October, 1996

Oktoberfest has come to Santa Cruz. There is food and shows and rides and everything. It's just like a state fair. On Saturday night, I went to a dance there. Many people were dressed in the traditional German dance style. The women's dresses are tee-length and they wear the big slip that makes the dress stick out. And they usually have an apron over the dress, like the dress is two layers. They wear stockings and big shoes. The men wear knickers with long, thick socks and big shoes. They have big wide suspenders over their shirts. They look like Gepetto or Rumplestilskin or something. I danced waltz and polka with Cleo. It was pretty crowded.

At Oktoberfest I also ate some German "calabreza", or sausage. When you walk by the sausage stand, you really have no choice, because of the smell. It smells like, well, if you are hungry, paradise. I mentioned more than once to my companions that my family would not be opposed to tasting some of this fine cuisine, and please pass the mustard. The cotton candy melts in your mouth in just about the same way as the sausage.

Amber Lewis