Their eyes light up and their faces beam when they talk about their time in Brazil: ARCADEON employees Viola Lomberg and Lukas Franzen were there live as volunteers in the German House at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro from July 30 to August 23, 2016.
Both are currently completing their vocational training as hotel management experts and were granted special leave by ARCADEON Managing Director Jörg Bachmann specifically for the Olympics. In the German House, they were part of a team of 43 volunteers, almost all of whom were students. “We were the only ones in the team with a background in gastronomy,” they report—and so the two trainees temporarily became supervisors, overseeing the Brazilian service staff, performing hostess duties, and ensuring everything remained in order.
The working atmosphere was relaxed, though communication was a challenge at first. They spoke “with hands and feet,” and the first sentence they learned in Portuguese was “Do you speak English?” The answer to that was usually “no”—but with the help of smartphones and online translators, they always managed somehow. Laughing, the young people recount their first visit to a mobile phone shop to get SIM cards for Brazil. Six Brazilian employees, none of whom spoke German or English, but everyone was completely relaxed and helpful. “They were really laid back.” And in the end, everything worked out with the SIM cards too.
And what were the Brazilians like otherwise? “Very friendly!” This is followed by high praise for the Brazilian hosts, reports of the relaxed atmosphere at work, paired with enthusiastic stories about the great atmosphere in Rio and in the German House. The two young people were particularly impressed by how uncomplicated the athletes were, how they approached them, thanked them for their work, and simply accepted them as part of the Olympic family. Everyone belonged.
Only once was the flag at the German House flown at half-mast: after the tragic accidental death of canoe slalom coach Stefan Henze. No music, no dancing, no alcohol—but plenty of team spirit and solidarity.
When asked about their best experiences, Lomberg and Franzen have to think for a moment. The entire time was just so great. Something very special for them was the performance by pianist Lang Lang, who spontaneously played an evening at the German House. The atmosphere in the Olympic stadiums, which both visited several times, was impressive: at the hockey, the handball, and the table tennis semi-finals. The beach of Ipanema with its big waves was also beautiful. But the best part was the trip to Sugarloaf Mountain, including a dream sunset and caipirinha at the middle station: “From up there, you only then realize how huge the city is!” And how brilliant Rio de Janeiro looks at night.
And then the two of them report on a small personal adventure: they were staying in private accommodation in Barra da Tijuca, just around the corner from the beach. On the evening of August 21, the staff party took place—the farewell evening at the German House. That night there was a storm—and after that, there was no electricity or water to be had “at home,” with temperatures of up to 32°C. It was then at the latest that they realized how much the life mentality of Germans and Brazilians actually differs. The landlord took it all in stride and said
it would be fine. That was probably the case, but the two volunteers didn’t experience it before their departure on August 23. At least there was the opportunity to take a quick shower at the airport in Sao Paulo—otherwise, the 23-hour return flight would have been very unpleasant.
Would they do it again? “Definitely!” For Tokyo 2020, both would like to be part of the German House as volunteers again. And: “I could also be talked into Korea 2018,” says Viola Lomberg.
