Day 9: Macedonian Hospitality

The other day our German teacher told us that for the end-of-course party, we have to prepare a song in German to sing in front of everyone. We, despite having chosen a very beautiful song ("Nur ein Wort" by the group 'Wir sind Helden'), will make fools of ourselves as is customary.

I don't know why some classes have been spared from making the most embarrassing fool of themselves by being allowed to do a play instead of singing a song. We decided that, to try to make the performance go well, we should meet up to rehearse outside of class. Marko, the Macedonian guy in the class, volunteered to let us use his house. We met up the next day in the main square of Neustadt (new city), which is a very bohemian district of Dresden where mostly students live (a 15-minute tram ride from my house). But when we were all at the agreed-upon place, Marko warned us: "Be careful, because the house isn't mine. I'm living in my cousin's house for the month I'm going to be in Germany." (The cousin must have been a German, the son of Macedonian immigrants, who had a huge and very nice apartment in Neustadt). We arrived at his house and he told us: "Make yourselves at home, you're in your own house," we took off our shoes (a very typical custom in Germany, beware of tomatoes!) and we spread out between the living room and the terrace (I remember we were 12 people, because some of the girls' boyfriends had come along) and, having settled in, Marko put on music, got beers for everyone and prepared us a typical Macedonian dish. Since all this was at the cousin's expense, I asked him about him, and Marko told me, smiling: "Don't worry, he's not here." Well, while some of us were drinking beers and others were gossiping about photos and personal belongings, THE COUSIN ARRIVES! And what would you do if your cousin, whom you hardly know, and whom you've taken into your home almost out of obligation, has invited your whole class to your house, to drink your beers and step on your sofa, while they look at photos of you and your girlfriend? The logical answer is to be surprised and angry. But NO!, the cousin (a guy in his 30s) upon seeing us puts on a big face, a mixture of joy and satisfaction, and greets us one by one asking our name and nationality. After the introduction, he tells us if we want a B-52, a cocktail that he makes very well. He also asks us if we want a Nutella sandwich. He quickly appears with the shaker, and with shot glasses. Those who don't have a beer in their hand, he quickly gives them one, even if they don't want it. He says: "Come on!, you're all dry!" He takes a Japanese guy's guitar and starts playing it and singing with us. When I want to leave, he won't let me. I tell him it's very late (11:30 pm) and I make up a really bad excuse. I left his house thinking: What hospitality these Macedonians have!

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