GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!

The futball/soccer game today was a bit of a disappointment - we ended up losing 11-1. Kudos, however, to Kyle L for scoring our only goal! It was hard fought on both sides, and I was glad to see even afterwards people from both teams interacting with each other and just having a good time kicking the ball around. That's what this trip is all about anyway - not just winning or losing.

Stuttgart was, like most everything else here, very old and very beautiful. The Mercedes-Benz Museum was very interesting and we were able to learn about everything from the first power engine, to decorated buses in Buenos Aires, to truck racing with the aid of our audio headsets. Much shopping was to be had by some, others just wandered around the town enjoying the old building and the people watching. I am also happy to report that everyone was where they were supposed to be at the correct times today...and some were even early!

Quite a few different groups are planning to go to the discotheque tonight - hopefully someone who does will be able to report on that later. I, on the other hand, am going with my German friend Nici to a party that her English class is having. She said she has a friend that spent a year in America who is going to be there tonight and really wants to meet me. Hopefully I don't disappoint!

A travling we will go!

What a great adventure, here it is Wednesday and I just can't believe how fast this week is going. As we go place after place (castles too) I have discovered that the one thing that is consistent in our ever changing atmosphere are the bus rides. The bus rides themselves are a truly unique aspect of this wonderful trip. I remember the first bus ride in Germany we all sat with the friends we knew from our school, and that was all there was no real change in our social horizon. However all of that is starting to change as I have seen great new friendships being formed between students from both North and South.

Along with the new and growing friendships are some awkward band moments needed to create them. I have seen and been apart of several of these moments, the range from creating random card games that catch on like wild fires to a "bat cave" being created in the back of the bus, and that is just a few. The bat cave is just one part of the uniqueness, so many more random conversations and weired storying tell are what also make up the wonderful traveling hours. Well, I have to get dressed for the disco tech I will write later!
~Jennifer Dust

High Atop Bietigheim

The Concert Day!

Today was the day of our first concert! I was anxiously awaiting this all day as we toured the beautiful city of Bietigheim-Bissengen. The city has a lot of history, and I think that we only got to experience part of it. I could sense that the German people have a great sense of tradition and history that is unlike many. The town has a lot of cool architecture. There are many different sculptures, buildings, and fountains that make for an interesting mix of new and old. One such building is the Musikschule, which we were able to see today. The school is in a renovated castle, and although the outside is older, the inside is very modern. I enjoyed walking through the streets of Bietigheim and being able to hear the sounds of children at their music lessons. When the day had passed, it was time for the concert. I did not feel very nervous before the concert, but I was anxious to see what the reaction would be from the German audience. I was pleased after each piece to see such a huge amount of enthusiasm for us and our music. It was such a rewarding experience. It was very good to know that even though we don#t all speak the same language, we are able to communicate through our most important universal language of music!

I don´t even know where to begin

We have been in Germany for three days now, but to me it feels like three years. I have done so many activities and met so many new people in my stay in Bietigheim, I feel as though I could write a novel. Since being here, I really do feel that this trip is the chance of a lifetime and I so grateful I could be a part of it. Here are a few great moments from the past two days:
1. My birthday- I turned eighteen on June 9 and on that morning, I came downstairs for breakfast and found my family standing around a cake with candles, singing Happy Birthday to me. It was so sweet. In the evening, we had a party with all my friends at my host, Mirja´s, house. It was so much fun!
2. Downtown Bietigheim- I really enjoyed the tour we took of Bietigheim. I learned so much about the culture and the town. It is very interesting to me because this town is thousands of years old, while Downers Grove is only about 175 years old.
3. Our first concert- Tonight we had our first concert with the Jungendblasorchester, the German band. It was an amazing concert. The audience was incredibly appreciate of the music and gave us several standing ovations. We even played an encore.
4. Talking like the Germans- Ya, ya I speak like the Germans ya. The longer I am here the more I begin to speak (and write) like the Germans speak English. Their accent is so addicting!
I am very excited for the next few days. I know my experiences on this trip will continue to be absolutely amazing! Tschus!

