Final Instructions in the "Publishing Scholarly Research" Seminar at Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany

We finished up 3 full days of discussing the academic publication process...and in relatively high temperatures.  For the final bit of instruction, I treated the attendees to a drink...and, my intent was to make sure they know how to celebrate success.

Hohenheim University PhD students demonstrating their skills at celebrating success!
The students are (starting in the back row from the left): Timo T., Nelly W., Adrian L., and Shirin G.
The next row includes: Leif B., Vivien H., Nicola C., and Prof. Dr. Marion Büttgen (my host).
The third row includes Anne Maria S., Laura O., Johanna S. and Iris P.
And, the front row includes me, Anke S., and Stephy T.

What was I thinking?  That Germans don't know how to celebrate?  That was a foolish thought on my part.  Indeed, two of the girls BEGAN their celebration by ordering TWO beers each! 

Laura and Anke are showing me a different (and better?) approach to celebrating...having a beer in each hand!

Since I do have German roots (my grandfather was born in Germany), I showed them...with my THREE beers at once! 

"Publishing Scholarly Research" Seminar at Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany

Today was the beginning of a three-day publishing seminar for PhD students at Hohenheim University.  I was invited to conduct this seminar by Marion Buttgen after we met last year at the SERVSIG Research Conference in Maastricht.

There are several future research stars in this picture...I cannot wait to see their research in print!

About 25 scholars attended today's session.  We will meet for two more days...hopefully the weather will cool off a bit.  The room is the Aula in the Schloss Mittelbau.

The seminar was held in the Aula in the Schloss Mittelbau at Hohenheim. This is the corner room in the left-center part of the building that sticks out in the picture.

A Visit to a Bee Hive, Schlaitdorf, Germany

I met a neighbor of Dieter and Helga Class at Helga's birthday party, Rainer.  We got to taking, and he told me that one of his hobbies was bee keeping.  So, I asked him if he would take me to see his bees. We left the party for about an hour to go see the bees.  VERY INTERESTING!

I ain't afraid of no bees!

Rainer shared a lot of information with me about bees.  Apparently wearing black or brown clothes would not be good...bees tend to think that you are a bear wanting their honey if you do not wear light-colored clothes.  And, using smoke makes the bees much more docile.  They think there may be a fire, so the grab a bunch of honey in case they have to leave their home...this additional honey makes them move much slower.

Rainer is preparing smoke to use before opening the bee hive.

In the two hive that I saw, there were probably 6,000-8,000 bees in each hive. 

Mallory Acquires an Admirer in Tubingen, Germany

Dieter and Helga Class treated us to dinner in Tubingen, Germany...where they went to university. We went to the Italian restaurant they frequented as college students.  Over the course of dinner, Mallory acquired an admirer...the waiter.  He referred to Mallory as "his love" whenever he brought her pizza out to her.

Mallory's new love...although, I don't think she learned his name.  Helga was enjoying it all, too!

He next gave Mallory her dessert (ice cream!) and said it was free (and from him).  Then he offered all seven of us at the dinner table some Grappa as we wrapped up our meal...apparently something the Class family had never received even though they go to the restaurant frequently.  This is probably the most embarrassed I have ever seen Mallory!

Some free Grappa from her new German Italian friend!

A memorable evening!  Perhaps she and Samantha can plan a double wedding?

A Pleasant Day on Lake Constance, Germany

We rode down with the Class family to pick up Anja in Sinden, Germany.  From there we went to Uberlingen and walked along the lake.  We could see the snow on the Swiss Alps across the lake.

Reunited with Anja (our exchange sister/daughter)

Mallory wanted to visit Switzerland (to say she went to a country during her travels that her sister did not go to last year), so we traveled on the ferry over to Constance, Germany.

Dieter and Helga Class, and Mallory, having lunch in Constance, Germany.

After a nice Italian lunch, we walked out to see the famous statue in Constance, the Imperia.  This was a quite controversial statue when it was erected.

The Imperia on Lake Constance

 

Playing "Knobelkase" (Cutting the Cheese) in Muenster, Germany

Mallory and I joined Christof Backhaus for a drink at the Pinkus Blaues Haus for our last night in Muenster.  He taught us a relatively simple, but fun game.  It involves a thick piece of cheese, a match, a knife, and once dice.

