Savoring moments in America

Hans Joohs participant eager to experience

life in New Ulm

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- This year's Hans Joohs Cultural Exchange inbound trainee, Juergen Klopfer, will be celebrating his 23rd birthday on Sept. 11, two and a half weeks before he returns home to Neu Ulm, Germany.

While a birthday is considered a big event in his family, Klopfer isn't at all upset about celebrating it here with newfound friends.

"I think it is good, but it will be harder on my family members in Germany," he explained. His family consists of his parents, Werner and Brunhilde Klopfer, and an older brother.

Klopfer was finishing a six-month internship in Lyon, France, last December when he learned of the Sister Cities program. He immediately applied and was selected.

"My professors had told me I should take every opportunity to study and work abroad," Klopfer said. "I was told it was good for future professional development. I need to have contact with computers."

Klopfer is very serious about his studies at Reutlingen University, where he is increasing his knowledge of applications like SAP, Word and Excel and Access and Java programmer language.

However, he also has leisure interests. He has played volleyball at Reutlingen and drives 60 miles to Ulm each weekend for choreographed dancing where he dances with a partner, similar to ballroom dancing in this country. Until recently, he also took judo lessons on the weekend. But, he doesn't dance for the sake of competition.

"Dancing should be for leisure and to have fun," he said, "rather than for competition."

Because this trip is his first to the United States, Klopfer is savoring each moment and revising his pre-trip impressions gained from his Internet research.

"My first thought was to visit Niagara Falls while I was here," Klopfer laughed. "Then, I was told how far away it is."

He learned quickly upon his arrival in Minnesota that the famous tourist attraction is roughly 1,100 miles by car from New Ulm.

Klopfer also was surprised to learn the rental car being provided by the Sister Cities Commission during his stay is equipped with an automatic transmission.

"Nearly all cars in Germany are equipped with manual transmissions," Klopfer explained, "so I had no idea how to drive with an 'automatic' transmission."

"When we left the airport, Juergen asked me if I would teach him how to drive an automatic," said Lori Turner who met him at the airport. Lori and Lloyd Turner are the first of three host families with whom Klopfer will stay during his stay in New Ulm. (The other two are Diane and Mark Hempel and Gary and Joleen Koch.)

Klopfer also was surprised to learn that many Americans can drive when they reach the age of 16.

"In Germany, you have to be 18," he said.

Because he had done his Internet homework, Klopfer wasn't surprised by the size of New Ulm. Neu Ulm where he lives is, at 44,000-plus, more than three times as large; Ulm which is directly across the Danube, or Donau, River has over 99,000 inhabitants.

"Neu Ulm and Ulm are very much like the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, separated by the river," Klopfer explained. As for New Ulm's smaller size, he added, "quantity says nothing about the quality."

One of the city's qualities, in Klopfer's view, is the many homes made of wood. "In Germany, there is not so much wood," he explained. "Many homes are made of cement blocks with wood used only for trim and roofs. I don't like that as much."

He already has toured the Minnesota Science Museum in St. Paul, but he doesn't appear to have much interest in visiting Bloomington's major retail attraction, the Mall of America.

For now, he's just interested in starting work in Kraft's Systems Group where he'll be working with his primary interest, computers and computer programming.

His start at Kraft has been delayed by a hitch in getting his QV1 work permit approved by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Sister Cities Commission's application was approved on the day Klopfer arrived in Minnesota, but the permit was sent to Klopfer's home in Germany. His father is returning the permit to Klopfer in New Ulm.

Then, a ruling will be issued as to whether Klopfer can get his permit stamped at the INS office in Bloomington or will have to travel to the Canadian border to have the permit stamped there. All this because he didn't have the approved permit when he first entered the country.

Still, Klopfer is taking the delay in stride. He helped with the German Language Camp which he found to be "very good." And he's remaining focused on working at Kraft.

"I don't care what type of job I will be doing," Klopfer added. "It maybe will be different ... which is fine with me, just to be working."

"The most important thing is to be here, improving my English."