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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_text=“Future-Proof-Solutions \u2026 at Your Service“ button_alignment=“left“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ custom_button=“on“ button_text_size=“13px“ button_text_color=“#ffffff“ button_bg_color=“#141617″ button_border_width=“0px“ button_border_radius=“0px“ button_letter_spacing=“2px“ button_font=“|700||on|||||“ button_icon=“L||divi||400″ button_on_hover=“off“ custom_margin=“|||-12px“ custom_margin_tablet=““ custom_margin_phone=“|||0px“ custom_margin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ custom_padding=“16px|48px|16px|32px|true|false“ custom_padding_last_edited=“off|desktop“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover_enabled=“on“ custom_padding__hover=“|52px||36px“][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ specialty_columns=“2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=“4.25.0″ transform_scale_tablet=““ transform_scale_phone=““ transform_scale_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_translate=“-50%|0px“ transform_translate_tablet=“0%|-50%“ transform_translate_phone=““ transform_translate_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_translate_linked=“off“ transform_rotate_tablet=““ transform_rotate_phone=““ transform_rotate_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_skew_tablet=““ transform_skew_phone=““ transform_skew_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_origin_tablet=““ transform_origin_phone=““ transform_origin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_styles_last_edited=“on|desktop“ width=“150%“ width_tablet=““ width_phone=“100%“ width_last_edited=“on|tablet“ custom_margin=“50px||170px||false|false“ custom_margin_tablet=“||0px“ custom_margin_phone=““ custom_margin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ custom_padding=“0px||0px|||“ transform_styles_tablet=““ transform_styles_phone=““ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“Montserrat|700||on|||||“ text_text_color=“rgba(255,255,255,0.35)“ text_font_size=“4vw“ text_letter_spacing=“10px“ text_line_height=“1em“ header_font=“||||||||“ text_orientation=“center“ background_layout=“dark“ custom_margin=“|||“ custom_padding_tablet=““ custom_padding_phone=“||||false|false“ custom_padding_last_edited=“on|phone“ text_letter_spacing_tablet=“10px“ text_letter_spacing_phone=“9px“ text_letter_spacing_last_edited=“on|phone“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
Export operations
&
new business development<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=“4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_stops=“rgba(0,0,0,0) 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“rgba(0,0,0,0)“ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ max_width_tablet=“500px“ max_width_phone=“400px“ max_width_last_edited=“on|phone“ custom_margin=“80px|||“ custom_padding=“0px|0px|0px|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_image src=“http:\/\/christoph-brunen.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brunen_Christoph_Foto-1024×1024.jpg“ title_text=“Brunen_Christoph_Foto“ _builder_version=“4.27.2″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_social_media_follow _builder_version=“4.25.0″ background_color=“#141617″ transform_scale_tablet=““ transform_scale_phone=““ transform_scale_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_translate=“-100%|-90%“ transform_translate_tablet=“0%|0%“ transform_translate_phone=““ transform_translate_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_translate_linked=“off“ transform_rotate_tablet=““ transform_rotate_phone=““ transform_rotate_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_skew_tablet=““ transform_skew_phone=““ transform_skew_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_origin_tablet=““ transform_origin_phone=““ transform_origin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_styles_last_edited=“on|desktop“ width=“56px“ width_tablet=“100%“ width_phone=““ width_last_edited=“on|desktop“ max_width_last_edited=“off|tablet“ custom_margin=“||-200px|“ custom_margin_tablet=“|0%|0px|“ custom_margin_phone=““ custom_margin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ transform_styles_tablet=““ transform_styles_phone=““ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ admin_label=“About“ _builder_version=“4.16″ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=“on|desktop“ padding_top_bottom_link_2=“true“ padding_left_right_link_2=“true“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ background_color=“#f9f7f0″ custom_padding=“30px|40px|20px|40px|false|false“ custom_padding_tablet=““ custom_padding_phone=“|0px||“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.16″ text_font=“Montserrat||||||||“ text_letter_spacing=“3px“ header_font=“||||||||“ header_2_font=“Karla|700||on|||||“ header_2_font_size=“35px“ header_3_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_3_text_color=“rgba(0,0,0,0.4)“ header_3_font_size=“12px“ header_3_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_3_line_height=“1.8em“ custom_margin=“||0px“ header_2_font_size_tablet=““ header_2_font_size_phone=“30px“ header_2_font_size_last_edited=“on|phone“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=“#f56845″ divider_weight=“12px“ _builder_version=“4.16″ z_index=“-1″ width=“50%“ module_alignment=“right“ custom_margin=“-22px||“ custom_margin_tablet=““ custom_margin_phone=“-18px||“ custom_margin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“||||||||“ text_font_size=“16px“ text_line_height=“2em“ custom_padding=“||10px||false|false“ custom_padding_tablet=“||10px||false|false“ custom_padding_phone=“|10px|10px||false|false“ custom_padding_last_edited=“on|phone“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
