Germany: das Lunges

Guten tag! (gooten tahg)

I am having an incredible time in Hildesheim, Germany! We are singing tonight with the Gospel Voices, a local choir, and have also been singing on the streets and in schools today to promote our event. We left Sopot and stayed at a hotel in Sczeczin, on the border of Germany and Poland. We drove all day yesterday to Hildesheim and went to our host families, Elizabeth and Klaus Lunge (loon-guh).

They
are
incredible.

Here's why: They took us (my roomate this stop is Kris Perkins) to a Bavarian Restuarant (König von Bavya) and treated us to dinner. We had Schnitzel mit Tomate und Käse (a fried pork meat with tomato and cheese) and Apfelstrudel (an applepie-esque dessert.) Then, they took us to their English class. Their son is in college, and he spent the past year in Emory University in Atlanta where he fell in love with an American girl. They are learning English so she won't feel isolated or intimidated by them. So they took us to their class, where Kris and I were interviewed in English about our hometowns and hobbies, and about life in America in general. They were suprised that we weren't wearing shorts, and they liked Bill Clinton.

The Lunges have a very high opinion of the US. They vacationed once in New York City and stopped to take a photo in front of some skyscrapers when Klaus had trouble getting his camera settings right. It took him about 5 minutes to take the picture and when he finally did, he looked behind him and beyond his wife and saw that everyone on the sidewalk had stopped so they could take their picture. That left an impression of Americans that couldn't be hindered by theives breaking into their car in Atlanta - they really love it.

Generally, this is proving to be true: Texans are to Americans what Americans are to everyone else. People here like Americans, but don't necessarily like our government, and often especially the President. They do not have a problem with the American people, however loud and pushy we may be.

But back to the Lunges: they showed us around Hildesheim and took us to their home where we were served soda (or whatever we wanted - these people are hospitable, dangit!) and talked with them about politics and lifestyles in our countries. In the morning, we went to the school in which Frau Lunge works, where her 4th grade english class asked us about our hobbies - they were great.

That's all for now - we go back to sing on the town square in about 15 minutes.

Coming up: Dresden! Mahler! und more!