PrintNews from the Land of Ideas
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| Ambassador Dr. Klaus Scharioth picks the winner of the “Spot the Bus” promotion in Washington |
2008/01/29
‘Spot the Bus’: Meet the Winner
Berlin/Washington, 21 Jan 2008 – Thomas Higgens is the winner of the “Spot the Bus” competition.
The German embassy in Washington and the “Germany – Land of Ideas” nation-branding initiative rang out a contest as part of the German Unity Day celebrations in 2007: a Metrobus decorated with the “Germany – Land of Ideas” logo and decor roamed the streets of Washington for several months to draw attention to the Land of Ideas in the US capital. The assignment was simple: anyone who specified their reasons for liking Germany and submitted them along with a photograph of the bus was eligible to win a trip to the Land of Ideas.
The embassy staff had the tough job of filtering out the 24 best statements about Germany from the more than 100 entries submitted. Then, under the “supervision” of the media relations department, Ambassador Dr. Klaus Scharioth picked Thomas Higgens as the winner in a random drawing. Mr. Higgens will soon leave on a seven-day trip to Germany, where he will visit cities including Berlin and Dresden. One special highlight will be a ride in a BMW Hydrogen 7 to Neuschwanstein Castle. The BMW H7 is one of the first hydrogen-fuelled vehicles to go into production. The trip to the Land of Ideas is sponsored by the BMW group.
Mr. Higgens has already said his wife will accompany him on the trip. The Higgens family has for years hosted German legal interns who come to live in the US during their internship. His relationship to the Land of Ideas is accordingly reflected in his explanation of why he loves Germany: “During the past year my wife and I have had the opportunity to host several German Interns. They have opened our eyes and hearts to Germans. They explore our city and life during the time they stay here. We however experience the zest they have for adventure and listen to them explain life and events in Germany. It makes us understand exactly how similar the people of both countries really are. We have customs, holidays and events that we both celebrate - just slightly different. The kids (all in their 20s) have shown us thru their stories a country full of love and life.”
To read more reasons to love Germany, click here
The embassy staff had the tough job of filtering out the 24 best statements about Germany from the more than 100 entries submitted. Then, under the “supervision” of the media relations department, Ambassador Dr. Klaus Scharioth picked Thomas Higgens as the winner in a random drawing. Mr. Higgens will soon leave on a seven-day trip to Germany, where he will visit cities including Berlin and Dresden. One special highlight will be a ride in a BMW Hydrogen 7 to Neuschwanstein Castle. The BMW H7 is one of the first hydrogen-fuelled vehicles to go into production. The trip to the Land of Ideas is sponsored by the BMW group.
Mr. Higgens has already said his wife will accompany him on the trip. The Higgens family has for years hosted German legal interns who come to live in the US during their internship. His relationship to the Land of Ideas is accordingly reflected in his explanation of why he loves Germany: “During the past year my wife and I have had the opportunity to host several German Interns. They have opened our eyes and hearts to Germans. They explore our city and life during the time they stay here. We however experience the zest they have for adventure and listen to them explain life and events in Germany. It makes us understand exactly how similar the people of both countries really are. We have customs, holidays and events that we both celebrate - just slightly different. The kids (all in their 20s) have shown us thru their stories a country full of love and life.”
To read more reasons to love Germany, click here
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