Ich bin ein Bavarian

This beautifully constructed narrative was shattered by the confessions of a Beer Bamboozled Bavarian who insisted that “it’s just an excuse to party and get pissed!”

Well, dear stand readers, Halloween was a heavy one, deadlines were looming, but your ever-loyal critic wasn’t going to let a hangover or a degree get between yourselves and reportage of the greatest, longest (a whole month?!) and singularly internationally recognised piss-up on the planet!

In discussing this fairly peculiar event with my flatmate, someone asked the brilliantly apt question ‘Who are German Soc?’. I mean, Scando Soc consists of Scandos, those desiring the company of the beautiful and the occasional cheeky Pole, but what about their German counterparts?

When I arrived at the Vic, I put this to the organisers of the event, two lovely, quite obviously British students. “We’re totally inclusive; we’re largely made up of those studying German, German nationals and people with an interest in all things German!” What with my penchant for well made motor vehicles, this sounded like the place for me. 

Oktoberfest was a bargain. Included in the price of the ticket was an all-you-can-eat buffet which, by the time I arrived, consisted solely of vast amounts and various types of sausage. When I asked the hosts whether they thought this might entrench (no pun intended) stereotypes, they reliably informed me that there had been a load of cheese and ham which had run out shortly before I arrived. Still, this was a much better spread than the Italian society’s Aperativo a few weeks before and sustained  me well into the night. Of course, no Oktoberfest would be complete without gargantuan amounts of imported beer, which was cheaply available behind the bar. 

Unlike the charity Oktoberfest held later in the year, traditional costume was pretty thin on the ground, though I found one Bavarian girl (pictured) who had brought her costume from home. I didn’t pose this to her at the time, but on reflection, I imagine she took something of a gamble when packing; opportunities to whip out the dirndl don’t rock up all that often in East Fife!

In terms of value for money, conviviality and atmosphere, the German Soc.’s Oktoberfest was truly impressive. Though it lacked the extravagances of the Scandinavian Society’s Crayfish Party, for a social at The Vic it delivered well beyond expectation. Sehr gut!

Written by Ed Noel, standing-room-only writer