When I arrived at the train station, Melina and Katharina met me on the platform with big hugs and some tears on Melina’s part. Flash forward one hour and I’m holding a liter of beer, a supersized pretzel and am wearing a dirndl (a traditional Bavarian dress, think St. Pauli’s girl but ours were a little more conservative). We are in a huge colorful tent called the Hippodrom and we have managed to squish our way to Katharina’s friend’s company table. Generally, to get a table at Oktoberfest you have to come ridiculously early or pay a large sum about a year in advance. Katharina had the hook up. Hours of drinking, singing, dancing, and some really good people watching ensued. Our tent was a bit of an older crowd (more company tables and apparently some of the Munich celebrity scene- footballers and the like). This meant less backpacking tourists and more expensive champagne. People get really generous after a few beers and by the end of the night we had gotten free food, free drinks, and a few five-finger discount souvenirs.
The next day my rogue strain of the bubonic plague, which had been gaining strength throughout the Oktoberfest festivities, was in full gear. Despite my insufferable congestion and scratchy throat, we went on a walking tour of Munich. The weather was spectacular, as it had been all of Saturday, and Katharina showed us all over. We stopped at a beer garden in the English Garden and ate bratwurst and sauerkraut (a brief lapse in my vegetarianism, but a girls got to eat more than a pretzel and potatoes or she’ll turn into a giant walking talking carbohydrate). One of the coolest parts of that huge park is that there is a really fast moving river that goes through it were people can actually surf! Only one at a time, but right there in the middle of the city, people can catch waves in the freezing cold water. So if you ever see a guy in a wet suit on a bike carrying a surf board around Munich, don’t think he’s just taken the surfer-poser trend to a new level.
The rest of the trip was spent chatting, shopping (I got a pair of heels for 2 euros!), and eating fun German things… and Chinese food. On Monday Katharina had to work so Meli and I went to the Scholss Nymphenburg, a huge castle with a big garden and more little castles.
Melina in one of the baby castles...
Melina and I, with our keen sense of direction, got a little lost walking around in the woods and it turned out to be a 2 ½ hour tour. Our same sharp directional skills managed to get us lost a few more times before the trip was over. Katharina was a wonderful host and I was so happy to get to see her.
On the way to the train station Tuesday morning, Katharina got hit by a car. She’s fine!! Don’t worry. We were crossing the street and some ASS in a van almost hit us, so we gave him mean looks. As some sort of hilarious joke, he rolled forward a little more and actually knocked Katharina off balance and she fell. The only real injury she sustained was probably a sore hand from when she proceeded to jump up and slammed the hood of his van while cursing him in German. Finally I got to the train station and Katharina and I said our goodbyes before I got to my platform because she was late to work. But when I got to the platform, there was no train or crowd of people to be seen. After a bit of scrambling through my papers, I realized that the train had left at 9:27! I thought it was leaving at 9:57 because I had read the schedule for my ticket into Munich! Dumbass! And the ticket I had was a cheaper student one which meant it was only good for the time scheduled. I frantically found the info desk and put on my best pathetic face (not too hard to muster at this point) and told them that I was late because my friend got hit by a car. It wasn’t thatttt much of a lie. The kind German woman may not have bought the story, but she gave me a free ticket for the next train anyways. On the long voyage back, I met this cool Austrian guy and we talked for hours. So now I have an Austrian friend to hang out with outside the Academy that I wouldn’t have met had it not been for my inability to read train schedules.
Now back in Vienna, orientation has already started and the building is full of students. The bar is open every night for this week and I have been meeting people from all over. Last night there was a really fun dance party and I met a Polish guy who can really cut a rug (I’ll have to make and post a video of it one day because it’s freakin’ hilarious). I think that this year is going to be really intense academically. My advising appointment kind of made me nervous, but I’m really looking forward to classes starting on Monday (especially my German classes).
I miss you friends dearly! Thanks for leaving me comments and what not. Leave me your current addresses if you haven’t already given them to me and maybe you’ll get a little Austrian something in the mail (don’t get too excited, it will probably be paper, haha).
Muah!