In Germany, Even the Fried Bologna is Good

Yesterday was another busy day in Biedigheim! We traveled to Neuschwanstein Castle, which was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, and well worth the strenuous walk up the mountain. Later on, we went to Katharine N.'s host family's house for her 18th birthday. The Germans always say they are ''making a party,'' so when Mirja called to ask if we could come, my host brother said, ''Would you like to go to Mirja's house? They are making a party for your friend!'' We had a nice time, and by the time I finally got to bed after an exhausting day, I realized I wasn't tired anymore! Jet lag is such a strange thing.
Today, we toured downtown Biedigheim. It was interesting to see that such an old city had so many pieces of modern art. The tour guide explained that though at first the people were not very accepting of the modern art, they have come to accept and even appreciate it as a part of their city and its culture.
When I came back to the Schilling's house today, there were even more people to meet. As soon as I walked in the door, a friendly-looking woman rushed towards me, hugging me and saying ''I am Grandma! I am 80 years old! You are very hungry, yes?'' Before I had time to protest, she sat me down in a chair and placed a plate of a foreign item in front of me. I couldn't tell exactly what it was. It was brown and bread-shaped and fresh off the stove. ''You like this?'' she asked. I still wasn't sure what it was but I still said, ''Oh...yes!'' As she watched, I put a forkful in my mouth. I chewed it thoughtfully, trying to identify the familiar and unusual taste. Finally it struck me. Bologna! And it was delicious! Grandma was so happy with me when I finished it all that she kissed me on the cheek and told me to give my own Grandma ''special Grandma greetings from one to the other'' the next time I saw her!

Bietigheim-Bissingen Concert Video

Congratulations to our students on a very, very fine concert this evening. And many thanks to the wonderful people of Bietigheim-Bissingen for being such a warm and receptive audience four our musicians.

Formal Greetings & Presentations

This morning, following our city-tour of Bietigheim-Bissingen, our entourage was formally welcomed by Jürgen Kessing, the Oberbürgermeister (Mayor) of the city. Mr. Kessing addressed all of our students, reinforcing the importance of our exchange as a means by which peoples of the world can come together to discover our commonalities. His message was inspiring. Following his remarks, he presented all of us with gifts (I trust you'll probably hear more about this from students in their posts). I, along with Mr. Williams, read aloud a proclamation from Downers Grove Mayor Ronald Sandack, thanking the city of Bietigheim-Bissingen for their hospitality toward our students, and formal inviting the string orchestra and band to return to Downers Grove in 2010 and 2011. A Downers Grove flag was also presented to the city.

After the formal presentations our students were treated to lunch by the Musikschule. The picture above was taken from the third floor of the castle which houses the Musikschule, looking down onto the courtyard where lunch was served.

Owls and Castles and Sheep, Oh My!

It's only our second full day here in Germany, and I already feel like I don't have enough room to share everything that's happened so far! I arrived at my host family (the Schillings) house yesterday. They have been so wonderful. Michi is my age, Elena is a little younger and also in the orchestra, and David lives at home but is studying at University. Mr. and Mrs. Schilling are so nice; Mr. Schilling is a beekeeper and sells honey. They also have a French exchange student living with them, so there are three languages being spoken in the house right now!
Yesterday, my family took me to an old castle where we saw trained hawks, owls, and eagles perform. It was amazing! I couldn't understand the speaker, and neither could the French exchange student, so Mrs. Schilling had to translate everything he said into French and English! Later on, Michi and David took me to the BallHaus to watch the soccer finals. I was so tired so it was hard to stay awake, but after Germany won, it seemed like everyone was out driving with their horns blasting! It didn't quiet down for hours!

We're Going To Have a Good Time

As the Beatles wrote:

"They say it's your birthday... you're going to have a good time!"

And I did! It was wonderful to celebrate my birthday with a couple other birthday students, and an anniversary couple in beautiful Germany. Our trip today was fantatic. A great adventure to a very pictureque destination. My very part, however, continues to be the connections that we make with the wonderful families here. Arriving at the Gehlen family's house was truly like coming home. The entire plane ride over I was thinking, "when I get home I'm going to..." Bernd, Elke (his wife), Paul and Christina (their children) were definitely a sight for sore eyes. It has been great to catch up with them and of course to watch at least the first half of what was ultimately a German victory in their first EuroCup match (I fell asleep for the second half)!

So, in short... students are doing great, chaperones are doing great, host families and wonderful!

Looking forward to sharing our music in our first concert of the tour tomorrow. Our students are really going to "wow" the audience I'm sure. I hope they understand the Godzilla thing... :)

Doing Double Duty - Sunday (6/8) and Monday (6/9)

I apologize for not posting before today...it has been a very busy few days leading up to the trip. I actually tried to post last night, but I couldnät get into the blog..so tonight, I will have to post on the past two days we have been in Germany.

