basis'. [I totally just made up that phrase.] My point, there is a major portion of the city's population that is in transit. People work, study, and play, in and around Geneva for a while and then move on. This tone, so to speak, seems to be consistent with the terms of relationships in the city as well.

People are seeking temporary satisfaction; they are seemingly on their way to something else, in their career, relationships, and life in general. People are out for the short term rather than investing in long term anything. Single guys and girls walking around the city looking for a fun night, people standing around at a 'networking event' looking to find someone who cares about what they are doing now, someone walking into a church hoping someone cares..... These scenarios are all full of people who seem to be young, full of life and ambitions, but at the same time many of them are shriveling up and dying because they have no deep roots from which to draw strength, endurance and the fuel to grow.

I'm not sure that any of this is making sense to you, but in short, the perspective of many people in Geneva is only of the 'here and now' and not of a bigger picture of personal development and investment. I recognize that this is the attitude of many people in many parts of the world, and to some degree we all act this way at different points in our lives, but due to the revolving doors of Geneva it seems to be more prevalent here. I feel like I have been swept up in it myself. Trying to do studying down by the lake turns into people watching and coffee dates with interesting strangers. In essences, going from the long term planning of good study habits to short term small talk with anyone who finds my accent interesting.

To me, seeing this attitude so pervasive is saddening. I see people who are in desperate need of something deeper and more substantial; filled with a longing to know others and be known and loved. But they are selling themselves short by just grabbing the next person who catches their eye, to stand by their side for a few hours instead of building lasting relationships and learning to care about those relationships and the people. We are settling for fake smiles and crass jokes that reek of something deeper that cannot be understood after one or two hangout sessions.

I don't mean to say that Geneva is a city void of genuine people, or that there are no stable 'normal' people around. I'm just recognizing the theme of behaviors and interactions that I"ve experience thus far. But in light of that, I don't think anyone can disagree that even the larger global culture is tending in a similar direction. We thrive on short-term and want instant gratification. We want simple options to achieve challenging ends. But that's not how it works is it....if u want a solid career you have to do the work, take the classes, invest the time in networking and building your resume, if you want the body you have to have the disciple and take the time and effort to care for yourself, if you want the relationship you have to be willing to deal with the real person and get past the protective layer on the outside.....Important and valuable things in life take time and work. I don't write this as if it is something new or that you have not heard a billion times before. I write it as an observation from my time so far in Geneva, which has not shown me that people here are in the mood for a lot of effort in connecting deeply with others. (This may seem counter-intuitive considering the work that many people do here is humanitarian work in nature.)

 As one of the girls in my program mentioned this week "everyone's so nice"....my response...."everyone's nice when you first meet them". I wasn't saying that to be pessimistic or anything, I was saying it as a note of our times and in this case, location as well.

Why am I even writing all this...? Well, as I sat in church this morning pondering my week, my thoughts went back to our biblical call to love others as ourselves. Nothing complicated right?.....What if we put in the effort to get to know others and love them as ourselves? It is a new kind of challenge in this case.

Sure, I realize that to some of my readers this all sounds so 'churchy', but get over it.....don't you want world peace too? ;) Seriously, what do you think would happen in your group of friends, ('church people' or no 'church people') if we each really began to care for those we already know and those we meet?

WOW. Like really? Ya, that is tough. That takes energy and motivation and time! What if 'going out' meant meeting up with people to share life with them and support them in their difficult times instead of  spending the evening meeting 10 new people and trying to wow them with how awesomely cool I am so that they will give me all kinds of compliments and want to be my facebook friend?! :)

In the end this is a blog post mostly for myself (not sure how that translates to caring more about others-haha), but I thought it might help motivate myself, generate some response, and give you a bit of an insight into the city of Geneva Switzerland.

Some classmates and I went to France for cheaper groceries.

My hope is to care for other's better. I want to, in spite of my surroundings, be someone who lives genuinely, and cares deeply for those I meet. I know I am not capable of doing this on my own strength, so the conclusion of all my above babbling is to simply lean closer into the arms of Jesus Christ. For those who may be confused or even grossed out by such an idea, I challenge you to step it up yourself.....start caring about and investing in other people more. I wager you will get positive responses, grow your own character, and perhaps find that you may be in need of a strength, endurance, and patience greater than your own. :) Whatever your personal perspective, I'm sure it will be worth your effort - and please do let me know your progress!

Sunday in the old/down town. A delight with the crowds. :)

Sincere greetings to you all and blessings on your week! When next we meet I will be deep into my studies!

-Jessica :)

First Day of School!

This week has been an interesting one....nothing too unexpected, but with a cloud of gloom over the city for the past 3 or 4 days, things have not seemed as lovely as they might if the sun were out. :( Oh, well, new things, new people, new places, and new lessons.
The picture above is my first time walking into my flat. It is small, or shall we say cozy, on the 5th floor, and very simple. Though, I have to say one of my favorite parts is the yellow bathroom with a red
toilet seat! :)

Here is my room and luggage....I'm pretty proud of my packing job. You will be surprised all that comes out of these two checked and two carry-on bags. For example...note this lovely small looking package that I mailed to myself....out of it comes two suites, 3 hangers, my winter coat, and my blue light! God gives us each special gifts. :)
 





I spent Saturday morning moving into my place and did a quick grocery run. As many of you know I'm sure, European groceries are NOT open all the time and surely never on Sunday! Saturday afternoon, I headed back to familiar Nyon, a 15minute train ride to catch up with friends from 3 years ago. We spent a wonderful afternoon and evening catching up and having our first fondue of the winter. I'm sure many more will follow.

