Joe arrived in Jena April 15 and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jo-Ann at the end of this week and the students the following week. Conversations with individuals, seeing what is the same and what is different in the city, memories of earlier SST Jena experiences--all contribute to the anticipation of what the 2009 unit will learn and experience while in Germany.

Jena's monocular tower continues to dominate most views of the center city. Spring has arrived and the hills that surround us are alive with fresh green leaves and flowering trees and bushes. The banks of the Saale river welcome young and old alike. Local media are buzzing with news that the recently-completed Autobahn tunnel at the city's edge has sunk six centimeters. Tram drivers still seem willing to wait patiently when they see passengers like Joe running to jump on board.

Wolfgang B. of jenakolleg (http://www.jenakolleg.de), together with colleague Kerstin P. and office manager Kerstin M., have once again worked out myriad details for our language instruction and excursions. Ruth R. and husband Klaus have again juggled the details and contacts necessary to find host families for our students to live while in Jena. Joe is busily contacting various church and social service agencies to line up service placements for the second half of the term. All are a bit sad to realize this is the last SST group scheduled for Jena.

Included here are pictures of some of the homes students will find themselves living this year. New homes, older homes, homes high on the hill, and down in the valley. Public transportation rides to the Christliches Gymnasium (Christian high school), where we will again hold our language classes, will range from 3 minutes to 45 minutes. One lucky student will climb down more than 100 steps each time s/he wants to take the bus.

There will probably not be another blog update until after the students arrive.

Check back around May 1!