點滴7 Sharing 7: 家庭聚會 Family Gathering

Annette (Moritz媽媽) 邀請我參加一年一度的家庭聚會，地點在離法蘭克福3小時車程的小鎮，我們由慕尼黑出發約5小時車程。

Annette,  Moritz mom,  invited me to join the yearly family gathering.  It held in a small town 3 hours away from Frankfurt and 5 hours from Munich.

聚會地點是一個營地但不用紮營，因為有一座主樓提供多間單人或雙人房，一個大廳供用餐﹑休息和玩遊戲，一個設備齊全的廚房和另一個可容納十多人一起切菜煮食洗碗旁觀的大廚房，一個洗手間和地庫的大型集體洗澡間。住宿方面如果想私隱度高點不想選擇主樓的房間，營地還有獨立小平房提供，當然收費不一，而且沒有浴室和衛生設備，晚上人有三急需自備電筒走幾分鐘回主樓解決。

The location is a campsite but we did not need to set up our tents because it provided accommodation. Double or single rooms are inside a main building and it contains a spacious living room for dining, resting and playing games.  Besides, there are a well-equipped kitchen and another advance full-gear kitchen which allowed more than 10 people working together for preparing a big feast, like washing the vegetables, cutting the onions, frying the meat, cleaning the dishes and standing with nothing to do. Everyone could find their own work station. You could find a washroom next to the kitchen and another united-bathroom in the basement. For the accommodation, if you prefer having more privacy and wanted more luxury, the wooden bungalow next to the main building could be an option. The price is different and it did not include the sanitary. In case you wanna go to toilet in the middle of the night, you need your torch with you and a few minutes walk back to the main building. 

聚會型式很隨意又很認真，大家可以自由活動，但又會有rundown 提供。主要環節離不開早午晚三餐加甜品加下午茶和消夜。每個家庭都各自做了不同的甜品蛋糕在三天兩夜去分享，而我和Moritz便做了簡單美味的紅豆糕。德國人不常吃紅豆，一般超市都不常見，所以我們要特地在慕尼黑的華人超市購買。親友們對於紅豆能變成甜品很好奇，沒有想過紅豆不用做沙律、伴碟或冷盤，加上紅豆糕沒有加入牛奶，連素食人士都可以吃，所以很受歡迎，希望他們不是基於禮貌表示喜歡。

The gathering was casual but formal. Everyone could have their own free time for social, chit chat or activities, at the same time, a rundown was set. The main sessions for the gathering was eat, eat and eat. The aunts and uncles of Moritz prepared the sweets, cakes and desserts to share in the 3D2N gathering. Moritz and I decided to make the red bean pudding. German do not eat red bean often and you cannot find them in normal supermarket. We bought the red bean from the Asian store in Munich and brought them to the gathering. The family members were surprised the bean could be a sweet course but not only for salad, side dish or cold dish. The pudding did not use milk, so the vegan could be served and the pudding were gone quick. I hope they all love it but not just finished it due to politeness.

 

在營區你找不到電子遊戲機或電腦電視去消遣，一切回到最簡樸的娛樂，乒乓球、彈床、小型zipline、桌上遊戲。令你多抬頭看看電子框外的世界，有機會聽到因耳朵長期被耳筒佔據著，而遺忘的大自然聲音或家人的呼喚。

In the campsite, you cannot find the video games or electronic devices for entertainment or kill time. Everything you see here are simple but fun games, like table tennis, trampoline, mini zipline and broadgames. These made you stayed out of the screen and headed up for the surroundings. These allowed you to hear the sound of nature or the calling of your family as your ear were not occupied by the headset anymore. 

親友們還安排去附近行山，這也是增加我對一群親友了解的機會，努力記著他們是誰的子女，那個是誰的丈夫或男友女友，腦海畫出人物關係圖。他們所有人之間的關係都很好，有講有笑，沒有因為聚少離多而生疏，反而更珍惜難得相聚的機會，這點是我和我的親友大大不同的。他們對我的熱情或問候令我真的很感動，我跟他們第一次見面，但沒有陌生人的隔膜，就像那天首次跟Dieter 和Annette見面一樣，很親切很舒服。

The family members arranged a hike in the nearby nature. It gave me a chance to understand everyone more. I tried hard to memorize who is whose children and the corresponding partners of each ladies and gentlemen. My brain was processing a family tree for me. The relationship between all of them are very harmonious. They did not being uneasy even they were apart most of the year, but took this chance to get closer to each other. It is a valuable chance for everyone to get together. It was totally different from my relationship with my relatives. Moritz's relatives were so nice and every move they did to me made me feel warm and touched. It was the first time I met them but I did not feel they are stranger to me. It just liked the first met with Dieter and Annette - easy and comfortable.

晚飯後大家圍在一起玩德文版狼人，我不是狼人但抽到功能角色，可在每晚可偷偷問主持人被我點選的是否狼人，可惜每一次都猜錯，可憐的村民一個又一個被殺，而我還未捉到兇手。我還天真的問Moritz他是否兇手，我真的投入了太多真感情相信他說不是，但其實他就是兇手，還一直在我身邊，早已看穿我身份。大部份桌上遊戲都是德國人研製的，所以我一直覺得德國人的確很聰明。我不精於找邏輯推理，加上在語言不通下玩狼人，我就變得更豪無頭緒，只能觀看大家表情推論。我這舉動令在坐人士認定我是兇手，百辭莫辯而真正兇手逍遙法外，我真的很無奈。

After dinner, we all gather up for Werewolf German Version. I was not the werewolf but I was selected to be one of the functional role which I could ask the emcee every night secretly if I chose the right werewolf. Unluckily, I was wrong for the guess and, in consequence, the village was killed one by one. I even asked Moritz if he was the werewolf. When he said "No!", I really trusted him with no question because I put too much personal feeling in the game and believed what he said like in reality. But he was the werewolf and was just next to me. He knew I was a functional role as well. Most of the broadgames are invented by German, that's why I always thought that German are very smart nation. I am not good at logic analysis and playing werewolf with speaking German made me clueless. I can only observe the facial expressions of everyone to have more sense. This action made me became the suspect and the real killer was laughing at me behind. 

第二晚的節目對我來說像公司Annual dinner 加CCTVB 台慶，因為除了吃飯，還有位全場最年長德高望重的長輩大派禮物，他把數十塊印有不同圖案和字句的餐巾送給我們每一位，這些餐巾是他已過世的太太多年來的收藏，每一塊都有一個故事。飯後還有才藝表演，唱歌彈琴吹笛彈結他，十分豐富盡興。

The second night was like the combination of company annual dinner and the birthday of one of the television broadcast company in Hong Kong. We did not only have dinner, but also having gift from the oldest family member, everyone respect and like him. He gave everyone a napkin with different printing. These napkins were the collections of his wife who passed away already. Every piece had a story. After the meal, it was a talent show with singing, playing piano, flute and guitar. It was a awesome night.

  

我很高興認識大家，更感到幸運可以在回香港前參加聚會，一切都是緣分。下次聚會將會在8月，希望我有機會再跟大家見面，那時希望我的德文說很更好。

I was really glad to meet everyone and lucky to join the gathering before headed to Hong Kong. It was a destiny. The next gathering will be in August and I hope I could join it and see everyone again. Meanwhile, I wish my German will be better by then.