Interview with Hinako from Dusseldorf

Since my trip to Germany is two weeks away, I’ve been in major planning mode. My main destinations are Berlin for the dance workshop, Stuttgart to visit my cousin, Heidelberg to visit my distant family, and Dusseldorf to visit my good friend. I am so grateful to technology for how easy it is to keep in contact through Facebook and Skype with family and friends across an ocean.

Hinako and me at a café in Rome, Italy (August 2012).

I am dedicating this post to my good friend Hinako in Dusseldorf. She and I grew up in New York. Although she was a few years older than me, we spent a lot of time together in school. We were close enough to call each other sisters. She moved to Germany six years ago to continue her career in dance. Unfortunately, time flew and we lost touch. 

Oktoberfest in Munich

Everyone knows about Oktoberfest, but do you know how it started?

The First Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities on the field in front of the city gates. That land was renamed Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields”) in honor of the Crown Princess, which the locals later abbreviate to “Wiesn.” The public occasion was such a success that it became an annual event.

1810's Oktoberfest

Today's Oktoberfest Festival

International Dixieland Festival in Dresden

I am going to jump into one of the biggest German events in May called the International Dixieland Festival. This post was inspired by my recent trip in March to New Orleans, LA. If you are unfamiliar, Dixieland is a music style developed in the 1910s from the imitation of New Orleans jazz by white musicians. To the right, I have included a video that shows you the crowds gathered to hear the incredible jazz music in 2009 for the 39th Annual Festival.