Reflections from Jessica Doanes

Today we visited a Nurnberg school; I found the school very similar to my middle and some parts of my high school.  The students had the same interest as we did. For example, we all like the same music, I noticed they watch some of the same shows I do and we all had a general idea of what each other liked. The school visit reminded me of my friends and me. I thought it was really cool that the students have an hour break, where they could go anywhere they pleased.  At the same time the smaller children played on the playground. Another thing I really liked was their freedom to eat in school. It’s like they have total freedom to do whatever.

I noticed a huge difference in the school system in Nurnberg and my school system at home. I attend Frederick Douglass High school, which is a part of the Atlanta Public School System (A.P.S).   A.P.S requires that each student pass all core classes or a majority of their classes and state regulated tests.  If a student fails a majority of their classes or a state regulated test that student is retained. The grading scale is extremely different. Grade point averages are measured on a 4.0 scale, with 4.0 being the highest and 1.0 being the lowest. The Nurnberg School uses 2.33 or high, I think having a 2.33 is like having an A, which would allow a child pursue the college/university path. The other students just fall into other places, like the average kids go on a technical path and the below average kids work their way to the technical path while balancing a job. The kids in Nurnberg grow up really fast.  I say this because in first grade they have to work hard or their future will be jeopardized, whereas in the states a child is prepared from kindergarten to about the tenth (or eleventh) grade.

After our tour of the school, we visited a community work project. It reminded me of Habitat for Humanity, which does different community service projects. The program site we visited was operated mainly by kids. They did most of the building and decorating. It was amazing. I thought the community projects Habitat for Human did were hard work but that blew Habitat for Humanity out of the water. The kids got to take time out of school to do the project and they were from all area schools.

At the end of our day we toured the Nurnberg Castle. The castle has been around since 1015 oor so. It was outrageous; the castle was in such great shape inside and out. We also found that a couple of people live in the castle, something I hope to do one day.  Finally, we visited a church and viewed the shrine that houses the remains of Albrecht Durer. The church had tons of old paintings and statues that have been around since World War II. Overall today was great. I enjoyed all of the sites and I had a great time.

Filed under: Reflections from Youth

Reflections from Wesley Mannings

July 6, 2009 from Youth Commissioner Wesley Manning

Today was “Take Off “day. We left from Atlanta and came to Frankfurt. Leaving the family was surprising easier than I expected. There wasn’t much like mushy stuff, just hit in the arm and a semi-long hug. Then there was the plane ride. It was so long!

Wesley Mannings

I watched movies, TV shows, played games, read books, slept and even did a little journaling. And I still had spare time between activities. The plane food was sort of good. But it reminded me of a microwaved dinner. And the breakfast that they served was a biscuit with an egg substitute and a banana.

When we got off the plane we all shuffled through the airport to get our bags and catch our train. But when we got to the train we discovered that we had to wait 2 hours before the next one would come. So we went adventuring through the train station looking for food to eat and get our bearings. But even with all of this I still felt like I wasn’t out of the country. I just felt as if I was at the train station with the Youth Commission.

On the train ride to the hotel I made a friend with this guy that I sat by on the train. I learned that he lived in Munich and that he works in Frankfurt. He was a pretty nice guy.

It was until later in the day when we were walking down the street to the hotel and that students were looking at us in a different manner. Like we were strange foreigners (even though we are).  After we got settled in the hotel and freshened up we all left and went across the street for dinner at a tavern. Though I wasn’t able to drink a nice, refreshing, cold beer I drank some delicious apple juice. The people there were very nice and friendly. It was a pleasant experience with good food and conversation.

After dinner with the group we (Amanda, Prachi, Neiger, and myself) split off of the group and went browsing through the stores and corner stores. At H&M I got a pair of pink shorts and a purple button-up shirt. All for 20 Euro! They were having a great sale that I couldn’t pass up.  Later, I went to a special store and got a couple lighters for my collection. They were awesome!

Later, after coming in with the lighters, I passed out on my bed and had the best sleep that I’ve had in a very long time. The group had been looking for me and I was up in my room knocked out.

But all in all I had a good day today. I know that we won’t get another day like this where we can just go around and do whatever we want. I’ll remember today out of all the others if nothing else.

Filed under: Reflections from Youth

Reflections from Amanda DuPart

Reflections by Youth Commissioner Amanda DuPart
July 6, 2009

 

Amanda DuPart

Today we arrived in Frankfurt. We took a train which was inside the airport and it is similar to Marta or the airport shuttle in Atlanta. It took us to another part of the airport which contained access to the long distance train. After we put down our luggage, we all went off to grab something to eat for breakfast. I ended up choosing a breakfast danish that was made out of chocolate and peanuts. Everyone else either got a pretzel or another type of breakfast danish.

