A quick note...the last three posts were written and then uploaded when I had WiFi...and, I accidentally did it out of order. Sorry about that...
Not a whole lot happened yesterday...well, that's not entirely true, but we spent a decent ammount of time traveling by bus from Munich to a small area called Comburg, and from there to Stuttgart. The church at Comborg was stunning for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons was the spectacular beauty inside the church. Perhaps the most beautiful of the churches we have visited so far. I tried to take a lot of pictures, and I hope they show some of the beauty. One of the coolest things was the giant chandilier that hung above the altar. The chandilier is to represent heaven, and three times a year (Christmast Eve, New Years Eve, and Easter Vigil) they lower the chandilear in the dark and light the candles one-by-one as they say the Kyrie Elaison (spelling?)...all 48 candles. Then, they slowly raise the lit chandilear up into the cieling. I can only imagine how awesome and powerful that would be to see in person. The other impressive thing about the church was its age. Some parts were 900 years old...230'ish years ago the US didn't exist as a country, 500'ish years ago Europeans made contact in the US, and 900'ish years ago the land that is now the US maybe had some clay Anasazi cliff dwellings in the Southwest. It's incredible to think how advanced the European societies were for one, and secondly it's incredible that these buildings are open for me to walk through.
Also at Comborg was a "principal's college"...I won't get into wonky details about education, but they train their principals in much less time, and at no cost to them (the state pays). However, prinicpals only make a little more money than teachers, and many continue to teach a couple classes. Better or worse? I don't know? Different, and interesting though.
After Comborg it was back on the bus to Stuttgart where we'd stay for two nights. Our Munich guides told us that the architecture and beauty paled in comparrison to that of Munich...they might have been biased. However, they also were correct...Stuttgart does lack a lot of the beauty of Munich, but it's a great city based on my limited impression from walking around for a couple hours after we arrived. They have a central green area that is surrounded by the a couple of castles and other nice looking buildings (about the only ones in Stuttgart), but the area was so awesome. Another teacher and I just sat on the steps and enjoyed a beer while we soaked in the sun and did a some people watching. It really is a nice city.
Today we had our first "formal" day of the trip...today we met with the head of the Robert Bosch Foundation. The Bosch company (power tools...), and Duestch Bank are two of the big sponsors...these are the folks that spend thousands of dollars on us seeing their country. Basically, this was the day that we couldn't screw anything up! I was actually chosen to present my gift (along with a teacher from St. Louis) to Dieter Berg, the head dude, at the end of our tour of the foundation and lunch. Though it's not really an "honor", I am proud that I was chosen to give a pair of Surly pint glasses to the man! I have video of the presentation, and of course pictures. The lunch we had was tasty and enlightening. It was interesting to hear his reasons for supporting the TOP program, but it was equally interesting hearing his thoughts on the current economic situation in Germany (the economy is booming, unemployment under 7%), the situation in Europe (Germany essentially bailed out Greece), and the situation back at home (Do the words "debt ceiling" mean anything? Speaking of...because of the US's position in global affairs, most all Germans we've talked to are very interested in our politics an the current debates...but, again, another post for another time...).
In addition to paying a visit to the guy who writes the checks we also heard a presentation about Germany's "Dual Vocational School System" - as I explained earlier they track students at an early age. The dual vocational system is unlike anything we have hear, and essentially at age 16 or so students begin getting on the job training at a company, paid for almost entirely by the company, and when they're done they begin working as an employee for the company. College isn't for everyone, there's little doubt for me about that. So, the idea that students can begin working toward skills that they'll need and use in their future at a young age so they can be prepared to work is a great idea. Sadly, nothing like that really exists here...
Lastly, we visited the Mercedes Benz museum. That...that was something! The museum itself was a work of art, and the cars inside...wow!
Anyway, it was a busy day...we'll have a nice dinner tonight and then tomorrow we go by tran to Dreseden! That's all for now...
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