Nearly Home

What an amazing journey we’ve had on this trip! If anyone had ever said that someday I would be going to Germany for five weeks with four people I barely knew and staying in the homes of people I’d just met, I would have told them they were out of their minds. I can’t say that every minute of this trip was perfect, but I can tell you that I would not have traded it for the world. There were days when I simply could not believe how lucky I was to be in such a beautiful country with such wonderful, generous people. I kept thinking how lucky I was to have been given the opportunity . . .

GSE is hard work, so don’t think that we were just over here sipping wine and drinking beer for the last five weeks, because that’s far from the truth. Okay, I am quite certain that we each had our fair share of the aforementioned beverages while we were here, but we also were almost exclusively on the go each day with jam-packed schedules that had us walking halfway across Lower Saxony! Most days were long–sometimes they seemed too long–but a new day would dawn with other great adventures before us.

I think I surprised myself on this trip at how intensely I experienced emotions while living a life that seemed so unlike my own. I know that statement probably didn’t make all that much sense, so let me try to explain . . . we stayed with wonderful people who wanted to give and show us their best every day, and some days I just didn’t feel that I could possibly be waited on or taken care of for another minute. I never realized how truly independent I was until I came on this trip and suddenly was surrounded by fantastic folks who wanted to do everything for me. I know many of them thought me to be strange . . . I didn’t drink coffee, I didn’t put milk and sugar in my tea (which I told them that I would normally drink out of a VERY large cup with lots of ice each morning), and I wasn’t a fan of water “with gas.” Despite those odd, seemingly inconsequential differences, I have some great memories of the people I met along the way who helped keep us entertained, fed us some amazing food, and showed us some beautiful, interesting sights.   

To all of those who helped me get here–the Rotarians, my family, my coworkers, and my friends–I say thank you. To all the folks I’ve met during my five weeks here in Germany–my host families, the District 1850 GSE coordinator, and the GSE coordinators from Nordenham, Bremen, Diepholz-Vechta, Leer, and Oldenburg–I say Vielen Dank! Last, but certainly not least, I just have to say that my teammates rock! The five of us made a motley crew over here, but we survived all the ups and downs of each others’ moods (and there was no blood shed, believe it, or not!) and have formed some lasting friendships. So . . . I’m just sayin’ . . . Wow!

Leaving Germany today. We’ll miss you.

Just a short post today as there is still much organizing and packing to do.

Last night we had a wonderful farewell party, hosted by my parents here in Oldenburg, Klaus and Mareile Oetken. In addition to great barbeque and other wonderful food, we also got to watch the football match between USA and Britain. Quite a few of our German friends donned red, white, and blue face paint to help us cheer on our team. We wanted the win, but we’ll take the tie. It was an excellent evening.

Today the challenge is getting all of these things back into bags that seem so small now. But I’ll be taking with me something far more important than souvenirs for the family. I’ll be carrying wonderful memories, stories, and a sense of perspective that I couldn’t have imagined before. I can appreciate both the similarities and differences that we have as people of two nations but one planet. I can finally begin to understand just how small our world really is. It’s a perspective that is both sobering and inspiring at the same time.

Speaking of sobering and inspiring… anyone know what it takes to ship a Bugatti Veyron back to the states? It exceeds my checked baggage limit.

The World Is Small – Would Somebody In Wichita Tell Lueke (Part II)

Okay, as some of you will recall from reading the blog, in Nordenham I met friends of Lueke Lueken (a member of my Rotary Club in Wichita).  Now I am in Oldenburg.  I am staying with Helmut and Annette (Cropp) Hartig.  I mention meeting friends of Lueke in Nordenham and they ask how Lueke spells his name.  Turns out, Annette’s father Otto and Lueke are first cousins!  Once again, I say “Moin” to Lueke – this time from family.  The world truly is small.

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

Hello from Oldenburg, everyone. I realize it has been a while since I’ve chimed in to let people know what has been going on with our exchange trip. All I can say is – we have been very busy, but we have been very happy. It is rare that someone would come to Germany and be given the privileges or seen the things that we have. My hat goes off to all of the organizing Rotarians, coordinators, and volunteers who have all contributed their time, resources, and patience to create such a wonderful trip for us. And the trip isn’t over yet!

To Stacey’s credit, she has done an excellent job in summarizing our last few days, including our trip to Berlin. So without wanting to take anything away from her efforts, this time I’m posting just photos to supplement her remarkable work (in quasi-chronological order). Enjoy! We sure have.

