A Quick Post on Salzwedel

My stay in Salzwedel was not that different from Sara's mainly because we had the same host family so we really only had half of a day doing different activities. On Tuesday June 5th I was able to do a little sightseeing while Sara went to school. Our hosts, Michael and Barbara took me to see three different villages called Rundlings. They are kind of like Cul-de-Sacs at home, except that it is an entire village. It's really rather cute! When you drive in there's a bit of an entrance lane and then you would follow around in a circle. In the middle of the circle there is usually 1 tree and a bench. All 3 of the Rundlings we saw had restored barns as homes (I'm beginning to think this is common in the towns we are visiting, at least rural ones), and the front of all the barns face this center. After visiting the Rundlings Michael and Barbara took me to see a couple of the facilities they run for Mentally Handicaped. I wish I could post some pictures so you could see how Amazing these facilities are! They run apartments and house around 60 people with a new facility opening in August, and the also have a 'workshop'. The phrase work shop in a bit misleading - it's more like a giant warehouse that has 8 or so workshops with in it that employs around 200 mentally handicaped people. The jobs range from cleaning to assembly of small pieces used by larger companies in mass production to baking, woodwork, or gardening vegetables and herbs used by those who are cooking. It is absolutely amazing. We the went to a second 'work shop' where they print materials for business use (think receipts and flyers) and also have a huge laundry facility - industrial size laundry facility - where the public can bring their laundry. It really was very impressive. That afternoon I went to teach Zumba. To be honest I was a little nervous - I wasn't sure how Zumba would be received in a former 'Eastern Germany' territory. Upon meeting with the instructor I learned that the facility does not have Zumba, but teaches a Latin fusion type class like Zumba. I also learned that I was supposed to teach one Zumba class followed by a Tae Bo class, which I don't teach. Oops. The instructor and I decided that if all went well with Zumba I would just teach another Zumba class. And went well it did! Most of the people from the first class stayed for the second and absolutely loved it, and the instructor is actually a getting licensed in Zumba next month. Sara joined me for these classes and said, 'So technically, you're really teaching thier first Zumba class' which is pretty cool to think about! Michael had come in to the second class to watch and said afterwards,'I think I really like Zumba!' I love being able to introduce people to Zumba! Finally, the instructor (who also teaches Hip Hop and other dance forms there) said, 'Your dancing style is very different from mine, but brilliant!' A very wonderful compliment that also echoes the beauty of Zumba. One last thing I need to mention after my time in Salzwedel: I really didn't realize that we would be in so many border towns on this trip, and I am so thankful to be doing so. I guess I never really realized the impact that The Wall and border had on so many people or really how to comprehend it. Rainer (Sara and my host in Uelzen) grew up in a border village and said,'The border went up and if you had a friend who lived on the other side, he was no longer your friend. You didn't speak any more.' and we 're talking villages of 100 people! In some cases borders went up thru the middle of houses, and Debby was shown a picture of a wedding that was held right on the border, whith guards in their towers, and the mother of the bride standing a 100 meters away because that was as close as she could get. It's really rather unnerving,especially to think that it was so recent. -Lindsey