GAPP Student Exchange Commentary

GAPP Student Exchange Commentary: for Woodhenge news see previous posts.
As written by Krista Juczak:
Guten Tag Freunde und Familie, or better put as they say here in Emden, Moin! This is our first attempt to update the website since Detroit due to technical difficulties. My apologies for that; it was not for lack of trying. Please also see the photo album updates, I have been making regular contributions, but will soon be collecting student photos again on Tuesday on our day trip to Hamburg to make some new album pages.
We arrived exhausted on Tuesday about lunchtime. Our German students host families were welcoming us waving colorful posters and bright smiles. It was an awesome, if somewhat scary sight. Here were our new families for the next month, but we also had to leave the comfort of each other’s now familiar company.
After a welcome meal and a short nap, for some of us, introductions to family and tours the neighborhood, the city or the harbor were the order of the day. Wednesday morning, bright and early, we all met at school. Everyone was holding up pretty well, and we went to some classes with our hosts and got tours of the new and old parts of the school facility. At one they threw us a super reception, with a skit, music, homemade Tortes and Kuchen, welcome and thankyou speeches, and a tumbling demo. See photos all around the big horseshoe tables.
Later that day we had another welcome party, this one a barbeque at the deBoer farm, on the outskirts of town. The food was great, the views of the countryside as well as of the gardens were spectacular. From the grown-up point of view, there was much laughing and comfortable chatter, this promises to be an easygoing, light-hearted group.
Thursday started with a rallye through the city, a scavenger hunt of sorts to familiarize the Americans with their surroundings, a reception and formal tea at the City Hall. Students read the letters from our North Country dignitaries, it went well. We also had a tour of the City Historical Museum. Friday we were in school again and toured the VW Plant. They manufacture the Passat here, highly automated and fast paced, also interesting to observe.
Now it’s the weekend and there will be more to report in a few days. Student journal entries to follow as well.