Day 3

As the days go by, the jet lag is getting better. However, I spent 1-3 am at my laptop unable to sleep. After a great run early this morning and a nice, yoga practice, Kai picked up myself, Bill (Business professor), and Susanne in his BMW crossover (like a big subaru outback). We met the students 30 minutes outside of Osnabruck at a retreat center where they stayed the night before. After coffee, we observed the students engaging in a variety of group physical challenges and tasks. Each task required the students to work together and everyone had to communicate with each other. Students also learned how to be leaders in group settings and get everyone to work together (Darius Rowser and Michelle Tibbs are enjoying the challenge). Darius did a great job in leading them with a 1-2 count to lower the stick to the ground while all students had one finger on each hand touching the stick. These team building exercises along with the intercultural competency (a focus of this 3 week program) meetings will allow the students the opportunity to learn how to meet new people who are have had somewhat different life experiences/cultures and still be successful in a brief period of time.
Lunch was a nice selection of meats (including the vegetarian loaf), cheeses breads, condiments, and veggies for sandwiches with a variety of fruity sodas and juices. We ate off of some wooden rectangles that looked like thick cutting boards with heavy traditional iron flatware. I felt like I was eating mid-evil times. This afternoon, I went for my daily stroll through the city center to purchase a mobile (cell phone) to use while I am here and one that other USI faculty/staff can use when they come to work in Osnabruck. And I bought some pastries to enjoy with my nutella at my apartment (I love the croissants with raisins...and a generous slap of nutella). More pics are posted and youtube videos are in the future.

Chews!!! (bye in German and spoken with a lot energy).
-Dr. Brandon