So, I am here on Thanksgiving in this friendly university in Bavaria. It is, of course, just another day here. It is a working day for me but truly I use the word “working” very lightly. It is much more a touristic adventure with some teaching as part of it.
I have never spent this much time in Germany. The other three times I have been here, once in the 1980s with Rockwell and the remainder in the 1990s with Colgate, were quick trips and exclusively for business. There was little sight-seeing involved. I do not even remember the restaurants we went to with one exception. When we arrived at the factory for the Rockwell trip, the management had lunch prepared for us. All I remember is that there were like six or seven of us and there were plates overflowing with various kinds of sausages and wursts that could have fed thirty people. On this trip, I have not seen a repeat of that fare anywhere we have gone thus far.
I like the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a wonderful time to gather with family socialize. While there is turkey and stuffing, pilaf and sarma, I actually look forward to the pumpkin pie. It is Christmas without the gifts and some NFL games. In Detroit, there was the Hudson’s Thanksgiving Parade and made the holiday the gateway to winter and the Christmas season.
I also like the Friday after Thanksgiving as well. It is not the Black Friday part that has become so much a part of the culture in recent years but more so the day off. It always seemed like a bonus day off and appreciated all the more for that. Certainly, I have always had the week between Christmas and New Years off but those were days I always expected to have off and thus never had the “bonus” feel about them.
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| Outside the oldest restaurant in Germany. Might have been a good choice fo Thanksgiving Dinner |
Beyond missing being with family, I will miss the Michigan – Ohio State game which is the Saturday after the holiday. The game is in Ann Arbor and I have already sold my tickets. If I were home, I would have most definitely attended. I will probably be following or watching the game on my phone from the Frankfurt airport waiting for my flight. In case we upset them which seems more likely now than it did back in September after losing to Wisconsin, I have taped the game. The team is surging and has been playing very well since the horrible first half versus Penn State. I am optimistic, but cautiously so. It is the 60th Anniversary of Michigan upsetting an undefeated Ohio State team in Bo Schembechlers first year.
That 1969 was similar to this. Michigan started slow. They lost to Missouri in game 2 and then to Michigan State in game 5. After the 23-12 loss to MSU, the Wolverines began to trounce their opponents. The 1969 Ohio State team was touted as the team of the century and were preordained to be the National Champions. Michigan upset them and back in those days only one Big Ten could go to a bowl, the Rose Bowl, which Michigan went to and lost to Southern California. After the loss, Ohio State stayed home.
I would love to see history kinda sorta repeat itself. It would make for a very happy Thanksgiving indeed.
Very cool, I am happy you are enjoying Germany. It is one of the places I would like to visit in my lifetime. While I love Thanksgiving, my sister and I have spent Black Friday together for as long as we can remember. That has been our tradition and our way having fun during this busy time of the year.
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