Globally oriented, customer-centric, export personality with Allrounder qualities. Growing up overseas I have been a generalist and \u201cQuereinsteiger\u201d (lateral entrant) all my life. I studied International Relations but ended up as Export Manager Middle East & Africa in my first real job. From B2B sales of investment goods I moved on to selling FMCG into EMEA. I moved into management as European Sales Administrator. Then I was asked to head a new Business Unit for Sport Optics. What an adventure! Never before had I been involved in so many facets of a business: product management and development, brand and trade marketing, planning, budgeting, forecasting, new customer acquisition with our sales teams and distributors around Europe, as well as strategic global developments with Japan and America.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ admin_label=“About“ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“||0px|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_row column_structure=“1_2,1_2″ custom_padding_last_edited=“on|desktop“ padding_top_bottom_link_2=“true“ padding_left_right_link_2=“true“ _builder_version=“4.16″ background_color=“#f9f7f0″ min_height=“541px“ custom_margin=“|auto|39px|auto||“ custom_padding=“|40px|0px|||“ custom_padding_tablet=““ custom_padding_phone=“|0px||“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_image src=“http:\/\/christoph-brunen.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/25A8473-Kopie-1024×683.jpg“ title_text=“_25A8473 – Kopie“ align_tablet=“center“ align_phone=““ align_last_edited=“on|desktop“ _builder_version=“4.27.2″ background_image=“http:\/\/christoph-brunen.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/actor-02.png“ background_size=“initial“ background_position=“bottom_left“ transform_translate_linked=“off“ custom_margin=“0px||-100px|-5vw|false|false“ custom_margin_tablet=“||0px“ custom_margin_last_edited=“off|desktop“ custom_padding=“||100px|40px||“ custom_padding_tablet=“||“ custom_padding_phone=““ custom_padding_last_edited=“on|desktop“ box_shadow_style=“preset1″ box_shadow_vertical=“64px“ box_shadow_blur=“64px“ box_shadow_spread=“-12px“ box_shadow_color=“rgba(20,22,23,0.59)“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image url=“#“ align=“right“ _builder_version=“4.27.2″ background_color=“#f56845″ transform_translate=“30%|-70%“ transform_translate_linked=“off“ transform_origin=“100%|0%“ width=“80px“ module_alignment=“right“ custom_margin=“||-50px“ custom_padding=“30px|28px|30px|32px|true|false“ always_center_on_mobile=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“ border_radii__hover_enabled=“on“ border_radii__hover=“on||||“ transform_styles__hover_enabled=“on“ transform_scale__hover_enabled=“on“ transform_translate__hover_enabled=“on“ transform_rotate__hover_enabled=“on“ transform_skew__hover_enabled=“on“ transform_origin__hover_enabled=“on“ transform_scale__hover=“120%|120%“ transform_translate__hover=“30%|-70%“ transform_origin__hover=“100%|0%“][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“80px|60px|80px|60px“ custom_padding_tablet=““ custom_padding_phone=“|30px|40px|30px||true“ custom_padding_last_edited=“on|desktop“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.16″ text_font=“Montserrat||||||||“ text_letter_spacing=“3px“ header_font=“||||||||“ header_font_size=“70px“ header_line_height=“0.8em“ header_2_font=“Karla|700||on|||||“ header_2_font_size=“30px“ header_3_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_3_text_color=“rgba(0,0,0,0.4)“ header_3_font_size=“12px“ header_3_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_3_line_height=“1.8em“ custom_margin=“||0px“ header_2_font_size_tablet=““ header_2_font_size_phone=“26px“ header_2_font_size_last_edited=“on|phone“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=“#f56845″ divider_weight=“12px“ _builder_version=“4.16″ z_index=“-1″ width=“50%“ module_alignment=“right“ custom_margin=“-22px||“ custom_margin_tablet=““ custom_margin_phone=“-18px||“ custom_margin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“||||||||“ text_font_size=“16px“ text_line_height=“2em“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n
The reason you are reading this is that I may be seeking employment opportunities \u2013 interim or permanent. Conversely, you may be seeking to employ someone \u2013 interim or permanent.
