- WORKING WORLD MY WORKING LI FE
RE6INA RINKENBURGER
Von der Tankstelle in die Fluten: In nur drei Jahren schaffte es
die 38-jährige Deutsche im ägyptischen Hurghada zur Ausbilde-
rin von Tauchlehrern. VICKI SUSSENS-MESSERER berichtet. -w-My work: I am a PADI IOC (Instructor Dcvelopment
Course) staff instruCIO[ at Dive Point Red Sea, a.d..iri.n&
~ on th e Red Sea in Hurghada, ~. PADI is
short for " Professional Assocation of Diving Instruc-
tors". I train ~ from bcginners to instructors.Age and farnily: I have a partner, Marrhias Breit, the
head of Dive Point and a PADI course director, and an
II-year-old so n, lan. I am 38.Horne: I am from Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance.
I moved ro Hurghada three years aga, bur I had never
dreamed I would ~ in Egypr.How I got the jOb: My sister and I visired Oive Point for
a holiday in May 2007 and I fell in love with Manhias.
I made the deeision within tWO weeks to come and live
here, and then I complerely changed my life. I sold my
house in Germany and came here with my san.Languages: German and English.Job betore this one: Iran a petrol station for four a nd
a ha lf years with a friend of mine in Markdorf, neu
Lake Consrance.Time off: We go to Germany ar least four times a year
for diving shows, bur also to careh UD on culrure, cine-
ma and the rheatre.life in Hurghada: There a re many different nationalities
living here, but rhey live differently from the Egyptians.
We have an ordinary house, and my san goes to a school
like any other kid. Shopping is different here. For exam-
pie, I shop for fresh food in an Ara b marker. We also
have friends from many other countries, which is some-
thing I didn't experience in Markdorf. For my son, ir is
grear because he has a lot of free time to be on rhe beach
or to dive. And in Germany, he enjoys rhe winter and
10 Business Spotlightskiing. Although it is nOt always easy for hirn. He hates
school, like any other German I I-year-old. My friends
often mn me for being in the sun all the time. But life
a s a foreigner can bring difficulties with it.Favourite part of the job: ] like to teach, and I love div-
ing. It's fantastic that I ~et to da every day what most
people only do on holidays. My job means that I am
constandy in the sea, and r enjoy it every day. I never
take rhe beauty of the Red Sea fo r ~ranred. And I also
love the variety of my job. Each day, I have new guests
and the.d.iYt. is different. Last week, for example, I rook
out a group of Austrian marine biologists. They were
not looking for big fish but for small creatures. We
sta yed in one place, looking ar all the kinds of details I
never notice on anormal divc.Least favourite part of the job: I am German and when
I say I am going to do so m erhing taday, I do ir. The
Egyprians rhink: "Weil, maybe rornorrow or th e da}' af-
tcr tomorrow. '" That's frustraring. Initially, I had prob-
lems because I' m a woman. This is no t a Muslim area,
bur rhe Egyptian staff didn'r really accepr me. I have
lcarned rhat I have tO respeer their way of life and (hen
they respect me.What I am most proud of: When I started my training
as a diving insrrucror rhree years ago, I was a complete
bcginner. I managcd to bccome a PADI IDC staff in-
structor within rhree years, wh ich is reaHy quick.Future plans: \'(/ho knows what th e future h2lQs.? The
world is a big place, and I don'r know what is waiting
Out there for us o [)eateh up on sth. LkretJ '"p onl
ereature ['kri:tJ;)
dive [d:uv
diver ['d.u\';)]
diving centre{'dalvnJ ,sem;)!etw. nachholen
Lel)ewesenend Egypt up l'i:d3Lend IPt~;'''pi ;;;;;~=::_~
envy sb. I 'cnvi]
get to do strl:"I,gcl t~ 'du:) Uml.
grante<!: take sth. for -('gro:nodlholds: what the Mure -[huldzl
initi~lly {c'mJ'lil
instruetor (m'strAkt;)
Lake Constance I,lclk ' konst:msl
petrOl station (~tr;)I'SleIJ'nl UK
Red Se~ Lred 'si:]elW. I
erachten
was die Zukunft bereithalt
an!anglich
Lehrer(in)
Bodensee
Tankstelle
Rotes Meer4fZOlO