Servus!

... another bavarian greeting. I love Bavarians! Seriously.... why did I ever go to Northern Germany? People here are great. Since I last wrote... I wandered more, I saw the modern art museum. Yesturday I met up with Jen, another American Fulbrighter here and we hit up a biergarten in the Englisher Garten (big city park) and then walked around more. I bought a dirndle!! It's really cute. I'll post pictures when I can. Then last night I went to visit the relatives I have here in Munich... my grandpas half brother Hans and his wife Ilse. I was a little worried because they only speak German and I've only met them like once, but they were very nice and welcoming and I got to here some fun stories about Grandpa :) Their grandson, Martin, also came over. He's probable 30 or so and said I should call him sometime and he'd take me out. So I sat around with my distant realatives, speaking German, it was nice.

and today..... Oktoberfest! I met one of the other American Fulbrighters who came with some of her friends from Boston College. Unfortunatly its rainy and freezing outside, so I had to forgo the dirdle for today... maybe later, I have two weeks yet. Anyway, I met them there around 11, we sat out in the freezing rain because its impossible to get a table inside on the first day. beer starts flowing at 12, and we had downed our first Maß (2 liters) by 1:30 or so. We were feeling pretty friendly and not quite so cold by then. We met some nice guys from Ireland, I think they really just wanted to use our umbrellas... but they were entertaining anyway. It was far too cold and wet to sit outside and eat though, so we came back into the city to eat at one of the beer halls here. so we had some tasty and sobering Bavarian fare. Then they had to catch their train back, they're staying like an hour away because, well, thats about the best you can do around Munich for Oktoberfest.

And now... here I am in an internet cafe. I'm going to head back to the teachers house soon. She and another teacher are taking me out to some kind of Bavarian theater tonight. Such a long day.... drinking in the afternoon really throws me off. I'm ready for bed!

Tomorrow is the big huge parade through the city, yay parades! This is great... I still can't believe I live here.