kassel
epitome of incomprehensibility Two of the German native speakers at the "Stammtisch" laughed and said it was in the middle of nowhere. The third one defended the town: it's not the middle of nowhere, I know people from there. The others: well it's pretty much in the middle of Germany, but it's kind of a nowhere middle. There isn't much going on.

I don't mind middles! Except I'd be disappointed if the class didn't include at least some time in a bigger city, which it does.

And then there's...language immersion! Throw me in the language pool, watch me flail about. Note: this was my idea.
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e_o_i This evening I called my mom's friend Lynne, who did the program back in 1979: she'd heard from Mom that I was going to the Kassel summer class. "When I heard that I was surprised - also delighted - it was still running!" she said, or something like it. "I had no idea."

She's still in touch with her host family, who were a young couple with small children when she went there.

She said:

-Goslar, small historic town nearby, is worth visiting; so is the Hercules statue with fountains and the Kassel theatre

-she's not religious like Mom is...and isn't always into architecture...but she found the Gothic churches fascinating to look at

-don't be worried about speaking and making mistakes - you'll learn from them

-she came back with more confidence and friends, and then got the idea to go backpacking in Europe with Leigh, another mutual friend of Mom, before they settled into jobs and marriages

(was travel cheaper then, or were Mom's friends richer than her? maybe both)
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