Wait! Have you ever had to teach this concept? Of waiting. Past an unfulfilled longing? My puppy dog. With an insatiable hunger. And an inexplicable fear of humans. With Bulan, I used her rollicking desire for food to train her into wanting to be with people, through their giving her treats. And despite it being distinctly unAsian, allowed my dog to be at the table, waiting for a handout. Wait! Today is the first Sunday in Advent. The countdown of 24 days to Christmas begins, even in secular Switzerland. Maybe even more so, for those cashing in on gift and food shopping as the Swiss prepare for multiple family and office gatherings. For those whom these days mark Christian spiritual significance, the dissonance between longing for days of quiet reflection and the need to hustlebustle prepare can be jarring. Wait! I once left Bulan waiting with a treat laid at her paws, while I got engrossed in conversation with friends. Until I 'felt' a pair of eyes relentlessly aimed at me. (And realised the truth of the Bible verse, "...as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes always look to God :-)“ From Bulan I realised... Pockets of waitingpeace. A focus in longing. Relentless hope. Would be enough. My gentle readers. Whatever your wait might involve during this season. I wish you the same. Wait... #swisschristmas #interculturalcompetence #doglifestories #christiantraditions #globalstorytelling +++++++++++++++++++++++ Why is it "unAsian" to have a dog at the dining table? What might Swiss Christmas celebrations mean at the workplace? Whether work or business related, if there's any aspect of this story you'd be interested in discussing, ask me Anne or write to annesemadenigeorge@outlook.com
We love our pets. 👌 We have so much to learn from each other.
It's so heart warming Anne.
Aspiring Project Manager|former Assistant Language Teacher|JET Program alumnus|JLPT N1|Team Player|Communicator|Coordinator|professional experience in healthcare & education sectors across APAC and Europe
4wI don't mind waiting. It teaches me patience. But sometimes, I can be impatient! Btw, can't believe it's December already! Enjoy counting down to Christmas, Anne!