That moment when you're like, ' man I'm really in Germany!'
After preparing for my trip to Bayern, packed and ready, off we drove. My good Rotarian Baba and I drove for an hour to Hof, the nearest big city south of Schleiz, where I would be taking a train. As I took my luggage from the boot I could see before me, the Hof Haupbahnhaf ( Main Train Station), an old ,classic style building dominating the space before me.
With my heavy, red travel bag hanging on my right shoulder and my small 'tourist' bag strapped across and hanging on my left hip, we crossed the empty street and entered the building.
A short walk through this old building with a simple interior, an office and a souvenir shop.We were by the train waiting area. My train was coming in at 11.44am, just a few minutes away.
As we were waiting for my train, Baba told me a little about German history, no, not about world war 2 or the Holocaust. About how the Germans came to love potatoes and why Germans are referred to as 'Frietz'. Little did I know that I was on my way to one of the most blessed town in the world.
After two hours on the Deutsche Bahn train, I finally arrived at Erlangen where a Rotarian picked me up in a classic convertible of a British make. In a few minutes we were in Herzungenaurach, a little town in the Franking region of Bayern. With about 25000 residents who call it home as well as two of the world's biggest sport clothing companies, Adidas and Puma.
On either side of the road are these huge state of the art buildings belonging to the rival companies. With Adidas owning most of the land across the road from Puma, with test centres, laboratories and showrooms, Adidas also employs most of the workers in this town.
As an exchange student I attended the Rotary meeting that was held at the Adidas hotel. We drove up to the hotel with a black Mercedes convertible, so I had German wind blowing through my ears as we passed the Puma World, up past the Adidas and Nike outlets on the left and through the Maize Meal Fields to the hotel.We parked next to a a line of German cars, standing there as though it was a show day. There I met some of the movers and shakers of these two companies. Just to mention a few; the current CEO of Puma, the chief lawyer of the Adidas Group and other members of the senior leaderships of these respective companies. Sitting with me where also successful local business people and members of the community.
In one conversation I had with the Mr Dassler from Adidas, he mentioned that he was frequently in Pietemaritzburg during its golden days as Africa's capital for shoe manufacturing. We exchanged our pities that the shoe industry in Pietermaritzburg is dead and buried with no evidence that it even existed. I told him about that current situation in South Africa where we have a very strong worker's union that demands unrealistic wages and conditions from investors, as a result we have investors running away to South Asia where they can have their products produced for less.
He also told me that there has been a general shift away from South Africa due to this. This led me to ask myself as a potential worker: Do I need a job so I can pay my bills and have a living or stay unemployed while demanding for a perfect job that does not exist in reality?
After an amazing weekend at Brombachsee, where we sailed at the dam and splashed into the water every now and then, I received a massage from Adidas.
Mr Frank Dassler, the chief lawyer at Adidas wanted me have a meeting with me and give me a tour of the complex. He had heard me say that I wanted to study Law at the Rotary meeting.
Excited, the next morning I prepared myself for the meeting. Got on the bicycle and went up, carefully and slowly cycling so that I don't get sweaty. There it was before me, the Adidas World building and I was about to enter it!
After confirming that I had arrived, the receptionist notified my host and gave me a visitor's card with my name on it. A few minutes later a kind lady came to escort me to Mr Dassler's office....
Lebohang Dube
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