(You guys are clicking on these for larger versions of the photos, right? )

Bullenschluck! Good for what ails you... or your farm animals.

We love the warning signs here.

Thomas Wimmer, our coordinator from Bremen. I said, "Thomas, tackle them!". To my surprise, he did.

Riding a touring bike with my host parents in Lohne, taking a photo of myself, and trying to look cool. 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Excellent biking tour of Lohne with my hosts, Dietmar and Helge Wichmann. They weren't leaving me behind.

View from the trail at the Diepholzer moor low lands. Very pretty.

Arlen found a buddy that wanted to join the team.

Interesting view of nearly finished Lloyd's shoes with their signature red stripe.

Yes, yes, but where are the women's shoes.

Spargelfest or Spargelpalooza at Thiermann farms. Great food. Lots of spargel, too.

The famous horseman's mask from Kalkriese - one of their first discoveries.

Roman armor and weapons from Kalkriese. And no, the Romans were bigger than that.

View of the castle at the Landesgartenshau in Osnabrück.

Maybe these outdoor beanbags are a bit too comfy.

The wake of the high speed katamaran we took to Borkum. For a boat that size, we were haulin'.

Deena, Alicia, and Joosten Connemann - hamming it up on the katamaran.

View from the katamaran.

Plenty of John Deere tractors sold here. Still funny to see one on the ferry.

Sometimes, when you're on a ferry to the Netherlands, you just have to bust a move. Represent!

Captain of the ferry we took to the Netherlands, pointing out depth markers of the waterway.

Our dining room at the Restaurant 't Regthuys in Groningen, Netherlands.

Enercon headquarters in Magdeburg. Their building is shaped like their logo.

No, those aren't toy vans. Here's the base of the wind turbine tower.

Getting the harness ready for me to wear. That will come in handy.

That's one small elevator to get you near the top. Barely enough room for three people.

Here's a view up the support tower for the Enercon wind turbine.

Here's our guide and maintenance technician showing us how to hook our safety harnesses to the ladder.

Sonja, guide for the other GSE team, climbing the last 10 meters to the nacelle of an Enercon wind turbine.

View from the top at 120 meters. Even on a cloudy day the view was incredible.

Scenic view and one of the blades of the turbine. Yes, we were clipped on the whole time.

From the base of the wind turbine we visited.

Pitstop on our way to Berlin. Alicia is just looking, of course. We're the good group.

Something tells me we're in Berlin. Can't quite put my finger on it, though.

Dinner our first night in Berlin. Here's me, holding this beer for a friend. Honest.

Dinner of our first night in Berlin. Long drive, but worth it. Everyone safe and sound (at this point, anyway).

We got to see and touch sections of the Berlin Wall on our bus tour.

Why am I not surprised that you would find a McDonalds at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. Oy.

One of the few moments when we could actually catch Arlen smiling on camera. He's a tricky one.

Stopped in Ritter Sport. But I have no idea how I'm going to get these on the plane for the return flight.

Walking along in Berlin, doing a little window shopping. Hey, it's even in my color!

Here's Arlen outside the Reichstag. We decided to write him in as a candidate for German President.

Interior view of the dome on the Reichstag. Separate ramps for moving up and down.

Stacey at the Brandenburg Gate. Again, we blend in so well. Who would know we're tourists.

The lobby of Berlin's famous Freidrichstadtpalast. The show we saw, Qi, was kinda spicy.

The Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Amazing collection of history in every room.

This is the Ishtar Gate, on display at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Fantastic.

The Market Gate of Miletus

View of the ruined Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, bombed in WWII. Stunning, even as a ruin.

The beginning of an excellent boat tour along the River Spree in Berlin.

More photos shot from the boat on our River Spree tour.

This one's for Josie. Check out the selection for Filmmusik-Nacht.

Amazing architecture in Berlin.

View of the Dom, the main Protestant church in Berlin.

Interior view of the Dom, showing their pipe organ. Amazing space!

Looking out from the gallery level around the outside of the Dom in Berlin.

The infamous Trabant or "Trabi". East German cold war era transportation.

Atomic bomb shelter underneath Berlin, meant to house 3600 people for two weeks.

Taking a break for lunch. We're not sure how they straightened their shrimp.

More from our lunch break at Fish & Chips. We blend in so nicely. Not like tourists at all.

They have everything at KaDeWe. From anzüge...

...to...

...Zweitfrisuren. What more could you want?

The topmost restaurant or "Wintergarten" at KaDeWe in Berlin. Where we waited for Alicia.

