July, Done and Dusted

Already a week into August. This year is flying by!

After surviving the Firmenlauf, Mr. Kilt and I headed to Brussels for a long overdue visit to a friend of mine living there. Back in 2004 she had gone for a few weeks to work in Germany. At the time she was working for the same company as me and we had been my second roommate at my first project back in 2001-2002.



Well, a few weeks turned into a few months and now a few years have passed and she is still living in Europe. She married a man from Brussels and they now have two little ones. Life's funny that way.

I had never been to Belgium and Mr. Kilt hadn't been since he was in University in Amsterdam so it was a nice combined visit and sight seeing tour. We had good weather, which is apparently unusual in Belgium and did a day trip to Bruges. Lovely visit, enjoyed both Brussels and Bruges and would be happy to go back any time.



My friend's mother and father-in-law spoke nice in slow in French and was good to be able to still understand what they were talking about. My friend's children understand French and English but are incredibly shy about speaking English and would only speak French. It was a lot of fun playing with them all weekend but between the two of them and two step children, I can see why my friend has decided to be a full time Mom for the near future.

After the Brussels trip, Mr. Kilt and I decided to just lay low for a few weeks. We are in preparation for a 2.5 week trip to the US at the end of August and when we get back we have the following weekend in Berlin (where Mr. Kilt will be running the Berlin marathon) and Oktoberfest will be in full swing.

I am having way too much fun planning out the itinerary for the US trip. The first week we are going to New York City, Philadelphia and Boston - three of my favorite cities in the whole world - and it will be his first time there. The second half is a bit more laid back - my parents in CT, Newport and Portland, Maine to see my sis and her other half. We just can't wait for it!

I am trying also to leave the house in order and ready for visitors that will descend on us for the last weekend of Oktoberfest. Although I have been slowly moving along on house projects since I moved in there is still so much to do. I am not really in a rush but would like to reach a comfortable plateau while my visitors are here.

Yes, a hectic couple of months coming up!


Dog Days of Summer

Posted from Munich

4 Years and Counting

Ready for year four of Oktoberfest silliness to begin once again!

I did a warm up run at the Rosenheim Herbstfest and last Sunday a group of us got all decked out and spent the evening at the Hacker-Pschorr overlooking the Wies'n. I loved having all the helpful Germans tell me I was too early by a week. Danke Ihnen!

I have three guests arriving tomorrow for the weekend - from England, Germany and Holland. My fiend S. from the UK was on the inaugural trip 4 years ago and has made it every year since. Now that is dedication! The other two are second time joiners who were last here in 2007.



The dirndls are ready for us girls and I will take the boys lederhosen shopping so they can feel authentic too.

The weather forecast looks spectacular for Saturday.

Bring on the beer and chicken (or in our case ox)!!



Posted from Munich

Rosenheimer Herbstfest

It's that time of year again. In the US, the baseball playoffs signal the end of summer and I always get a bittersweet feeling as the evening cools off at gametime and there is a nip in the air.


In Bavaria, the signal is the local beerfest. Many of Munich's surrounding towns host their own version of Oktoberfest to celebrate their own local brews starting in August and concluding around the time of the big daddy beer fest, the Munich Oktoberfest.



As much as I am a fan of the Munich Oktoberfest, these smaller fests are something special. There are very limited numbers of tourists there, the crowds are friendlier, no pushing and shoving to get a table and other than that you get all the good parts of the big Oktoberfest - beer, pork, dumplings, potatoes, dirndls, lederhosen, oompah music, teenagers in love, spine-tingling fair rides and plenty of gemütlichkeit.



I rounded up twelve expats yesterday to share one of my favorite local fests with them, the Rosenheimer Herbstfest (Fall Fest). The city of Rosenheim has always been one of my favorite surrounding towns and would be the kind of place if I were ever to get married and have kids (hahah) I could imagine raising them.



A Bavarian guy at our table adopted us and did his best to teach us the proper Bavarian way to hold the Maß and to clink the glasses. Apparently you are supposed to make three clinks - once on the main part of the glass, once with one handle hitting one glass and finally the two handles hitting each other. His whole group of friends was amused watching us all try to figure it out without smashing our fingers. Finally success! And we were indoctrinated. It's not a proper bierfest without making friends with all the neighbors around your table and at least one person finding their true love (if even only for a day).



Yesterday was opening day so as an added bonus we saw the parade of the brewers and the tapping of the first keg. O'zapft ist! The weather started rather damp but the skies cleared into a fine autumn-like evening and we managed to hit a few of the rides after leaving the carnage of the tent and heading for home. Excellent day and for those in the area, I can only recommend this one for a fun experience.



Posted from Munich

Countdown to Oktoberfest: Dirndl Show

It's official. I am a dirndl nut.



Last night I attended a dirndl fashion show. I have been invited the last couple of years but during the week I am normally out of town so never made it. This year I just decided whenever it was, I would take the day off and go.



I was not disappointed. The dirndl's were from Schatzi's 2009 collection. The show was high energy and I loved the collection. Freak, yes I am. A transvestite in a dirndl reminiscent of the Dorothy's attire in the Wizard of Oz was the MC.





Some of Germany's rich and famous were there, or so I was told. I have no clue about famous Germans.

















Perhaps the biggest treat of the night was being allowed to join the press to take pictures. I gave up nice seats but I LOVED being one of the paparazzi. At one point I think there was a stream of drool down my chin as I checked out the other guys' lenses. Runway photography is harder than it looks though. Even with a flash and trying different settings it is hard to manage the lighting and the constant motion of the models.



