Hamburg, Lindner Hotel, 23:49hrs – We spent most of the day prepping for the main event which takes place tomorrow. You can plan only some much from the comfort of your desk, but it isn’t until you get your feet on the actual ground that the plan can be fully realized. And that is just the plan, execution of the plan is a whole other story. I at least got a chance to see some of the city. Par, one of the facilitators I am working with, and I needed to pick up some last minute supplies – stationary, duct tape, baubles, and something to stop the spikes on the bottom of snowshoes from tearing up the ballroom floor of the St Pauli Football Club.
I am amazed that Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city and yet it doesn’t feel like a big city. It’s clean, ordered, and the people are friendly. I must have gotten used to the cold veneer the English put out toward strangers because it shocked me how nearly every German that came in close proximity to me, said hello or guten tag. Some, it seemed, even went out of their way to say hello. Saying hello to strangers, I think, is a very civilized thing to do, especially when said with genuine enthusiasm.
We prepped right up until 18:00 just in time to give the brief at 18:15 for 100 people. The briefing took about an hour and the end of the brief marked the beginning of the challenge. Most everyone seems up for the it. So let the games begin.
