A beer for the Americans and the little blond one!

I am always happy if my status as a foreigner in Germany permits me to ask stupid questions.

My Own German and hiw German friends are having the time of their life with an American documentary questioning why the German Oktoberfeste takes place in September.

I'm blond if it comes to the answer on the question. I have no clue. So, I try to explain them that the question really is not that stupid. More laughing. But no answer. It makes me wondering why this is so hilarious. Looks as if Germans and their friends don't know themselves.

We're in October now. And the Oktoberfeste are over. Except the ones in America. They continue stubborn organising their Oktoberfeste in October. Giving the Germans a laugh. While the foreigners in Germany understand the logics.

Especially me. Still waiting for that good-looking German man in lederhosen. No better place and time than Oktoberfeste in October.

So, dear Mr.-German-reading-this, is there any good reason for not re-organising the Oktoberfeste now? In October? Just for us? The blond foreigner and the Americans?

The German Italians - Part II

Is it not absolutely remarckable that in a country of bratwurst and beer kitchen design became big?

You really start wondering how Martin Bulthaup came up with the idea to develop fashionable and trendy kitchen design.

He put a bratwurst in a small sandwich with sauerkraut-on-the-go. And decided it tasted better when made in a design kitchen.

Could be. I can also not cook. And I like design kitchens. Still. I can not imagine that's the reason why Germans are almost Italian if it comes to kitchen design.

No. I believe more in the following scenario... You want to get that bratwurst ready. But there is no frying pan close to the fire. Cut the sandwich. But your knife is not around. Open your sauerkraut-on-the-go package. No scissors. So the Germans started to structure their kitchen. Cause they like structure. A lot. And before you know the Italians call it fashionable. Trendy. To have your kitchen structured.

No. You do not have to be a good cook to be a specialist in kitchen design.

Alice

PS for the Italians: Click for some German kitchen design on http://www.bulthaup.com/ and http://www.siematic.com/

About Germans, beer and water

Germans like beer. They get confused about water.

Take the sea. Germans make it very complicated. They call the sea das Meer. While the English call it the sea. The Dutch call it the zee. The Swedish talk about the sjö. All sounds pretty similar, no? Except than for the Germans.

But it even gets more confusing. Cause there are also the lakes. That's what the Germans then call der See. So you have the Bodensee. In the South of Germany. And that's than a lake.

Are you still with me?

Wait. They made it even more complicated. Cause they have also their Ostsee. And that's a sea. And a Nortsee. They just call it das Meer. Except when they have a proper conversation - cause then it becomes the Nortsee and the Ostsee.

Even my own German got confused by it today. Cause try to explain why the Northsee is a sea, while the Bodensee is a lake. He even had to conclude that there is a lake at Hannover with the wrong name - das Steinhudermeer. A lake with the name of a sea.

Yep. That's what you get when you want to make it complicated. Now you just don't know yourself anymore.

Germans... Stay with the beer. Oke?

Sauerkraut-to-go

I am not a good cook. And I am even convinced most of you reading this blog already understood so.

But when I cook, I do my best. There is a -limited- number of recipes in my head. And ... well, that can be eaten.

Off course, I need the right ingredients. The ingredients I am used to. Cause every time the package looks different, I am not so sure anymore if it is the right stuff. And if dinner will be eatable.

And that's where the problem lies. Moving to Germany, no supermarket looks like home. They sell sauerkraut in ready-to-go packages (aiaiaiai). They have a whole rack of ketchup for bratwurst. And only two different kinds of mayonaise.

Two. The supermarket at home counts -at least- fifty different kinds of mayonaise.

Dear own German, you cook. I moved.

Club Med Germany

One claims they're a cold culture. The Germans. Not heartly to newcomers. But arriving in summer time, I can not agree with that.

I arrive in an almost Mediteranean atmosphere. Club Med Germany.

People sitting arm in arm on a table. Shaking from left to right on the bench. Singing German schlager music. Drinking wine - no, no beer - under the trees. Sharing their food on one large table.

And they don't care I am a foreigner. They talk. And laugh. Share their food. And wine. Every weekend again. In another town.

My own German says it has something to do with the wine. Beer makes agressive. Wine makes people smile.

Well, I can't speak for them all... But Germans drinking wine are definitly not cold. They talk. And laugh. Out of their heart.

P.S.: Still no lederhosen!

Beer Garten

So then I met him. And he convinces me it is not true. Germans don't wear lederhosen. They don't just eat bratwurst. No. There as normal as any other European. No particularities.

Yeah. Off course. On a trip to Munchen, I am invited to "discover" the local culture. A beer garten. And don't tell me the man at the counter has not been doubting this morning about that lederhosen...

Anyway, a beer garten was new. We do not have it where I come from - and let me tell you, with the amount of beer we drink that is really suprising. I just loved sharing my table with other people and discover what they take on their bratwurst. It is not mayonaise!