Family Blog

I had a real busy week now. On Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Frankfurt to pick up first Philip and then Manuel. On Wednesday we had invited our relationship for a little barbeque evening to welcome Manuel and Philip.

On Thursday I was on a conference of the Java User Group Stuttgart where over 1,000 people came. First I had a talk and in the afternoon I had to moderate three talks among other a talk of Erich Gamma, one of the Top Ten of the software gurus.

On Friday Carmen and my wife have organized a welcome party with Manuel's and Philip's friends. In the afternoon another exchange student, Dario, came to help to prepare the party. When he talked to our boys the whole conversation was in Englisch - I felt like a stranger on my own site. Cordula had dress rehearsal of the opera "Carmen" and I went back to my work when the party began. It was late in the night when the party was over.

On Saturday there was the performance of the opera "Carmen" from Georges Bizet in the townhall of Gerlingen. It was a part of the celebration because of grant privileges of a town 50 years ago. The whole family went to this opera - Cordula as a part of the school choir and the rest as audiences. After the concert there was a firework on the place before the city hall.

Today on Sunday I find at last some time to take a look to all the things what our boys brought back from the U.S. Our house is much fuller now and it looks like a moving. Philip and Manuel filled out the form for school with their subjects for the next 2 years while Cordula has a performance again with the choir at the city hall.

This morning we drove to Frankfurt to pick up Manuel. Yesterday we took Philip so we had some experience to find the right parking garage and the right gate. Nevertheless we have been very excited to see Manuel life again after nearly one year absence. And then he came with a big smile and we have been so happy to see him again.

He seems to be now half an American. He is not used to speak German and on way back to Gerlingen most the time he spoke English and we answered in German.

When we are at home again Philip just waked up. We went with Manuel through our house. It seems to be smaller now for him as one year before.

With over an hour delay Philip landed today in Frankfurt. We had to wait another hour till we saw him coming out in the arrival hall. He was one of the first of his machine and we were all happy to see and embrace him. He looks a little bit greater than one year before and has twice as much baggage as he left Germany.

Now we are waiting for Manuel's arrival which is scheduled for 6:55 AM what means we have to start at 4:30 in Gerlingen. Fortunately for us the flight will have a delay of 3 hours. Perhaps a result of the strike of the ground personal which started today...

Yesterday Philip left Lincoln together with his host family to go to Truckee, where there was the
gathering point of AFS. Then it was time to say goodbye and for both sides it was a teary farewell as Jeff wrote me. Especially Philips sister Elene was very sad.

From Truckee the entire AFS group boarded a bus for an overnight trip to Los Angeles. At about 16:30 o'clock Philip will leave California and has a flight of about 11 hours. Tomorrow we will go to Frankfurt to receive him. I guess he will be very tired from the journey and farewell.

Manuel will leave Wisconsin tomorrow. For him and his family it also will not be an easy farewell. Manuel will arrive Germany on Wednesday early in the morning.

We are waiting to embrace them and see them reunited...

Also Manuel had his graduation now as you can read in his blog. Unfortunately we have no pictures from this event but I think next week when he will back in Germany we will see some.

Philip will leave today his host family while Manuel has time till tomorrow to pack his bags. It is not so easy to get all the things from the last 11 months into the bag because space and weight is limited.

Here in Germany everybody is excited about the finals of the European Soccer Championship where Germany plays against Spain.

Next week Manuel and Philip will come back from their exchange year in the USA. We are very excited to welcome them back at home. How will they look like? Will they be the same as one year ago? Will they be more great and heavier?

I guess the last week will be hard for them and their host families. Time flies and shortly it is time to say goodbye. I can remember how hard my heart felt after the leave at the airport.

CUL8R...

If you can dream it, you can do it. (Walt Disney)

Happy Birthday, Manuel and Philip. In Germany you would be of age. Enjoy your last days in America. We are waiting for you...

Cordula, Carmen and me

Philip! Yesterday Philip had his graduation. On the Silver Grad Night Philip won a laptop and other things. And it was early in the morning when he went to bed.

School is now over for Philip and this event is the end of a successful and eventfully year. In the subjects Calculus, English and Comparative Politics he was the best in his class and he learned a lot about the American way of life.

School is also over for Manuel but he will have his graduation next week.

The streets here will be empty this evening – the European Soccer Championship has started yesterday and today Germany has its first match (against Poland).

My brother sent us a postcard from Kalifornien (California) where he was on vacation with his family. But this "Kalifornien" is a small town in North Germany (see Google Maps) near Brasilien (Brazil).

Yesterday we came back from our vacation on Mallorca. We arrived our hotel in Cala d'Or in the rain and we left the hotel in the rain. But apart from that the wheather was better than expected but not so hot as in California (100°F, as Philip told us).



The first day it was a little bit rainy and we visited the main city Palma de Mallorca with its impressive cathedral Le Seul. The rest of the week was cloudy and sunny and we explored the island or swam in the swiming pool or sea.

We lived at Club Martha's and each evening there was a special event e.g. a performance of the Four Tops or Elvis and the Teddy Bears.

Tomorrow it is Mother's Day and we wish all host Mums all the best. According to Wikipedia. Mother's Day is an invention of American women whereas here in Germany this day is celebrated since the twenties of the last century.

We will be absent tomorrow and go for a week to Mallorca. For Carmen it will be the first flight in her life. Our last common flight was 20 years ago (to Los Angelos). At the moment it rains at Mallorca although on average there are only 7 rainy days in May. I fear these 7 days will be the next week.

Time goes so fast and now there are 9 weeks (or less) till our boys will come back from America. Do they get a qualification when they leave school? How will be the last day of school? We hope they will learn a lot and enjoy the last weeks far away from home.

In the meantime we got the arrival date of Philip and Manuel. Philip will come back at 1st July at about 12 o'clock, Manuel will come the next day at 7o'clock early in the morning. So we have to go two times to Frankfurt which means about 2 hours driving.

Today our neighbours got a postcard from Manuel which he sent before Christmas.

The old believe everything; the middle aged suspect everything: the young know everything. (Oscar Wilde)

with the best wishes from Cordula, Carmen and me...