Jägervison

The other day while driving to a meeting, I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed a large RV hanging behind me with an orange logo on the front. It only took a fraction of a second to realize I was being tailed by a Jägermeister-branded tour bus. I grabbed my BlackBerry Curve and frantically shot a picture out the back window.

Much like St Hubertus and his own encounter with a white stag bearing a crucifix between his antlers, I asked myself: “What could this mean? What shall I do?”. Unfortunately, unlike the stag in the legend, this bright orange vision behind me provided no clues, gave no instructions.

I was perplexed, nay, distraught over this experience as it had to have happened for a reason, but I knew not why.

Then it hit me… marketing! That was it! Here was clear evidence of a higher power (Mast-Jägermeister AG in Wolfenbütte, Niedersachsen, Deutschland) raising awareness of their brand. Obviously, advertising is rare in the US, so I had to learn more.

I visited their website and soon found the Jägerbus was not their only “vehicle” for promotion. They sponsor JägerMusic concert tours and have JägerRadio pumping out the tunes of their tour acts over the Internet, there are Jägerettes & Jägerdudes to froth up crowds at events, they have an on-line JägerStore with all sorts of logo gear (want a gravity fed Jägermeister tap system in the rec room?) and they have produced a proprietary mixology of JägerRecipes.

They even have something called Toughest Cowboy where I think competitors tackle three events each night (bareback, saddle bronc & bull), ride the Jägerbus to a bar, do Jägershots with their fans until closing time, then get up and do it all over again the next night. Sounds tough. Clearly, the good people at Mast-Jägermeister are a creative bunch and deserve recognition for their JägerVison.

To honor their efforts, I have decided to change the e-mail address for this blog. Henceforth, you can reach me via JägerMail at openkimono at jagermail.com. You must be 21 or over to e-mail. Please spam responsibly.

Jo’burg Running

As part of what’s becoming a recurring theme, I bring you some information on running while traveling for business. This time, my footfalls occurred in Johannesburg. I made a pair of trips to South Africa between late last month and earlier this month. Both times, I stayed in outlying western neighborhoods: Fairland and Northcliff. This part of Jo’burg is mostly residential and very green. It’s also rather hilly which provides for some pretty good work outs when you figure in the already high elevation of the area.

While in Fairland, I generally stayed within the residential area near my B&B which is bounded by Seventh Ave and Ninth Ave to the north / south and Smit St and Weltevreden Rd to the west / east. This is a pretty quiet area with fairly wide, low traffic streets. I didn’t stray too far primarily because none of the streets are straight and with all the hills, houses and trees, spotting landmarks is challenging (and remembering all the street names is tricky). Plus, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to be out and about despite various people I met insisting it was perfectly safe: the day after my arrival a shootout occurred nearby between armed security forces and home invaders which resulted in the tragic death of a 12 year old girl named Emily Williams. Needless to say, I kept my eyes open.

The next trip, I ventured out a little further while staying at a different B&B in Northcliff. This neighborhood shares its name with the rock outcropping it has been built upon and around.

After a little planning and scribbling some street names on a scrap of paper, I began exploring to the south of my B&B, each morning climbing further up the maze of switchback streets leading to the top of 1,807m Northcliff (aka Aasvoëls Kop). Eventually, I ended up with a route I call Northcliff Out n’ Back which includes about ~150m of vertical to reach the top (plus the same going back down). This is a great run, if you like hills, and the views from the top are fantastic. Give it a try if you find yourself in the area.