View of the newest Disney cruise ship, "Dream", under construction at Meyerwerft. Had to see it to believe it.

Still hard to believe the size of these ships. Like a floating hotel... but bigger. Hard to get it all in the picture.

The bridge!

View from a wonderful waterside restaurant along the Ems river. Thank you Joosten and Edith.

The whole team with host families and coordinators from Leer. Excellent group and excellent party. Tschüss!

View from inside the large tent for the District 1850 Conference. An impressive setup.

Just a few of the Rotary Exchange students who had a chance to share some of their experiences.

Marion, Gerd, and Mattias from the District 1850 team. Great to visit with them at the district conference.

Oldenburger Promenade

Promenade -  (n) A leisurely walk, especially one taken in a public place as a social activity.

Tonight was the 14th annual Oldenburger Promenade.  It is a series of concerts at several different but relatively close venues with the idea that you go from one to another for 45 minutes each with time between to meet, greet, eat, and drink in a central location.  It is the hottest ticket in town – selling out before Christmas.  My host family had secured a ticket for me to accompany them.

Our first concert was in the main church in town – the Lambertkirche – where we were privileged to hear the Munich Bach Chor(ale) under the direction of HansjÖrg Albrecht perform several selections of Bach’s work.  The Lambertkirche is of a rotunda design and the acoustics were phenomenal.  With a small crowd (probably 300 or less) all the seats were good. 

Following a 45 minute interval in the central tent with food and drink, we went to the marble ballroom of the Schloss (a castle/mansion next to the Lambertkirche) for a 45 minute concert by a 20 year old violinist named Azadeh Maghsoodi accompanied by a pianist. She played a Mozart sonota and Bizez’s Carmen to standing and sustained ovations.  Following Ms. Maghsoodi was a young tenor named Andrey Nevyantsev who sang several pieces from Verdi, Tschaikowsky, Tosti, and Rossini.  He too was warmly received. 

After another 45 minute intermission, we went to the main hall of the Schloss to hear a young Sopran(o) named Ellena Galitskaya and a young tenor named Pavel Kolgatin.  They sang a variety of Russian operatic pieces.  After several ovations, they gave a double encore – singing songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber in Russian.

Following the third concert, it was back to the tent for a 11 p.m. dinner with Helmut, Annette, their friend Jutta, and several fellow Rotarians and their wives.  It was a wonderful evening to wrap up a great day. 

—–

We started the morning early at a Rotarian’s bakery – watching them making the breads and cakes that will be in one of his 42 shops tomorrow.  Before leaving, he served us breakfast of his wares.  I confess that it is the first time in a while that I have had egg and salami sandwiches accompanied by both strawberry cake and rubarb cake for breakfast.  To top it off, we had the traditional (and imfamous) Berliner filled with homemade strawberry jam.  Yes, we all quoted Kennedy, “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

After the visit to the bakery, we drove to Bremerhaven to visit a new museum called the Climate House.  The concept is interesting.  Bremerhaven rests on the 8° East parallel.  The Climate House follows the 8° parallel as it circles the Earth from Bremerhaven to Switzerland, to Sicilly, to Sudan, to Camaroon, to Antartica, to Samoa, to Alaska, and back to Bremerhaven.  It has different exhibits on the climate, people, and way of life at each of those locations.  You “continue your journey” from room to room – experiencing the heat and humidity of the jungle as you walk over a rope bridge or forge a stream by going rock to rock in one room followed by the cold and ice of the Antartic in the next.  It was “hot.”  Or should I say “cool?”  I don’t know, you take your pick of descriptions.

All in all, a great day.  Tomorrow is our last full day in Germany.  We have nothing formal planned until our “Farewell Party/USA World Cup ‘Public Viewing’ [I don't know if it is just a translation bug or if they are trying to tell us our chances against England]” tomorrow evening.  That means the day will be very busy doing all the last minute things we have not had time to do (I am going to a grocery store and to the equivalent of a Home Depot so I can compare them to those in the U.S.). 

In a way, tomorrow will be another Promenade!

