fun weekend

This week we were busy finishing up report cards and having parent conferences. Friday was United Nations Day at Country Day School, and that was fun but time consuming as well. Last week we noticed a flyer advertising an Oktoberfest on Friday, so we decided to check it out. The Oktoberfest was held at the Costa Rican Country Club, which is only a few blocks from our house. It was a benefit for a German school here called Colegio Humboldt. The street outside was packed with cars, and when got inside we found the line to get in just as crowded.
The main hall inside was set up just like a beer hall. Blue and white Bavarian streamers and balloons were all over the dimly lit hall. Long tables and benches were also set up with tablecloths adorned with the Bavarian colors as well. Huge pots of Vienna sausage and sauerkraut were cooking, and dark German beer was on tab. The only thing that did not seem German was the band playing Salsa music on the stage. The band was really talented, however, and they also played meringue and reggaeton music that was great for dancing. A little bit later the school band took the stage. The band was really good, and they even had a conductor, a tuba, and an accordion player to make it all seem very authentic.
The Oktoberfest also had a magic show and the magician was pretty entertaining. It was clear that he was Argentinian by his thick accent, and we were glad to be able to understand a lot of the jokes that he told in Spanish. We ended up staying at the Oktoberfest for hours. The salsa band started playing again and everyone was dancing. There were a lot of traditional outfits, Deutsch land soccer jerseys, funny hats, and giant beer steins. When we left there was still a big crowd outside trying to get in.

On Saturday morning I went to a students birthday party, which took place at the pool of a big high rise apartment building overlooking the city. There were lots of kids and parents swimming and playing games. Actually, I was the only adult who swam because the pool was a little cold, but it was still fun. They also hired hot dog, snow cone, and popcorn vendors to help cater the party. It was supposed to be a surf party, and there were lots of cool decorations, including pinatas that resembled the birthday child on a surfboard. It was really funny watching the kids hit the pinata because they kept running up to punch it, even when it was not their turn. It fell down at one point, and the poor guy who picked it up and tried to save it got mauled by about 40 kids, some of whom were armed with little toy daggers that they had won. Everybody received plastic coconuts with Quiksilver hats in them for party favors.

Allie went out with some of the women from Country Day School at night. They all dressed up for Halloween, and Allie was a black alley cat. The other ladies dressed up as a peacock, a biker, and a tooth fairy. They had a fun time going to club and checking out the costume contest.