Stories from the Docks

Dare to Live Fully

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Damn Lucky

My life has been tempered by loss. The only way I have found through it is by having the courage and creativity to cultivate a huge amount of gratitude. I have decided that the only way to live my life is to hold people in an open hand. To cherish them but never cling t read more

Damn Lucky was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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How to Piss Off an Oklahoman

Come to work without your working pants on In Oklahoma, we are all for helping those in need. We have over 27,000 (yes that is 3 zeros) non-profit organizations in the state of Oklahoma. Hell, we have BEEN those in need more than once with our severe weather and tragic past. We are the kind of people who still have an extra seat at the table for someone in need.

However, as our State Motto alludes, “Labor Omnia Vincit” or “Labor Conquers All”, we do expect you to do your part. Each person in society is expected to know how to put in a hard days work. If you can’t do that, we really don’t have much use for ya. As crazy as it sounds, there are still cattle-rustlers in Oklahoma along with every other sort of thief. If you really want to get an Oklahoman angry, take something you never worked for.

Come over without an appetite If I were invited over to my Grandma’s house for supper and I had filled up on some fast food beforehand, she would ring my neck. Grandma busted her back to make us a healthy, made-from-scratch meal and I’ll-be-damned if you weren’t going to eat it! You were expected to eat everything on your plate. It’s even customary to use the last half of a dinner roll to wipe up the left over gravy. If you went in for seconds and could still clean the plate as if it had just been set out on the table, you were the favorite grandkid.

Same is true in Oklahoma City and Tulsa: if you’re going to visit, try at least one of our many local restaurants, breweries, roasters, etc. Local means – locally sourced, made-from-scratch, and craft.

We’ve made it easy to discover local with the Keep It Local card and mobile app. The mobile app provides a list of easy-to-find participating businesses. Then just flash the card at the time of service to get some pretty sweet discounts. Flashing in Lousiana may earn you cheap beads, but here, we put money back in your pocket for keeping it local.

Point being, our locals work very hard to do what they love and if all you did while in OKC is grab some McDonalds, you missed out on our culture and we will not be very happy with you.

Call us fat and unhealthy Although there was a time when we were in the running for most unhealthy state in the US, the city of Oklahoma City has recently lost 1 million pounds (Check out OKC Mayor Mick Cornett’s Ted Talk)! Furthermore, we are in the process of building the most World Class Boat House and River District in the world with amenities such as white water rafting and rowing. In fact, we are, now, an Olympic and Para-Olympic training site for rowing. We also have facilities such a Rocktown and a budding bike-share system, Spokies, and some of the most diverse outdoor terrain in the country with 35 state parks and thousands of miles of hiking trails.

We can’t yet say we are the most healthy state in the country but we can say we are on our way! And the truth is, we don’t have to give up our pleasures in life such as our state meal of black-eyed peas, chicken fried steak, cornbread, corn on the cob, okra, strawberries, sausage and gravy, barbeque pork, squash, biscuits, grits, and pecan pie (yes, that is apparently one meal). We just have to continue being a community that works together to take life in healthy proportions.

Say we are uncultured hillybillys While, just like every other place in the world, we have our fair share of uncultured, OKC has grown into a multicultural city. With organizations like The Spero Project, we have refugees taking solace in Oklahoma as well as deciding to make this their home. The thing about being an Oklahoman is, you don’t have to be born or grow up here to deserve the title. All you have to do is come in, work hard, and contribute positively to the community. Anyone from anywhere can do that and, they have. As a traveler myself, nothing is more exciting than coming home to Oklahoma to find myself surrounded by people from all over the world who can now call themselves Oklahomans.

Furthermore, we aren’t hillybillys – we are Cowboys and Indians — two of the most hard working, ingenious, resilient, supportive, creative, entrepreneurial and community-minded groups of people in the history of America. Although the image of cowboys and indians is probably far different from what you see in the movies, it’s their values we, as a state, hold onto. You won’t find people like these in many places in this world.

One of our greatest examples of culture and growth is our involvement in the International Districts of Creativity Network. We are the only member in North America along with 14 members from around the world. We even declared ourselves the State of Creativity and began our organization Creative Oklahoma with the mission to transform the State of Oklahoma through projects and collaborative ventures that help develop a more entrepreneurial and vibrant economy and an improved life quality for its citizens. The global creativity movement, including Creative Oklahoma, encourages individuals to recognize and maintain their talents and bring those gifts into their communities. Creative ideas will be the fuel that drives the economic and social change in the approaching decades.