We arrived in Berlin at around 7:30 in the morning, due to a rain delay we had experienced before taking off in Chicago. We actually got through baggage claim in very little time, and rode coach buses down to Bietingheim-Bissingen. (I think I am spelling the name of the town correctly...) We arrived around noon, and met up with our host families. The host family I am staying with is actually quite large. There is Mr. and Mrs. Lowen, the parents, as well as one daughter (age 10), and three borhters, who are 16, 18, and 20 respectively. Their house is in the village of Freudental, and is very nice. Sarah F. and I are sharing a bedroom together.

After we arrived at the Lowen house, the youngest son, Cornelius, took us on a tour of the village with his younger sister. He showed us a street that used to house their Jewish popoulation, as well as the synagogue. He also showed us the village´s church, which is over 800 years old. After the tour of the town, the whole family sat down to lunch together. We had pork, salad, noodles, and sliced tomatoes with mozarella cheese. It all tasted very good!

After lunch, we went down to the town of Ludwigsburg. The town is best known for a very large castle that has a lot of gardens. I was particularly interested in their rose garden. The roses there all had different names, like Shneewittchen (Snow White) and Feuerwerk (Fireworks). I took so many pictures of the roses! Whil we were there, it started raining very hard...we had to huddle under a tree and try to stay dry until the rain let up. Once it did, we left the castle and went to the town square, where Mrs. Lowen bought us Italian ice cream. We then went home, had sausages and cheese for dinner, and went to bed.

Today, the entire band went, as a group, to Neuschwanstein castle. When we first arrived, I mistook another castle in the village for Neuschwanstein...and did not realize that the real castle was half an hour´s walk away! We took a guided tour in English at the castle. We were not allowed to take pictures, though I wish we had been able to. The whole castle was beautiful! My favorite rooms were the throne room, which featured a very detailed depiction of Jesus Christ and various saints, and the dining room, which had a swan theme to it. i decided to buy a stuffed swan in the gift shop as a memento of the trip. I went straight back to the buses after the castle, though some people stopped at a bridge that was relatively nearby. We ended up leaving late from the village because one of our students ended up in the wrong parking lot, but we arrived relatively on time and went home. Dinner tonight was spaghetti with meat sauce. (My mother might be pleased to know that I ate the spaghetti with the sauce today!) Now we are preparing for bed. Tomorrow´s our first concert -- I hope we do well!

"Toto, We're Not In Kansas Anymore"

BUS UPGRADE: Our students, used to "Yellow Bus" accommodations most of the time, are enjoying the Spillmann 'Travel Lounge' coaches. Any bus made by Mercedes Benz is a big step up!


















Others have already posted about our wonderful trip to Neuschwanstein today. I will add (as a point of explanation for those back home following the official itinerary) that a 14 kilometer traffic jam (due to a very early morning accident delayed us considerably as we headed south, and prevented us from visiting the cathedral in Ulm. But our students truly enjoyed Neuschwanstein, and it was a spectacular day. Above, Dave S. poses with a sign warning of a steep path for the trek down to the buses from the castle. (Dave was obviously not phased.)















If you will indulge me for a personal moment of reflection, today Kristen and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. One of our childhood friends, who is following our trip from her home in Missouri, emailed me last night and insisted that I post a picture of Kristen at some point during the tour. So, given that it is a special day for us, this seems like a prime opportunity to be a little bit selfish. As we drove back to Bietigheim this evening I found myself remembering that my "first band trip" with Kristen was back in 1986, when our high school band traveled to Lawrence, Kansas to perform at a regional convention. (Let me tell you: Toto ... we're not in Kansas anymore!) I feel very blessed to be sharing yet another tour with her twenty-two years later. Kristen is a talented teacher in her own right, and I am very fortunate to have her guidance and support on a daily basis.

And speaking of June 9th being a special day: Happy Birthday to Katherine N., Jeanne K., and Mr. Miller!

We look forward to our first concert tomorrow ...

Second Trip to Neuschwanstein...

Hello, friends and family! Today was a great day. I know that I speak for myself and the whole group when I say that we all had a great time today touring the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein. For most on the tour it was their first time visiting this magical location, but it was my second (I took a trip with the DGS German Club in 2006). I think, however, that going for a second time was just as enjoyable as the first time. It was certainly helpful for the chaperones and other students to have someone who knew the area. The castle was very beautiful--I remembered ít well, and perhaps I was able to enjoy it further this time. I would have posted some pictures, but cameras are forbidden inside the castle.

