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| Red Rock Country |
I was born on the second of June 1973 in Cologne, where my parents lived
at that time. Together with my sister Sabine, who was born 2 years after
me, I visited the kindergarten there, until we moved to Bad Münstereifel
in 1980. This is a small city in the countryside, surrounded by small hills
and large forests. There I went to the primary school, and after 4 years
I entered the private catholic gymnasium. The 11th class I spent in the
United States at a private High School. The school is located in Sedona,
Arizona, in the middle of an awesome landscape (the famous Red Rock Country).
I spent a lot of time in the wild nature, hiking and climbing, and participated
on various school trips to other parts of Arizona and northern Mexico.
The vacations I spent with friends in California and New Mexico, to which
I still have contact. I graduated there in 1991 and returned to Germany
to finish my school there. I truly can say that this American year was
the best in my life so far.
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| Verde Valley School (Campus) |
In 1993 I regularly archived my Abitur (the German Version of the High
School Diploma) and decided to study electrical engineering. Before entering
the University, I had to complete a practical training. I was accepted
by Ford, Cologne, where I worked for three months as a trainee. In that
time I not only learned various mechanical techniques (which was the main
intention of the training), but also got detailed impressions of a modern
car manufacturing and the organization of such a huge company. After that
I started my studies. Two years later, in 1995, I completed the basic studies
and specialized in technical computer science. By October 1998 I will have
passed all my exams and want to do another obligatory practical training
in Australia, before I finish my studies with the dissertation. I am really
keen on spending this second training in Australia, because I am very interested
in the parts of the world I have not been to so far, and because I only
have made really good experiences with stays abroad. I love to enter foreign
cultures and to meet new people. Next to USA and Mexico I also have spent
quite a while in Italy, where my parents have a little house. Almost every
vacation during my school time I traveled with my family there and also
have a lot of friends there. Next to my interest in foreign parts of the
world I am quite sportive. I do a lot of swimming, cycling, skiing, Badminton
and Korfball, but have tried out most of the other sports (like Soccer,
Basketball, Volleyball, Climbing, Judo) as well. The last two years I have
accompanied a trip of my former school as a skiing teacher. At the moment
I am mainly doing Korfball, which is a team game similar to Basketball.
It has been invented by a Dutch, and is really well known only in the Netherlands.
It has spread out to a couple European countries as well as to Australia
and South Africa. The university where I study is in Aachen, which is located
right next to the Dutch and Belgian border. This is why they offer this
sport here, and I entered the university team two years ago.
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| our house in Eschweiler |
Right now a am also playing in a Dutch team right across the border and
manage the Aachen team. I am responsible for the organization (e.g. of
trips to tournaments, training, social events) and I am the University
representative of this sport. Throughout my life I have joined different
clubs and school groups. I have been a ministrant for years and acted in
some performances at school. Right now I am member of the bachelors’ club
in my home village and on the Board of our fire brigade. Both activities
are a lot of fun, although they also bring a lot of work with them. In
my spare time I love to solve logical problems and puzzles, I like playing
cards, chess and most of the other board games. Last but not least I try
to improve my juggling facilities as often as I can. |