My guess is you are looking for an expert. Are you looking for an expert? An expert in export? A \u2026 dare I say it \u2026 an Export-Expert?<\/p>\n
If you want to short-cut to the professional ME<\/strong>, please find a link to\u00a0 my Vita below:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_social_media_follow icon_color=“#ffffff“ use_icon_font_size=“on“ icon_font_size=“18px“ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_social_media_follow_network social_network=“linkedin“ url=“https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/christophbrunen\/“ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ background_color=“#007bb6″ global_colors_info=“{}“ follow_button=“off“ url_new_window=“on“]linkedin[\/et_pb_social_media_follow_network][\/et_pb_social_media_follow][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ admin_label=“Testimonial“ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_margin=“-110px||||false|false“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_row _builder_version=“4.16″ border_color_all=“rgba(51,51,51,0.12)“ border_width_bottom=“1px“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_divider color=“#f56845″ divider_weight=“4px“ _builder_version=“4.16″ z_index=“-1″ width=“100px“ custom_margin=“||“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font_size=“17px“ header_font=“||||||||“ header_3_font=“||||||||“ header_4_font=“Karla||||||||“ header_4_font_size=“32px“ header_4_line_height=“1.4em“ header_6_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_6_text_color=“rgba(0,0,0,0.4)“ header_4_font_size_tablet=“28px“ header_4_font_size_phone=“24px“ header_4_font_size_last_edited=“on|tablet“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n That\u2019s as professional as this website is going to get! What about behind the scenes?<\/p>\n If you want to take a moment to get to know the private ME<\/strong>, this website is a good place to start. My name is Christoph and I welcome you to a short, sometimes funny, sometimes candid, but always truthful, summary of the essential ME<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cHomo Globalicus\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ disabled_on=“off|off|off“ admin_label=“Why global man“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_row column_structure=“1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ background_color=“#f9f7f0″ custom_margin=“-3px||-3px||false|false“ custom_padding=“30px|40px|30px|40px|false|false“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“1_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.16″ text_font=“||||||||“ text_font_size=“16px“ text_line_height=“2em“ header_font=“||||||||“ header_3_font=“Karla|700||on|||||“ header_3_font_size=“24px“ header_3_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_3_line_height=“1.4em“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“2_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“||||||||“ text_font_size=“16px“ text_line_height=“2em“ header_4_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_4_font_size=“12px“ header_4_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_4_line_height=“1.8em“ custom_padding=“0px|||||“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n The origin of Homo Saphien is found in the Olduvai Gorge. Her name was Lucy. The origin of Homo Globalicus is in Korea. We all know that \u201cMade in Germany\u201d is very good. \u201cMade in Korea\u201d is also good. Logic would dictate that \u201cMade by Germans in Korea\u201d is even better! My parents were diplomats\u2026and eager to create another offspring during their first overseas posting. Here I am.<\/p>\n With and without the family I have lived in the following countries:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=“1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ background_color=“#f9f7f0″ custom_margin=“-3px||-3px||false|false“ custom_padding=“|40px||40px|false|false“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“1_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“2_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“||||||||“ text_font_size=“16px“ text_line_height=“2em“ header_font=“||||||||“ header_4_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_4_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_4_line_height=“1.8em“ header_5_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_5_text_color=“#f56845″ header_5_font_size=“12px“ header_5_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_5_line_height=“1.8em“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n \u2022 Nigeria 1964-1966<\/strong> That makes me a TCK (Third Culture Kid). That is an official designation for people who have spent more time living abroad than at \u201chome\u201d \u2013 wherever home may be. That\u2019s the Papa-was-a-rolling-stone-type-of life. Or they are offspring of multi-cultural parentage. It\u2019s no wonder, really, that I feel at ease with peoples from around the world. I appreciate the differences. I regret to acknowledge that there are plenty of people \u2018out there\u2019 who do not. They are not my friends. I don\u2019t like narrow-minded preconceptions on colour, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation or any such superficial differences.