I was to be the maid of honour of a best friend’s wedding. It was wonderful, a day filled with tears of joy and laughter. The night before the wedding, I was looking for a poem to dedicate it to the newly weds. I googled up in the Internet and found this one from Goethe which I liked the most.

Nach der Trauung
Ihr seid nun eins, ihr beide,
und wir sind mit euch eins.
Trinkt auf der Freude Dauer
ein Glas des guten Weins!
Und bleibt zu allen Zeiten
einander zugekehrt
durch Streit und Zwietracht werde
nie euer Bund zerstört.

I thought I was tough enough to hold back the tears but it was a darn bad idea attending a wedding without waterproof mascara!

Germany can be a lovely place to stay when the weather is kind. I always feel heavy hearted to leave this country during those summer months when there are definitely a few days when the sun shines and not a cloud is in sight to mar the perfect azure sky. A perfect summer day where the light breeze has a touch of warmth that kiss the skin. A summer day which is devoid of the usual humidity that sort of suck the breath out of you and makes breathing such a monumental task. On days like these, it is almost imperative be out under the blue sky, just to soak in the sun. Perhaps I am always under the impression that if I do this often enough, the endorphin-high-feeling would eventually carry me through the dreary days of the coming winter.And on days with blue sky like these, I simply love to look up at the sky, seeing those colourful roof tiles glinting in the sun against the sky. When the day has cooled down and the moon has already chosen its favourite place in the spotless dusky sky, it is absolutely wonderful to see those last few golden fingers of sunlight still paint the distant horizon.Yes, summer can be beautiful in Germany. Even these gory-looking statues in the park look cheerful under the friendly, morning sun .

There are really no other events that invoke such unbridled amount of patriotism than sports, speak football, in Germany, where football has become more or less an unofficial second religion. With the World Cup 2010 just around the corner, the football fever has gone up a few notches lately. Houses around the neighbourhood have started to hang up flags, rooting for their favourite team (with German flags far outnumbering the other countries). Bf’s dad decided to join in the fun and purposely bought a mast to be erected in the garden for a grandiose display of support for the German team. Although I might say, deep down I’m rooting for the Netherlands . Go Oranje!

It’s funny how with just a little extra dose of sunshine can work wonders. Cities and towns all over the country are bustling with life and everywhere around Germany, people are in the mood for celebration. Once come spring and summer, you can find all sorts of celebrations and festivals going on all around the country just to welcome the warmer days because nothing beats the pleasure of sitting (or lying) in the open air feeling the warmth of sunshine while grooving to the beat of music in the background with a cool beer in the hand.