We are, of course, still learning and growing. And we will continue to do so throughout our existence.

How to Piss Off an Oklahoman was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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Oklahoma City, Shop Like A Local

If you’re looking to make friends with young entrepreneurs or experience a city that radiates with a friendly, hopeful, community spirit — Oklahoma City is the place for you!

The great state of Oklahoma is filled to the brim with the same values of the old west: hard working, ingenious, resilient, supportive, creative, and entrepreneurial but above all, community! OKC has come from the dust of a tragic terrorist attack in the heart of the city to a thriving metropolis. The values and spirit of Oklahoma City aren’t only for the original Okies but also for those who have come from all over the world to make the city what it is today.

Before you leave for your holiday to the American Mid-West, you should book a place to stay. My suggestion is to use the website Airbnb. You can rent an apartment from a local who lives right here in Oklahoma City. Although there are a few different options, the best location-wise (not to mention cutest) apartment I have found is one right in the heart of the city.

Another option is to stay in this romantic locally owned Victorian bed and breakfast, The Grandison Inn.

The first thing you will want to do when you land at the Will Rogers World Airport is rent a car. As amazing as our great city is, we are still growing and public transportation is not yet the most efficient way to make your way around the metro. If you just aren’t a fan of driving yourself, you can use the service called Uber. If you’re a new customer, you’re first ride is free! Outside of driving yourself, Uber is the most efficient and cheapest way to see the city. 

Now, on to the districts that create the creative heart beat of OKC:

Downtown 

            Get up early on your first day in OKC and get to the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum to watch the sunrise from the Survivor Tree. This is ground zero of the first terrorist attack in America, the first terrorist attack by an American and of where Oklahoma City started to grow into what she is today. Be sure to keep you ears open as the park rangers tell you stories of the people who went through one of the most horrific moments in American history and take your time as you tour the museum and grounds. Next, lighten up your day by visiting the OKC Museum of Arts where you can view art, glass, and photography exhibits as well as catch a film! If you’re in town the third Friday of the month, don’t miss the monthly neighborhood block party Premier on Film Row featuring film screenings, live music, art exhibitions and gourmet food trucks from seven to ten in the evening. Before you leave, drop into Powerhouse down at the Farmer’s Market for some food, speciality cocktails and live music!  

Midtown 

            If you’re staying at the Grandison, you will find yourself right in the heart of Midtown. As a coffee enthusiast, the first thing you’ll want to do is walk 11 minutes to the place where you’ll have a cup of joe in its purest form, Elemental Coffee. Make sure to pick up a Keep It Local card at the checkout. With this card, designed by local artists, you will get discounts at ALL local businesses in OKC for the rest of your trip! From there, it’s a four-minute walk to Blue Garten – a locally sourced food truck park with a full service liquor bar. If you’re hungry for lunch, you will have plenty of options here or you could try a Buffalo Burger and Shake at Kaisers. There are normally three to four different food trucks for you to choose from! Also, I suggest you try the local craft beers Coop,Anthem, Rough-tail and Prairie Ales while you are here. For your evening in Midtown check out Packards, a New American Kitchen with a seasonal menu (make sure to ask about the rooftop!). You should also stop in for a German Draft at Fassler Hall and maybe a cocktail (go for the Wild Honey) and some bowling at Dust Bowl. And, if you’re lucky enough to be in town the last Friday of the month between March and October, drop in to H & 8th Night Market for a true foodie (and craft beer) festival with music and 30,000 locals! You’ll find it on the same street as Elemental Coffee!

