During the orientation meeting of 16 women from 12 different countries, it was decided that we should present two countries each meeting in order to fill a 2 ½ hour time frame. Many were concerned that their own presentations would be rather small.
WRONG!!!
Without exception, every presenter became so involved in helping us "travel through" her homeland, we could have easily filled more than 2 ½ hours per country. Many expats had not resided in their home country for so long, they found themselves actually researching and visiting their respective embassy and consulate. The excitement expressed in the presentations displayed an enticing, sometimes renewed patriotism.
Each week we became totally immersed in the history, geography,
sights, sounds, tastes, and wonders of a country: 
Philippines,
Germany, 
Mexico,
Pakistan,
South Korea, 
Netherlands,
New Zealand, 
Scotland,
USA, and 
Great Britain.
We sampled the local cuisine of each lady's country during her presentation from
the silver wrapped sweets of Pakistan to the hardy meat pies of Scotland.
We'll all remember visiting Shamsi's
home and feeling that we had actually entered the Middle East. We can even do a
Pakistani dance! We all felt Helen's love
of Korea, and remember Miyoung in her traditional
Korean wedding gown looking like a fragile doll to be placed carefully on a
shelf (see photo; click on it to see
more!). We adored the acupuncture demonstration, an ouch or two added to the
mystique. Barbara took us through historical
English Country Cottages. Dorota's Scotland
enlightened us about surprise immigrations of WWII; and weather will not keep us
out of Scotland. We strutted like Texans in Eldene's
American line dance, and Hazel lead us into the
Maori version of the creation. Jenny and Marja
could not have been more perfect in their genuine Dutch costumes. Winnie
helped us understand the tremendous role of religion in the Philippines, and Sony
made us experts in the island nation's historical costuming. No one is sexier
than Susana in a Mexican Sombrero. And, through Ursula
and Sabine we were introduced to amazing personal
experiences with Germany's East/West border walls.
Allow me to assure you, you have never learned about another country until you see it through the heart and personal experiences of the ladies for whom it is home.
--Eldene Holbrook