Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Getting Started - Part I

I've named this blog "Tallinn to Varna." It will cover my observations, reflections, and experiences as I travel across the East European countries - mostly places I've never been before. I leave on the 14th of July and arrive in Frankfurt around 10 on the 15th. I'm thinking of staying in Frankfurt for four days. 35 years ago I lived in Ffm for 3 1/2 years and perhaps can connect with some of the people I knew back then.

There's Ernst and Dörte Neubronner. I tracked them down through the internet. They still live in Bad Homburg - same address. Ernst was an economist and a pupil of mine at BHF Bank. 25 years ago they put me up for a night when I stopped over in Ffm after returning from a ski trip to Zermatt. Very nice people. I remember teaching them Scrabble, which isn't a game as well suited to the German language as it is to English because of the plethora of ways you can build words in German. With all the possibilities, it's just not as challenging.

Maybe I can find Herr Subjetzki, my former patron, a pupil, and one of the partners at BHF Bank. By introducing me to other banking executives, he helped me establish a language school for bankers. I had over 100 pupils at BHF Bank alone. After moving back to Minneapolis, Subjetzki, on a business trip to the States, called me. I knew he loved hunting and fishing so early the next morning after he called I took him fishing on Lake Minnetonka. I caught a walleye, but let him reel it in. He was thrilled and I got him back for his 10 am meeting with First Bank System. Sadly, in googling him, I found only a short three paragraph obituary headed "Klaus Subjetzki ist Tot." He died suddenly in 2001 with no apparent explanation as to the cause. He had left BHF Bank in the late 70s and become the Chairman of the Board of Schering AG, a billion dollar pharmaceutical company.

Dave and Inge Meaney - it would be neat to see them. I met Dave, not long after I arrived in Ffm. He and I taught English at Berlitz, but Dave's love was in playing the guitar and singing Irish ballads. He's apparently still doing it. He has a website: http://www.dave-meaney.de. Both he and Inge live in the same apartment. Through his website I sent him an email asking him if he'd like to get together for a beer, but I haven't as yet heard back from him - perhaps he's not so interested in rehashing those good old times at Berlitz.

Hermann and Susanne Pilz - spent a lot of time with them – including a vacation in Corsica. Hermann was a student of mine and a tax attorney at BHF Bank. Suzanne taught English at a German Gymnasium. Unfortunately, I can't find anything on them. There's a nice online telephone directory for Germany, but that search proved futile as well.

Below are pictures of Klaus Subjetzki and Dave Meaney.








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