Automobile Alley 

This boisterous district started all the way back in 1911 when clever entrepreneurs saw opportunity in OKC. Car dealerships set up shop up and down Boulevard. After more than 50 years, the district fell into disrepair only to be revamped in the 2000’s by more of what we know as Oklahomans and you know as hard working entrepreneurs. Stop for lunch at my favorite café in the whole city, The Beatnix Café. This gem of a lunch spot will make you feel like you are living on the edge in a Jack Kerouac novel as you sip your French Press Coffee and munch your Beatnix Club. Next, walk down the street to a store of life and style products that stand for authenticity and living whole-heartedly, Plenty Mercantile where you can find everything from notepads to shaving cream to backpacks! Another great place to grab craft goods is Shop Good where everything you buy gives to a cause that is helping to support communities and needs in Oklahoma City and around the world! If you’re up for it, you can take a tour of the famous psychedelic band The Flaming Lips building called The Womb gallery. I’m sure you’re hungry for dinner by now so have a bite of the best burgers in the world at S&B’s Burgers – I order the Black & Blue and the Bloody Mary of the day. AND, if you happen to be in town the third Thursday of the month, drop into the Automobile Alley Shop Hopfrom six to nine pm for music, food, drinks and craft goods!

Uptown

Uptown 23rd is the most recently renovated district in the city. Stretching from Broadway to Penn on NW 23rd Street, you will find great locally-owned restaurants, eclectic boutiques and welcoming businesses. Definitely go check out the hottest pub in town right now, The Pump — an old gas station remodeled into a craft bar with ample patio seating. Grab one of their seasonal speciality cocktails, play a round of Corn Hole and enjoy the fresh air.

The Paseo

Home to more than 22 galleries and 80 artists, the Paseo was developed as the first shopping district north of downtown in 1929. If you are in town the first Friday, you simply must check out the Paseo First Friday Art Walk. You will enjoy an evening of perusing the work of some of the most talented creatives in OKC. You can also grab a slice of pizza from Sauced (pro-tip, order an Irish Creme soda with a shot of Jameson – Yum!) or go for a slightly more upscale meal at Picassos. Don’t forget to check out the many vendors and art studios up and down Paseo Drive!

Plaza District 

            If there is a district that is the quintessential OKC, it is the Plaza District. Jonathan Fowler, owner of Fowler VW of Norman, is also a local music lover. Fowler has a very interesting concept of marketing in which he teamed up with a local rock radio station, The Spy FM, to create The VDub Sessions. That is music videos of local and touring artists inside a moving lime green, 1977 VW Vanagon. Fowler used this same marketing concept to support a group of savvy entrepreneurs who chose to revitalize NW 16th street which became The Plaza District. First, have a morning cup of coffee and a small breakfast at District House. For lunch, have an amazing slice of pizza (for only $3.50!) and a local brew at Empire Slice House. Then, get your sweet tooth fill at Pie Junkie (Bonus points if you grab a cup of ice cream from Roxys to put on top of your pie)! Finally time for some shopping, if you are in the mood to dig for treasure, pop into the district’s thrift store, Bad Granny’s Bazaar. If you’re more into simple browsing rather than digging, Dig It! will be more up your alley. And if you’re looking for local crafts and gift shopping, check out these shops: Collected Thread, DNA Galleries, and Tree & Leaf Clothing. Start your evening off at Chiltepe’s (because you simply cannot leave OKC until you’ve had at least one Tex-Mex meal) with dinner and a cucumber shot! Continue the party at a few of the most amazing local pubs in the city like The Mule (try the Poutine for a late-night snack) and Saints Pub. And, if you are in town the second Friday of the month, Live on the Plaza is the best festival in the city. Be sure to get there early and stay late for featured artists, live music, special events, local shopping, food trucks, and who knows what else!

Posted on September 14, 2015

Oklahoma City, Shop Like A Local was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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Sustainability in Capetown, South Africa, World Design Capital 2014

When it comes to sustainability, Cape Town, now three times the size of New York City and home to 3.6 million people, faces one of the most unique circumstances in the world. With a history of wealth inequality and racial segregation, Cape Town is in need of not only a sustainable environmental and economical plan but also a sustainable social transformation. Sustainable practices within Cape Town have the potential to improve the livability of the city and be the catalyst for a balanced and collaborative multi-cultural community.

The Dutch East India Company developed Cape Town as a resting and supply station for their ships sailing in between East Africa, India, the Far East, and Europe in 1652. As Cape Town became a popular maritime center, Portuguese, Dutch and English settlements, along with their imported slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar, began to sprout up along the coast of what is now South Africa pushing the native Khoikhoi further inland. These settlements became one of the top trading and financial centers of the world.

