Burkhard comes January 1991 in the same office, where I work since October 1990. We both want to do our job as ''Good Germans Workoholics'' can do. ''Burkhard'' means something like ''castle hard''. And that's the man! Even I don't smoke, Burkhard burns his cigars: ''I need to smoke'', he declares definetly. My name ''Erhard'', something like ''honour hard'', can't show any weakness in our new hard job. So I declare: ''O.K., you smoke, I don't, we have to work with open windows.'' It's cold in January in Bavaria. So our office smells horrible from Burkhard's cigars. And it's horrible cold from open windows. But we work hard! For years we work hard. Burkhard is both: a full blood journalist and a full blood IT expert. And the man, 14 years younger than I am, born 1962 has something of a tiger. You can't tame a tiger. Burkhard is a full blood journalist, full blood IT expert and full blood rebel. He can not suffer any injustice. Before Burkhard has to arrange with something, he can not stand, he has to leave. After some years he leaves our magazin, to work for another one. But the Boss buys the other magazin, closes this one, so he is back again. Now as my boss. This he is for several years, but he remains always a friend too. What my bordered senses can't get from all this rapidly changing New Technology, he knows and declares. You have to get used to his private declarations a bit, but he mostly points exactly to the point: ''Look at this Windows failure message,'' he nearly shouts, ''couldn't these idiots not better announce in this message: 'All this is SHIT here!'?'' |
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Burkhard later shares his office with Wolfhard. Wolfhard is the hardest one from all of us, means something like ''wulf hard''. After one conference Wednesday evening, he doesn't work on Thursday. And Friday high noon we find him dead at home in his bead with a collection of nearly thousands empty Gin bottles. On Pay TV the Formel 1 racing cars still run in circles. Wolfhard never runs again. Another story of sweat, blood and tears with the hardest end
possible. Around six years ago Burkhard left our company. He finds himself once again in a situation, he couldn't tolerate anymore. So he left. We still work together for several monthes, he now works as freelancer. He quarrels with our company Boss about CopyRights fees for his written articles. 2001 he writes a lot. Next year he can't sell anything for our Magazin! He wins in this quarrels first, he quarrels on and on and on. And he looses money with lawyers. So at the end: he wins no money - but he is right! Basicly right from principles. Burkhard, the hard castle, nobody can trespass this terretory, nobody violates his rights! So with no money but all rights by his side he qualifies himself in private lessons all alone as ''Microsoft System Enigneer.'' He buys 50 to 100 books, reads thousands of pages, pays and passes all examinations and gets the certificate. Again Burkhard finds a job in a TV company. He has to care for hundreds of Windows machines and has to support hundeds of people. In conferences he can't hear exactly everything. So during Christmas Holiday he asks a Doctor. ''Hearing loss'' - several month ago, when he has left our Magazin in stress! The Doctors hold Burkhard in the Hospital for several Christmays Days, but the capability to hear with one ear is dammaged 70 percent. Few month later Burkhard leaves the TV company, he can't tolerate the incredible pressure burdened on his shoulders. Now he starts to write books. He has already written several IT books. He writes the real hard, hot secret stuff: ''Net Working Compendium.'' Several hundred pages, CD - a milestone in this most difficult subject. For nearly four years he writes books at home. His home is filled with PCs in network computing connected via TDSL days and nights to the Web. Burkhard sleeps next to the running machins. From time to time we eat lunch together. Seldom he leaves his rooms and he enjoys the simple restaurants tremondously: ''Such good warm food I have not eaten for weeks!'' His Volkswagen Car is already 12 years old. Car, clothes and rooms smell from cigarette smoke. His fingers look a little yellow from Nikotin. But Burkhard is strong! When he came to my room January 1991 he had around the same weight I had: 80 Kilo. Even Burkhard is 5 centimers longer than I am: 190 Centimeters. Now Burkhard has around 30 Kilo overweight - 115 to 120 Kilogramm. But Burkhard still is strong, like a hard castle gets harder each year with this big belly around his belt! |