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=“1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ background_color=“#f9f7f0″ custom_margin=“-3px||-3px||false|false“ custom_padding=“60px|40px|30px|40px|false|false“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“1_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“2_3″ _builder_version=“4.16″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_accordion icon_color=“#FFFFFF“ use_icon_font_size=“on“ icon_font_size=“22px“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ toggle_font_size=“20px“ body_font_size=“16px“ custom_padding=“30px||30px||false|false“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_accordion_item title=“Nigeria“ open=“on“ open_toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ body_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ background_color=“#000000″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_direction=“162deg“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#4f1c21 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#4f1c21″ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ global_colors_info=“{}“ toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“]<\/p>\n I really cannot remember much about Nigeria. I was in diapers most of the time. Back then it was a \u201csugar posting\u201d for our old man. It was the Ausw\u00e4rtiges Amt (Foreign Office, State Department) statement of appreciation after serving 7 years of hardships in a post-war-torn Korea. I can recall only the things I saw in the 8mm movies my parents made at the time. For sure it had nothing to do with the unstable, oil-rich, corrupt and war-torn Nigeria of recent memory. It used to be a slice of paradise\u2026<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=“Yemen“ open_toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ body_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ background_color=“#000000″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_direction=“162deg“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#4f1c21 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#4f1c21″ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ global_colors_info=“{}“ toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ open=“off“]<\/p>\n I must have been about 3 years old when we got there. Too early to have any vivid memories. From the movies and from what our parents told us about Yemen, there are only two sequences, real or imagined I am not sure: [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=“Korea“ open_toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ body_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ background_color=“#000000″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_direction=“162deg“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#4f1c21 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#4f1c21″ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ global_colors_info=“{}“ toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ open=“off“]<\/p>\n I still have a few \u201coldies\u201d on fb from my Korea days (45+ years ago). Kim McCarthy and Jae Jung Rhee (both hot, hot, hot!) Others, like Thomas and Jimmy Elkins are Trump fans \u2026what can I say. They are entitled to an opinion and I am not going to discuss politics! As we had no German schools catering to the German-language community, I attended International Schools. Those were the roots of my flawless American accent! However, our parents forced us to attend the Goethe Institut for German language lessons every Saturday. What a bummer! Not only did we not enjoy more studies, we also missed out on KC Kasem\u2019s American Top 40 on the radio. Sundays were mostly spent hiking in the mountains around Seoul.