Frühlingsfest and Estrogen

For the past few weeks there was a big festival called Frühlingsfest in Munich. There are lots of tents and rides and food stands set up in the same area where Oktoberfest is held every year, and it is basically a mini Oktoberfest for 3 weeks. For this festival, everyone who owns them wears dirndls and lederhosen- the traditional Bavarian garb. If you aren't familiar with those words, I can assure you you will recognize what they are once you google them.  Anyway, I didn't own a dirndl. So I had two choices: wear civilian clothing and be shunned as a tourist...OR...purchase my very own dirndl and look Bavarian and awesome. So obviously I chose the Bavarian-awesome route and bought a dirndl! I literally bought the first one that I tried on, and I never ever wanted to take it off. I am convinced that dirndls are the best possible article of clothing that a woman can wear to flatter her figure, because they truly look good on everyone. Genius. Much like at Oktoberfest, people go into the beer tents, try and find and empty spot at one of the tables, squeeze their way up onto the benches, grab a Maß of beer and join in on the singing and dancing. You meet all kinds of people at these festivals as they attract a lot of international visitors.  For example, this bachelor party of British guys all dressed in skeleton costumes:

I'm guessing my brother's bachelor party next weekend in the Poconos is going to look a bit different. Something happens to people when they enter these beer tents... everyone becomes so happy and friendly and willing to meet new people. It's such an awesome environment, and it makes me SO excited for Oktoberfest. Only 132 days away, but who is counting? Answer: me.  As well as all of Bavaria, all of Germany, most bordering countries, and millions of others. I have a feeling this year's Oktoberfest is going to trump most holidays I have experienced.  

In other news, Mimi's last au pair, Katie, moved back into our house yesterday! She was working for an incredibly rich yet incredibly awful family in Salzburg, and she just couldn't take it anymore. So Stef and Matthias welcomed her back into our house until she goes back to Canada in August, and she'll work for one of our neighbors.  They have an adorable little boy, Tristan, who goes to school with Mimi. Tristan and Mimi are about to have a lot of play dates, that is for sure. On Friday, Oma and Opa took Mimi and I to a great beer garden with a big playground for kids that is just a short bike ride away from our house. I foresee lots of trips there in the near future with Katie, Tristan, Mimi, and myself :). I don't think Matthias is prepared for how much estrogen is going to be in our house for the next few months. Katie and I spent all day today just chatting and playing with Mimi... and I think Matthias was already overwhelmed by the intense amount of pure G.I.R.L. in the house, and it has only been one day! I think he'll start enjoying being at work a little bit more now.

On a random note, I think I am going to Zürich next Tuesday to see the 2012 World Press Photo Exhibition that is at a venue there for the month of May. I saw the 2011 exhibition with Jenni and Vance in Amsterdam last summer, and it was an awesome and shocking exhibition that everyone should try to see at some point. It displays the best photos taken for the press in that year with small captions describing the context of each photograph. It's a traveling exhibition that is in just a few different places around the world at any given time, and it's really awesome. I'll try to remember to write about it after I go! 

Tschüs!