green trees under long bridge... ... between my new home, and the MC office. And warm air greeting me when I stepped out of the small airplane in Basel some two weeks (that seem like eternity) ago. Since then I have had the fast track overview of global and Swiss (AIESEC) reality, zoomed in on the various subsystems, discussed everything from the fax machine to the various objectives of each stage in the people system. A list of topics with the urgent need for discussion, and an ever growing list of cool ideas in the back of my notebook. And now meeting most of our National Support Group Companies with Lukas.

Also, yesterday, the transition party, on a day which started with coffee in the warm office with Sabi and Peter, looking for presents for the outgoing MC with Sabi (a travel hammock for Caro, a comic that makes fun of the Swiss for Gudrun, a book about writing movie scripts for Lukas, and finally a Swiss diary 05-06 for Rob, who is staying with us!! May he use it wisely ;-)
Then more coffee and watermelon to fight fatigue and heat, while preparing the "side" dishes for a BBQ at Eichholz on the banks of the Aare... Sabi and I ventured bravely to reserve a place down there, sandwiched between other groups getting ready to BBQ. A fantastic Swiss German word for BBQing: "grillieren"... Nadja and I (as being part of an unofficial German club) thought this word to be highly amusing, while the Swiss viewed us with bewilderment.

Before most of our guests from the LCs arrived, I had my "virgin voyage" floating down the Aare: a great Bernese tradition to cool off. On warm days half the citizens of the city of Bern can be found walking upstream, then jumping into the fast flowing brilliantly blue and cold stream, the strong current carrying them quickly away. The river is dotted with heads, some people clinging on to dingies or floaties, but most just enjoying the trip all the way down to Marzili. Along the river various escape stairs wait for the floaters... and have to be quickly gripped, or the jouney continues. Highlight of my trip: jumping off a small bridge... rushing memories of the Falls Bridge in Blue Hill Falls, Maine.

The evening continued with the aforementioned BBQ, beer, wine etc. until heavy summer rain forced all of us to take refugee in the MC office. Catching up with all the people I knew already from KICK-OFF, getting to know others, a sentimental Caro addressing all of us, speaking of her love to our organisation. The passion in her eyes I will never forget.

Thank you to all who came, and made this transition night so special.  ¶ 9:16 PM