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=“Malaysia“ open_toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ body_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ background_color=“#000000″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_direction=“162deg“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#4f1c21 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#4f1c21″ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ global_colors_info=“{}“ toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ open=“off“]<\/p>\n Kuala Lumpur is the place I remember most fondly. Almost all my dearest friends-for-life are actually from the formative high school years in Malaysia. Due to our parents\u2019 jobs that took them overseas as Expats, we came from all walks of life. In my Senior year I recall the school had enrolled 52 nationalities at a time when we broke the 600 student\u2019s barrier \u2013 grades 1 to 12! [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=“USA“ open_toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ body_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ background_color=“#000000″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_direction=“162deg“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#4f1c21 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#4f1c21″ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ global_colors_info=“{}“ toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ open=“off“]<\/p>\n From Texas I remember only the old high school friends who attended various universities there. We were either roommates or they attended university not far away. At one time there were at least 8 people from ISKL attending SHSU. As a TCK you followed your American friends to wherever they were going. How was I to know that SHSU was a dump? Where the hell is Huntsville, TX anyway? Most people know Huntsville only because they had 7 (yes 7!) prisons in and around town. Two of them maximum security with (more-or-less) regular death sentence events. Then again, we were there when MTV was born! Madonna was a virgin, Martha Quinn of MTV fame lost hers a buncha times, the Jolly Fox gave us Ladie\u2019s Night, Dime Night and a bunch of pool tables where we could while away the evenings. [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=“Germany“ open_toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ body_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ background_color=“#000000″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_direction=“162deg“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#4f1c21 0%|#ba1840 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#4f1c21″ background_color_gradient_end=“#ba1840″ global_colors_info=“{}“ toggle_text_color=“#FFFFFF“ open=“off“]<\/p>\n During the latter days of my graduate studies I needed to make some serious choices. Stay and get a PhD? Stay and get another MA in journalism? Go home and find my roots? I chose the latter. After having lived abroad 23 out of my 25 years I decided to head back to Bonn, Germany to start a new life. I remember it well. I arrived back in Germany speaking almost no German, a terrible vocabulary and, to top it off, with a broad American accent. It took people some getting used to!<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][\/et_pb_accordion][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“4_4″ _builder_version=“4.25.0″ _module_preset=“default“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=“1″ admin_label=“Kontakt“ _builder_version=“4.16″ use_background_color_gradient=“on“ background_color_gradient_stops=“#ffdb8b 0%|#fdb15b 100%“ background_color_gradient_start=“#ffdb8b“ background_color_gradient_end=“#fdb15b“ custom_margin=“||“ custom_padding=“0px||0px|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_row column_structure=“1_2,1_2″ make_equal=“on“ _builder_version=“4.16″ width=“100%“ max_width=“100%“ custom_padding=“0px||0px|||“ global_colors_info=“{}“][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ background_color=“#ffffff“ custom_padding=“20vw||100px|10vw“ custom_padding_tablet=“0vw||0px|0vw“ custom_padding_phone=““ custom_padding_last_edited=“on|desktop“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=“1_2″ _builder_version=“4.16″ custom_padding=“5vw|10vw|0px|20px|false|false“ custom_padding_tablet=“60px|10vw|60px|10vw|true|true“ custom_padding_last_edited=“off|desktop“ global_colors_info=“{}“ custom_padding__hover=“|||“][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“Montserrat||||||||“ text_letter_spacing=“3px“ header_font=“||||||||“ header_2_font=“Karla|700||on|||||“ header_2_font_size=“46px“ header_3_font=“Montserrat|||on|||||“ header_3_text_color=“rgba(0,0,0,0.4)“ header_3_font_size=“12px“ header_3_letter_spacing=“1px“ header_3_line_height=“1.8em“ custom_margin=“||0px“ header_2_font_size_tablet=““ header_2_font_size_phone=“30px“ header_2_font_size_last_edited=“on|phone“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=“#ffffff“ divider_weight=“12px“ _builder_version=“4.16″ z_index=“-1″ width=“250px“ custom_margin=“-22px||“ custom_margin_tablet=““ custom_margin_phone=“-18px||“ custom_margin_last_edited=“on|desktop“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=“4.25.0″ text_font=“||||||||“ text_text_color=“rgba(0,0,0,0.6)“ text_font_size=“16px“ text_line_height=“2em“ custom_padding=“||30px||false|false“ locked=“off“ global_colors_info=“{}“]<\/p>\nWHY \u201cGLOBAL MAN\u201d?<\/h3>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u2022 Yemen 1966-1968<\/strong>
