Kurt Stern - February 11, 2008
Changing Careers
And uh, my wife got pregnant again and she wanted her daughter to be born in Jerusalem like she was born in Jerusalem and we came back in 1960. I worked at the Holy Land in Jerusalem and the old Sheraton--not this one that you have here--I was their pastry chef for a number years. I opened my own business and then in--after the Six Day War I couldn't settle and um, I decided to change my profession. Um, I got tired--sick and tired of working more when everybody's on holiday and uh, never could get away when I wanted to so in '67 I left the profession. I started to be a tourist guide. In the mean time I opened my own business after all so 'til I took--in '68 I passed the exams and um, only in '77 I uh, I like people and I like touring so in '77 I decided to make it my profession and since then I've earned my livings from that. I'm very happy that I changed my profession because I'm the boss of my own time--I'm independent.
I'd wish we'd known.
Yeah, no it's interest...I mean, look um, many years back I decided before we get too old to take my wife and myself to see the Far East which fascinates me. So I only booked airplanes as a trip because of the profession I had lots of contacts. I just booked planes from one country to the other and we went for forty five days. And this was--I mean, I did a lot of homework. Um, the best time of the year is end of February, March, April and when I came to tell one of the agents I'm leaving for forty five days he says, "You can't do it, it's our peak season--high season tourism. Pesach, near Easter, spring--the best time of the year to visit Israel. You can't leave." I said, "Well, you'll have to do without me this time." That's what being independent.
© Board of Regents University of Michigan-Dearborn