Of Lederhosen and Leiche

I took another trip into the Alps with some friends today. Not only did we hike to the top of the Rotwandgipfel, but we did it in lederhosen. Now you get to see me in lederhosen for the first official time!

From The Alps

More pictures on my Picasa page.

I also walked through a beautiful graveyard in Munich the other day. The grave stones were all from the 1700s and 1800s.

Eins, Zwei, G'Suffa!

One thing separates Oktoberfest from the Fulton County Fair: world class beer. And, man, does that make a difference. Without those six world-renowned breweries setting up tents, the Theresienwiesen would be just a second-class carnival and 4H fair with 5.9 million fewer people for these precious two weeks.

But Spaten, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Augustiner (order does not indicate preference here!) do set up 12 different beer tents and serve six million liters of beer to millions of thirsty patrons. These six Munich breweries already make pretty strong (and tasty!) brews, but the alcohol content shoots up to around 6% for their Oktoberfest brews. And you can only order the beers a liter at a time. That's why you've heard of Oktoberfest before.

Does it get crazy? Yes. Does it get out of hand? It depends who answers this question. I've observed that most Bavarians like to get to the "Wies'n," drink slowly, eat a "brezel" or two, and chat over a chicken dinner. Thus, they stay in control. Italians like to drink slowly, too, but then the males starting hitting on every girl in sight. The Brits like to drink quickly. The Australians and Americans drink slower than the Brits, but make up for that in singing volume and table dancing extravaganzas.

Speaking of singing and dancing, each tent has its own Bavrian oompah band. But they can play more than "Roll Out the Barrel." "Country Roads" is a favorite, along with "Living on a Prayer" and a few German drinking songs. But the one every Oktoberfester must know is "Ein Prosit"-- a toast. Every 15 minutes, the band breaks this bad boy out, and every 15 minutes, the tent erupts into a frenzy of clinking beer steins. Glorious!

German Lessons in Common Sense: #1

When hanging your clothes out to dry, choose a warm, sunny day. Cold, rainy days make your clothes wetter, not drier.

The Alps!

Last Friday I finally made it! One of the biggest reasons I chose to study in Germany instead of Berlin or Mainz is the Alps. The jagged rocks, the lush greenery, the snowcapped mountains, and the tiny Bavarian villages all combine to make the perfect day trip. The whole JYM class couldn't ignore the mountain silence and fresh country air. We're excited to go back this coming Friday.

Aside from the beautiful scenery (which you can see in my Picasa album!), the small town of Mittenwald really captured my attention. Stereotypical Bavarian, the town centers around a beautifully ornate Catholic Church. Although more and more Germans identify as non-religious, the Bavarian countryside clings fiercly to its Christian, most often Catholic, faith. In the upcoming elections, this voting bloc will likely again vote for the ruling CSU party, which has had an absolute majority in the Bavarian parlament for the past 46 years.

Shock and Awe

Although PennAbroad did a good job of preparing us to study abroad, the constant warnings of culture shock always went in one ear and out the other though. "I've been there twice before." "I've lived with a German family." "I'm pretty flexible." But in my previous trips, I never had to go grocery shopping.

Here, people take more pride in their food. Visitors find Bavarian specialties on every menu, and I've overheard people on the U-Bahn talking about where to find the best produce. Thus, stores here are pretty specialized.

I found this out, walking into an Aldi, expecting to walkout with all I could possibly carry, set for the next week. Instead, I walked out with a small bag of cleaning supplies (which I found next to the chocolate) and iceberg lettuce (which went bad after two days). I had to go to a different store to get cheese, a drug store for plastic bags, a bakery for bread, and a butcher for meat. And I don't plan on going back to Aldi for produce-- JYM suggests daily farmers markets around the city.

All in all, this system is much better than America's. Fresher, potentially healthier, local produce use fewer fossil fuels, make tastier meals, and pump up the local economy. But I still can't help but miss the big Meijier sign where I know I can load up my car, go home, and be set for the month.

Das Millionendorf

Munich-- what can I say? The city is amazing, keeping me entertained, busy, and away from my blog for a whole week! Getting settled here has been difficult but certainly worth the small troubles. Just the beer alone makes me forget every worry about staying here a whole year!

Any visitor to Munich definitely gets a feel for the town quickly. The locals call it "Das Millionendorf" which essentially means, "The biggest little town in Germany!" With over a million people, eight of Germany's DAX companies (similar to our Fourtune 500), and some of Germany's top museums, clubs, and, of course, breweries, the city is thriving and lively. But at the same time, one quickly notices people in "Trachtkleidung" (Dirndls and Lederhosen). Farmers' markets are a big deal. Huge parks encompass large swaths of the city. And the Alps are only a couple hours away.

Without this small town feel (aka if I had chosen to study abroad in Berlin), I doubt I would get quite much of an experience with traditional German culture. When Americans think of German culture, we think of Bavaria and its lederhosen, beer, and brats. The rest of Germany actually sees this as strange, especially how proud the Bavarians are of their traditions. But when studying abroad in a western European country, one really wants to experience all the non-American traditions possible. Bavaria is perfect for that.

Wilkommen in Deutschland!*

Written September 10, 2006, 5:30 am

I’m in Munich! Just the airport, actually, but the travel certainly was easy. The flight got in an hour ahead of time, my bags were the FIRST out at the “Gepäckausgäbe,” and I actually fell asleep for a good portion of the flight. 

Of course being here an hour early is not actually beneficial. I still have to wait for the JYM crew to get here with their bus, and they don’t show up until the group flight arrives. Although, I now see that the group flight is also arriving an hour earlier than scheduled. Thank you Atlantic tail winds! 

I’ll be posting about my dorm room and first impressions soon—pictures included.

I Worked Hard for the Money

Done with work. Great experience, well worth it, but at the same time, I'm glad to not have to get up at 5:45am every day anymore. I guess on Tuesday my commute will be a little more "trans-atlantic." 

Better get packing!

The Farewell Tour

This past weekend, I drove for many, many hours. But it was worth it, as I got to see my closest friends one last time before Germany. First stop: Berea, Ohio. I stayed at my friend's house, biked along a beautiful path to Cleveland, and caught up on a summer gone-by. Next up was Philadelphia where I stayed with my (former) roommates. Fired up by NSO and 2,000 new students, campus was abuzz. Final stop, on Labor Day, was the Fulton County Fair in Ohio. Another good friend was with her boyfriend, and I was lucky enough to meet them there.

I'm still upset about leaving my friends for an entire year, but, surprisingly, this trip helped. I thought I would be distraught, seeing all of what I would leave behind. Instead, I took it all in and realized that Germany offers a chance to experience something so radically different--something so new--that I can't possibly be upset. Even if I love what I leave behind, the new experiences will more than make up for it.