Here at my 'German parent's' home, we are always eating! The garden is huge and always fresh. 100% organic and 200% delicious! I find that I am sleeping very well in a nice comfortable bed. I know that my German has improved even in just one day, and it will continue to do so. I am speaking German probably 90% of the time--sometimes even by accident to my fellow American students! My german teacher would be proud, I'm sure. But now, ''Ich bin sehr müde'' (I am very tired!). Tomorrow we are looking forward to our first concert, which will include the European Premiere of my original composition Hockets and Offbeats, which we played in May back home. Wish us luck; haben Sie eine Gute Nacht (have a good night)! Bis morgen (Till Tomorrow)...CP

Day 2 in Germany

Today we went to Neuschwanstein, which is in Schwangau. It was a lot of fun. We literally had to climb a miniature mountain to get to the top! We got to see a lot of really nice German scenery too. The view from the castle was really cool! On the way down a few of us stopped to get some ice cream that was cantaloupeflavored! It was very good. There were also a lot of stores that had lots of great items! I'm pretty excited to go take the tour of Bietigheim tomorrow!

IT"S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Today, we drove several hours to southern Germany, in the Alps, to visit a famous castle and bridge.  This castle is the inspiration for the Cinderella Castle in both DisneyLand and DisneyWorld.  The sheer art and craftsmanship in this castle are breathtaking. We experienced traffic on the way to our destination (Yes, there is traffic in Germany.  Yes, it is very organized.)  The photograph above is a painted map of our sites today - we saw not only the castle, but a spectacular bridge spanning a stunning gorge. A 30 minute walk uphill brought to mind for everyone the importance of the Physical Education requirement in Illinois!  I bought a really cool and unique hat (I am certain you'll see photos of it in the near future.)  To me, this trip is a still a fairy tale.  The sights and people are truly amazing and inspiring.  Tomorrow is our first performance - I expect the sounds to become equally inspiring tomorrow.  

Said goodbye to a friend today - one of our home stay hosts lives and teaches photography in Leipzig during the week.  I am struck by the depth of the bond that can be created in less than 24 hours when people open their hearts and homes to a guest.  This is a major takeaway for me, and, something I am already longing to reciprocate when our German friends return in 2010.

Tschus,

Glenn Williams

Wow...We're in Germany!!!

Sometimes...I still forget that I'm in another country! It still seems so unreal that I'm here, but I'm so excited! I know that I'm a day late to talk about the plane and such but yesterday was just so much fun, I didn't get time to go onto the computor. After finding our luggage, we headed out to Bietigheim. There I met my host family, whom had stayed with me before and was swallowed into big hugs from her and her mother. I feel so welcomed and happy to be here! I have to admit that I was very nervous to be staying with a family, and didn't know what to except at all. Later we headed to my 'new home' and met the other two sisters, father, and grandmother. While everyone knows a little bit of English, except the grandmother, they speak German for most of the time which has been tough since I don't speak a word of German. But everything has been very good. I'm looking forward to eating more of the amazing food and learning about this culture and town! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Even though camera has paid for itself, considering how much I use it, it certainly has on this trip. It has barely left my hand! The town's buildings, churches and land marks are so beautiful! Even though I was ready to fall asleep right as we arrived home, I could resist the urge to go for a walk into the city. While there Selina (my host) recieved an invite to go to the pool. And this pool tramples over Cypher's Cove! It was huge with many pools and nice water! After that, we traveled with the group we collected to the Indoor Beach and played Volleyball and Soccor (which the Germans, sadly, still beat us in). While some had fun playing, others seem to relax and try to catch up on needed sleep!
We traveled home to eat and later went to a nearby soccor viewing bar to watch the game! I'll never forget seeing so many people so excited (nor will the ringing in my ears from blow horns go away...)! It was so much fun! I even got to help the little sister with her English homework when we got home!
It's strange having to be confused about certain things. Speaking English, we always seem to get the easy trail by it being everywhere. But from experience, I know now that that is not the case here all the time. At the Indoor Beach, I (being completely German illiterate) walked straight into a Boy changing room! I'm probably still blushing from that! Luckly no one was there and it wasn't that kind of changing room (more like lockers for shoes) it's something people are giving me grief over! ^^ We've gotten many laughs over that...
Today we traveled to Neuschawanstein Castle! It was so gorgeous and I can understand why Disney's Cinderella Castle was modeled after it! Much to my displeasure, I wasn't able to take pictures of the inside to show you all, but just imagine your perfect golden castle and make it even more beautiful! There where paintings all over of Saints or scenes from plays and operas like Tristan and Isolde with lots of swanns (they were the kings favorite animal) and beautiful handcrafted chairs, beds, and even ceilings and floors! And the view out of every window, was enough to take the breath away from anyone! The views were so magical and gorgeous!
Even the town below the castle was amazing! Lots of shops with souveniors and nice people, understanding of our non German speaking disability and lots of kids treated themselves to the infamous German chocolate and drinks!
The band directors and staff have been so awesome on this trip. They've been fun and understanding and I'm so blessed to be here. The host families have been so kind to everyone and I'm so glad to get the chance to know them and other students from DGN that I didn't know before this. I've made many more friends and I can't wait to get the chance to know more of them as this trip progresses. And lastly, I'm never going to look at Carbonated water the same way again...(for those of you who don't...everything here seems to be carbonated, even juice and water!!!!)

