この旅でRonさんが確信したことは、グローバルビジネスを人生の目標とすることでした。
このRonさんの伝記を読み、私はRonさんの人生の後を追っているような気がしてきました。1979年、初めての海外出張がRonさんが学んだ大学のある米国San Jose。1983年からの同じSan Joseに駐在。米国の文化、多様性、懐の深さに触れました。自分の人生をどうすべきか、この時、決まりました。それは、会社に自分の人生を委ねず、チャレンジして自分で責任のとれる人生を歩むことでした。
From Vienna, I took another overnight train to Munich, Germany. In Munich, all I can remember is drinking more beer than my body was prepared for. In the hostel, I meet a couple of traveling American girls, and they wanted to go out on the town. So, off we went with me being the chaperon again. In a beer bar, we met a couple of Danish guys traveling around. I think everyone in the whole place was plastered and a German fellow came over to us. He had heard us speaking in English, and he wanted to voice his views of American policy on a few issues, particularly the Vietnam War. I don’t remember what the issues were, but I do know he was very proud to be Germany and the Americans were somehow inferior. Anyway, the five of us (the two American girls, the two Danish boys and me) quickly departed. At the next place the Danish guys mentioned that is a problem they have with the Germans. Also, they mentioned that Denmark is one of the largest countries in Europe. They included Greenland, a Danish territory. Anyway, I spent the rest of the night with my head in the toilet. Munich was also a beautiful city to me and a city of great engineering. Here again, I had no idea that years later I would be working with both the Danish and Germans and loving working with both of them.
From Munich, I was off to Switzerland. I wanted to get out of the larger cities, so I headed for Interlaken and Grindelwald, Switzerland. If there ever was a place that you would want to tuck yourself away in and write a book, that region is it. With extremely slow moving trains winding in the hills and rolling slopes that are breathtaking in beauty, it is a great place for inspiration.
In Switzerland
From there I was off to Geneva. It is amazing that Switzerland is a country with German spoken in the north, Italian spoken in the south and French spoken in the west. Also, if someone from each of those regions are together more than likely they are using English.
Geneva is the French side of Switzerland. Geneva is one of the most international cities I know, even though the spoken language is French. Many non-governmental organizations was there (IMF, WHO, GATT, etc.) in those days. From Geneva, I took the train to Bordeaux, France and spent a day in the French wine country. I met a Japanese person there who was also traveling like me.
From Bordeaux, I traveled to Paris and met the American girls I met in Italy. That is where they were studying. They showed me around and told me how to get around on the Paris Metro. In those days, next to London, Paris had the best subway systems in Europe. Paris is the world of fashion and art. You can see mirrors, so people can regularly check their appearance.
In Paris with my American friends
From Paris I went Belgium and spent a day or two with one of my sister Israeli Kibbutz member’s family. There is a lot of action in Brussels, even though it is in one of the smallest countries in Europe.
From Belgium I went to Holland for a day or two. Then, I took the train/ferry back to London. On the train, I met two South Africans. In those days, I smoked but wanted to stop. So, we bet that would not smoke until we got to London. Well, I won and they lost. A month or so after that, I quite for good and have not smoked since. Now, I’m one of those people that dislike the smell of second-hand smoke on my clothes.
Back in London, I saw Jimmy again and then was back to San Jose.
In the maiden trip, I learned my love of travel and fascination with different ways of living and thinking. It really opened my eyes as to the options we have available to us in life.
When thinking of different nations, I think of the Olympics and the different teams representing their countries. Those teams are competing. I started to wonder in those days of what could be achieved if we work together instead of just competed. Is that concept possible, I thought back then? Yes, even then I thought it was (and still is) possible. So, I looked at the multinational business community. The international business community, which supplies goods and services worldwide, was the way to go for me I thought.
That trip convinced me that the international world was for me. In those years, I developed my goals and dreams for life….what my life’s purpose was. It was to bring the world closer together and to do it through people helping each other in a wide range of business and development projects. In order to do that, I needed both global interaction and understanding in where I could be helpful.
