Monday morning is a special day for me, as the team is given a tour at the immigration museum. I have been looking forward to this day for weeks, as my great grandfather embarked on a vessel to the United States from this very location in 1890. Ancestry.com has told me that my decendant, Johann Weigel, traveled on the fast passenger ship Lahn. The museum is interesting, as it helps you to experience the way Europeans must have lived when they traveled through this port on their journey to the New World. I am not able to find new information about my family, but do see a replica of the vessel, the Lahn, which he embarked one day over 120 years ago.
Again, on Monday evening the Rotary club has arranged for the team members and their host families to go to another Rotarian’s home for dinner. Again we go back to Bremerhaven to another quiet neighborhood in the city. Paul und Liebhild Grotrian-Pahl, our hosts, are both Rotarians. Liebhild is a member of a different Rotary club in town. They have two daughters and a son. They also join us for dinner, along with a boyfriend of the daughter in high school. This turns out to be a fun family evening, as the young one’s try to speak English. They do very well! This motivates me to work hard at my German. Meine Deutsche ist nicht so gut, but I am glad I made the effort. So far, everyone I have met has a good command of our language. Everyone in the world seems to know English, but it is impossible for Americans to learn everyone else’s language. There are too many. English is a big enough challenge alone.
The oldest daughter is attending the university. She is studying engineering and wants to go to medical school, so she is very smart. She is very engaging on conversation and is full of life and energy. Oh to be young again! Her smile is infectious. Her parents must be very proud of her. She is like many young people in America. While she does not say so, she seems very enthusiastic about President Obama and starts to ask questions about how he is doing and what Americans think about his performance. For weeks now I have been preparing an answer for her questions. I found ways to be both honest and diplomatic.
The meal and fellowship are outstanding. I really enjoy this family and go home tonight feeling the people of Germany are very much like Americans. They have mostly similar values and face the same challenges families face in our country. We are fortunate to be living in two wealthy nations.
Angie and Katie greet the Gellersen's hound named Cora.
Posted by Stephen
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