O’zapft is!

Oktoberfest is going on right now, and even in Richmond we had/have a few celebrations going on. Last Friday I went to the Oktoberfest event at Benedictine High School, where I enjoyed bratwurst and pretzels with the company of friends. Saturday night I went downtown to Capital Ale House where my friends and I drank giant beers and sang along with the oompa band. If you missed it this weekend, don’t worry. Capital Ale House at Innsbrook will have more festivities Sept. 28-29, and the downtown Capital Ale House will again have bands and beers Oct. 5-6.

I’m sure none if this compares to the real Oktoberfest in Munich, which started in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig. They annually get 6.5 million visitors! Here are some other numbers, from Wikipedia:

-12,000 people are employed at the Oktoberfest. Of these, 1600 are waitresses (barmaids).
-There is seating available for 100,000 people.
-The six Oktoberfest breweries, (Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu) sold 6.1 million mugs of beer in 2006.
-Roasted oxen: 102
-Sausages: 219,443 pairs
-Roast chickens: 459,279
-60% of visitors arrive by public transport

I was in Munich a little over a year ago, about two weeks before the World Cup. The picture above is from the world famous Hofbräuhaus. I thought it was crazy then, but I can’t imagine what it’s like now. I want to go back!

Ice Chewers

Can you consider a habit to be a culture? Check out IceChewing.com and you might say yes. The site is a message board where Ice Chewers share stories, recipes, and reasons for chewing ice. So far I’ve learned some interesting facts, including the fact that iron deficiency causes some people to crave ice.

Some of the stories reveal that ice chewers are very enthusiastic about their habit. Here is part of a post from a user named TeacherSue:

Hello all. I am known at my local Sonic as “the ice lady.” I call ahead and they save the “good” ice for me. As it falls, they keep scooping it over to the other side. I usually get about 9-10 bags at a time. I have a small upright freezer in my garage to house my treasure! In my indoor freezer, I have a Rubbermaid container where I store a couple bags at a time. I bring it in from the garage, pound it with a rolling pin to loosen, and dump in my kitchen container. It is the best ice EVER!!

I wonder if there is a message board for fingernail chewers.

Meet Pee & Poo

Swedish graphic design artist Emma Meggit got some biological inspiration when she invented two children’s characters in 2004. Kiss & Bajs (Pee & Poo) are the most cuddly adaptations of bodily functions this side of a Japanese potty training video. The characters have proven to be a hit with parents trying to teach their kids how to use the toilet, and the franchise has inspired a line of products including child and adult clothing, stuffed toys, keychains, and temporary tattoos. The products are even available at retail locations in the U.S. ranging from comic book stores to gift boutiques. A visit to the website (peeandpoo.com) includes a flash memory game, e-cards, and desktop backgrounds so you can share Pee & Poo with your friends.

I’m left with a few questions:
Which is better – introducing kids to Pee & Poo or reading “Everybody Poops”?
Will there be a line of characters for children when they are old enough to receive sex education?

The Blog Formerly Known As “Little Davey in the Big D”

The blog is undergoing some changes. First of all, I am no longer in Dallas. The only “Big D” around here is me; I am no longer “Little Davey.” Perhaps I will change the name again. We’ll see.

Second, I changed the blog template because I didn’t like the last one. I hope this one is easier to read.

Third, this blog will serve a dual purpose. I am using it to fulfill a requirement for my Cultural Exploration class, and I need to make at least one post a week on a cultural topic. In addition I will still use it for my regular random postings.

Hooray!