Germany From A to Z (Arlen’s Version)

• Arkenberg (Theodor, Gudrun, and Charlotta) – My host family from the Diepholz-Vechta club.  These are truly great people whom I now have the privilege of calling friends.  We look forward to their visit to Kansas and Colorado next summer – “Three Weeks!”
• Berlin/Bremen/Bremerhaven – What marvelous cities.  I could probably do an A – Z for each of these.
• Cruise Ships – We visited the Meyer Werft in Papenburg.  We saw three different cruise ships under various stages of construction including the Aida Sol and the Disney Dream.  Wow!  The size of the operation is astounding.
• Danke, Distrikt 1850 – Our host Rotary Distrikt in Germany has been 1850.  To them I say “Danke. . .danke schön!” (You must say this using your best Elvis voice.)
• Ehlerts (Gert and Marge) – My host family from the Leer club.  We laughed, talked, laughed some more and ate, ate, ate.  Look up the Trio Cascades in your classical music section.  Their daughter Inka plays cello.
• Fire! Fire! – Actually, not a fire.  But a fire drill.  Conducted during our first Rotary Meeting in Nordenham.  We evacuated the building and watched the fire crews get people out of a 4^th floor window for an hour or so.  I knew our presentation was “hot,” but really!
• GSE – “Group Study Exchange” or “Studiengruppenaqustausch” or “Gotta Sleep Eventually” – take your pick.
• Hartig (Helmut, Annette, Louisa, Carina, and Cornelius) – My host family in Oldenburg.  They have been a joy to be around.  The children are the same ages as my children and do many of the same things.  It is nice to end the visit with a lovely host family.
• Images – Countless in my head, thousands on the computer, hundreds with people, a few that are actually good.
• Joachim Toenjes – The Lutheran minister who was my host in Stollhamm (Nordenham).  I now count him as a friend and look forward to keeping contact for years to come.  His farmhouse, ducks and chickens, and antique scooters were marvelous.
• Kuh, Kühe – My German is now good enough that if anyone needs me to count their two cows I can.  “Ein kuh, zwei kühe!”
• Liebesknochen – I know it is against GSE rules but I have fallen in love!  My only defense is that you would too.  The “Love Bone” is a dark rye roll with a slightly sweet, honey flavor rolled in sunflower seeds.  Served for breakfast with butter, cheeses, salamis, and/or jam, the liebesknochen is irresistable. 
• Moin, Moin – The greeting that is given to friends, relatives, strangers, and every other living thing in the Nord of Niedersachsen, Germany
• Niedersachsen – Lower Saxony.  This is the region we visited and now love so much.  Think Kansas or Oklahoma with a coast.
• Oldenburg – What a beautiful city.  It would be good for any itinerary to Germany.  Beautiful buildings, wonderful walking areas and parks, interesting shopping in the city center, good museums, great people.
• Philharmoniker – One of the best things we have done is go to the Berliner Philharmoniker.  I was astounded by how much I enjoyed that evening.
• Quark (Quarkkäulchen) – A spread made of potatoes, eggs, and flour used on breads and the like.  It is quite good.
• Rathaus/Ratskeller – The Rathaus is the seat of government.  The irony of its name has not been lost on us!  The Germans laugh too when we translate it for them.  The Ratskeller is the cellar of the Rathaus – often the site where the governing bodies kept their best beer and wine (reportedly making official business easier to get done).  Now most are restaurants.  I have decided that I am going into business conducting tours of the great Ratskellers of Germany.
• Spargel and Schnitzel, Schnitzel and Spargel – We ate lots of spargel (asparagus) and schnitzel (escalopes of meat coated in breadcrumbs and fried).  Some would say we ate too much of either or both.  Spargel boiled, grilled, in soup, as appetizers and main courses.  We even visited the Thiermann Spargel farm (the largest in the world).  Schweinschnitzel (pork), Wienerschnitzel (veal cooked Vienna style), and Jagerschnitzel (pork or veal with mushrooms) are all great.
• Tacke (Willi and Margret) – My wonderful hosts in Bremen.  Willi is a historian who knows more about Bremen than almost anyone alive.  He and Margret opened their home and made me feel very welcome.
• Up Early, Up Late – Our days have been packed from morning to night.  It’s 10:00 p.m. – it must be time for dinner in Berlin.  It’s 6:00 a.m. – it must be time for a breakfast visit to the bakery in Oldenburg.  We relish the occasional afternoon off or day with a late start.
• Vocational Visits – From banks to wind turbines.  From universities to logistics operations.  From web companies to newspapers.  From bakeries to law firms.  We had a variety of interesting vocational visits.  I have had the opportunity to visit several different logistics operations – from BLG’s and Thomas Phillipp’s “lights out” facilities to the BIBA logistics training facility at the University of Bremen to Alber’s Logistics in Nordenham.  I have also visited universities and other educational operations.
• Wind Turbine – What a treat to get to go to the top of the 120 meter high (80 meter rotor) wind turbine courtesy of Enercon.  You could feel the whole tower sway as they turned the rotors on.  The turbine we visited was outside of Magdeburg – a city in what used to be East Germany.
• Xstrata – We visited the Xstrata Zinc Smelter in Nordenham.  It was an enjoyable and educational visit
• Ya! Ya! (Ja! Ja!) – Said in many a conversation.  A signal that you or they understand – or at least think you or they understand.
• Zoo-lee-gun (Suligen) – The town is home to both Lloyd’s Shoes and Bullenschluck (look it up if you want but don’t try it!).

