German-Canadian Wedding
This past weekend, I witnessed my newfound friend Jessica marry her Canadian fiance, Anthony. That sounds a lot simpler than it was.
The beginning of my involvement - and of my friendship with Jessi at all - took place two weeks ago, when I met up with her for coffee and to discuss the possibility of translating some documents for her at the registry office. She thought to ask me since she's known Fabian her whole life. Her fiance couldn't understand German, and they needed an interpreter. We sat in her garden in the first rays of sun this year and talked about what it's like to set up home in a new country, about why she simply loves Canada and would never move back to Germany, and about our similar beaurocratic battles as immigrants.
So I helped out at the registry office. It took about 45 minutes, and then she and Anthony took me out for ice cream as a thank you. Then we were invited to the Polterabend. Next she asked if I coud help the minister translate her sermon into English. Then I was invited by the Canadian bridesmaids to attend her bachelorette party. Then we were invited to have coffee at the reception hall after the wedding.
In the end, my entire Saturday was booked up with this wedding, and I loved every second. I translated the entire service, then stood next to the minister and read everything in clear English for all the Canadians in the pews. I read calmly in my very best presenter voice, and felt honored that I had been chosen for such an important role! We stood in front of the couple and watched them smile, look at each other, hold hands. What had I done to deserve this intimate view of somebody's special day?
Afterwards, his family told me how much it meant to them, and thanked me for doing such a wonderful job. I had to explain that the reason for my accent-free English was that I'm not actually a German, but come from Missouri. "Ah... well, thanks anyway, darlin'!" We threw rice, gave hugs and congratulations, then watched as the couple roll away in their "just married" car - a brown mustang from the 1960s, complete with convertible top and tin cans dangling across the cobblestone. We hopped our car and followed them up to the Forsthof, a winery up in the vineyards behind Kleinbottwar.
First we had coffee and cake. Then we took group photos. Fabi and I didn't want to outstay our invitation, so we went to quietly say goodbye to the couple when the maid of honor caught Fabi and said "Wait! I need you to translate something into German for the guests!" So we stayed a while longer, made origami birds with the instructions set on each guest table, and talked to the Canadian side of the family some more.
We tried to leave again, just before dinner. After all, we weren't officially invited to dinner! But Jessi and Anthony said, "No! We don't want you to leave. You really belong here now!" and they organized two extra place settings and fed us a giant, amazing Swabian dinner. Then, of course, they said "No no, you have to stay for desert, and the dancing!"
Fabi had made other plans before we knew we'd be invited to stay all night, so he went off to a birthday party around 10:30 p.m., but I stayed and danced, sat with my newfound Canadian friends, and may or may not have done a shot of Jägermeister with a firecracker named Tabea. The live band stopped around midnight, but then the DJ arrived... and when Fabi came back to pick me up at 1:30 in the morning, the real dancing had just begun! Being the fun-loving guy he is, Fabi just rejoined the party, then led the groom and his brothers in a round of Gangnam Style. My Fabi - always popular at parties.
We finally got home around 2:30, massaged our aching toes and cuddled for a while, talking about the different tips we can glean from this example of an intercontinental marriage: things we liked and things that made it easy and fun for families from different cultures. It really made me look forward to our own wedding, even though it's still about a year away.
If I ever need to remind myself that I belong here, that my presence in Germany is a good thing, I can remember Jessi and Anthony's wedding - it did my heart good to help out a friend, even one that I hadn't spent much time with beforehand. I simply offered to help, and was immediately included in this fantastic celebration with good, loving people. My network expanded and my German roots grew a little deeper.
And now we've got somewhere to stay if we ever want to visit Canada.
The beginning of my involvement - and of my friendship with Jessi at all - took place two weeks ago, when I met up with her for coffee and to discuss the possibility of translating some documents for her at the registry office. She thought to ask me since she's known Fabian her whole life. Her fiance couldn't understand German, and they needed an interpreter. We sat in her garden in the first rays of sun this year and talked about what it's like to set up home in a new country, about why she simply loves Canada and would never move back to Germany, and about our similar beaurocratic battles as immigrants.
So I helped out at the registry office. It took about 45 minutes, and then she and Anthony took me out for ice cream as a thank you. Then we were invited to the Polterabend. Next she asked if I coud help the minister translate her sermon into English. Then I was invited by the Canadian bridesmaids to attend her bachelorette party. Then we were invited to have coffee at the reception hall after the wedding.
In the end, my entire Saturday was booked up with this wedding, and I loved every second. I translated the entire service, then stood next to the minister and read everything in clear English for all the Canadians in the pews. I read calmly in my very best presenter voice, and felt honored that I had been chosen for such an important role! We stood in front of the couple and watched them smile, look at each other, hold hands. What had I done to deserve this intimate view of somebody's special day?
Afterwards, his family told me how much it meant to them, and thanked me for doing such a wonderful job. I had to explain that the reason for my accent-free English was that I'm not actually a German, but come from Missouri. "Ah... well, thanks anyway, darlin'!" We threw rice, gave hugs and congratulations, then watched as the couple roll away in their "just married" car - a brown mustang from the 1960s, complete with convertible top and tin cans dangling across the cobblestone. We hopped our car and followed them up to the Forsthof, a winery up in the vineyards behind Kleinbottwar.
First we had coffee and cake. Then we took group photos. Fabi and I didn't want to outstay our invitation, so we went to quietly say goodbye to the couple when the maid of honor caught Fabi and said "Wait! I need you to translate something into German for the guests!" So we stayed a while longer, made origami birds with the instructions set on each guest table, and talked to the Canadian side of the family some more.
We tried to leave again, just before dinner. After all, we weren't officially invited to dinner! But Jessi and Anthony said, "No! We don't want you to leave. You really belong here now!" and they organized two extra place settings and fed us a giant, amazing Swabian dinner. Then, of course, they said "No no, you have to stay for desert, and the dancing!"
Fabi had made other plans before we knew we'd be invited to stay all night, so he went off to a birthday party around 10:30 p.m., but I stayed and danced, sat with my newfound Canadian friends, and may or may not have done a shot of Jägermeister with a firecracker named Tabea. The live band stopped around midnight, but then the DJ arrived... and when Fabi came back to pick me up at 1:30 in the morning, the real dancing had just begun! Being the fun-loving guy he is, Fabi just rejoined the party, then led the groom and his brothers in a round of Gangnam Style. My Fabi - always popular at parties.
We finally got home around 2:30, massaged our aching toes and cuddled for a while, talking about the different tips we can glean from this example of an intercontinental marriage: things we liked and things that made it easy and fun for families from different cultures. It really made me look forward to our own wedding, even though it's still about a year away.
If I ever need to remind myself that I belong here, that my presence in Germany is a good thing, I can remember Jessi and Anthony's wedding - it did my heart good to help out a friend, even one that I hadn't spent much time with beforehand. I simply offered to help, and was immediately included in this fantastic celebration with good, loving people. My network expanded and my German roots grew a little deeper.
And now we've got somewhere to stay if we ever want to visit Canada.
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