After everyone had settled down, Prachi, Neiger, Ashley and I went to Starbucks and looked around in the shops in the airport to kill time until the train left. The airport in Frankfurt is more similar to a mall than it is to an airport. There are so many stores and escalators, you can go so many different ways and get to so many things. It was also decorated more similarly to a mall.

When we finally got back down to the train station we played a game that Neiger suggested until the train arrived. After we got on the train we had to move seats because other passengers had reserved seats and our tickets didn’t reserve seats so we got to sit wherever was vacant. After we finally found seats that nobody had reserved I fell asleep. I had barely gotten any sleep on the plane so I was tired. I was doodling at first and I started to look out the window at the scenery. The train was moving so quickly that everything outside was a blur, it was starting to make my head spin. Although the train was fast, it was a fairly smooth ride, the only time that it seemed bumpy was when you were standing up or walking around.

When I woke up, we were about to arrive in Nuremburg. We walked from the train station to the hotel, and got a chance to freshen up. It felt so good to finally get the chance to brush my teeth and actually feel clean. That’s the one thing that I don’t like about long flights, you don’t get the chance to shower and freshen up.

Since we hadn’t had lunch yet, we went to a restaurant across the street from the hotel. Instead of drinking beers, most of us tried this drink that was a mixture of apple juice and sparkling water. It actually tasted pretty good. For dinner I ordered pasta with sauce which was on the little persons’ menu. It was pretty good the pasta had a different shape that I hadn’t seen before and it seemed to be thicker than the pasta that we have back home. Someone mentioned that it had probably been potato pasta. Afterwards we had apple strudel. W

hen everyone was done eating, Wesley asked Neiger if he could go on a walk, so Prachi, Neiger and I went with him. We went into all of these different stores that we don’t have in the U.S. and we saw some pretty interesting things. We saw an H & M which we do have back home, and we went in. Wesley ended up getting some pink shorts, which were so cute, Neiger got some jewelry, and I got a casual dress.

We went in a couple of hair salons, and they had some really good deals. If we have time, I want to get my hair done while we’re here. We saw one girl who got her hair died hot pink, and was styled in a very interesting way. It was really different but at the same time, it looked good. Although I wouldn’t ever die my hair hot pink, it was so interesting to watch the man style her hair. He got really into it like he was putting on a show for everyone watching. Prachi ended up getting some light blue extensions put into her hair. They look good.

After we were done walking around and everyone was back at the hotel, we had a meeting about what we’re doing over the next few days in Nuremburg and everyone’s responsibilities. After the meeting we all settled down and went to our rooms for the night. I know the rest of the trip is going to be jam-packed, but it was fun to do some things on our own today- things that were not on the schedule.

Filed under: Reflections from Youth

Reflections by Charles Benton

July 6, 2009

As I have been unable to sleep since yesterday, I assume that today began as we reached closer and closer to Germany. Between the entertaining allure of the film Watchmen and the anticipation generated by the computerized map, I noticed enthusiastically as we edged nearer to landing. Soon, I was disappointed because I could not finish the ending of Watchmen; but, we had finally arrived at Frankfurt!

Once we departed from the plane, regained our luggage, and grabbed a quick bite to eat, we were ready to take the train to Nürnberg. The only minor setback was the delay, which did not suppress my eagerness. While we waited patiently we partook in interactions such as games and music. Once the train did arrive, I finally had an opportunity to rest. If not, I would have soon fainted from exhaustion. I do not remember much from the ride, hence the fact that I was asleep, but it was fairly quiet and serene. By now, it had finally occurred to me that I was in Europe, my first encounter outside of United States borders. Now I was truly anxious for what was to next to happen.

When we made it to Nürnberg, we were escorted to out hotel, where we registered and deposited our luggage. Next, we ate at a fine restaurant and, afterwards, were able to freely browse the mall, shops, and stores around the hotel.

Up to now, I had had a very enjoyable time; but now my body craved relaxation. I took a quick yet substantial nap; and, when I awoke, it was time for a meeting. At the meeting, we discussed and scheduled the order of speeches and formal presentations during our expedition. Once the meeting was adjourned, I prepared the gifts for my host family. This trip has been quite an experience so far, and I am rather zealous for what is in store for the days to come.

Filed under: Reflections from Youth