A word of "achtung" (caution) - surviving Oktoberfest

Greetings from Ireland, the Emerald Isle! I realize I should have probably written something about Ireland first, instead of Germany, but in the spirit of October (and what better way to celebrate this glorious month than a beer-and-pretzel-laden festival in a German city), I would like to recount an amazing weekend abroad: Oktoberfest 2009.

I, like many other fellow Spiders, somehow managed to get to Munich, Germany, by way of bus, train, plane, taxi, walking, hitching a ride on the Hofbraeu horse wagon ... you get the picture. Traveling in Europe requires much more than your average trip in the States: renting/driving cars is not easy, nor does the Office of International Education recommend it (in fact, they HIGHLY discourage it).

Yet despite some friends' glitches in travel arrangements (i.e. missed flights, wrong metro lines, thinking that Munich and Muenchen are different places [they are not], sketchy lodging arrangements, foreign languages), it seemed as if the "Richmond bubble" had been transplanted to this random German city for a 72-hour period at the end of September.

Why at the end of September instead of October? Well, Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival from the end of September to mid-October, supplying millions of visitors with plenty of beer, pretzels and memories that will last a lifetime (thank you, Canon Powershot).

Although I do not think any form of journalism can accurately describe the euphoric and chaotic experience of Oktoberfest (and especially my series of events), I do think a survival guide of sorts is a necessity before adventuring into the beer-goggled, German unknown lands of Munich. Thus, I think a "Top 10" is in order, because lists are easier to bring along than a bulky guidebook. Here are my top 10 tips to survive Oktoberfest:

10. Make friends with internationals you meet.

You've arrived in another foreign and strange land, after coming from a less foreign and strange land (presuming you have been in your study abroad country for a few weeks at this point). There are hundreds of thousands of people everywhere, and you are just trying to find your friends and hotel. Once you find said hotel, you anxiously wait for your friends, who are mistakenly at the exact same hotel, but on the other side of the city.

While outside waiting for your friends to show up, you meet some friendly South African men who insist that you come party with them. Sadly you decline, yet they buy you a beer anyway. Success! This was just one incident in which it definitely paid off to be friendly at Oktoberfest. Once in the tents, we made friends with the United Nations: Brazilians, Australians, Koreans, and, of course, Germans. Oktoberfest is one of the largest cultural events in the world and beer tents beckon party-goers the world over. I recommend befriending some strangers (with caution), and they could be your new drinking buddies.

9. Eat. A lot. Especially pretzels.

Germany may not be known for its exquisite cuisine like some other countries, such as France and Italy, where many Richmond students are studying abroad, but they sure know what the best drunk snacks are: big, giant, salty pretzels. Where else are you going to get the chance to eat soooo many pretzels in one sitting? And they are delicious and authentic. But what is the pretzel's best redeeming quality, you may ask? Answer: They soak up that rich beer that has been sloshing around in your empty stomach for hours.

In addition to nomming on pretzels throughout the day, make sure to eat a substantial breakfast before rushing to the festival grounds to get in line at Hofbraeu-Festzelt at 7 a.m. (no lie, if you want to get into the tents, especially Hofbraeu because that is known as the crazy American tent, you need to get there EARLY). You'll be glad you had something to eat before that first stein of beer promptly served at 9 a.m.

8. Don't be afraid to throw some 'bows.

As I said in Tip No. 9, if you want to get into the tents at the start of the day, standing your ground is essential. My friends and I were in line at Hofbraeu-Festzelt by 7:30 a.m. and we were close to the front of the line. Score! But we had to fight to keep our spots in line, because large, pushy, unfriendly and smoky foreign men surrounded us. There were a few instances where we had to throw some elbows to keep our space in line, and many times I had the notion that a cheerleader was inside my head cheering: "Be aggressive. B-E aggressive. B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!" As long as you are willing to stake your claim and run to the nearest table once inside of the tent of your choosing, then chances are you will not have to throw any 'bows.

