Hosting a Young German..........
Here is a copy of a great article written by a young couple who is hosting a young firefighter from the Schaumburg region of Germany. Totally cool insight.
Our German Exchange Adult: The Richardsons’ Take
By: Ashley&NickRichardson
10/05/09 08:55 AM 68 hits
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Since Thursday night, we've been playing host to Mathias Schlautkötter, a 21-year-old firefighter from the Schaumburg region in Germany, as participants in the Sister City Program. Our Schaumburg has been involved with the Sister City Program for more than 20 years. This program dates back to President Eisenhower's effort to foster relationships between citizens of different countries.
We first met Mathias, our German Exchange Adult, after the group arrived at Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts, www.prairiecenter.org. He'll be our guest for the next two weeks and gain insight as to how Americans really live. We grabbed a quick bite at Palatine's Oak Alley Saloon, our favorite neighborhood place for pizza, and headed home to let him unpack and get some rest.
The Village organized Friday's activities so Nick dropped him off to meet the group. Mathias and the group toured the fire and police stations, ate lunch at Bonefish and visited a few other Village sites. We met two other couples for dinner at Yu's, www.yusrestaurant.com, and Mathias was amazed by the amount of leftovers we had. We also saw Yu's Chef Highlight and Noodle Show for the first time, very cool. Our favorite reaction from the weekend was his to the numerous TVs at Hoffman Estates' Buffalo Wild Wings, www.buffalowildwings.com.
On Saturday, he requested a visit to Woodfield, and with the strong Euro, I can't blame him. His other request: see Chicago's skyline. So Saturday night, we went downtown to watch my alma mater Ole Miss beat Vandy at the Windy City Rebels' Watch Party, which was another new experience for him. With the overcast weather, we couldn't see our famous skyline, but we had a good time regardless and met friends at Clybar, www.clybar.com, and later at Irish Eyes.
Beyond our day-to-day schedule, we've both learned a lot about the similarities and differences between Germany and the United States. Our friends and family can't help but ask us why we opted to participate in the Sister City Program. And honestly, I called for more information about the exchange; a host had dropped out, and we filled that slot. We were certainly apprehensive about the exchange, and I’m sure our guest felt the same way. But it's been a great success!
So far his best reactions have been to: the size of Woodfield, a drive-thru ATM, the mailbox unit at our townhouse, the number of lanes on the highway, the role of sports in American colleges—just to name a few.
And, we’re been reminded that some things are the same all over the world: his parents’ were worried when they didn’t hear from him right way; our breakfast cereals are similar, and on Sundays in Germany, he spends the day much like we do: recovering the week’s activities and gearing up to start it all over again.
Tonight—Monday, October 5—the Village and several sponsors have graciously organized a fundraiser for the program at Chandler’s at the Schaumburg Golf Club, www.chandlerschophouse.com. Tickets are available at the door. We would love to see you there as would our German guests!
About Us: We’re a married couple living in Schaumburg. Nick runs his own law office, www.nickrichardsonlaw.com, and I work in communications promoting eggs.
http://www.triblocal.com/Schaumburg/List_View/view.html?type=stories&action=detail&sub_id=105136
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Our German Exchange Adult: The Richardsons’ Take
By: Ashley&NickRichardson
10/05/09 08:55 AM 68 hits
photo credit: Gary Gantert
Since Thursday night, we've been playing host to Mathias Schlautkötter, a 21-year-old firefighter from the Schaumburg region in Germany, as participants in the Sister City Program. Our Schaumburg has been involved with the Sister City Program for more than 20 years. This program dates back to President Eisenhower's effort to foster relationships between citizens of different countries.
We first met Mathias, our German Exchange Adult, after the group arrived at Schaumburg's Prairie Center for the Arts, www.prairiecenter.org. He'll be our guest for the next two weeks and gain insight as to how Americans really live. We grabbed a quick bite at Palatine's Oak Alley Saloon, our favorite neighborhood place for pizza, and headed home to let him unpack and get some rest.
The Village organized Friday's activities so Nick dropped him off to meet the group. Mathias and the group toured the fire and police stations, ate lunch at Bonefish and visited a few other Village sites. We met two other couples for dinner at Yu's, www.yusrestaurant.com, and Mathias was amazed by the amount of leftovers we had. We also saw Yu's Chef Highlight and Noodle Show for the first time, very cool. Our favorite reaction from the weekend was his to the numerous TVs at Hoffman Estates' Buffalo Wild Wings, www.buffalowildwings.com.
On Saturday, he requested a visit to Woodfield, and with the strong Euro, I can't blame him. His other request: see Chicago's skyline. So Saturday night, we went downtown to watch my alma mater Ole Miss beat Vandy at the Windy City Rebels' Watch Party, which was another new experience for him. With the overcast weather, we couldn't see our famous skyline, but we had a good time regardless and met friends at Clybar, www.clybar.com, and later at Irish Eyes.
Beyond our day-to-day schedule, we've both learned a lot about the similarities and differences between Germany and the United States. Our friends and family can't help but ask us why we opted to participate in the Sister City Program. And honestly, I called for more information about the exchange; a host had dropped out, and we filled that slot. We were certainly apprehensive about the exchange, and I’m sure our guest felt the same way. But it's been a great success!
So far his best reactions have been to: the size of Woodfield, a drive-thru ATM, the mailbox unit at our townhouse, the number of lanes on the highway, the role of sports in American colleges—just to name a few.
And, we’re been reminded that some things are the same all over the world: his parents’ were worried when they didn’t hear from him right way; our breakfast cereals are similar, and on Sundays in Germany, he spends the day much like we do: recovering the week’s activities and gearing up to start it all over again.
Tonight—Monday, October 5—the Village and several sponsors have graciously organized a fundraiser for the program at Chandler’s at the Schaumburg Golf Club, www.chandlerschophouse.com. Tickets are available at the door. We would love to see you there as would our German guests!
About Us: We’re a married couple living in Schaumburg. Nick runs his own law office, www.nickrichardsonlaw.com, and I work in communications promoting eggs.
http://www.triblocal.com/Schaumburg/List_View/view.html?type=stories&action=detail&sub_id=105136
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