South Africa’s apartheid era, beginning in 1948, fully established not only wealth inequality but full on racial segregation. The institutionalized system of apartheid, which officially lasted until 1994, divided ethnic groups into three arbitrary categories: Whites, Blacks and Colourds and separated them at virtually every aspect of society. Apartheid turned the center of the city into an all-White, wealth center and pushed Blacks and Coloureds from their modern homes and apartments to the outskirts of the city where they were packed into small townships, left to their own devices for survival.

Apartheid created huge wealth disparity between rich and poor in South Africa that is persistent today. South Africa currently ranks within the top 10 in wealth disparity, worldwide. With apartheid being just shy of a 20-year memory, Cape Town is hoping to reintroduce itself as a fair and equitable city in South Africa. Building sustainable communities in Cape Town means more than just improving energy use or being on the cutting edge of renewable energy technology; It means being a small but vital part of creating a new standard of social and economic equality in South Africa.

Cape Town was awarded the World Design Capitol of 2014. The World Design Capitol is a distinction rewarded to cities who are dedicated to using design as a tool for social, cultural and economic development. Cape Town was chosen not for the being an ‘established’ design capital but for using design thinking as a tool for transformation which the city has so desperately needed.

In this place where two oceans meet, one finds the descendants of neolithic, pre-colonial, and colonial peoples of many cultures and lands working together to create a new future for themselves. It is the “New York” of Africa. The young, innovative, entrepreneurial spirit of the city is literally the engine driving change. To witness such a vast turnaround from the distrust that is born out of those sins of absolute, intentional devastation to being recognized as a collaborative and innovative community resolved on reconciliation, integration and balance is nothing short of extraordinary. For possibly the first time, the citizens of this city of Africa have decided they are not victims. They are capable of doing the same sort of great work as what is being done in Paris or New York City or any other city in the world.

Perhaps the largest challenge in Cape Town is how to involve the communities who most need aid. It is well-known in our world, at this point, that we cannot just give resources to a community without their involvement because they will not except it. We have to be creative in finding ways to involve the community not only physically but mentally in solving issues which affect them. Meaningful design is not just producing aesthetically pleasing products but it is solving real problems and engaging the community. It spreads knowledge to communities so that they understand this work is being done with them, not for them.

Throughout 2014, Cape Town hosted over 460 cross-disciplinary design projects across the city. Find just a few examples below:

Dignified Places Programme

One example of a programme which young Capetonian designers created, is the Dignified Places Programme. Cape Town began to think of the future when they created their master plan – the Spatial Development Framework. This led to the ability to bring up the idea of the Dignified Places Programme. The purpose was to come up with a strategic plan to address inequality and fragmentation in the city through urban transformation, namely public spaces. There has always been a huge disparity between the poor and the rich in Cape Town and today is no different. The marginalized communities often have no public spaces for their own enrichment and if they do, it is unsafe left-over spaces between road reserves. The theory is that if they provide public spaces for the most impecunious communities to have the capability of social interaction then the moral of the denizen would improve giving them a sense of dignity which in turn gives them back their humanity and sense of responsibility in the community. The young designers partnered with a plethora of transport, community service, and park organizations as well as City departments to combine budgets and implement this plan. There are now 12 places within the network of their dignified public spaces. The Dignified Places Programme seems to be making a difference by creating or renewing public spaces for poverty-stricken communities. It’s important for a community to feel they have a place to socialize safely. However with the larger issue being a lack of housing, the public spaces may not be a huge comfort for those they were designed for.

10 X 10 Low-Cost Housing Project

Another example of innovation in this community of Capetonian designers is the 10 X 10 Low-Cost Housing Project. Design Indaba Expo held an annual competition title “10 x 10 Low-cost Housing” where they invited local and global architects to combine ideas and come up with solutions. The standards for the project were strict: “The materials for the build needed to be sustainable in that they were to be local materials and readily available on site. The house was to require no tools or advanced construction knowledge and had to be built for no more than around R65,000 (33,000 US), while still presenting a striking, modern design.” (Bid Book) The winning bid came from MMA architects in partnership with AKI Engineers and BTKM, all from Cape Town. The bid won because it “stayed within budget, made use of local materials, reduced building time and ensured community involvement in the construction.” (Bid Book) In the design of the house, they used the Ecobeam System developed by Eco-Build Technologies in Cape Town. The most interesting aspect of this system is that it uses sandbags as in-fill for the walls. They claim that sand provides adequate insulation having the “same temperature control as mud and wattle rondavel or stone house” and effectively absorbs sound. The sand should protect the house against wind and water penetration. The exterior of the house is made with cement. The house is easy to build and ideal for the community to be able to get involved in the construction of the house which will be a huge influencer in the communities acceptance of a new style of housing. The house is also designed for ‘community living’ with a private backyard but the front facing the ‘active streetlife’.

