This is last updated in December 2025, a few things have changed since the original text “über mich” from September 2008 in German. The text can be found below. By now I finished 3 educations, had 4 sabbaticals, worked for 13 different companies and lived in 15 different places. From September 2025 to May 2029 I try to get my fourth qualification, a bachelor in “Vietnamese Language and Culture of Vietnam” (Ngành Tiếng Việt và Văn hóa Việt Nam) at the Su Pham university HCMC (Trường Đại học Sư phạm TP. Hồ Chí Minh)
My finished 3 qualifications are:
- Kommunikationselektroniker, Fachrichtung Telekommunikationselektronik
- Diplom Physiker der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (considered equal to a masters in physics)
- Lehrer für das Lehramt an Gymnasien in Niedersachsen für Mathematik und Physik (high school teacher for math and physics from grade 5 to 13)
Additionally I got some training from the IB (International Baccalaureate) and AP (Advanced Placement) to be able to teach some of the 9 subjects I taught in English:
- IB Physics HL/SL (training in Jakarta)
- Chemistry
- Integrated Science 9/10 (biology, chemistry and physics)
- MYP Design (training in Bangkok)
- AP Physics A (training in Sacramento)
- High School Math
- AP CSP Computer Science Principles (training in Baltimore)
- Live Science
- Advanced Automation
The list of subjects I taught in German include:
- Mathematik
- Physik
- Chemie
- Naturwissenschaften (Einstiegskurse für Schüler der Klassen 3 und 4)
- Ethik
- Informatik
Let’s see what’s next.
Saigon since 2016
I worked here at 3 different schools, interluded by my 3rd and 4th sabbatical of one and two years, respectively. The three schools I worked for are
- International German School Ho Chi Minh City
- American International School Vietnam AISVN
- Saigon South International School SSIS
There is a lot to write about this time, but I just pick one highlight. From 2022 to 2023 I was the coach for VEX teams 76209 and we had the priviledge to represent Vietnam at VEX Worlds in Dallas with both the middle and high school team. It was a real joy to work with the students and observe their progress:
Hofkoh 2011-2016
I went there and first had some difficulty to find a job. After selling fish in Hamburg and installing parabolic microwave network connection antennas and their equipment in northern Germany (turned out to be around Frankfurt/M, but what do I know about geography) I started as a substitute teacher, before starting my “Referendariat” from August 2012 to January 2014 to become a government certified teacher for middle and high school (grade 5 to 13) at the Gymnasium for physics and math. I’m still proud that I graduated above average!
Part of the fun living in Hofkoh was the ability to have garden parties on the 1200 m² yard, make bonfires, do lightpainting and enjoy nature there.
One fun project was the use of a DSLR and to create a timelapse image of the sky to see it rotate – it is actually the earth that rotates:
From February 2014 to July 2016 I worked at the Eichenschule Scheeßel. Some students went to visit me in Hofkoh and help building the treehouse! Then in August 2016 I left for Saigon – see above.
Finkenkrug 1980-2011
There are a few times in this 31 year period where I left the country, but for most of the time this was my home turf. From there I went to become a Kommunikationselektroniker in Potsdam and to study physics at the Humboldt university in Berlin.
From 2009 I even worked in Berlin as a teacher for mathematics, physics and chemistry, starting from Finkenkrug. With public transportation it took me 1.5 hours to arrive at the Clayschule in Rudow, while the car only needed 45 minutes. Yet I used the train most of the time, since I could read the newspaper in the morning, create a test and send to the printer in school to pick up right before class, or to have a nap. All not very easy if you drive a car. This last paragraph is missing in the short story about me in German below:
September 2008 – über mich
Viel gibt es zu mir nicht zu sagen. Einst habe ich bei der Deutschen Telekom den Beruf des Kommunikationselektronikers erlernt. Nach einigen Jahren Arbeit bei dieser Firma habe ich an der Humboldt-Universität in Berlin Physik studiert und erfolgreich mit dem Diplom abgeschlossen. Dazu lebte ich anderthalb Jahre in Moskau.
Gearbeitet habe ich als Kundenberater, Java-Programmierer, Manager für kritische Kundenäußerungen (Großkunden) im Backoffice, Systemadministrator und jetzt auch als Lehrer für Mathematik, Physik und Chemie in Sekundarstufe I und II.