Dinner, a Sociologist, and Auswartigen Amt

Last night"s Thai food was incredible!  I ordered a duck dinner which appeared on the table as a work of art.  First came the salad.  Then that was followed by the entree (see photos).

We left the hotel around 8:30 this morning.  The subway took us to the Federal Foreign Service Visitors Center for a lecture by sociologist, Dr. Wolf Wagner.  We had to produce our passports and were only allowed inside the main building after secure doors were unlocked. 

Dr. Wagner used his research paper to compare and justify German and American attitudes toward social relations, nationalism, education, economics, the European Union crisis, politics, and the current challenges both countries face.  He used his sense of humor and his experiences as a student in the United States to express his admiration for our country.  His time in South Dakota opened his eyes to an entirely new world that was in direct opposition to his upbringing in Germany and shaped his adult life.  His demeanor was relaxed and his approach more western than German.

After the lecture, we took a brisk walk over to the Federal Foreign Service Office a few blocks away for a sumptuous three course meal with David Schwake, the Deputy Head of Division for the U.S., Canada, and the European Union.  Herr Schwake had additional responsibilities outside the European Union, as well.  He gave the group a brief history of the Federal Foreign Service and answered many questions posed by the social studies educators.

We walked quickly to the bus stop several blocks away and just missed the city bus that was to take us closer to the Reichstag.  The Reichstag is the name of the building where the German parliament meets.  We waited for another city bus to arrive to take us to the Deutscher Bundestag which is the German parliament.  However, when we noticed the schedule for our next bus, we decided to walk to the Reichstag instead, since we had a scheduled appointment.  When we arrived at the Reichstag, we entered through the rear entrance and were escorted inside after a quick security check.  The latter was a new addition.  Four years ago our group entered through the rear of the building without any checks of any kind and we were met by a member of the German parliament.  More about the Deutscher Bundestag tomorrow.