Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Markus: With your birthday today and so close to Octoberfest can you tell me a little bit about the celebrations?

Happy Birthday, Markus!

Happy birthday, Markus! Another september baby!!!

Happy Birthday, Markus!

Mmmmmmmm........ Octoberfest!

Happy Birthday Markus!

I am getting the impression that Oktoberfest is all about Marcus' birthday.

Thank you all for your congratulations.

No, no, my absence during the last days has nothing to do with the Oktoberfest. I was on a class outing (is this the right word?) with one of the classes I teach in secondary school from Monday till today.

Probably it is very difficult to understand for Americans that Germany and Bavaria are not the same. The Oktoberfest takes place in Munich (Bavaria) and it is a very special Bavarian thing. I live in the west of Germany near Cologne, Aachen and Düsseldorf. I am not Bavarian and probably know as much (or as little) about the Oktoberfest as anyone else in Europe.

So you see: the Oktoberfest in Munich is a strange, foreign tradition for me. A big gathering of some Bavarians and many, many tourists from all over the world, where people are sitting in large marquees and drinking a lot of high-priced but not very good beer. Brass bands play horrible folk music there and everything is decorated in blue and white. And yes, the waitresses wear "Dirndels" and are able to carry lots of pints (with 1 litre of beer each) at once. And it doesn´t smell very good there, I am told.

I once heard from a German friend of mine that Bavarians are made fun of/teased the most, by the rest of the German population. Any truth to this, or was this more of a personal opinion on the part of my German friend?

paologregorio wrote:I once heard from a German friend of mine that Bavarians are made fun of/teased the most, by the rest of the German population. Any truth to this, or was this more of a personal opinion on the part of my German friend?

Your friend is absolutely right. To be fair I must add, that envy is one of the reasons for this. Aside from being a little strange and different from the rest of Germany, Bavarians have also been very successful in recent years. They have got the lowest unemployment rates and the least social problems f.e. - and they have got the most successful soccer team.

I want to say hello from Munich to all of you here in this forum ! Being registered here since 2007 I made the leap over here just a few days ago. Maybe I can support Markus a little bit , especially reporting from Munich. When the Octoberfest 2009 is in sight again I will tell you more about it. ...and Markus , the beer is better than it's reputation , all a matter of taste ...and the environment ; drinking local wine in northern Italy is a pure joy but avoid to take it home and don't expect the same joy when drinking it there...

doctorno wrote: I was on a class outing (is this the right word?)

A bit late I know but ...

Klassenfahrt meinst Du, oder? We always called it a "school trip" when I was at school in England.

Hello, Alex! It will be interesting to hear how Oktoberfest is celebrated over there, compared to the the way it's celebrated here in the U.S.A.

doctorwho wrote:It will be interesting to hear how Oktoberfest is celebrated over there, compared to the the way it's celebrated here in the U.S.A.

Isn't it called Drunkenfest here in the USA?

Happy Belated Birthday, Markus!

I was in Munich for Oktoberfest in 1989, I was visiting some friends who lived there while I was between jobs. The brass band thing was a bit overpowering, but somehow fitting in a weird way. The beer was pretty good though, I'm not sure Germans are actually capable of brewing bad beer...