There’s no place like Germany, there’s no place like Germany…

Lloyd Ruby Red Shoes

Time for another highlight reel (yet again in no particular order) from our stop in Vechta/Diephotz:

1. Excursion to the Diepholzer Moor low lands and trying to knock Stacey off the bridge (it was only 1foot off the ground)

2. Visiting the Lloyd Shoe Factory: Amazing men shoes!! http://www.lloyd.de/en/

3. Shopping at the Lloyd Shoe Factory store. The only drawback was getting to the checkout and figuring out they didn’t accept our debit cards. L Luckily, I had a bit of cash and was able to walk out with 2 of 3 pairs of shoes that I wanted. I love my ruby red shoes. I was told if I click my heels three times when I’m in Kansas they will bring me back to Germany.

4. Visiting the State gardens (Besuch der Landesgartenschau) in Bad Essen. There was an amazing castle there and gorgeous gardens. I took tons of photos for my dad to help me recreate and combine a few of the designs for my backyard. He doesn’t know yet! Shhh!!

5. Exploring Osnabruck!

6. Checking out the Besichtigung Kalkriese (Historical site where the battle between the Roman Empire and German tribes took place in 9 A.D.

7. Dinner at Hausbrauerei Rampendahl

8. Vocational visits!

9. Our host family’s slide show of their holiday to Scotland and laughing over dinner and drinks!

10. Our host family: The Geising: Elizabeth, Gerhard, and Gata (and their dog)!!

Photos to follow!

A Not-So-Brief Update

For those of you who may be wondering . . . we really are still in Germany. I apologize for my absence from the blog (you can tell that I’m not the only one who’s been absent), but we have had precious little time on the internet, and most of those brief moments have been spent reconnecting with family back home.

Since a couple of weeks have passed since my previous blog post, let me catch you up with some of the highlights after leaving Bremen: 

Hanging Out

During our time with the Rotary Club of Diepholz-Vechta, our coordinator Erich Rühmkorf filled our days with his wonderful humor and grace and showed us much of the beautiful countryside, including the Diepholzer Moor low lands, the State gardens at Bad Essen, and Kalkriese (site of the battle 

View from the Observation Tower at Kalkriese

 between the Roman Empire and German tribes in the year 9 A.D.). I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed all of the natural beauty and history Erich arranged for us to see, but—if I’m being totally honest—I would have to say that the visit he arranged for us to the Lloyd shoe factory in 

Lloyd Shoe Factory

Diepholzer Moor Low Lands

State Gardens at Bad Essen

Suligen was the highlight of my time in Diepholz-Vechta (David and Arlen were fascinated by this tour as well, so don’t think that I only enjoyed it because I’m a woman in a shoe factory!). For the record, the factory only produces Lloyds’ men’s line. However, their women’s styles were available in the factory store, and I couldn’t resist picking up a couple pair of high-quality shoes . . . and they were on sale! ) 

Alicia, Deena, and I had the opportunity to stay with the same host family—the Geisings—in Vechta, which was quite a bit of fun. The Gerhard, Elizabeth, and their daughter Gatha treated us so wonderfully, and we had so much fun with them. When we first arrived with all of our baggage in tow, we were a bit concerned as Gatha kept climbing stairway after stairway to the third floor. We weren’t sure the stairs were ever going to stop, and we certainly weren’t sure that we would be able to haul our bags all the way up after such

Our Hosts - The Geisings

 a long, tiring drive. We managed and settled in for a wonderful stay. Elizabeth took such great care of us, and we truly enjoyed her company. She taxied us from place to place throughout our stay, and we got the chance to sing along with her in the car with music from The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkle, and Miley Cyrus (yes, I just said Miley Cyrus—it was not a typo) as she blasted music through the stereo. We laughed a lot with the Geisings and spent a wonderful evening drinking wine (only about four bottles) and looking at photos from their Scotland trip (they returned the same day that we arrived!). We were sad to leave, as we had really enjoyed our time with them. However, the representatives from Rotary Club Leer arrived to deliver us to our next destination.

