In January 2014, Felix and Cassie flew from Beijing to Germany, where they stayed for the next two months. Felix stayed with Lisa’s family in the countryside outside of Hamburg, building his German-language skills in an immersive environment and attending a German public school.
Cassie traveled around the north of Germany, improving her German and making contacts among companies that produce educational toys. Felix stayed with the family of Lisa (the Base’s German mentor) in the countryside outside of Hamburg. In the mornings, he attended the local German public school alongside Max, Lisa’s 10-yr.-old brother.
This was a chance for him to really immerse himself in German language, while also gaining firsthand experience of a foreign schooling environment. In the afternoons, Felix practiced piano at a neighbor’s house (they had a grand piano, which was exciting considering Felix had mostly played on an electric keyboard).
He also got one-on-one lessons with a German tutor, which allowed him to work on his German more formally. Lisa’s family was so generous in hosting Felix and making him feel welcome, and they organized fun excursions all around the area. They explored museums and sprawling playgrounds, attended concerts and the theater, visited downtown Hamburg, and went sledding in the winter snow.
They also had the chance to ride ponies! After two months in Europe, Felix and Cassie arrived safe and sound back in Beijing! They had a fantastic trip, visited more than 5 different countries, and made some wonderful new friends. Felix’s German ability also improved by leaps and bounds.
It may have felt like it was over too quickly, but Felix’s gracious and generous host in Hamburg, Marlis, made him a fantastic scrapbook to help him remember all of his adventures abroad.
Education Unbounded 