\u2022 Germany 1968-1971<\/strong>
\u2022 Korea 1971-1977<\/strong>
\u2022 Malaysia 1977-1981<\/strong>
\u2022 Texas, USA 1981-1985 (B.A. Political Science)<\/strong>
\u2022 Georgia, USA 1985-1987 (M.A. International Relations)<\/strong>
\u2022 Germany 1987-present (Bonn, Heidelberg, Hamburg)<\/strong><\/p>\n
The first, when I was about 3 \u00bd, the accident that almost took my life. I tore myself loose from our gardener\u2019s\/driver\u2019s? hand and ran across the street in front of the house \u2013 only to get run over by a motorcycle. Talk about crappy timing! I ended up in a Yemeni hospital with a skull fracture. My memory is of an operating table and a naked lightbulb from which a cat had just been told to scat. My Mom told me later they were going to patch me up with a thick and a (slightly) thinner measure of wire when someone informed her that a new hospital had been recently opened. That hospital, a gift to the Yemeni by the Kuwaitis, was stocked with socialist doctors and nurses from Hungary \u2013 socialist Brothers in Arms back then. So off we went and a Dr. Kosma patched me up. Still my favourite scar today and adorns most of my left temple. Does anyone remember Mel Gibson and Rene Russo in \u2018Lethal Weapon\u2019 when they compare scars? Remove the erotic component and I win! I actually met with Dr. Kosma some 35 years later after the Iron curtain was no more. I thanked him with a bottle of Blue Label and a loving embrace.
The second memory is of the revolution that took place during our time there. Royalist troops supported by the Egyptian government pitted against the socialist regime. You can do the research yourself, if you are so inclined. One night the windows were blasted across the bedroom where my brother Alex and I slept. This was the result of tank shells raining down in the street. I recall glass flying everywhere and my terrified mother coming in to shuttle us to the basement. The next thing I remember is that we were witness to an awesomely red sunrise after the shelling had stopped.<\/p>\n
Unequivocally, we have in common to us all only ONE thing \u2013 the International School of Kuala Lumpur. What a fabulous institution of learning that was. In retrospect \u2026 although I was only a \u201csolid\u201d C- student (my A\u2019s in PE saved my GPA), I even liked my teachers! Coach Daniels wins my favourite teacher award hands down. Great man and forever my hero. Again, retro-actively, Mrs. Mahendran and Mrs. McElroy also warm my heart. The former for being tough because she knew (rather, suspected), I had more brains than my lazy ass wanted to use! The latter for passing me in Geometry with an outstanding D- so I could graduate. Turns out she was a soccer fan and I was the top scorer. Yes, I was a jock \u2026 but apparently with a winning streak \u2013 whichever way we look at it! With 20\/20 hindsight 😉, I actually regret not doing another year at ISKL. I could have made many more fond memories!
To this day, we ISKLites meet up somewhere in the world, multiple locations, all year round. I have had my fair share of reunions in San Antonio, Houston and, most memorably, in KL for ISKLs 50th Anniversary. We don\u2019t really do class reunions. Anybody who attended ISKL, regardless of year, is Family and therefore welcome. I love them all. We are all somehow linked up on fb with various groups that take the KL experience all the way back to the \u201850s. A truly outstanding crowd of individuals \u2026 UNSURPASSED!<\/p>\n
On a positive note, I dropped sports in favor of studies. I took loads of courses and graduated with a GPA of 3.4. Not bad for a lazy bastard\u2026and Golden Key National Honor Society to boot!
From my UGA days I remember only a German guy by the name of Kersten von Seebach. Considering he was a \u201cvon\u201d with blue blood, he was the total fuckup \u2026 in the best sense of the word. We stuck together like flies on shit for 2 years. I got him to focus on studies, he got me to focus on party! We both got our M.A. in Political Science. I graduated with a GPA of 3.8 and wrote a pretty damn good thesis on Sovie and American arms transfers to the Third World, some pretty original stuff and very intellectually satisfying.<\/p>\nContact Me<\/h3>\n
Get In Touch<\/h2>\n