Octoberfest

The Hilton celebrated Octoberfest tonight. Even though I moved out friends (still part of the Hilton homeless) invited me back. I wish I had brought my camera. As the son a full bred German it was, well, interesting. Think of every bad stereotype of Germans (lederhosen, accordion, etc.) The food got a thumbs up from my buffet weary colleagues. I chose not to eat. Just as I knew the Irish stew I ate a couple of weeks ago would send an Irishman off I knew the “German” food here would set me off.

On the long walkway to the food and band were several arches of balloons; you know, the type of thing that’s done at most proms. Anyhow, one of the arches was nothing but black balloons. Wow, I really wish I had brought my camera. I’ve never seen an arch composed of black balloons!

Oddly, I never expected that German food would be one of the things I missed most here. Perhaps it is because German food is meat centric and so far the beef here has been substandard, to say the least. Regardless, within 48 hours of my return in January I will be in the Amana Colonies.

The ethnic food here is wonderful. I tried a new Indian restaurant today. Great! But a good German restaurant? Not to be found.

Here’s irony: As I’m writing this I’m playing my limited music collection in the background (to drown out the buzz in my apartment). While I was writing this was the pro-vegetarian song from Howard Jones “Assault and Battery” with the lyrics, “Their lives were taken for feast at the table. A life of misery ending with a shock. Brutal murder, all hands to the slaughter.”

Here’s the best line, sung by children no less: “Children’s stories with their farmyard favorites, at the table in a different disguise.”

I still want to go the Amana’s.