Day Four in Nürnberg

Today's post comes from Erin Dabbs, a senior at Henry W. Grady High School. Our internet access is not as regular since we are now staying with host families, but we will try to keep the blogs posted regularly!

I cannot believe how amazing my day was! I woke up this morning with a smile on my face because I was so excited about what my day had in store for me. We headed to the Hans Sachs Gymnasium which is similar to what we call high school. The headmaster took us around the outside of the school where he explained how important civil rights is and the history of the school. Soon after, we went to a grade ten English class where we got a chance to speak with students and share information with each other. Once we did that, some of the German boys went on a break and I showed them some Michael Jackson moves. This showed me that our lifestyle weren’t that different as I thought they would be. Then we went inside of the new building where Cindy, Alex, and I showed the boys and girls famous American dances. They were willing to learn and showed much appreciation for learning something new.

The next stop was the Nürnberg Exhibition Center and it was very spacious. They had many showrooms that were located on the long street that the Nazis marched on. Its building reminded me of the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. After the tour, we had lunch and the pasta was so delicious! We sat in for an amazing presentation where we learned about the word culture. The presentation was presented very well and it helped me expand my knowledge and the significance of public speaking. As a youth commissioner, public speaking is very important; therefore, any opportunity to learn how to become a better public speaker whether it be by lessons or examples, is highly promoted. The presentation revolved around a number of things including:

• The definition of culture

• The specific questions about learning a new culture which are as follows: Who am I? Who are they? How do they see me?

• The Layers of Culture: Values, Rituals, Symbols, and Heroes
  

These points were very critical and we all related to them as a group. Thanks to this specific presentation I opened my eyes and my mind to my Germany experience.

As soon as the presentation was over, we got on the train and went to visit the mayor of Nürnberg. He was so funny and had a great enthusiasm about our visit. Chairman Eaves had met him previously and made it even easier for us to welcome the mayor with open arms. Once the reception was over, we headed back to the hotel to meet the host families. My host family came and I was so excited!

We left with them and went to Ausfahrt which is where they live. When we pulled up to their gate, we were astonished. They have a huge home with an indoor pool and windows on the ceiling. The house was so beautiful and very comfortable. We had dinner and afterwards Prachi and I choreographed a dance with Paula who was the daughter in the house. We danced to Thriller by Michael Jackson and had a blast. Later on we played Twister in German and that was so fun. Then Paula did our hair and we finally decided to get some rest.

Living with our host family has already been great and it’s just the first day. I feel so welcomed and this had taught me that everyone is the same and even those who have plenty have good hearts. The German culture is definitely different but I feel like I am at home.