There have been 10 of these houses installed into a township and the design won the international Curry Stone Design Prize. With the houses providing a better living situation for the townships, it seems ideal to be actively raising money for implementation of more of these houses. It would also be hoped for that the competition would continue so that each year, a more innovate design could possibly provide better quality at a lower price.

Nested Bunk Bed by Tsai Design Stuides

In the same “10 x 10 Low-cost Housing” competition, Tsai Design Studio of Cape Town used the concept of Russian Matryoshka dolls to create a new sort of bunk bed. The beds are the size, space-wise, as a single bed and the height of a normal bunk bed but inside are 5 beds. Like a nest doll, the bed retracts into one single bed or comes out into 5. The beds can be used for other purposes besides sleeping as well, such as a sofa or grandstand style seating section. The beds are made with local products and by local woodworkers. They are designed to be assembled at the home because it was too expensive to ship them fully assembled. The design was supported by a non-government organization, Shoebox Homes. Tsai has now been funded by the Ackerman Pick n’ Pay Foundation to set up a factory to mass-produce the beds. This idea has been deemed completely feasible and affordable. It will transform the lives of many of the marginalised populations living in townships throughout Cape Town.

Cape Town has set themselves apart as a role model to communities around the world in desperate need of transformation from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Detroit, Michigan. If more communities in our world could learn to simply communicate with their own residents and utilize their creativity and talents as Cape Town is learning, our issues would be resolved in a much more efficient and sustainable manner. To learn more about Cape Town and their many projects in theie World Design Center year, check out the Cape Town WDC website as well as the World Design Center website.

By Amy Watkins

Photo Credits: http://www.south-african-hotels.com/ –  http://www.capetown2014.co.za/

Sustainability in Capetown, South Africa, World Design Capital 2014 was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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24 (at-sea) hours on Semester at Sea

On this floating University (the MV Explorer), there are neither weeks nor months. Your time revolves around 3 factors A days, B days, and Port Days. A and B days are the days you are at sea and therefore taking classes. Port days are the days you are in Port and exploring the bounty of new lands!

Photo via Semester at Sea

MORNING

Wake up, look out your port hole and realize your home is a floating University.

For the ambitious, it’s a 7:30 wake-up call and a trip up two flights of stairs to the floating gym.

  Off to breakfast which is the best meal of the day… trust me. It may be a floating University but that does NOT mean the food is up to par with your exorbitant imagination.

  However, there are biscuits and gravy on the menu which makes this Southern gal jump up and down, squealing in joy… at least once… except for that one time when the biscuits were sweet. That was just weird.

  The view from your table as the sun rises glinting over the deep blue waters (or peeking out around the silhouette of Sugarloaf Mountain as the MV Explorer maneuvers its way into the mouth of Guanabara Bay) drowns out the screams of your taste buds in mere moments.

   Photos via Semester at Sea 

One more thing before morning closes, stash some cereal (illegally) for a snack later in the day.

    MID-MORNING

  After downing a cup or two of what they call ‘coffee’, you head off to your first class for the day. You sit in your International Law class and learn about the adventures (like escaping death) Professor Fowler had while traveling through Mexico or Cuba or Argentina.

NOON

Lunch is always the meal you spend getting to know new people. Living on a ship full of 600 new people means LOTS OF LUNCH DATES. Good thing, you are only a 2 minute walk from them. The most interesting person you will meet will mot likely be Mrs. Rita. I can almost guarantee that you will meet her. She has a home in California and a home on a lake in the mountains of British Columbia. She can teach you many things from the best Historical Fiction novels to how to make the very best home-made (from scratch) bread. If she really likes you, she may even let you try her secret spice. She’s been on more voyages than just about anyone so she’s wisened up to the fact she needs a little extra kick to swallow the food sometimes.