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His written and published books can not feed Burkhard. He pays from his own saved money, to continue his hardest research Film burning on CDs and DVDs. But all his work does not pay back his investments. Finally this May Burkhard finds a request for a journalist job in the web. PC Professional is looking for an expert. He is. Next day Burkhard has this job. As preparation he sells his old Volkswagen, buys a one year young Mercedez Benz with 170 PS, 245 Kilometers/Hour max speed, buys new clothes, new shoes. For years Burkhard sits at home, writes big books, now he is back in a job again with Big Boss's Conferences from almighty IT Companies. Burkhard wants to change his body, to fit better for his new car and his new job. We walk in the mountains together. We take both our cars, I guess, I need to stay a bit longer this weekend in the mountains. We admire his new car, the shiny engine, the comfort, the solid room with several Airbags around. ''Oh, Lord, will you buy me a Mercedez Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make immense.'' |
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I park my car at the Lake ''Kochelsee''. We drive up in his car to the Lake ''Walchensee''. Burkhard presents his shoes with pride:
''Brand new!'' ''New shoes?'', I can't believe neither his words nor my eyes. ''Yes, new shoes, but very soft ones'', Burkhard answers with sensitivity reading my mind. He interpretats correct my astonished doubts. Still I have to insist: ''You want to climb up this mountain with NEW SHOES?'' ''Yes, I didn't had any old ones any more!'' he silences my doubt with a sound in his voice, not the best to further inquiries. He puts on his NEW shoes and after a few steps he complains first time: ''OOUCH! At my back feet they are a bit hard!'' Burkhard comes from Northern part of Germany. All his 13 years in Bavaria he has never, never ever walked once in these marvellous nature! Now for the first time, with new job, new car, new shoes Burkhard carries up his big belly body step by step. Burkhard's hard castle's walls get weaker with increasings hurts and cruel complains. But for few first hours Burkhard enjoys the nature. Parents with little children pass by our side. Burkhard's sweat runs all down his face. We rest several times, Burkhard needs his cigarettes with complains: ''Isn't it injustice? You feed yourself all the time, and you don't get thick! And I, I only eat once a day and gather fat like a pig!'' Astonished I ask: ''Hadn't you just stuffed for breakfast your stomach with bread and pig's meat?'' ''Hmm, delicious,'' he smiles, and remembers one of these special Bavarian dishes, somehow like ''Liver Meat Cheese'' - cooked from animal corpses with spice. |
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Slower and slower we walk upwards. I carry his jacket, offer tea, that his skin can continue to sweat.
''Such a beautiful country'', he admires the marvellous nature, "but needs this road be so hard?'' Finally we reach to the restaurant at 1640 Meters. The last 150 Meters to the top, Burkhard refuses to walk. He sits down, to enjoy beer and cigarettes. The way back is harder and harder. We have to sit many, many times. His packet of tabacco gets smaller each rest. People smile at us, we sit on the ground next to the way and encourage us: ''It's not more far upwards''. ''We just come frome there,'', but his voice doesn't sound happy anymore. And his poor feet, bones and muscles hurt more with each step. For several hours I have to listen to sweat serenades like this: ''OOUCH! I fall flat down on the ground! I can't walk not a single step further! That's like Jesus Christ Mel Gibson's crucification film! OOUCH! That must be like the way home from German Soldiers leaving Russia in Winter World War!'' Birds accompany him untouched with love songs. The sun shines on us and fresh green new leaves. But Burkhard simply suffers: ''Now, my blood loses pressure! Before my eyes tremble rainbow colours and sparkling stars.'' A four wheel drive car from the Restaurant passes by. ''Why don't you ask for a drive?'' But Burkhard does not need help. With pride he complains suffering: ''NO! I do it myself!'' His complains continue and continue. I order for his sake: ''Now, can't you sit down here? Give me the key of your car, I will drive up, to bring you back to the valley!'' ''Haeh?'', he thinks about some seconds. ''Yes,'' I insist, ''you only have to pay the bill for ground violation. Much cheaper than a helicopter life safe, don't you think so?'' Burkhard has no sense left for jokes: ''Cynisme poor!'', and continues his complains: ''OOOCH, one serpent is following the next one! Is there never an end to this road full of shitty stones? Every shit stone hurts my feet - OOCH such a outrageous extreme way I never walked in my life!'' Finally the last steps down to the car. With caution I try to support his 120 Kilogramm living weight somehow. Burkhard dances like a bear on fire hot stones: ''NO! I will succeed myself!'' |
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One week later on the mountain: Blomberg with Burkhard: new shoes, new walk, new experience: no complains, easy going, Burkhard is in excellent condition. A new mountaineer is born! |