Germans Really DO Love David Hasselhoff!!

Hello all, and greetings from what I can best describe as the craziest week in Germany! Currently the crazy German people are celebrating Carnival. It is pretty much the European version of Mardi Gras, without the topless women (thank God!), with a dash of Halloween and the Kirkwood Greentree Festival thrown in. Sound weird? That’s because it is.

Technically Carnival begins in November on the 11th at 11:11AM, and goes straight through to “RosenMontag” (rose Monday). It’s just the last Monday before Ash Wednesday prior to the beginning of Lent. I won’t bore you with ALL the details, but if it interests you, here’s where you can learn more about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival

So my German friends took me out to experience Carnival in Dusseldorf, and my, what an experience it was! All of the normally very dry, conservative, serious residents of Dusseldorf were wearing ridiculous costumes, drinking like there’s no tomorrow, and shouting drunken German cat calls. Also, they played the Worlds WORST music. And to top things off, since they know everyone (and their Mom) will be there to celebrate, they charge you three Euros just to get in the door of a bar where you can’t even find a place to stand. If you’re lucky enough to ever make it up to the bar, half of your drink will promptly be spilled on the floor by a jumping/dancing German in a costume you don’t get. So far I’ve noticed that the most popular costumes seem to be Pippi Longstockings, a Trashman, or some form of a pimp from what I can gather. Those “pimps” I’m talking about are generally wearing leftovers from the 70’s with a terrible neon wig. The Germans don’t seem to put as much time and effort into their costumes as we Americans do when it comes to Halloween.

Right, the music… I am not saying I have necessarily heard “good” music while I’ve been out in Dusseldorf before, but last night was a new low. They played the theme song to “Heidi” (in German), several other German songs (one that was about a sausage having two ends??), and of course, the highlight of the night, David Hasselhoff’s “I’ve Been Searching For Freedom” (the crowd went WILD!!). Other big hits with the crowd throughout the night included Back Street Boys “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” (I guess that could be N’Synch too, I never really knew the difference), Cher “Turn Back Time”, and other songs that most DJ’s in America wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

In general I had a pretty good time, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Carnival isn’t for me. I like to party just as much as the next gal, but I prefer to have at least a one to two inch perimeter around me when I do… You literally can’t even stand in one place because it’s like being hit by a wave in the ocean, only the ocean is made of drunken German pimps. Anyone want to catch an overnight flight and celebrate the last day of Carnival with me tomorrow? What, no takers? I can’t say I blame you… So, until next time, stay away from German Carnival and don’t let The Hoff release another album!!