A good time and I will do it again for sure!



Posted from Geneva

The Wiesn

Another Oktoberfest has come and nearly gone - the last hours are winding down as I type this. I spent this weekend in Munich with one of my crazy Brit friends celebrating our personal 3rd annual Oktoberfest.

We had a bit of a rough start yesterday as we stayed out way too late on Friday in our warm up round. Normally the idea is to be at the Wiesn by 8.30 AM to have a chance to enter one of the tents.

Our day went more like this. The day started around 9.30 AM with a groan from across the heavily shaded hotel room. By the time we made it to the tents it was nearly 11 and we could neither of us think about drinking a beer and we had no chance to get in any tent until nightfall when people started leaving. It was freezing cold, and started to rain heavily. I even think I saw some snow flurries. We stood inside a telephone booth for about 30 minutes kicking ourselves for not dressing warmer and bringing an umbrella. We tried to get into one tent and failed. Then we started to discuss going to see a movie, museum or at least find the nearest starbucks to warm up and have some post hangover coffee.

But have no fear - we rallied shortly after getting into one of the outdoor beer gardens and finding a cozy spot right under a heater. By 2 PM we managed to have our first beer, had made friends with 6 Dutch guys, 2 German girls and an incoherent trio of Italians and a conveyer belt of cameo appearances and away we went for Oktoberfest 2008. We made it out until a respectable 12.30 AM.

So, why on earth would I put myself through all that?

10 ten reasons why I love Oktoberfest:

1. The Randomness anything can and does happen at the Oktoberfest.


2. My dirndl its girly pink and green and I love it.


3. Beer! and even better, the Radler.


4. Lederhosen and even better the lederhosen contest.*


5. Obazda and Brez'n why can't this be diet food?


6. The music Oh yes it is horrible and cheesy and like a mass karaoke gone terribly wrong but it will stay in your head for days.


7. The international crowd they come from everywhere, you fumble with broken french, german, english, italian, spanish, dutch or more but at the end of the day you are all jumping up and down on the benches singing Country Roads, Take Me Home together.


8. The rides it is brilliant that after a full day of beer drinking you can be spun, dropped and dizzy from more than just the beer.


9. The food Oktoberfest is the perfect compliment to a fall day and lots of beer - hot, hearty, carb heavy and filling.


10. The stories the next day put reasons 1-9 together and there are some great stories to laugh about for days to come.

* Warning: If you find objectifying men objectionable then better skip this last part.

The lederhosen contest consists of a little game we started in year 1 of Oktoberfest. As part of the general drivel we were spouting on that first day, my two friends and I were having a debate if it is possible to have a cute butt in lederhosen. So the search started and the debate continued. To this day we have found no scientific evidence that lederhosen can be butt-flattering. But we continue the search anyway...like Scully and Mulder.

Posted from Zürich

Staying Alive

Riding High Over Munich

It's been super busy for me lately so barely time for reading and posting but caught up a bit tonight.

Work has picked up considerably as even before an official announcement was made I am relied on in my new position. My current position is at a peak right now too until early November so no rest in sight!

The Oktoberfest bash was successful too. On Friday night the group of 16 descended on our little apartment. We had to cancel the BBQ due to the pouring rain and instead stocked up on antipasti, cheese, etc from the Viktualienmarkt. I made a zwetschgendatschi again and an apple pie. It was fun to see everyone in Munich. Some had left the project some time ago and it was so fun to catch up again.

Bright and early on Saturday we headed to the Oktoberfest (8:30 AM) ouch!! M. scored big and had 2 tables waiting for us right in front of the stage. By 9 AM we had the first beers with our weisswurst. The band started around noon and we jumped around and danced like crazy. One of my friends was convinced to get up and conduct the band and we all were cheering like crazy. All the girls managed to find dirndls to wear. It was so weird to see them in dirndls rather than suits.

My New Dirndl

Around 4:30, M. and I left. He was still battling a cold (an annual event for him during Oktoberfest) and the events of Friday and Saturday had us tuckered out. I made him go on a couple of rides before we went home. Spinning, plummeting rides. Nothing like that after a few Mass. Wheeee! I even got a cheesy lebkuchen - I love that kind of stuff.

Lebkuchen

I like seeing my life and social circle expand here. It is a lot less lonely for me here almost 2 years later. Probably even better than the Oktoberfest was hanging out with a couple of the late fliers on Sunday at the Chinese tower and sharing the beautiful weather, a final Mass while flitting from topic to topic.

I finally got my work permit and as of Monday I am now Munich based. Picking up the work permit was emotional as I was both happy and relieved but the significance hit me as well. The mean integration lady who told me about my 600 hours of integration training (not required exactly but still) only spoke German. I wonder how anyone can really start the process with help like that.

The last big news is we are looking to buy a car. The company took very good care of us this year and with my pay in Euros it is even better so we're ready to take the plunge. M. went to the dealership yesterday to scout around and we will head back on Saturday to look together. With startling German insight, M. informed me that getting a new car will certainly cost more than not having a car.

O'Zapft Is!!

It's that time again...Oktoberfest! We had no plans to go for opening day yesterday but somehow found ourselves there at noon for the tapping of the first keg (just for an hour or two) and a long afternoon in the Kaefer biergarten stretched into a long evening in the Schuetzen-Festzelt tent (10 hours later). Honestly, the time just evaporates in that atmosphere. Needless to say, today has been a highly non-productive Sunday. Enjoy the pics - trust me, it is safer that way.













Posted from Basel

3 Weeks

Until Okotberfest!

Posted from Munich