From Mexico to Germany
Javier Jurado came from Mexico to Germany to be trained as a service technician at KURRE Systems. Today, he tells us about his experience:
It all began when I met with one of KURRE’s collaborators, who was providing a service at my previous job in my hometown. After several conversations, he mentioned that KURRE might soon need a service engineer in Mexico. To be honest, Germany has always fascinated me – it’s considered a cradle of engineering. So, to now be working for KURRE and living in Germany truly feels like a dream come true.
Several months after the first meeting, I was invited to speak with various people at KURRE – from the general management to the commissioning department – and a working relationship was formed. Once an agreement was reached between both parties, the only remaining step was to obtain a work visa for Germany. That proved to be a complicated and uncertain process, involving many factors such as permits, certifications, translations, flights, appointments, interviews, and more – all without the guarantee of getting the visa. Fortunately, after some time, my journey to Germany began.
After 18 hours of travel and over 9000 kilometers, I arrived in a small town called Elisabethfehn. During my first week, I was warmly welcomed by Silke and Stefan Plaggenborg, along with Thorsten Wilde, at KURRE in Ramsloh. They kindly gave me a tour of the company, introduced me to my colleagues, and made me feel like part of the KURRE team.
The first few weeks were somewhat challenging, as it was my first time being so far from my country, my family and my home – without knowing anyone, not speaking the language and facing a significant culture shock. Still, I took my first trip to a nearby city called Oldenburg. There, I experienced riding a train for the very first time – since there are no passenger trains in Mexico. As time passed, I became more integrated into both the culture and my work. Despite the language barrier, I started to connect with my colleagues, who have been supportive from the very beginning. KURRE feels like a family – everyone enjoys their work, the atmosphere is great, and there’s never a dull moment. Working in a company that builds specialized machines means there’s always a new problem to solve or an improvement to make. I grew more confident about exploring and discovering new places. Captivated by the cities of Germany, I took trips to Leer, Oldenburg, Bremen and Hamburg. One of my favorite parts of traveling is trying local food – I never miss the chance to enjoy a “Brötchen” or a “Bratwurst”.
One of the great advantages of working at KURRE and being trained as a service engineer is the opportunity to travel to different places to assist our customers. My first service trip was to Hungary, with a layover in Austria. Even though the workdays were long, we always found time to explore the surroundings and try local dishes.
As winter approached and the days grew shorter, some people warned me about the cold weather and the lack of daylight in Germany – but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the experience and learning more. One memorable event was a team-building party, my first time attending a social gathering or party in Germany. Not long after, we had the KURRE Christmas party, where my colleagues and I sang a song in German. It might not have sounded perfect, but it was a lot of fun. Before the year ended, I visited a Christmas market – naturally the bratwurst was a highlight. I also tried “Glühwein” for the first time, a truly unique and festive German experience.
As the year came to an end, I returned to Mexico to spend the holidays with my family and friends. I was excited to share stories about my adventures, my life, and my work in Germany. Everyone was curious and surprised about how things work over there and about the nature of my job. In the new year, I said “see you soon” to my family and friends, as I had the opportunity to attend a cable and wire convention in February in Monterrey, Mexico. Together with Thorsten Wilde and René Püschel, we represented KURRE in Mexico. It was KURRE’s second time at this convention, but this time with a local representative. After the convention I stayed a couple more weeks for vacation and some service work near my hometown. Luckily this time, I wouldn’t be returning to Germany alone – my significant other was joining me on this adventure.
