Being a Businessman That Always Travels
About Carlos Martinez
If you try to find Carlos Martinez, look for a business man in a car everyday going to Ebikon to work with his tie and blazer on. On the weekends you can see him wearing lots of cultured shirts he collected from all around the world. He is always smiling, even at work, because of how lucky he feels. It is pretty clear that he is happy and grateful for who he is and the experiences he has been able to have around the world.
Could you start by telling me a little about what it means to have lived in so many places?
“It has been a great opportunity and a great pleasure to live in so many different places from Finland up in northern Europe to the Middle East or to the United States of America and now to live in Switzerland. I have seen and lived in a variety of different places and locations.”
How has the culture of those places changed you?
“It has changed the way I am seeing the world. Allow me to put an example if I may. When we lived in the Middle East it was a very enriching experience. People have different[cultures] in [the] Middle East and you have to learn to respect the culture... I will give you an example: a lot of women in the Middle East are fully covered and this is basically to stop the sun so that it doesn't really touch particularly their arms. It is so hot in the region. Same happens with men. They are also fully covered up to the feet.”
Does living in so many places impact the way you see the world now?
“Of course. I am very tolerant to different people and every time [I] see immigrant crises like we can see right now throughout the world you really feel the pain. I have had the luxurious opportunity by always coming to the different countries by plane and not having to cross walking borders or being smuggled into different countries. But you really see the pain of all these immigrants around the world. [I] always have a very good mind and … you become more flexible to the different things that come in life. That is extremely useful.”
We are coming to the end of the interview. Is there anything else you want to add?
“Yes, maybe I think that it is important that we transmit this way of seeing the world; this flexibility all across the world. It is extremely important that people also [see the value of]getting to know your neighbor, your neighboring country, and even the country that is 10,000 kilometers away. It is extremely important to understand [each other] better to live in harmony with yourself, with your family and your neighbors, and with everyone surrounding you.”
“Instead of denying [Middle Eastern culture] is different from what we [do], you have to say, ‘Look, this is also interesting’.”
-Carlos Martinez
You speak a lot of languages. How have you learned to speak so many languages? Is it because you live in so many places and you have adapted yourself?
That is a very good question. Yes, I think the best show of respect when you live in a country is that you try to understand their language. I tried to speak Czech when we lived in the Czech Republic and I can tell you that it is a hard language!
What are some things that you miss about Spain?
The thing I miss the most is the family, right? Not being able to be with the family, not being able to be with the friends.
Why?
Because the family and friends are at the end. This is an extremely important part of your well-being and being as a person. We are social humans and we like to be surrounded by other humans like us.
“I think the best show of respect when you live in a country is that you try to understand their language”
