By Abby Ohlheiser Photos by Merel van Beeren "Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and the Hartmanns perish??" --Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky I was sitting in a French-style chain cafe (sorry America), finishing my croissant, talking to Merel, when we heard the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner." It was a restrained, beautiful choral...