Deena and Me with the Brinkemas

Deena and I were again paired up with the same host family: Dr. Heinrich and Heilke Brinkema. Heinrich is a retired dentist, and their son has taken over the practice in the building next to their house. Heilke fed us some amazing meals during our brief stay. The table setting was immaculate and precise, and the presentation of the food was like something out of a gourmet restaurant. Heilke is a woman who certainly knows a thing or two about entertaining. The thing that made us fall in love with the Brinkemas on our very first day with them was their willingness to let us truly enjoy our off time. I think that day was the first chance Deena and I had to sleep in on this entire trip. The Brinkemas hadn’t spoken English in a very long time but were wonderful hosts who managed to communicate with us remarkably well despite our lack of a common language. They referred to us as their children to the other Rotarians when we were together, and I considered that a wonderful compliment.

 I’m not even certain where to begin when it comes to updating you on the time we spent with the Leer club. Perhaps it’s easier to just give you all a bullet-point list of the things we did. However, I first need to tell you about the man who kept our days filled with exciting and amazing activities. Our coordinator in Leer was Gert Ehlert, a sweet man with a kind heart and a wonderful sense of humor who put much time and effort into showing us (okay, seriously . . . we are flying along the Autobahn at 230 km/h right now . . . holy crap!!!) some of the most amazing sights of our GSE experience.

Day One – Boat trip on River Ems to the Netherlands where we enjoyed a fantastic dinner in a Dutch restaurant (too much wine for me at dinner, though . . . ouch!). 

Day Two – Off time with host families and then a group dinner at the Ehlert’s

A Section of the East Side Gallery (Berlin Wall)

Day Three – Load van for Berlin with a stop along the way to meet the GSE Team from Washington State/Vacouver Island, BC for a presentation at Enercon (a large manufacturer of wind turbines) followed by a chance for our team to got to the top of a working turbine. Those of you who know me have probably already guessed by now that I opted to keep both of my feet planted firmly on the ground, but I know that the rest of the team thoroughly enjoyed their experience at the top!  

View of the Sony Center at Night

Deena and Me on the Bus Tour

Day Four – BERLIN!!!! We had a tour of the city by bus and got to see the amazing combination of past and present, in both history and architecture. We stopped at Checkpoint Charlie to explore for a bit before loading back in the bus to go to the Brandenburg Gate. After we left the bus tour, we had the chance to explore the area around the Gate before meeting back up with the rest of the group for our tour of the Reichstag. Our team took the opportunity to look at the stunning, sobering Holocaust Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. The site contains 2711 concrete blocks of different heights on ground that is sloped and with slightly rolling walkways (hopefully the photos will make it easier for you to understand my description). We were on to the Reichstag after this sobering bit of exploration. The Reichstag is an impressive sight to behold. We were fortunate enough to see inside where the Bundestag (Parliament) meets. We also walked the 755-ft. long helical ramps to the top of the dome to get some wonderful, 360-degree views of the city. Unfortunately for us, it happened to be raining on this day, so our photos were not as nice as we would have liked them to be. To top off our day, we were treated to a variety performance called Qi at the Fredrichstadt Palast (the largest theatre stage in the world).

The Team (minus the photographer) at the Brandenburg Gate

The Ramps up the Reichstag Dome

The Reichstag

 Day Five (Berlin) – We started off with a visit to the Pergamon Museum (one of the world’s major archaeological museums) where some of the main attractions include the Pergamon Altar from the 2^nd century BC, the Isthar Gate, and the Processional Street of Babylon which both date back to the time of King Nebuchadnezzar. The museum was a stunning mix of ancient architecture and artifacts that was awesome to behold. After the Pergamon, we took a boat tour on the River Spree to learn more about the historic buildings and districts along the stretch of the river which runs past the Berlin Dom (cathedral) on one end to a point near the Reichstag. It was a fun way to view the river and the neighboring areas while staying out of the rain. After our boat trip, we had some free time for shopping and wandering, which was a treat. That night, we capped off our day by viewing a performance of the Berlin Philharmonic (let me just say . . . beautiful). 

