You could also bring something - maybe nice sweets or something special from your own country. I think that shaking hands with everyone is fine-it is formal but proper for first meeting. I would recommend call them Pan/Pani .
I guess that sooner or later they will ask you to call them by names.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.