Early in the game.

The match is stuck in the middle of the cheese.  When you roll the dice, you have to cut pieces of cheese off of the bock...whatever number comes up.  The object of the game is to NOT be the one cutting the cheese when the match falls.

My strategy was to cut small pieces.

Just before the match fell...I lost!

Finishing the Service Management Course at WWU in Muenster, Germany

We met for the final time in the Service Management class today.  As is my tradition, I treated the students after the class ended.  Normally it is a drink (beer?), but this time the students opted for ice cream!  So, we found the best ice cream store in Muenster to have an end-of-the-course event.  15 of the 20 students were able to attend.  

The 2017 Service Management class enjoying the sun and the ice cream!

My host, Thorsten Hennig-Thurau, has a tradition of taking a picture outside of the Marketing & Media Center at WWU.  We included Mallory in this picture!

What a charming trio...Dwayne, Mallory, and Thorsten!

"Service" Champions Being Created in Muenster, Germany

I walked into class this morning and found the following note on the blackboard:

Written by one of the WWU Service Management students!

Perhaps my lectures on Service are having an influence?

Mallory's Return (with Dad) to Maastricht, The Netherlands

In 2006 we lived in Maastricht for 7 months.  Mallory, then 8 years old, went to school on the other side of town.  We returned on Friday...her first time back in 11 years.  (I have been back to Maastricht probably 20 times since 2002.)

Maastricht is behind us, as well as the Sint Servaasbrug (foot) bridge

We revisited many places she remembered (or, that we had pictures of).

Mallory with our Wolder neighbors Ria and Ber 

Back to the scene of her 8th Birthday Date with Dad and "Sour and Spicy" Chinese soup. 

Statue on the way to the Maastricht train station in 2002...

15 years later!

Samantha and Mallory in two countries (Belgium and The Netherlands) at once!  (On the street in Wolder where we lived.)

Two countries with one (large) step!

Mallory's First Beer...in Liege, Belgium

We rented a car and drove from Muenster to Liege, Belgium.  We finally made it to Cecile Delcourt's house (GPS does not work well with Google Maps in that part of Liege), and prior to our meal Cecile and her partner Fabrice provided us with a Liege special...Curtius Beer.  (Interestingly, I had just driven Mallory past the Curtius Brewery at the bottom of the steps at Montague de Beueren an hour earlier.)  I believe (if Mallory was telling me the truth) that it was her first beer!

Mallory's First Beer?

We then had a nice spaghetti dinner prepared by Fabrice, with entertainment provided by my favorite Belgian four-year-old, Stina.

An excellent dinner in Liege with Cecile, Fabrice, Stina, Dwayne, and Mallory.

Service Blueprint Practice at WWU in Muenster, Germany

Four teams of five students worked on creating service blueprints for "Revive" clinic in Chicago. This session was a chance for them to learn how to use the service blueprint tool.  Based on the work they were able to accomplish in about 2 hours, I have high expectations for when they complete their team projects next week!

Team 1:

Team 2: 

Team 3:

Team 4:

Brats and Stories at Casa Thurau, Muenster, Germany

Mallory and I had a wonderful dinner at Claudia and Thorsten's house...the weather was perfect to sit outside.  We were joined for part of the evening by Mallory's old friend, Fred.

Frederick and Mallory

They first met in Hannover in 2002...

On the train to Hamburg in July 2002

On the Road Again...in Muenster, Germany

I began my work on this trip by teaching (again) the Service Management course at the University of Muenster.  The picture below includes the smiling faces of 20 MBA students.

The 2017  Service Management Class

It's Mallory's Turn in Europe (2017)

Both Candy and Samantha got to travel with me last year (2016) during my sabbatical, so this year it is Mallory's turn.  She will be with me for a week or so, then with Anja (our German daughter) and her family for a while, and then will eventually be part of a BGSU Study Abroad experience.

Leaving Detroit and bound for Dusseldorf!

We had an uneventful flight to Amsterdam (good!), but then a 1.5 hour line to get through Passport Control in the Schipol Airport.  We arrived in Muenster about 2:45 p.m. and stayed awake as long as we could.  

Look at the size of Mallory's Pizza!!!