Posted by:
Cecily
(
)
Date: November 30, 2010 08:00PM
Hauptsach' gudd gess :-) Do I remember that correctly? I spent some time during my summer holidays, as a teen, staying with relatives in the area, and that just came back to me. Lovely place!
And it's brought back stuff I haven't thought of in absolute ages. The way I remember it- this is about ten years ago- the missionaries used to hang out at the bottom of Banhoffstrasse (?), where it narrows and everyone has to pass to get to the market place. My cousins and I would go out of our way to evade them. They just stopped us every single time we walked past- all of us are never-mos, and I'm the only former (very recent) investigator. It just made me giggle to remember my favourite cousin, after we nearly got caught again. I was complaining about those guys bashing Jesus, and did we look like we needed saving?
She's German and very blunt even when speaking English, so she said something like: "Cee, don't be stupid, they're guys, and we're pretty. But there are lots of cute guys around who don't bore you to death with Jesus, before you get to snog them."
We were seventeen, and going by the pictures, she was right- we were cute, and I remember that summer, and the German boys we met fondly. Definitely no talk about Jesus from them. I know I'm gushing, but I've had a soft spot for German guys ever since that summer. The ones I met were just real gentlemen, and somehow still managed to look "hot" and "wild".
Oh, and Karlsberg Urpils, and Mixery, and my aunt's "Dibelabbes (sp?)". And "Dorffests"! (Sorry, we don't seem to get that sort of community spirit in the UK anymore, so to me, it was just fantastic to see whole villages come together over food and beer, and have a good time.)
I have so many great memories of that summer that I'm actually feeling rather sorry now for the missionaries. Saarbrucken and the surrounding villages are wonderful, especially in summer when everyone is coming together over beer and "schwenken". Those were great experiences, and I still know the words to so many "Schlagers" for listening to them over again at Dorffests. It's a sad thought that those young missionaries may have missed out on all that. I feel like I got to see a bit of the "real" side of it, and how friendly and welcoming people were, and I do feel sad that they didn't get to see that.
Sorry for the trip down memory lane. It was a great summer- in case you couldn't tell! I should go back and visit my cousins soon. In case anyone reading this has a chance, and for fear of sounding like the tourist board: Go and visit. Go in summer, go to a Dorffest, have a few beers - you'll have a smashing time.