Sister Cities News

Student exchange 2004

On Sunday, April 18, 2004 the ten Magdeburg high school students returned from our Sister City Nashville.

We would especially like to thank Doug Berry for the outstanding organization there and Bianca-Maria Mannewitz for chaperoning the students. Here’s a detailed travel report from Bianca-Maria.

Travel Report

Long before our trip, I met Doug Berry and many Dialog Center workers at a Sister Cities’ event. Since I’m a big America fan, I became a member of the organization. Georg von der Gablentz asked me if I could imagine accompanying the exchange students to Nashville. Since I had spent a year in the USA as an au pair, I was extremely excited to take on this responsibility. In advance of our trip, I met with the students a few times and friendships developed. On March 29, 2004 the day was here. We met at the Otto von Guericke monument at 7 at a. m. We received a warm sendoff to Nashville. We drove to Berlin in a car and minibus. Our plane took off heading to the USA over the big pond. You could see that all the participants were excited and looking forward to the land of “unlimited opportunities”. We were all somewhat tired from the long flight when we arrived in Nashville. Our guest families picked us up and the “adventure” of America began differently for everyone. The students attended their guest families’ children’s schools and got to know the school day in America. Their guest parents, their children, fellow students and teachers were very nice and friendly to them.

An exciting, fun and eventful time began for everyone. Everyone found out new things about the country and the people and got to know the American school system, which differs considerably from the German system. The teacher-student relationship is more personal and very easygoing. Students can eat and drink during class. All students work with laptops, on which they’re not always doing something that has to do with the class. The German students spent many eventful days at “their” American schools. They got to know other teaching methods and materials and wonderful friendships developed. The extracurricular life around Nashville was researched in the afternoons and evenings. Outings were gone on with the guest parents, with or without the chaperone as I was affectionately called.

Nashville is well worth seeing, colorful, different than German cities and has friendly people all over. Highlights were a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Parthenon, Vanderbilt University and its campus, the downtown, the malls, the museums, the zoo and an outing to Columbia for the Mule Day Parade and a barbecue at the Berry family’s afterward. We saw a lot and spent many afternoons and evenings at wonderful backyard parties.

In the process, wonderful friendships developed and one or the other reunion is already being planned. I want to thank the Dialog Center very much for the trust shown to be allowed to accompany the exchange students to Nashville. For me too, it was an unforgettable experience that I can use well for my career path. I chaperoned very kind and nice students, met interesting people and had a great time. The selected students and the organization were the best.

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