Kohlfahrt

Hello friends, family, and miscellaneous followers,

The last week was a good one. Let me start with the unique cultural experience I had, the “Kohlfahrt” (pronounced: “coal fahrt”; literally translates to cabbage drive…allow me to explain). On Thursday, we worked for the first half of the day, and in the afternoon, we partook in a beloved event known only to this region of Germany, being this “Kohlfahrt”. We met outside DLR (where we work), and people drank beer and grabbed shot glasses for the upcoming adventure (I didn’t drink, which was probably a good idea).

Basically, we marched from DLR on the north side of town to a restaurant on the south side of town. Along the way, people would stop at each intersection to do shots. People not carrying a beer at all times (like me) seemed to be out of place. We strolled through a park and played a game called “Boßeln” (“Bosseln”; pronounced: “bow-seln”), where teams of eight people would roll a ball as far as we could along the walking path. The team to get the furthest wins, although we never did find out who the winner was because the drinking is “the most important part”.

Once we got to the restaurant, there was another competition amongst the “elite” performers for determining the “Kohlkönig” or “Kohlkönigin” (pronounced: “coal-coo-nig” and “coal-coo-nig-in”; Cabbage King or Queen) who is tasked with planning next year’s Kohlfahrt. This is actually less of an honor than it is a burden (as with most royalties… right…). Three men had to throw tea bags from their mouths as far as they could, and the loser would become Kohlkönig. It was quite a site.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Nate, where does the cabbage come into play?! (and why do you use so many quotation marks in your blog posts)”. The answer is: Now (and because I can). “Grünkohl” (pronounced: “groon-coal”; literally translates to kale) is somewhat of a delicacy here in Bremen. Kale, according to Wikipedia, actually tastes sweeter and more flavorful after being exposed to a frost. Thus, the Kohlfahrt and Grünkohl have a limited availability and timeframe. The kale is served with “Pinkel”, “Kassler”, and “Speck” (basically, sausage and ham). I could honestly take it or leave it, but some people genuinely love this dish, including Matheus.

 Anyway, it was my first time witnessing German people, in large part, take advantage of the fact that they can roam the streets and drink alcohol. It’s really not something that is done on a regular basis, but in the instance of improving worker relations, no reservations are made. It really was a fun and unique experience to be a part of, and I got to meet a lot of people that work at DLR!