I've never understood why Oktoberfest took place in September, but that's not important. I have had the pleasure of participating in this annual event. I've witnessed beautiful Italian lady tourists having their heads shaved while they were passed out in a puddle of drool. I've spent 10 hour days bouncing from one brewer's tent to the next. I, quite possibly, had more fun in that week than all the following years combined. And, the year I was there (1989) I couldn't help noticing all the travelers coming in from the Easter Bloc through Hungary, and deciding on an ABSOLUTE CELEBRATION upon reaching Munich's most famous party.
The Berlin Wall came down weeks later, and the party was just warming up. What I recall that resonates now is that while I was in Munich I read in the paper (and saw on TV) that Gorbachev was in Berlin making a speech. It was your typical political speech in a way. In a way, it was not. For the first time, publicly, hecklers were really letting him have it from the peanut gallery. They were shouting, yelling, and making themselves heard. This just was not done to the Soviet Leader. Yet, they didn't seem to be afraid. Weeks later, we found out why.
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