Next up, you head to Pinky the Astronauts class which is partially about learning how to navigate the seas (Celestial Navigation) and partially about hearing Pinky’s stories of applying to be an astronaut through a newspaper ad, ‘drinking’ coffee in zero gravity, and looking back to behold the earth spinning below him.

  Photos via Lunar Networks & Online Fast

And finally, an hour with the knitting club learning to make all sorts of treasures which we don’t even begin to want to wear in the 90 degree weather of the Fall 2013 voyage.

Photo via Leigh

  EVENING

  Dinner with Carl, Tommy, and Andrew – the 3 stand-up friends you found on Day 1 of your Voyage plus all the friends you made every single day after that, includes loads of jokes, stories, and card games.

Photo via Nancy

Then if you’re a travel-nerds like most of us, as you head for Pre-Port (where you’ll learn all about your next country), you make time to scour the maps and delve into all the travel books on board so you have an idea of what you should look forward too.

Plus games, cabin chats, and other shenanigans with friends!

  Photo via Semester at Sea

Oh right… and let’s not forget the sunset. You’ll never want to miss one of those.

  Photo via Semester at Sea

  Photo via Semester at Sea

  24 (at-sea) hours on Semester at Sea was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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A Surprise or two in Berlin

The final travel report is coming from where it all began — Germany! We are visiting Berlin where we visited the representative office of the Bosch foundation.

View the story “The grand finale” on Storify

A Surprise or two in Berlin was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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eMobility in Singapore

The final travel report.

The final travel report.

View the story “Asia, Singapore” on Storify

eMobility in Singapore was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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Shanghai and all her majesty

Shanghai – a city growing skywards.

Shanghai – a city growing skywards.

View the story “Asia, Shanghai” on Storify

Shanghai and all her majesty was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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Automated Driving in San Francisco

Experience the future of mobility today.

Experience the future of mobility today.

Experience the future of mobility today.

View the story “North America, San Francisco” on Storify

Automated Driving in San Francisco was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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London Town - 1st Wonder of #ExperienceBosch

We had one of the most high-end and lovely dinners of my life at the Shard. At the 32nd floor where you can see all of London stretch for miles below.

I couldn’t stop thinking of all the people who had found life and found death on these streets. To think of all the sailors who went to sea on this River Thames… all the ones who came home and all the ones who didn’t. All the aristocrats to strut those streets and all the orphans who scraped them… to walk those same streets and now to look over them from above is a privileged experience.

It was so nice to get to know my team over a glass of champagne and a fancy menu as we watched the sun set over London town.

Next day we were up early to head for the Tower Bridge. It’s mind-blowing because my first experience of London was 5 years ago. At the time I chose to not take the tour of the Tower Bridge or the London Eye because it was expensive and touristy… and now here I am getting the behind the scenes tour of this important bridge.

The engineers of the Tower Bridge gave us an excellent tour. Jim and Martin from Bosch UK taught us so much about how their hydraulic engines make the Bridge and the London Eye work. Plus I had one of the best conversations with Roger from Bosch UK about marketing – its influence and intricacies. My favourite part was to see how much each of them absolutely loved their jobs. They loved to show off what they do for us.

There was this machine which was replaced by Bosch Rexroth equipment but is still displayed for people to see. I think it looks like something Willy Wonka might have designed. I imagine syrup in those little jars that make it run.

In all seriousness, its this little tiny machine that runs the entire Tower Bridge!

Then, the brought us way down – to the place where few have seen! It’s below the Tower Bridge where the bridge goes when it is opening. It was a very interesting experience. To think this HUGE thing could open and quite literally crush us all. Plus the water line for the river sitting just above our heads…

AND — look at this wrench –

Here are some of the most interesting facts we learned about the Tower Bridge TOWER BRIDGE FACTS:

– It opens and closes around 500,000 times a year.

– It still uses parts that are over 120 years old and they work flawlessly!

– It’s only failed twice and one of those was because of the upgrade between Windows 6 and Windows 7 (Macs rule, PCs drool!)

Later this day, we took a ride on the London Eye where we again had an amazing view over London.

