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!).