prost!
[note: Sundays events are separated into two posts, so you may want to read "prelude" below before reading this post]
Once inside the Braurosl tent at Oktoberfest, it was beyond what I could have imagined. Bands rotated throughout the day, playing a combination of toasts and Schlager-ized pop music which often brought the crowd to dancing on tables - from Hey Jude to Country Roads to the official song for 2007's Oktoberfest: Einen Stern (der Deinen Namen tragt) or 'there is a star with your name on it' - a typical german europop song that by the end of the night I had become attached to (link below). You have to imagine a huge crowd of people standing on tables with beers hoisted singing it together with a Schlager band's version of it. Everywhere, strangers were friendly, happy, and even affectionate. Last year, I said my tour of Europe was probably the best thing I had ever done. In the middle of the night, I realized I had already topped it. I truly am grateful to have gotten to experience this. I can't thank my friends Richard, Andy, Marcus, and Thomas enough for letting me tag along with them and bringing me into their group and guiding me through my first Braurosl experience. I hope to make it only the first!