At least for Americans, there is one word that encapsulates Bavaria, evoking images of beer, lederhosen clad men, dirndl wearing girls, communal merriment, blue and white flags, busty maidens with fists full of overflowing steins, and brass bands: Oktoberfest. And let me say, sometimes the stereotypes nail it right on the head!
A group of six of us, fitted in our newly purchased --and at what a price (!), impulse buy-- Trachten, took an early afternoon train to Munich, about two hours northeast of Salzburg. Once there, the costumed masses lead the way to the fairgrounds. I cannot describe how overwhelmed I was upon arrival - people everywhere! I expected it to be crowded, but was certainly not prepared for what we encountered. Disney in August, Rome during Holy Week, Inauguration on the Mall, and a football match in Buenos Aires have nothing on this place! The grounds are set up so that on either side of a central avenue are the famed brewery tents, with smaller, specialized vendors interspersed about. Behind the tents stood amusement rides which, considering how they're constructed and destructed within a period of three weeks, were wildly impressive. In order to buy beer, one must be sitting at a table, and, with an average of 7,000,000 visitors each year, that is no easy feat! With no luck getting in at Augustiner or Schottenhamel, we decided to wait in "line" at Hacker-Pschorr, which was really just a mass of people congregated upon the threshold of the tent, kept at bay by some of the most incredible bouncers I've ever seen. For obvious reasons, crowd control was a primary concern by the organizers, and further admittance was barred until the tent had more fully cleared out. The entrance was between two vendor shacks, spanning a width of perhaps thirty feet. A few bouncers paced this distance, repeatedly asking the ever-encroaching crowd to stay behind the tape. More than a few people tried to run under the tape when the guards were looking the other way, and, had this been back in the States, I would have thought that they were just lucky and now get to enjoy the celebration, but NO, like manic Gestapo in all those movies, these guards race after them, jumping over people like gazelle and literally, literally throw these people out. The first time was terrifying, and afterwards, I think we all prayed that once they caught another they wouldn't decide to throw him in our direction. When they dragged a poor soul towards us, we scattered like cockroaches in light so that he wouldn't hit us on his way out - my nine lives ran out after about an hour, when some guy was thrown so forcefully, he nearly took off my left arm. An important lesson learned - never, ever mess with Germans.
Upon hearing our of slim prospect of gaining admittance, we hit the road one again in search of our table and beer. We stumbled upon Spaten's beer garden, which, too, was mobbed. However, after about a minute of walking around, trying to find a table, one of the girls heard a seated group speaking English, and as they were just finished, they agreed to head out and let us have the table. Sitting after three hours - yay! We had a terrific spot outdoors, under the magnificent autumnal sky, and enjoyed so many good laughs over beer. I like our little group immensely, and I'm rapidly growing comfortable with them and more freely open up to them, which feels wonderful. Took a sleepy train ride back to Salzburg, and arrived early in the morning, ending such a great day. I think we all had so much fun, and I'm sure that throughout the year, it will only get better. Another life goal checked off the list!
In other news, I've successfully met with nearly all of the teachers at my school. I was somewhat intimidated when I received news that I was assigned to a technical school, because I know essentially nothing about the stuff, but when I spoke with the teachers about what they would like for me to cover in the lessons, I sighed of great relief. I'll have to do a bit of research on America politics (I knew I'd have to succumb eventually), but some of my others topics are: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Steinbeck, U.S. History, International Travel, Stereotypes, and Culture - very, very happy about the selection, and the teachers with whom I'll work have, thus far, been tremendously friendly and supportive. On top of that, I scheduled my first few weeks of class. There are so many English classes that, by mid-November, I still will have not visited with all of them. My "mentor" teacher is great. When making the schedules, I asked that in addition to free Thursday afternoons for my Uni seminar, I'd like to have a whole day off each week. He said, "No. You will have 2 days off a week!" He studied and taught in a small city between London and Cambridge and said that one of the most important aspects of living abroad, if not the most important, was exploring the world and cultures around oneself, and I think I could live with that mandate. :-)
It's simply gorgeous outside. The sun shines, the air is warm, and the colors of nature are shouting out with all their might. A picture couldn't do this place justice. It is overwhelmingly beautiful, and like I've said before, it's beauty appeals to all the senses. I think I'll go for a walk along the Mönchsberg, with panoramic views of the Altstadt on one side, and the majestic Alps across the German border on the other.
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run
- "Ode to Autumn," Keats
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