Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest is known worldwide as the greatest envisionment of German culture. When you think of Germany, you think well - World Wars, Nazis, and Oktoberfest. Assumption, as I have been taught, has a very bad word in it that should not be used. Never have I been correct in any assumption I have made. I just hope that maybe, just maybe, by reading this blog you will not continue to assume a history of Nazis and beer. The German culture is deep and powerful, and bloodlines run much thicker than such material things. People change.

When it came to Oktoberfest, I really didnt know what to expect. Other people had told me their expectations, but mine were in a state of relaxation. I ended up going to Oktoberfest two times, one with my host family last Sunday, and once with just Theresa where we met up with other exchange students this past Saturday. Both days were ridiculously full. People mill about the streets in chaos and the Beer Tents, the coveted places to eat and drink on the "Visa", or Oktoberfest center, close at like 11.00am because if theyd stay open all day they would have people stacked in pile like corn right to the roof. Sunday we watched the Umzug, or parade, on given on the opening weekend of Oktoberfest. It was truly the longest parade Ive ever seen. There were multiple different bands, brewery carraiges, company carraiges like bakeries, and other random organizations in traditional German clothing, the Dirndl and Lederhosen. I loved to see all the costumes! There is so much variety in traditional clothing, youd be surprised. The short Dirndl is the modern day twirl on the traditionally long skirt, but everyone looked absolutely gorgeous :). Music is also played throughout the parade, and Germans dancing in the streets couldnt be a more entertaining sight. Afterwards we went onto the Visa, and my two host sisters and I with Katharinas 2 friends spent some time eating and dancing inside the Hacker-Pschorr Bierzelt (Beer tent). Because its a tent, and its Oktoberfest, smoking is allowed and after a few hours in there your eyes really start to sting. Tourists were a bounty there, we sat next to a group that was originally from Australia but living in England currently, as well as some natives. Well, I was with natives - so maybe they are the ones who sat next to the natives. Anyway . . . .

Saturday I visited Oktoberfest for a second time, getting the chance this time to enjoy walking around a little bit more with my host sister Theresa. We met up with a few other exchange students, which was quite hilarious given they were from Brasil or South America and had opinions about everything, with very charming smiles. Theresa and I shared a 1/2 meter Bratwurst, took a ride on a very scary pendulem thing overlooking the fest, and wandered about the Visa for the day. I also was very happy on my purchase of a chocolate apple, and her a Schoko-Banana. If theres fruit there, it has to have chocolate on it. We also enjoyed a Lebeküchen, which is a traditional Bayerisch Christmas time cake/cookies, tasting similarily to a mollasses cookie but a little different. Little, Medium, and Big hearts made of Lebeküchen are scatterred about at vendors among the streets and say fun little sayings like Gruß vom Oktoberfest (Hello from Oktoberfest), or Ich lieb dich ( I love you), etc, etc . . . Other yummy eats inculde random assortments of sandwiches with every meat you can imagine and a few stands with every nut you could imagine. If you have ever been to the Minnesota State Fair, you may get a vibe as to what Oktoberfest is like. The only difference is instead of 4H Buildings, Oktoberfest has Beer tents. And relatively better food, although not much can beat eating your food on a stick . . .

There are some downsides to Oktoberfest, but overall a great mix of ethinicities touring the German Culture, good food, and great people. You never go to the bathroom by yourself, oh no. Theresa and I were even stopped and breifly hugged before we escaped the grasps of two tipsy-turvy men, but you also see 5year old girls in the cutest little Dirndl you could imagine enjoying a rollercoaster ride and ice cream with mom and dad.

I can proudly say, I have been to Oktoberfest.

And thoroughly enjoyed it.

Below are a random assortment of photos I took while at Oktoberfest, sorry if they arent in a very understandable order. Its a lot of work to add photos on here . . . .

The Beginnings of the Parade - The Marionette Puppet Theater "float"

AAh . . . Traditional ware

The oh-so-famous Hofbräuhaus München


Twirling on the Streets

The Bayerisch flag carried by a real Bayerisch

Playing a tune to sing to

Follow the leader!

When a your in need, the Fire Departments there.

Princesses of Oktoberfest

Toto . . . Were not in Kansas anymore.

Even the little 'uns are in the parade :) I find the really little kids in traditional costumes one of the cutest things ever.

May Pole dancing

Blassmusik (band musik, blown music). One of the many bands in the parade playing traditional songs.

"The Beer Cart"

The police officer kept messing up my photos . .. but the whole brigade of old German guys in lederhosen parading through sporting flags with every German state, brewery, county . . . and whatever else you might put on a flag.

One of the many horse drawn carraiges adversting a certain brewery or company, this one had the longest train of horses.

The bigger and better your horse, the bigger and better you and your brewery are :D
Hofbrau Beer Tent
At the bathrooms observing the people . . . and more flags.

The others enjoying a "Mass", 1 Liter beer (at Oktoberfest - for 8,50€)
We were listening to a group sitting next to us tell a story I couldnt understand. Apparently it was very funny.

The tents are a little packed . . . if you call something that large a "tent".

The crew on Sunday at Oktoberfest - Me, Marcus and Fany (dating and best friends of Katharina), and Theresa and Katharina (my host sisters)

Each Beer Brewery has a tent at Oktoberfest, and each tent has a theme with intricate decorations. Hacker-Pschorr (a Bayerisch beer of course) had the theme "Himmel der Bayern", or the "Heaven of Bavaria". All the beer served is wheat beer, or weiß, in true Bayerisch style.

Enjoying some eats, pretzels bigger than your head and chicken :)

Katharina and Theresa (my host sisters) enjoying the traditional German Mass (1 Liter beer)

The band in Hacker-Pschorr ( Theyd play a song, drink a beer, then play another song - but quite good when the sound was coming out, even American songs (classic rock of course))

Kathi and one of her best friends Marcus in "Himmel der Bayern", the Hacker-Pschorr Bierzelt.

Katharina and one of her best friends Fany inside Hacker-Pschorr Bierzelt (Beer tent) enjoying the music.

Cassio (a Rotary Exchange student from Brasil), Me and Theresa on the crowded streets in traditional garb . . .
Enjoying the traditional 1/2 meter Oktoberfest Bratwurst. Not everyone is well behaved here, and these fairly under-the-influence passerby found our "hot dogs" very entertaining.

German Bratwurst haus :) Part of Augustiner-Brau, one of the Beer breweries from Bayern.

One of the many rides at Oktoberfest - We took one that was like a pendulem, and was entirely too scary given that our Dirndl aprons kept flying up and blocking our sight, and when the finally went back to their rightful place all you could see was the ground coming straight at your face. It stopped way at the top though, and we were able to look over the entire city of München and the multiple little Oktoberfest ants below us. Luckily, I did not get sick.

Theresa and I at the start of our day at Oktoberfest :)
South Americans celebrating in true South American style (Morillo from Brasil, Luisa from Columbia, and Cassio also from Brasil)
On the "Visa" with other exchange students (Morillo and Luisa)
Enjoying the sunny weather
In front of Augustiner Brau, taking pictures of our dirndls :)