Pennsylvania

My journey takes me in the borrowed Honda Civic from Newark in New Jersey via Allentown (a pop song by Billy Joel is named after this former “steel town”) to New Tripoli (Pennsylvania) to my friend from my exchange student days. Wow, I haven't been this excited to see him in a long time. But the welcome is so warm and informal that I immediately feel very comfortable. Since their two children have already moved out and they are now “empty nesters”, I can move into my quarters in the basement. During the 1987-88 school year I was a foreign exchange student here in the area and attended Northwestern Lehigh High School. There I met D. and, among other things, played with him in the band The Unfortunates.

On Friday evenings we can't stop talking and we always find new, interesting topics. Saturday at noon we set off for the picnic at their church. Members of their church (Whitehall Bible Fellowship Church) and Syrian Christians, who also use their church premises, meet there. At the picnic, discussions take place about the construction of Arabic ouds and magnificently furnished backgammon games and wood-panelled rooms in Dresden. But the food they bring with them is also a topic of conversation. Here, typical Pennsylvania dishes (and therefore also southern German dishes) mix with Syrian delicacies and numerous Mediterranean dishes.

In the afternoon we drive to a large apple orchard. D. daughter works there. We taste various types of apple cider and harvest a bag full of apples. We then drive to the associated café/shop and drink a cider.

Sunday morning we drive to church where D. plays guitar in the service band for the service. The pastor plays the mandolin and D.'s daughter sings (plus other musicians on the piano, cajon, and other singing). The sermon is on the text Matthew 10:26-42 and is commented on and confirmed by the insistent murmurs of those present. After the service there is a discussion group with around 15 people for coffee and cake. A prepared question sheet guides the discussion about the Bible passage.

For dinner we meet D.'s eldest daughter and her husband in the Eight Oaks pub with a view over fields and an adjacent farm.