|
|
 |
Incoming Exchange from Oklahoma (USA)
September 14th to 21st 2010
“V – a – r –e – l – O – l –
d – e – n – b – g., is that where you live?”
“Yes.”
“Then we are here.”
“I don’t believe you!”
“Yes.”
“Stay where you are, we are coming!”
This is how ran the first telephone conversation when 9 ‘Okies’
– tired from their trip, freezing – found out that no
one was expecting them at Varel station on the rainy afternoon of
September 14th. The chronicler’s politeness keeps the secret
why our guests had arrived two hours earlier than scheduled.
Anyway, 6 hosts were swiftly summoned with great effort and, as
quickly as they could manage, from near and far they all came to
Varel station.
Then at last everybody went to the “Schwarzes Roß”,
a restaurant exclusively reserved for the Friendship Force Welcome
Party. At a fantastic buffet with tea and coffee, prepared by the
hosts and many other Friendship Force members, it was time for an
urgently needed warming up. Still under the impression of the week
our guests had spent in the East of the Netherlands, a first getting
to know each other with intensive conversations was soon in full
swing.
The second day was our traditional Varel day with a reception at
the Town Hall. The guests showed a surprisingly active interest
in our region with its economic and socio-cultural structures. During
this visit, the Oklahoma exchange director Joyce Rulon presented
the award of honorary citizenship of the State of Oklahoma to Varel’s
Mayor Gerd-Christian Wagner.
All other stages of the day (walk through town, visit to Castle
Church, windmill) appeared to be very interesting to our guests.
The third day took us to the famous Emigration Centre in Bremerhaven
with lots to wonder about and to learn.
The following day was another highlight: a visit to the Meyer-Shipyard
in Papenburg, especially because Disney-Cruisers were under construction.
Undoubtedly interesting for american visitors. The following tea/coffee
with cakes in the Rutteler Mill, with a possible climbing up of
one of the rare mills still operating, stood for a pleasant conclusion
of the day.
The Oldenburg day on Saturday was a success, too. In the evening
of this day to relax with the hosts, we had our Farewell Party in
the familiar restaurant “Altes Zollhaus” in Dangast. Everybody
having enjoyed the fantastic buffet, the time had come for the mutual
presentations, carried along with a lot of humour.
The weather-man, not having really been well-disposed during the
past days, made our shrimp-boat tour to the island of Spiekeroog
on Monday literally fall through. Thus, some guests were taken to
Bremen, while Derek Smalling from the tribe of the Chocktaws made
a presentation of his art in one continuous line , enthusiastically
watched by Joyce Rulon and some local artists.
Manifoldly wonderful memories and the awareness of new friendships
had to stay behind at the tearful good-bye at Varel station on September
21st!
|
