October 2012

I took a couple trains to get to Munich for Oktoberfest. It goes on for about 2.5 weeks starting from mid-September to the first weekend of October. My German friend that I met in Munich the last time I was here happened to be working at Oktoberfest and was able to get me into a beer tent without a wait. Germans wake up early and start waiting in line to get in as early as 7am. I went in around 11am or so, and bought myself a stein (liter) of beer (10 euros). I managed to sneak a couple steins out in my tote bag as I left at the time, but eventually left it in Hannover when I left for Los Angeles. There was German music playing in the middle of the giant beer tent, and the people sang German drinking music, which required everyone to take a swig of their beer after every short song. Needless to say, I finished my beer rather quickly. Walking around this festival, I saw people so drunk, they were evacuating fluids out of their body in the open. Most people were dressed in their leathers, and their traditional dresses. I borrowed one from my German grandmother at the time. The dress was more conservative, since well, she was from a different generation. This was definitely a Bavarian experience I’d be happy to repeat.

These people are waiting in line just to get in the beer tent which is now at capacity.

Cookie souvenir – “I love you”