Amazing First Day

Hello all,

So the first day was amazing. I won't say too much about the plane ride, except that it was nice to sit in the middle of a row with people I didn't know. It was nice to talk to someone that was not on our trip about our trip, and to ask them about their trip (the man on my right was going to India to visit his mom and the people on my left slept the whole way). Anyway, my host family did not all come to pick me up, they sent Viktor to get me because his mom was preparing breakfast and his dad had biked to a farm in the mountains to get asparagas for dinner that night (which consisted of potatoes, asparagas and a little cooked ham all covered in a creamy cheese sauce. It was amazing). Before dinner we went to an indoor beach and played an informal soccer match, U.S. vs. Germany (and JJ J.). The US clamied a victory with a score of 6 to 4. After a short game of Frisbee we were all pretty tired and went home to shower the sand, sweat, and adrenaline from our bodies before dinner. After dinner, Viktor and I met a a few friends at a sports bar to watch the Germany vs. Poland European Cup game. It was really loud and you couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement! After a thrilling victory of 2-0 we drove around town honking the horn and flying the German flag. We were not alone, it seemed like most of Germary was out last night celebrating! I can't wait for the next match on Thursday!

Well talk to you all later!
Auf Wiedersehen

When you wish upon a star...

What a fun day! Ifound myself spending time in one of the great creations for Walt Disneys Masterpiece, Cinderella. The castle was at the top of a very large hill in which we had to climb, but it was worth it. As I walked through the castle itself so many thoughts of the movie ran through my head, especialy with the ballroom scene, the celling was amazing. It was so much fun getting to see the castle as well as the town that lay at the bottom of the valey. There were many trinkets and wonderfull things to buy within their shops. There was just one thing that I bought there however...Ice Cream! Let me tell you from experience that German ice cream is just down right amazing! It is so thick and creamy,the texte just was perfect almost like a frozen smoothy. I was also pleased about the price, some places it was just 1 euro, which for two really large scoops of fantasic ice cream was trully a treat!

I really want to write so much about our trip but it seems that I am being called away for dinner. So I must say ta ta for now.

~Jennifer

*P.s. Germany won the first soccer game....Yay! (I saw it on tv...mind you it was in german but that just made the game more invigorating!)

Our First Day!

Today was such a busy day! After we exited the plane, we claimed our baggage, and found our tour bus, we were on our way in no time. Although the jet-lag has started to cath up with us, today's events have been very exciting. The two hour ride to Bietigheim-Bissengen was very picturesque, and though it was slightly reminiscent of home, there were still many differences, and it was such a senic ride. After meeting with my host family, the day seemed to go by pretty fast. We ate lunch, a few of us went to a Beach Volleyball gymnasium, and then a group of us were invited to a barbeque, which was in preparation for the Germany-Poland World Cup game. It was a pretty fun day! I can't wait until we start sight-seeing in the more historical locales!

Germany Adventure Day 1

Guten Tag! Or maybe it is really more appropriate to say Guten Nacht ~ the time change has left most of us a little out of sorts. Other than that, the first day here has been amazing. All of the families were there to welcome us straight off the buses, so no one felt left out. They seemed so genuinely excited that it helped a lot of us feel more comfortable and less nervous about meeting our new family. Bietinghiem is beautiful - and so historic! The unique architecture and quaint little shops have caused many group members to already start filling up space on their camera's memory cards. My host family has been nothing but kind and welcoming, and have already started trying to fatten me up by feeding me lots of kuchen (cakes). So far, the trip has been an incredible experience - and we've only been here for 24 hours! I can't wait to see what types of adventure, learning, and opportunities for musical and cultural growth await us in the next two weeks! I especially look forward to seeing Neuschwanstein Castle and the Ulm Cathedral tomorrow - the sightseeing, architecure, and history promise an interesting trip. And really, what girl hasn't dreamed about living in the Magic Kingdom's castle - or any castle for that matter! Bye for now...