Trip around the world: German teacher visits students' home countries

Korean student Mi-Sun highly recommended the sights of the capital, Seoul, and Korean cuisine. Kammann and his girlfriend, Luisa Wolff, studied their travel guidebook to learn the most important words and forms of courtesy. In Seoul, they visited the cooking school O me — which translates to "the five flavors." To this day, Kammann loves to cook one of South Korea's most famous dishes: bibimbap.

Sights, specialties and important phrases — Kammann's students wrote down everything important in a homemade travel guide. Despite the info seen here, he didn't end up traveling to Afghanistan. With the ongoing conflict and the threat of Taliban insurgents, the security situation was too much of a concern. Nevertheless, Kammann did meet up with Afghan youth — in Iran.

Afghan children aren't able to attend state schools in Iran, so they often get their lessons from volunteers with the project Seekers of Knowledge, who teach on the outskirts of Tehran. Most of the boys and girls who study here have never been to Afghanistan. Before and after school, many of them try to earn some extra money for their families by selling inexpensive items in the streets.

"Isfahan is half the world": Kammann heard this phrase everywhere he went in Iran. There, he admired the beautiful mosques, parks and bridges. He was fascinated by the custom of heading out at sunset to picnic in local parks and squares and simply enjoy life. He often took part himself and now understands exactly what his Iranian students mean when they tell him they "miss outdoor culture."

Although Kammann doesn't have any Mongolian students, he still made a side trip to visit the nomads and the vast steppes and experience life in the capital city, Ulan Bator. Following the advice in his personalized guide, he found friendly locals willing to give him a place to sleep for the night in their yurt. After dinner, he joined the family to watch a Mongolian talent show on TV.

When Kammann and Wolff woke up in a small Cuban town one morning in late November 2016, the atmosphere seemed muted and depressed. In a trembling voice, a waitress told them "El Maximo Lider Fidel Castro es muerto!" — "The great leader Fidel Castro is dead!" The couple experienced firsthand Castro's state funeral in Havana.

"It's a safe country," said Ricardo, a student originally from the Central American nation, when Kammann was planning his trip. Since then, however, things have changed, with the country mired in a violent political crisis since April 2018. Back then, Ricardo suggested his teacher explore the diverse volcanic landscape with its lava lakes, as well as the tropical forest and coffee plantations.

In Cape Coast on the Gulf of Guinea, Kammann joined Mary Dennis as she walked many kilometers to visit children who are unable to attend school because they help support their families with odd jobs. With the Dennis Foundation, the dedicated woman known to all as Sister Mary helps these children fight for educational opportunities and gives Ghanaians a chance to escape poverty.

In Ghana's capital, Accra, old computers, TVs and appliances from Europe are smashed and burned to reclaim valuable metals and other raw materials. Many young people work in the area called Agbogbloshie, also known as Toxic City. The fumes make them dizzy and cause their eyes to water. Here, Kammann met McCarthy Bwoy, who raps about poverty and hopelessness.

Near the end of his trip, Kammann wanted to travel by train from Moscow to Hamburg, via Belarus. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to work out a visa for Belarus in time. He found the experience enlightening: His students often run into problems with their passports, visas and travel permits for school trips. German passport holders are very privileged, he said.

Kammann's 2016 world tour wasn't his first experience abroad. Before he got a job teaching in Hamburg, he also taught half a year in South Africa and two years in northeastern China (photo). They were important experiences — at the time, he also felt "speechless" and unsure, like many of his international students in Germany. This photo shows his class from 2009 in northeastern China.