7. Learn the metro system.

Unlike Ireland, many other countries have extensive underground metro systems that are excellent for getting around large cities. Luckily, I was with friends who had mastered navigating the metro system, which was key to get from our hotel to the festival grounds. Knowing the metro also helped when I had to get to the main station to catch a train to the airport post-Oktoberfest. If you can master the German metro system, then I think you can probably figure out any foreign country's metro system.

6. Bring a big bag.

This really only applies to girls (though guys, I think y'all may want to make a deal with your girl friends at Oktoberfest). Although it is a federal offense and a 50 Euro fine if caught stealing a stein from the tents, almost everyone does it. It was Longchamp-tote-bag city at Oktoberfest, with everyone's intention of taking that first stein glass from the inaugural beer of the day.

If you find that you cannot possibly take a stein (either for moral reasons or you do not have a big bag), you can purchase souvenir steins for around 11 Euro. I mean, you have already spent a fortune just getting to Oktoberfest, let alone the fact that the beers cost anywhere between 8 and 10 Euro, so go ahead and take that souvenir stein. Just make sure Lars and Hans the security guards do not see you take it, otherwise they will be very unhappy and will kindly escort you out of the tent. Party foul.

5. Top up your mobile.

In Ireland and many other European countries, just about everyone has a "pay as you go" phone or mobile, as they say. So before venturing into a different mobile coverage zone, make sure you have "topped up," or put money on, your account. Texting and calling charges skyrocket when you are contacting friends with different phone companies, especially when you are in a different country. To make sure you know where your friends are and to avoid confusion, make sure before you board that train, plane or bus to Germany that your mobile has plenty of credit on it, because you will feel as if you have been transplanted back at Richmond, constantly texting people about where they are at the Fest.

4. Stay with the group.

Not only is it crucial to have plenty of credit on your phone, it is even more essential to stay with the group. At all times. There are literally thousands of people in any given tent, especially Hofbraeu, where there are crazy Americans, Italians, Brazilians, Australians and many other party-hardy nationalities.

I somehow lost my group of friends toward the end of our day (around 2 p.m.) on my way back from the bathroom, and ended up wandering around the festival grounds and downtown Munich for two hours. Not exactly the best two hours of my life for my friends, who so graciously tried to find me by going to the security guards Lars and Hans, the police and even the hospital. But I made it back to the hotel in one piece, yet sadly without my mobile. When in doubt, go everywhere with a buddy. That way, if you happen to get lost or lose your mobile, at least you will be with another person who speaks English.

3. Pace yourself.

Oktoberfest is comparable to Pig Roast on steroids. Like Mark McGwire steroids during his infamous single-season home-run campaign. That being said, it is extremely important and advisable to pace yourself: This is the biggest marathon of your life, so do not sprint, even when your new German friends are urging you to chug that stein.

The steins hold a liter of beer equivalent to about three cans of Natty Light. The first steins come out at 9 a.m. and continue all day. Therefore, if you want to have an enjoyable Oktoberfest and not one in which you could be THAT American vomiting in the streets (of which we saw many), pace yourself, enjoy the beer and relish in the fact that everyone back at school is potentially chugging Natty or Beast while you are drinking Oktoberfest beer. Legit.

2. Make sure your batteries are charged (phone and camera).

This one is a no-brainer, though many people often forget to bring their voltage converters. If you do not want to miss a Kodak moment, make sure that camera is charged because you will take TONS of pictures and videos. And you will be glad you took all 187 pictures and 13 videos, because chances are you will not remember that you took pictures with the beer maid, the security guard, the pretzel man and the band. The memories may be a bit hazy, but those pictures are crystal clear images of what you did that day in Munich.

1. HAVE FUN!

Chances are, you are only going to be abroad once and only going to get to experience Oktoberfest once in your lifetime. Steal a stein. Dance on tables. Sing along to the German songs. Take hundreds of pictures. Get postcards, T-shirts, crazy German hats, etc. Take advantage of all it has to offer: Eat, drink and be merry. Auf Wiedersehen, Oktoberfest, most epic lodge of all time.