Job-hunting and other matters....

It have once again updated my resume, it did not come out in the original format but it is much shorter. I find myself job-hunting at a very interesting moment in the political and economic history of the United States of America. The war on Iraq has taken its toll on the US economy and its citizens are paying dearly for it. Recently oil prices reached an unprecedented high of $135 per barrel, causing a simultaneous rise in the price of food and other goods and services. At the pump gas is now $4.00.

What a time to be looking for not just any job but the job. I have to be very realistic about what is on the ground and the possibilities and opportunites that are realistically available to a non-immigrant in present day US. What is my strategy? I have narrowed down my target organizations to think tanks, UN agencies, World Bank and NGOs that work in policy research and development, as well as organizations that are working towards achieving realistic and sustainable environmentally friendly goals. I am of course keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

The shifting political climate here in the States is also noteworthy. I have been following the presidential primaries with great interest since I arrived here in August of 2007. Barrack Obama the senator from Illinois has forever changed the path of presidential candidacy in this country by wining the presidential nomination over Senator Hillary Clinton. What I find incredible is that in spite of his best efforts to present himself as an American citizen and an individual who aspires to become the president of the US, the media is intent on casting him as a ''black'' candidate. Yes, he is a black man but most importantly he is first and foremost a citizen of the United States of America. I have found that race is still very much embedded in the US psyche, much like it is in South Africa. The major difference is that it is so subtle that if you do not read between the lines, perceive the nuances, you may think you are mistaken. Racism is living and breathing in America even worse, in my view, than in the 60's, 70s and 80s.