Oktoberfest, 2011

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There's a strange identity crisis in Germany. Many students and acquaintences of mine, mostly from Northern Germany, seem to think Bavaria, and all things Bavarian, is not German. It is its own entity with its own language and culture that they don't seem to be very keen on. I thought this was quite juvenile, to be perfecly honest. There are differences in every country, depending on region. I disliked seeing my usually kind students and acquaintences scoff at part of their country like that. Bavaria has a rich history and culture, unique just like the rest of Germany. I live in Kiel which, though a good city to live in, is not exactly the center of culture and excitement. And the German language in general is not a world favorite to begin with, let alone the various dialects from around the country. So what are the scoffing at?!

Nonetheless, while Kiel has Kieler Woche, Munich has its own festival that brings millions to the city. We all know what this is, thus it needs no introduction. OKTOBERFEST, BABY!! Yes, I participated in the world reknowned beer festival where the women wear sexy dirndles, men (and more women than you would think) wear lederhosen and the beer is flowing, flowing, flowing in 1 litre beer glasses! Well, when in Rome, right?

Myself and two colleagues took a short trip down to Munich for the final weekend of the festival. It was hot, hot, hot and we had a marvelous time. However, we had more fun exploring Munich than the festival site, which is actually just a big carnival. The beer tents were flooded to the brim and you would have to wait for hours to get a seat. Not for us. We went to as many parts of the city as possible, relaxed in the sun with a beer here and there and partied it up at night at our campsite or out on the town. We rented a row boat on a small lake and nearly missed our train back to Kiel which would have severely screwed us over! Ah, adventure! Enjoy some photos from the journey.

Note to reader: Yes, I bought a dirndle. Yes, I've worn it since Oktoberfest. Yes, I snagged a 1 litre beer glass for myself. No, I didn't keep it. I sent it to my father for Christmas. :-)

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