Our group after the Berlin Philharmonic

The Holocaust Memorial

Day Six (Berlin) – This day began our last hours in Berlin, and I was reluctant to leave. The city is beautiful and intriguing—so full of history and culture, and rich with wonderful people—and I am planning a return trip in the near future (pack your bags, Troy!). We started our day with a trip to the Berliner Dom (originally built between 1894 and 1905 under Kaiser Wilhelm II and rebuilt in the 1970s after sustaining heavy damage during WWII). While the ornate interior of this Protestant cathedral was beautiful, I was most fascinated by the Hollenzollern family crypt which lies beneath it and contains over 90 sarcophagi from the 15^th to the 20^th century. Believe it or not, I did climb the stairs all the way to the top of the dome and stepped outside to see the panoramic view of the city. I must admit, however, that I wasn’t outside on the walkway more than 30 seconds (and my view was FAR less than panoramic) before I freaked out and stepped back inside to get myself back to a more agreeable altitude. I did see the view of the city from the top, but not much of it. The way I see it, I got in a GREAT workout. Ha! We left the Dom and headed to an exhibit titled “The Story of Berlin.” We began our tour with a visit to a public bomb shelter that was constructed during the Cold War. It was such an eerie feeling to be in that place and to hear the guide tell us about what life would have been like for people who might have been forced to seek shelter there. The exhibit upstairs was wonderfully done and provided an astounding account of how Berlin was formed and grew into the city it is today. The exhibit covers the whole story—both good and bad—through remarkable sights, sounds, and words. We were free on our own recognizance after the exhibit, with orders to meet at KaDeWe (the largest upscale department store in all of Germany) at 3:00 for departure back to Leer. Deena and I wandered off in search of a camera to replace mine that had unfortunately been dropped and broken the night before. Funny thing—buying a camera in Europe means facing a language and power-source barrier for an American. The instructions in the box were offered in six different languages, but not English (thank goodness the software had an English version of the manual!), and the power cord included for charging the battery can only be used in Northern Europe! Oh, well . . . at least I have a camera that works now.

Me at the Jewish Memorial

Alicia and Me Enjoying our First Beer in Berlin

 Day Seven – Our last full day with the folks from Leer led us to the Meyer Werft (ship yard) in Papenburg where luxury cruise liners are constructed. It was exciting to see the newest Disney ships being built. The Disney Dream is nearly completed and slated for launch in October of this year. Once it’s launched, it will be the largest cruise liner in operation in the world. Its sister ship is slated for completion shortly thereafter. It was incredible to hear about and see this process in such an up-close, personal way. It was a fantastic way to round out our experiences in Leer. At day’s end, our team gave our presentation at a gathering (not a regular meeting) of several Rotarians of the Rotary Club Leer, and the treated us to a lovely barbecue dinner that allowed us to relax and have fun with our new friends for the last time before moving on to our next stop.

 I just have to say that this entire trip so far has exceeded every expectation I ever had about the people I have met and the things I have seen, done, and eaten. I am truly having a once-in-a-lifetime experience thanks to folks who are some of the most kind-hearted, generous, lovely people I have ever met.  

Close Your Eyes And Imagine . . .

. . . you are in an art museum.  Impressionist paintings hang all around you; Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and others tantalize your mind.  Before you is a beautiful image – somewhat triangular in composition but without strictly angular lines or corners.  The coloring is earth-tone – brown with black, white, gold, and silver splotches.  As you gaze at the image, you begin to see into the painting rather than simply see the painting.  The individual colors blend and meld into what seems to be a single organism.

Suddenly, a sliver orb on the right starts to come alive with a low, slow tonal swoosh followed by the black and silver lines in the center.  Then, the black and white mass on the left leaps at you with a frantic but coordinated chaos that swirls about the canvas.  The browns at the top join the fray as do the golds and silvers on the right and bottom.  Finally four tan spheres burst into a rhythmic pulsing that completes the animation of the scene.

As you gaze at the work, you are drawn in more and more – becoming lost to your surroundings, to time, to all but the seductive motions and emotions generated by the hand of the master.

Wednesday night we had the high privilege of attending the Berliner Philharmoniker.  As I watched Guest Conductor Herbert Blomstedt lead the 83 piece orchestra in Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 in A major, I was struck by the impressionist nature of the experience.  My seat was above stage right where I could look down upon the players – a vantage point I have not had before.  From that view, I was enamored with how different the orchestra looks from the typical front view.  When the violins and violas play you see the coordinated chaos of 43 separate entities playing different notes on different instruments but as one organism.  Ten cellos and eight basses rounded out the strings.  Four French horns, a woodwind section of seven, ten brass, and one percussionist completed the Philharmoniker. 