The room is evolving as I get myself organized....but I there's enough space for my things and I have a wonderful window facing South, which means that any time there is sun it is shining on me. :) So I plugged my SURGE PROTECTOR, with nothing else into the outlet and it...ummm....didn't smell good. No sparks or lightning.....or power to anything else I tried to plug in to the outlet afterwards. oops. I've tried twice now and the second time screwed up the power in our whole flat. double oops. But it got fixed and now I'll use the European adapter--though less convenient for me. 

So after moving in and hanging out, it was time to start school on Monday. It was a real tough day, we went to the Uni, got ipads, and student IDs and introduced ourselves. ;) There were a grand total of 12 of us, but there are a few more coming who are doing the full time program. There are also another 2 groups of people who are doing the same program, but over the course of 2 or 3 years. We also got more details about the program. It sounds like all I had hoped for.....we tour the UN tomorrow morning and then we will be going back at some point to get our badges!!! Yes, we get IDs so we are free to go hang out at the UNITED NATIONS whenever we want, or eat in the cafeteria, etc.

They do a lot of work to keep the full-time group of students very small so that we can really engage with the people who come in. Each of the 24 'modules' is taught by  a different practitioner, so they just kinda come in as experts in their fields and work us through things. I mentioned that I was hoping to work with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and was informed that it just happens to be one of the places that actually pays their interns. Amen. I'm so there. Side note, my residence is next to the Hosteling International Hostel and I'm sooo tempted to go in and see if they need workers. I've always wanted to work in a hostel.....but think I'll wait until the semester actually starts. :) Still need to fit in French classes.  Anyway, I had to take a picture of my first day of school self, which is above. Then, walking to the intro session I saw this great car. Just somethin' fun. :)

 The last few days have been moving slowly with only minimal IOMBA activities and then gathering random items to build a life here, while getting a grip on the time change, phone usage, speaking French again, and getting to know what to expect from the program in the coming months. It's nice to have a bit of down time, but I"m so unaccustomed to having loads of time that I'm floundering with how to spend it. Anyway, tomorrow we have our UN tour and then there ain't anything until next Monday! Soooooooooooooo anyone want to chat over the next 4 days give me a heads up. Otherwise I will be partying it up as much as I can before classes REALLY start on Monday. Or maybe I'll just be hangout by Lake Geneva people watching. :) Blessings and joy to you my reader.

And so it begins...

Tuesday morning (about 4am for me) I walked off the plane, which left an hour late but arrived an hour early, into the Geneva Airport, a very familiar environment. I waited for my bags to come. I stood well away from the baggage carriage with some deep insight that my bags would not be arriving then -- along with a satisfied secret joy that if that were indeed the case then I would not be the one carrying them again. :) Thus, when all bags had come out and the screens no longer displayed my flight, I headed to the lost baggage office with a smile on my face. Having had the blessing of my luggage being left behind in Montreal meant that it would be delivered to my apartment the next day and I would not have to trudge with it on trains and trams, over cobblestone and under steeple eves.

Climbing on the train brought back a flood of memories, but instead of visual pictures flashing in my mind it was waves of feelings and emotions. I realized that I had never thought of Switzerland as my home, or rather had never had a chance to make it my home. There was a familiarity, but not a sense of comfort. As I worked to interpret the feelings that washed over me, there were many good memories that came back as well. I was also reminded of the breath-taking views around Lake Geneva and the iconic l'eau (water) shooting up from the middle of it. My previous time in Switzerland was from October to July, so I had missed the end of the summer months. I have only spent enough time in Geneva to be acquainted with its layout without any intimate knowledge of the rhythm of the city. This will not be a difficult issue to over come while living here the next year.

It took some effort to establish which train stop I needed to get off at in order to locate my apartment building. I was going from memory of the map I had looked at before leaving the US since my technology was misbehaving. Though I had the street address, that did not help me in locating to which part of the city I needed to alight from the train. I had hoped to arrive at the apartment before 12:30 when the reception closed in order to leave some of my carry-on baggage there before seeking out the place I would actually be spending the night. However, in my relaxed manner of maneuvering the city, I arrived at 12:35, which of course by Swiss time, was a no go. This meant that if I wished to leave baggage, confirm my contract, and check-in about move in and the delivery of my baggage the next day, I would need to wait until the reception reopened at 2pm.....so I waited. 

And met my first friend. 

In my experience, it is when I am the most tired and least in the mood to take advantage of opportunities and adventures that they often come calling. Such was the case with my new friend, we shall call him Lee. Lee is a tall, smiley, fellow from Senegal. He was needing to get an adapter for his computer plug from the reception, thus we waited together. He arrived from Senegal earlier in the week and was putting out his CVs to work in Geneva. We spent the next hour conversing in French, English, and Spanish. Both teaching and enduring one another's minimal skills in the other's native language. :0 Language is but one tool for communication, there is so much more involved when interacting with another person and I love conversations were multiple tools must be used!  I rarely - if ever- regret taking advantage of an opportunity, no matter how tired I start out. This was no exception. 

Wednesday was a full day of dealing with assignments, school details, transportation cards, finances, and jet lag. Thursday and Friday I have been able to be lazy (more than I have in months) and try to catch my breath while staying with and catching up with a couple in a city just outside of Geneva called Nyon (pronounced Neeeeeeon). 

Our welcome room, I think I will be spending a lot of time here.

The first item I was given walking into IOMBA.

Tomorrow I move into my room and try to get settled before returning to Nyon for a get together with old friends. I'm so grateful for how the Lord is already providing for me. Easy movement and storage of luggage, new and old friends, places to sleep, a phone to use until I can use my own, and so much more. I'm eager to move forward and excited to continue this adventure called life with many of you at my side. Please, please, continue to update me on your lives as well. I do not wish to 'fall out of the loop'. 

Blessings to each reader --- new, old, or anything in 

between. 

A tute l'heur

(I need to work on my spelling, but that should be something like: 'until next time')