このRonさんの伝記を読み、私はRonさんの人生の後を追っているような気がしてきました。1979年、初めての海外出張がRonさんが学んだ大学のある米国San Jose。1983年からの同じSan Joseに駐在。米国の文化、多様性、懐の深さに触れました。自分の人生をどうすべきか、この時、決まりました。それは、会社に自分の人生を委ねず、チャレンジして自分で責任のとれる人生を歩むことでした。
From Vienna, I took another overnight train to Munich, Germany. In Munich, all I can remember is drinking more beer than my body was prepared for. In the hostel, I meet a couple of traveling American girls, and they wanted to go out on the town. So, off we went with me being the chaperon again. In a beer bar, we met a couple of Danish guys traveling around. I think everyone in the whole place was plastered and a German fellow came over to us. He had heard us speaking in English, and he wanted to voice his views of American policy on a few issues, particularly the Vietnam War. I don’t remember what the issues were, but I do know he was very proud to be Germany and the Americans were somehow inferior. Anyway, the five of us (the two American girls, the two Danish boys and me) quickly departed. At the next place the Danish guys mentioned that is a problem they have with the Germans. Also, they mentioned that Denmark is one of the largest countries in Europe. They included Greenland, a Danish territory. Anyway, I spent the rest of the night with my head in the toilet. Munich was also a beautiful city to me and a city of great engineering. Here again, I had no idea that years later I would be working with both the Danish and Germans and loving working with both of them.
From Munich, I was off to Switzerland. I wanted to get out of the larger cities, so I headed for Interlaken and Grindelwald, Switzerland. If there ever was a place that you would want to tuck yourself away in and write a book, that region is it. With extremely slow moving trains winding in the hills and rolling slopes that are breathtaking in beauty, it is a great place for inspiration.
In Switzerland
From there I was off to Geneva. It is amazing that Switzerland is a country with German spoken in the north, Italian spoken in the south and French spoken in the west. Also, if someone from each of those regions are together more than likely they are using English.
Geneva is the French side of Switzerland. Geneva is one of the most international cities I know, even though the spoken language is French. Many non-governmental organizations was there (IMF, WHO, GATT, etc.) in those days. From Geneva, I took the train to Bordeaux, France and spent a day in the French wine country. I met a Japanese person there who was also traveling like me.
From Bordeaux, I traveled to Paris and met the American girls I met in Italy. That is where they were studying. They showed me around and told me how to get around on the Paris Metro. In those days, next to London, Paris had the best subway systems in Europe. Paris is the world of fashion and art. You can see mirrors, so people can regularly check their appearance.
In Paris with my American friends
From Paris I went Belgium and spent a day or two with one of my sister Israeli Kibbutz member’s family. There is a lot of action in Brussels, even though it is in one of the smallest countries in Europe.
From Belgium I went to Holland for a day or two. Then, I took the train/ferry back to London. On the train, I met two South Africans. In those days, I smoked but wanted to stop. So, we bet that would not smoke until we got to London. Well, I won and they lost. A month or so after that, I quite for good and have not smoked since. Now, I’m one of those people that dislike the smell of second-hand smoke on my clothes.
Back in London, I saw Jimmy again and then was back to San Jose.
In the maiden trip, I learned my love of travel and fascination with different ways of living and thinking. It really opened my eyes as to the options we have available to us in life.
When thinking of different nations, I think of the Olympics and the different teams representing their countries. Those teams are competing. I started to wonder in those days of what could be achieved if we work together instead of just competed. Is that concept possible, I thought back then? Yes, even then I thought it was (and still is) possible. So, I looked at the multinational business community. The international business community, which supplies goods and services worldwide, was the way to go for me I thought.
That trip convinced me that the international world was for me. In those years, I developed my goals and dreams for life….what my life’s purpose was. It was to bring the world closer together and to do it through people helping each other in a wide range of business and development projects. In order to do that, I needed both global interaction and understanding in where I could be helpful.
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