100th Bloggo!

So this is apparently my 100th blog!

I was going to tell here a story about some of the May 1 happenings, but I don't know quite how to tell it yet; I also have quite a bit of back-blogging to do about Philippe's Berlin visit and a field trip day my kiddos and I made to the zoo, but since it is a big day, being my 100th, I will comment on a big FEST that takes place in Sweden and, if you're me, with Swedes in Exile. It's called

Valborgsmässoafton

And the Viktoriaversammlung took it and ran with it, making a very cute bonfire, serving some AMAZING Swedish waffles, hot dogs (they came out of a can, so I chose to not partake), and singing. It's not unlike the May 1 parties in Tuebingen, where the fraternities wandered about singing about how great it was to be alive in May (somehow this was interpreted as them being quasi-fascist, but apprently that's a reputation well earned on their part).

They also sang some classic Swedish songs including the Student song, which Sara was VERY excited for. A good portion of the adults in the crowd brought their student hats

like a mortabord, but more whimsical

and there's exactly ONE line in the song, at which point you hoist the hat, when they sing "Hurrah!" Ok.
PS. did you know that Swedes mostly say "Hurrah" four times?! Unless you're in the north, where "they're less enthusiastic"

And then they took down the flag for the night and we sang the national hymn, and it was really sweet, just a bunch of swedes running around in the warm air, me and Sara hanging off of playground equipment and sipping beers.



I know that I don't usually use the bloggo to make direct shout-outs, but I decided that in honor of Caro, Chicago's resident Swedish groove machine (Christian officially gets Lausanne's title, and Nils Landgren...well...which ever German city he's living in this week) I'd make an exception. I wish you could have been there, lady!




So the Valborginess continued until dark, and then most people went home, but Sara and I were planning on going out with one of the girls who works for the church (she also lives there along with most church employees), so we stuck around to help Pastor clean up and then to hang out with said girl. I have to say, there's not much stranger than sitting on a church terrace, drinking dornfelder and listening to ABBA..yeah...not much. But the company was great, and it's nice to sometimes just chill in a summer evening.

Some visitors of Sara stopped by to get her hosue keys and they asked about 1 May in Berlin. "Are there any parties?" asked one schickie-mickie. "None that you should be getting anywhere near" I thought to myself, since this city has a...special 1 May dance that it does every year. But that was amusing as well.

After a few bottles of wine and debating where to go, finally, relatively late in the night, we headed back in good cheer. I had to get up early to make it to Koepenick, and Sara wanted to get home before the trains stopped for the night. It was a thoroughly nice Valborg, though, and I'm glad I got to celebrate it with such cool folks.