A wish for Christmas – from around the world

Weinheim, December 20, 2013. Christmas is just around the corner. In Europe and the southern hemisphere, the festivities have a long tradition. And Christmas is becoming ever popular in the eastern hemisphere. The festival of love and giving has established itself in Japan as well as in China and India. Wish lists for Christmas around the world are also becoming more unusual and expensive. Electronic goods are trend-setters. Jewelry and books are long-runners. In addition to very traditional wishes, the wish lists of five associates at the globally-active Freudenberg Group show how extraordinary Christmas wishes can be.

Freudenberg stands for diversity: people, sites, cultures. This diversity can be seen in many of the festive traditions and various Christmas wish lists of associates at the globally-active technology company. Whilst some colleagues express quite unusual wishes; others follow current trends.

This year, cell phones, tablet PCs and game consoles stand high on the Christmas wish list. Hi-tech is now part and parcel of everyday life. On Jaya Sara Vargheses’ private wish list is a smartphone. The 37-year-old advises Freudenberg in Bangalore, India. “With the aid of a smartphone, not only my daughter but also my colleagues will be able to reach me more easily. In this way, I can coordinate work and family life much better,” explains Jaya Sara Varghese.

Bettina Brich, a student in Corporate Finance and Controlling at Freudenberg & Co. in Weinheim, has a wish that cannot be wrapped in Christmas paper or bought with money. The 23-year-old hopes for good health and more time to spend with relatives and friends. Michelle Updike has the same wish. She works in the Freudenberg Regional Corporate Center North America and is looking forward to relaxing with her family during this Christmas season. “I am grateful for any gift – especially at Christmas – and I enjoy giving gifts to others. Making other people happy is the true meaning of Christmas,” explains Michelle.

Many young associates in China would like to meet the Korean actor Lee Min-ho. Television programs from Korea are very popular here and actors enjoy the status of superstars. But David He, Factory Manager at the Freudenberg Vilene Filter site in Chengdu is simply hoping for good health. Environmental pollution is currently a hot topic in China. “I’m wishing for cleaner air in China, so that all the children grow up healthily. That’s also the reason why I work for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies. With our special filter solutions, we contribute to improving the quality of life,” says the 41-year-old.

Even the 29-year-old Simon Qian, Compliance Specialist at Chem-Trend in Shanghai, China, has a modest wish. He would like to beat a Sudoku puzzle record and go for a meal with his closest friends. Simon also gets involved in charity work at Christmas. He hands out torches to children at the Haijin Elementary School in the province of Sichuan. Haijin is one of the villages particularly badly affected by the earthquake in May 2008. As a result Freudenberg initiated an aid project there. Each year Freudenberg associates visit the Elementary School and organize various activities, among them a Christmas celebration. The torches were made by associates in China and given to the pupils as Christmas presents, to be used for the badly-lit paths between home and school.

Tatiana Rennó da Costa Souza has been employed at the Freudenberg Regional Corporate Center in São Paulo, Brazil for the last six months. “I would love to travel overseas. Most of all I would like to visit Germany to learn more about the culture and language. It would be really exciting to visit the headquarters of the Freudenberg Group and to meet my colleagues,” explains the 31-year-old. “I only hope that Santa Claus will read my wish list,” adds Tatiana Rennó with a smile on her face.