Local

Wow. Went to a dance show last night at the gemeindehaus (community center) down the street with two other Reichenbachers and good friends. There were people there competing and watching the dance troupes from several villages around here. Some of the dances were just okay, but others were quite impressive and dramatic, so it was fun to watch. I could've done without the obligatory and cheesy whole-group fest song which required my participation. But that's a German-style party for you! Anyway, I was impressed with the all-around good humor that accompanied the event. Though it could've easily gotten quite competitive (Reichenbach vs. Heimbach or everyone), it didn't because everyone cheered for each dance troupe equally. Even the groups that were mediocre got hoots and whistles, which I found to be very generous of the audience. Everyone was in such a good mood that it was hard to be worried about the fact that I was out waaaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime (it ended at midnight). One of the last dances of the night was a duo of young girls who demonstrated to me just how horrible I was at belly-dancing. My friends and I were laughing about how we'd taken belly dancing classes together and were not that good (hoefte! HOEFTE!!!), sharing inside jokes. So, I felt like I had a place there, but still...

I had another one of those "out of the box" experiences I sometimes have over here. I knew a lot of Reichenbachers there from various places (Aiden's kindergarten teachers, my nanny and her group of girlfriends, the tree cutter, etc.). Everyone always seems very pleased to see me, the American, enjoying the local events. But I sense that people are still very curious about us, as the Americans living in the town, because I notice people watching me.

I assume they're watching to gauge my reaction and see if I'm following what is going on. Or, they're waiting for me to commit some sort of faux pas. I frequently catch them whispering to their companions with their eyes in our direction. I don't sense mean-spiritedness at all. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite. I feel like a minor celebrity when we join "the masses" in our town. But after living here now for 6 years, I'd expect our novelty to have worn off by now!

I guess there really is limited excitement in a small farm town. So, if I want to just be low-key and observe, I really can't do that here. So, with that, and the long history of relationships that I know little about amongst the Reichenbachers that have lived here for generations, I do remain "outside the box" still. But I can put my foot in and shake it all about when I want to.