Family Blog

Some of my school buddies I haven't heard anything (or not so much) about 30 years. But today I read an article about Eckhard Hauser (one of these "lost" school buddies) in the Stuttgarter newspaper. After school he was pilot for different airlines and flew rescue operations e.g. in Iraq or Congo. Now he is test pilot at Airbus and was one of the first who flew the new Airbus A-380.

Since October Manuel has a room in Freiburg for studying political science at the university. At the beginning he had no internet and no TV but in the meantime he feels very well in Freiburg. One thing he learned in the first week was how to cook potatoes. And during the first week at the university he got to know a lot of other students.

Last Friday there was an introduction day for parents and students at the Albert-Ludwigs-University. It was quite interesting to see the campus which is placed in the heart of Freiburg.

At 4:30 AM we went to the airport Stuttgart in the morning, where Philip started
his journey to New Jersey. For one year he will stay there as an au pair. Now he is gone.

We will miss you, Philip!

Last weekend we had heavy rains in Gerlingen as you can see on the video. We had also a little swimming pool in our vaulted cellar. But in the city hall the whole basement and ground floor was under water.

Last Thursday a choir from the university of Pretoria, South Africa give a concert here in Gerlingen. It was a really great concert (as my wife told me).

When I come back from a conference (Java Forum Stuttgart) that Thursday I found two very polite and communicative teenager in the kitchen. On Friday they leave us. They give us a impressive book about South Africa (I don't know that South Africa has such beautiful mountains and areas) and two little dolls, which are typical for South Africa.

Last week we were together with Carmen for one week in Rennes, while Manuel and Philip went together with her class to Budapest / Hungary. While they had bad weather we had more luck - most of the time the weather was fine.

Two days Carmen goes to her old school and meets her friends again, while we visit the surrounding of Rennes. Rennes itself is the biggest city in the Brittany (France) with many old houses and narrow streets. Also other towns in the surrounding has many old buildings and castles.

At two days we visit the coast at the North Sea. Especially Mont Saint-Michel was very impressive. Mont Saint-Michel is an old abbey on a small island with several old buildings. But only at spring-tide it is an island so you can normally walk to the island.

Last weekend Manuel and Philip were in Berlin where all European AFS committees meet together. When they come back at home at Sunday night they look both very tired.

For Manuel and Philip the tests in written form for their exams are over. In exams in verbal from will be in two months and at the end of June the school will be over for them.


I will go this Saturday to Esslingen where I will celebrate together with my old school class 30 years "Abitur" (final secondary-school examinations). In the last weeks I scanned some of my old photos and slides. Some of the photos you can find in the Yahoo group abi80_sg, e.g. the excursion to London in 1979 (Studienfahrt London 1979). On one of the picture you can see Margareth Thatcher, to premier minister of Great Britain at that time.

The last two weeks Manuel and Philip were very busy with learning for their exams. And today the final secondary-school examinations (in German: "Abitur" or shortened "Abi") have started and will last till next Friday.

Good luck, Manuel and Philip!

Today was the first day this year where we could sit in the garden and have barbecue. This week there is still Eastern holiday but Manuel and Philip are learning for their school leaving examination. Next week on Thursday their tests will start.

Carmen has now her driver license and on Saturday we went shopping to the next super market. It was a strange feeling to sit on the co-drivers seat beside her but I think it was also a strange feeling for her not to have the driving instructor on board.

End of school is coming nearer. And Philip plans to go for one year as aupair to the USA. Last week he got the acceptance for New Jersey where he can go in August. Now he must again look for a valid visa.

Carmen had today her test for the driver licence. Although there were snow on the road she did it. Congratulations, Carmen.

Last Thursday we went for four days to Rome. When we started we did not know if we come back at Monday because there was a strike call of the pilots for this week. On Friday we decided to go to the Vatican by Metro but there was a strike of the public transportation. So we went to the Colosseum.

Rome has more churches and old temples than days in the year. We had a room near the "Stazinone Termine" (the central railway station) where we could reach most of the places of interest by walking. There are also a lot of museums and we were always tired when we came back to our accomodation in the evening.

On Monday we go back to the international airport. Fortunately our flight was not cancelled - only delayed for some hours. On the runway we had to wait again because all Alitalia machines were allowed to start before our machine .But at last we could start.

This afternoon Philip ask us if he can go to bed. Why so early? He wants to watch Super Bowl which will start here in Germany at midnight.

The new home page of fremantelboatschool.com.au from John Adams, a friend of my sister, is now online. I hope it's faster than the old one.

Here in Germany it is pretty cold now (about -15°C). And we have snow since Friday. Perhaps we wil have a white Christmas. But before we have to look for a Christmas tree...