Newspaper Page Text
To Helen attb Back
A Germans Take on Helens Oktoberfest
0 * 7 f| j | It is tapped! These three little words
IS* spoken in the typical Bavarian dialect,
along with the tapping of a giant keg, kick off the annual
Oktoberfest in Munich, which all Germans longingly anticipate.
For a period of two weeks beginning in late September, Munich
will find itself in exceptional circumstances. During this time,.
beer is all that matters, which helps us Germans to forget
about the financial crisis for at least a short while. Because
Oktoberfest is such an integral part of being a German, I feel
a duty to participate in Oktoberfest, even if I am thousands
of kilometers away from home, as I find myself now, here in
of drinking this beer, but then it nearly stopped when I saw
the waitress come towards us with a pitcher of some weird
looking, brownish liquid. I hoped it wasn't for us, but sure
enough, she put the pitcher of brown stuff at our table. It
tasted... okay. Disappointed, I had to explain to my col
leagues that this liquid that they were drinking was not a real
Oktoberfest beer. To be honest, I have never seen anyone with
a beer of that color at the Oktoberfest in Germany. There, only
golden Pilsners (which we call "Pils") are served.
To get ourselves into a real Oktoberfest mood, we derided
to go to the "Festhalle" down the street. When we got there,
we encountered only a few dozen people, none of them danc
ing, seated at tables while listening to a "German" band
wearing the traditional Lederhosen. I tried to pick up some
of the lyrics, which were sung in a language that was sup
posed to be German, but due to the lead singer's strong non-
German accent, were nearly impossible to decipher. These
"German" songs did not resemble the typical music at Munich's
Oktoberfest. At the real Oktoberfest, all kinds of music, includ
ing international hits, are played by live bands, and played
loudly. This gives the festivities a more exciting, party-like
atmosphere. Ironically, you're more likely to hear the White
Stripes at the Oktoberfest in Munich than at the one in Helen.
At the Helener tent, it seemed that everyone showed up at
around 8 p.m. and comfortably sat at the many tables available
to them. The opposite takes place in Munich around this time
of year. If you want to have the slightest chance of entering
any tent—where the live bands play—you have to be outside
of it at 7 a.m, just so that at 9 a.m. you have the chance to
get a table. (If you come as late as noon, don't bother trying
to get into a tent.) Once the tent opens at 9 a.m., the people
who have Been waiting and drinking since the early morning
charge in and will literally leap onto and lie down on a table,
It was no Germany, but we were excited upon arrival.
Athens, GA, USA. This is especially true con
sidering that all I am hearing from back home
around this time are the euphoric, envy-
inducing Oktoberfest stories of my German
friends.
Let me tell you how happy I was when I
learned that there was an Oktoberfest—well,
at least an imitation of it—in a little town
called Helen, only an hour and a half north of
Athens. Surprisingly, this Oktoberfest imita
tion lasts for a full two months, rather than
the two-week festival back home. I knew I
could not resist the temptation of partying,
Pilsner and bratwurst during this special
time of the year, so I hit the road with some
folks from Flagpole—where I am doing my As the night went
internship—with the American "Alpendorf" of
Helen as our destination. Just the thought of Oktoberfest gave
me the feeling of being home. Indeed, the curvy road which
led us to Helen reminded me of an Alpine pass.
When we arrived, I expected a little cheesiness, to be sure,
but nothing prepared me for how cheesy this place really is.
I found myself in a Disney World-like theme park. The only
thing missing was Mickey Mouse in a pair of leather pants!
Everything here is "Bavarianized." Even the phone booths are
built in the same "Bavarian" style as the surrounding build
ings. These must be the only phone booths in the world that
look like this, because there certainly aren't any of these
things in Germany. Souvenir shops are everywhere. Two of
them even offer "Swiss Alpine" souvenirs. I wondered what
Switzerland is doing here. Sure, Germany and Switzerland share
the Alps, but that's about it. How would you feel if you saw
Canadian flags ueing sold at a Fourth of July festival?
After some sightseeing, we were left with a huge appetite
that led us to a "German" bar. This time, I was pleasantly
surprised. The Brat with Kraut was exceptionally delicious. To
make the meal complete, we ordered a pitcher of Paulaner's
"Oktoberfest." My heart was beating hard just at the thought
on, disappointment only deepened.
graspii.g the sides with their arms and spreading their legs out
to prevent anybody else from having it. It's a madhouse. The
band begins playing at 11 a.m., and all rise from their hard-
earned seats, stand up on the benches, and with arms linked
with the fellows next to them, dance, drink and sing for hours
and hours. I admit that this type of celebration is partly due
to the beer that is being served from 9 a.m. on, in one liter
glasses—which is the typical serving size there.
It should be mentioned that at the Oktoberfest in Munich
there is no entrance fee, while at Helen's Festhalle, the
entrance fee is $9. This was also the reason why we opted to
spend the rest of the night at a karaoke bar.
All in all, I have to say that despite the fact that there was
nothing really German about Helen, our little trip was a great
experience, because it was interesting to see how other coun
tries see us as Germans. Now that I have seen the American
version of Oktoberfest, I'd like to invite everyone to Munich to
come see the German Oktoberfest next year. But don't forget to
get up early!
Fabian Poth
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
OFFER AID AND SUPPORT
TO HIS FAMILY
PLEASE MAIL DONATIONS TO:
JON GUTHRIE MEMORIAL FUND
1901 BROADLANDS DR.
WATKINSVILLE, GA 3067 7
OR CONTRIBUTE VIA PAYPAL:
JONGUTHRIEFUND@YAHOO.COM
ithens
OCTOBER 7,2009 • FLAGPOLE.COM 11