Less than 1 week until departure!

Yesterday was supposed to be our last pre-departure meeting.  We went over last minute details and practiced our group presentation.  As a result, we are going to have to meet one more time to practice the presentation some more.  Other than that, we have almost made it to Germany.

Later that night, Dena and I met up in downtown Houston for the Psychedelic Furs/Happy Mondays concert.  We ate at Guadalarja for our last Tex-Mex meal before departure.  The concert was at House of Blues.  We ended up in the front row and had a fabulous time.

I'm not a fan of this...

Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
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This information is current as of today, Thu Sep 24 12:22:54 2009.
Germany
September 23, 2009

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens that Al Qaeda has threatened it will conduct terrorist attacks in Germany immediately prior to and following the federal elections on September 27. This Travel Alert expires on November 11, 2009.

Al Qaeda recently released a video specifically warning Germany of attacks. German authorities are taking the threat seriously and have taken measures to enhance the level of security throughout the country.

The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to maintain good security practices at all times, and to maintain a heightened situational awareness and a low profile. Americans are advised to monitor news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places or choosing hotels, restaurants, and entertainment and recreation venues.

We encourage U.S. citizens to read the Department of State’s current Worldwide Caution. It provides additional information on potential threats to U.S. citizens overseas, along with advice on how to reduce your vulnerability to such threats. Additional general information on residing and traveling abroad, including the latest Country Specific Information for Germany, may be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

Contact information for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and U.S. Consulates in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Munich, and Leipzig may be found on the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany’s website. All U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Germany are urged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website.

Travelers may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States or outside the United States and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

Less than 2 weeks until departure!

This past week was a pretty minimal week for me in terms of GSE training. We didn't have our usual Saturday meeting. We did meet Friday evening to take our group photo.  We took our photo from the Sabine Street bridge with the downtown Houston skyline in the background. It's a nice area with a new skate park and some great hike and bike trails. I hope to go back and explore some more.

Brian and I decided to buy a netbook to take with me on the trip. I think it will come in handy. I'm eagerly awaiting for it to arrive.

We got our preliminary travel schedule today, although it is very vague and there are a lot of question marks on the page. I would love to see a more official schedule. According to this, we will be going to some other places I wasn't expecting including the Elbland region, Chemnitz region, Regensburg, Plauen, and Hof-Bayer, Vogtland. Hopefully we will get something a little more concise before we leave. Our first stop is Leipzig.

Three weeks until departure!

The countdown has started. In exactly three weeks at this time I will be flying somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean on my way to Leipzig, Germany. I'm trying to get as much done as possible to get ready for my trip now, so that I'm not scrambling at the last minute. A lot of my time so far has been dedicated to making my uniform look acceptable. The blazer from blazerdepot.com is no longer an 80s reject thanks to the tailor. I have the most fashionable coordinating shoes I could find that actually offer some comfort as well. Additionally I have gotten my phone, camera, and plugs/adapters all sorted out. My next goal is to start making sure Brian and Wyatt have everything they need while I'm gone. I just stocked up on dog food and treats for the pup.

At today's meeting to prepare for the trip, we went over the PowerPoint presentation that we will be giving to Rotary clubs in Germany. Afterwards we had a somewhat traditional German lunch and practiced German table manners. We only have one dinner which I won't be able to make and one more meeting left before our departure.

Preparing for Germany

I have been selected by Rotary District 5890 to participate in the Group Study Exchange (GSE) to Germany. So far, our itinerary will include Leipzig, Dresden, and Nuremberg. There are four other team members (Ryan, Dena, Deanea, and Alicia) and a team leader (Jon). We have been meeting regularly to learn German culture and language. We will be learning both about German culture and our vocation while in Germany. My language learning has gone okay so far. I wish we had more time to learn it before our departure. We leave on October 3, 2009 which is less than a month away. We have also had some social gatherings including Mixers & Elixirs at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, a tour of the St. Arnold's Brewery, and a stammtisch at Rudi Lechner's.

For different occasions, we will have a Rotary uniform to wear. Dena and I instantly bonded over trying to keep some semblance of fashion while choosing the uniform components. With a strong stance and a good tailor, we have tried to make the best of the situation. As a result of our instant bond, we have also discovered a similar taste in music. We both met up at the Depeche Mode concert and are going to the Psychedelic Furs concert together later this month.