Before playing the Bruckner piece, we were offered Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Daniel Stabrawa on violin, Ludwig Quandt on cello, and Martin Helmchen on piano.  My seat was behind the two string soloists, but directly in the line of sight of Herr Helmchen.  It was interesting to watch him as he played.  You could tell he was lost in the piece – the rapturous gaze and smile of someone seeing something far away in his mind is the only way I can describe it.  Then, he would suddenly shift his gaze to coordinate with the string players because his back was to Herr Blomstedt.

Berlin is a fascinating city with many incredible buildings to see, interesting things to do, and fabulous restaurants to try.  To me, none of those compared to the two hours we were allowed to spend with one of the world’s truly great Philharmonikers.  I am very grateful for Gert Ehlert and the Rotary Club of Leer for their efforts allowing us to experience last evening.

Catching my breath, catching up

For the first time in our GSE experience I am concerned about my accomodations.  My host family has stuck me in the loft of their 200 year old barn while they are comfortably esconced in their farmhouse.  All in all, I am a bit concerned . . . concerned that I won’t be willing to leave.   I am staying with Theo and Gudrun Arkenberg on their farm.  They have renovated their 200 year old barn to be a beautiful guest house.  It is straight out of a design magazine – complete with an indoor swimming pool.  The “loft” is their master bedroom with down comforters and all the accutriments.  The pool has been a welcome respite for me this week.  Theo swims every morning and has been gracious to allow me to join him.  It has been nice to get my laps in.

Theo and Gudrun are two of the nicest people you can meet.  We have had wonderful hours of conversing – and have included Gudrun’s brother Franz (now known as the Don a.k.a. Godfather) and his wife Barbara in several of these.  The Arkenbergs have a daughter (Charlotta) living at home as well as two sons away in school.  I fully anticipate that we will soon see this wonderful family in Wichita!

As for my visits over the last week or so, I have had several very interesting visits to logistics companies.  I have seen two “lights out” warehouses complete with very sophisticated conveyor systems.  Today, I was allowed to film much of the process so that I can use the clips in my Operations lectures.  Often I have not been allowed to film because of the contracts with customers (i.e. Mercedes Benz) or with the workers (labor rules).  It was great to be able to do it today.

I also have had the opportunity to meet with a couple of administrators from the University of Applied Sciences in Munster.  We had the opportunity to compare notes on everything from faculty compensation to faculty research to faculty compensation for research.  We have also had tea and coffee – lots of it!  Tidbit I learned tonight – Germany’s most oft drunk beverage is not beer.  It is coffee.

Staying on a farm and driving to Munster today has given me the opportunity to see lots of the German countryside.  I would have taken pictures, but that would have meant stopping every fifty feet (meters if you prefer the European measure) and we would never arrive at our destination.  Suffice it to say, it is beautiful here.  As we drive through valleys and see the churches and villages in the distance, it makes me think of every post card ever produced from here.  The Raps (Rapeseed we think) are in full bloom – bright yellow.  Couple that with the green fields, the multicolored blooms from numerous Rhododendrum (however it is spelled) and you get an idyllic picture.  Add the numerous pheasants (seven out the window of my barn), shafe(sheep), reh (deer), and hase (a rabbit the size of Harvey . . . okay, maybe just the size of a cocker spaniel) and it is a beautiful place to take a drive.

I have also enjoyed the food – particularly breakfast.  A typical breakfast consists of several different types of bread including pumpernickle and a whole grain wrapped in sunflower seeds; various cheeses; various salamies, hams, and other meats; eggs (soft boiled or scrambled); cereals; orange juice; and black tea.  I could eat this every day and not bat an eye.  Of course I could not walk out of here if I did.  Somehow the tune “Roll out the barrel” comes to mind.

The people have been wonderful here.  We have been all over the county – visiting “raised bogs,” sheep farms, a shoe factory, a spargel (asparagus) farm, and on and on.  We have seen windmills -both old and new,  farms fit for paintings, and wildlife aplenty.  We’ve met mayors and been in the local papers.  What we have not seen is the inside of our eyelids.  I finally figured out what GSE really means.  It has to be “Gotta Sleep Eventually.”  Oh well, there is always June.  We are halfway through our visit.

For those on the 5690 GSE Committee; You can be proud of your team.  They have acted with such grace and humor.  I get nothing but positive comments on how nice they are, how much they like to laugh, how well they interact with each other and with the locals, etc., etc., etc.  In a conversation with the coordinator of D1850′s last GSE experience, I learned that our team has been so much better to work with than the last team.  That makes me proud to be their “Chef.”

Thanks for following us on the Blog and allowing us this tremendous priviledge of representing D5690 here in Germany.