One of the things my German friends seem to do right is “round” birthdays. And for my 50th yesterday we threw a dinner party (for the 11th anniversary of my 39th Birthday) at a nice hotel restaurant nearby for around 35 friends, to include a handful Americans from work. I think it’s fair to say it was a rousing success.
The buffet was even better than anticipated; we’d picked the place because the food is great but didn’t anticipate the volume of fantastic appetizers (around twenty-five). By the time most of us returned for the main courses we were already stuffed but the roast venison and pork tenderloins were too good to pass up (I’m told the fish was excellent too).
For entertainment my basketball teammates sang (note we’re in a basketball, not singing club … it wasn’t something you’d want to record). Written and sung bilingual in an impenetrable Bavarian dialect and something approaching English it was quite a hoot. The Bavarian verses had the best laughs but I’ll throw a few of the English verses for your amusement:
Basketball practice
Is so hard to do
But practicing daily …
Is not enough for you
We’re lucky to meet him
In Practice twice a week
He scores many baskets
- spite of white mans disease
And closing with:
Now singing is enough
Its too hard to think (true, they were really off-key)
So Bruce come and join us
- and lets have a drink
This was followed by a separate roast which is not easily translated but was uproariously funny (I laughed till I cried). A few photos are available if you click here. We quit a 1 a.m. … not sure if it’s a shame ten years doesn’t pass more often or not. Cheers!
