WEBVTT

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When we arrived in the GDR,
there was no more mention of training.

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In the mornings we had German lessons,
but apart from that we worked in cargo handling.

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Or as we said in those days
at the port: hauling sacks.

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The worst was when we had to
haul half pigs

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or bags of cement.

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Half pigs weigh 50kg
and they’re cold and slippery.

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And the cement would eat
into our skin and hands,

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so that by the end of our shift
our hands and bodies would be almost bleeding.

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Hauling coffee sacks, they weigh around 55kg
and I only weigh 50kg.

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The whole shift, 8 to 10 hours,

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always the same movement,
haul, haul, haul.

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I couldn’t bear it.