It’s magnificent to realize all that Bosch has their hands in. If there is one part of the personality of Bosch that I’ve loved the most – it’s that they make the world better for the common man, the workingman. They invent tools, software, and technology to help the workingman do great things. All great companies make it easier for a person to invent him/herself and that is what Bosch does best.

See you all in Panama!

London Town – 1st Wonder of #ExperienceBosch was originally published on Stories from the Docks

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Meeting the Bosch Team!

After only a few delays in travel, I finally arrived in London. Years of travel and never once have I encountered travel issues until this trip. But all those years of avoiding the bad luck caught up with me here!

Anyway, I made it! It has been so very interesting because I have always been a backpacker sort of traveler and I’m telling you, travel with Bosch is not backpacking. No way.

A professional driver picked me up at the London Heathrow airport and navigated the streets of London leading to my hotel. He was such a very nice man. I absolutely love getting to know the service industry in Britain. Every single person I have met has the most interesting life stories.

The hotel we stayed at was the Citizen M. It is the funky place with very modern design and highly technological rooms. I could control the lights, entertainment, temperature, and my alarm clock all from a tablet in the room! On top of that, it was the most comfortable bed and a GORGEOUS view.

I had a few hours to take a shower and shake the travel smog off of me before meeting the rest. I first met Tobi from — NetEye Marketing and Karo from Bosch Global. They are the two who have been working on this campaign for TWO YEARS. You can imagine how happy they are to see it come into being!

They surprised me with lots of presents!

After this, I met the rest of the team from Germany and the other explorers.

Wonderful people, they are.

I know that you all are probably thinking, “how lucky she is to go to all these countries and travel the world!” But I would say that I am more lucky and favoured to have the opportunity of meeting these people and getting to know them through travel (which is the best form of getting to know someone).

Luiz from Brazil is a boisterous and passionate man who has visited 45+ countries and runs his own business back in Brazilia. I can always count on him to tell a great story and to think of what the readers will be feeling as they read our experiences!

Yanru from China is quiet but hilarious. She’s one of those people who you never expect to make the best jokes but if you listen close enough is always making them just under her breath. She sees beauty in moments that most people only pass over. There is nothing quite like seeing Yanru get behind a camera. The passion that comes bubbling out literally makes her giddy.

Roy from the Nederlands is one of the most analytical and inquisitive people I’ve met. He can understand feats of engineering that I cannot begin to. Anywhere we go, anyone we meet, you can expect to find Roy asking the best of questions.

Hong Khai from Malaysia is a smart and fun loving guy. Because of his experience studying in the US, he has become a great bridge between the Western and Eastern world for us. Hong Khai can understand the perspectives of many different peoples. He is the best at summarizing the techniques of an experience in simplified ways so that all can understand and paying attention to what our message says to all people.

Tolgay is from Germany. Tolgay is a leader. He has an artistic eye for conveying an experience and he has a natural ability to lead a team in that direction. He is always coming up with innovative ideas for presenting our message to the world as well as producing the most iconic of expressions whether photo, phrase, or post.

There is so much to learn from our team — both my fellow explorers and the wonderful teams of Bosch and NetEye marketing. I would pay HIGH Dollar just to get these people coffee for a bit and here I am, traveling the world (on the high end of travel too) with them. That is blessing.

Tonight, we will eat at the Shard – the newest building in London. I can’t wait to share this experience with you!

Meeting the Bosch Team! was originally published on Stories from the Docks

[storiesfromthedocks]

The Adventures of The Bosch Explorers -- London Edition

The Adventures of The Bosch Explorers — London Edition was originally published on Stories from the Docks

[bwe-explorer-luiz]

Em algum lugar da costa oeste americana… #experiencebosch

[katharina-bosch-global]

The explorers. Yesterday on a boat in Panama, now we already arrived at San Francisco. Ready to experience E-Bikes powered by Bosch and automated driving. #experiencebosch

[katharina-bosch-global]

San Francisco is already waiting for us. Next stop:Atlanta.

[katharina-bosch-global]

05:06 am in panama. all bags are packed. Ready to leave. San Francisco is waiting for us.

[bwe-explorer-tolgay]

Halfway to San Francisco. I almost feel like living at airports. Love it though. #experiencebosch (hier: Atlanta International Airport-Delta Airlines)