Oktoberfest: Die Herzen

("Hearts")

While you've probably noticed that I have no few gripes about Oktoberfest, there were at least portions of my trip to München that weekend that were not nearly so bad.

On the train ride there, it was somewhat full, as most transportation to Munich is during Oktoberfest. Three of us caught sight of three seats in the same quadra-set (what do you call 4 seats on a train that are facing each other anyway...?) as an old German lady, and we asked her, "Entschuldigung, sind diese noch frei?" ("Excuse me, are these still free?"). She said, "Natürlich!" ("Of course!") and we sat down.

I sat right next to her, and we ended up having some great and interesting conversation. She was poking a needle through a little red paperboard heart and threading some plastic orange string in a bed stitch around the border. We asked her what she was doing.

The story is that this unassuming old lady is actually an enthusiastic traveler. She's been all over different continents, and wings it completely on her own. What she was making was small, simple heart ornaments, and what she does is give them to the people she meets all over the world.

"I first got the idea in Tanzania, you see. I worked there in a program for a while with lots of children. At the end, I was going to leave soon, and I wracked my brain for something that I could give them as gifts. Then, this came to me, and I made a little heart for each of them. They took a photo, and each child had a little heart pinned to his or her chest. It was so lovely!

Her hearts are now all over the world. She has given them away in countless places she has been, from Reykjavik, to Tanzania, to Beijing.

Me: "Wow! That's so inspiring, and it's wonderful that you've done this.
Old woman: "Yes, and no one else in the world does this. I am the only one who makes such hearts!"

She then tied green ribbon at the top of three hearts and handed one new heart to each of us. We thanked her and she smiled.

Me: "Do you have any idea at all how many you've made by now? Dozens? Hundreds?"
Old woman: "Ohh, my... I almost couldn't even say. I've long since lost count. But I would honestly have to say, at least in the thousands by now. I make them constantly. I make them wherever I go, and pass the time with them. And then I give them to people."

Thousands of these little hearts all around the world!

From Oktoberfest, München

We asked her about the materials she used. She buys some of the same cardstock every time -- red on one side, white on the other. The ribbon is also simple and inexpensive. The string is the best part. What she does is collect and keep those mesh sacks that hold apples or potatoes when you buy them in the supermarket. She then takes them apart and uses the bright orange fibers as her thread. (See the orange sack in the back of the picture.)

Old woman: "Sometimes people think I'm just crazy. Why do you want to collect such junk as that? Ah, but I put it to good use. See? Why create more trash instead of re-using it to make things that bring you happiness?

It's completely inexpensive, easy to carry around, good for a hobby, and is special."

My friend asked her if she made any other shapes besides hearts. She said no, but also explained a belief of hers.

"You know, I believe that emotion really does stem from the heart. It is not in your head, as people say. Think about this now... When you are upset... when something angers you and you get in an uproar!" She dramatically patted the area over her heart. "Your heart -- it begins to flutter and beat faster. And when something excites you, your heart reacts faster. And when you are sad, you feel as if the pain is in your heart."

She made a funny face, as if mimicking someone thinking really hard. "Yes, your head, it's good for all your logic, your thoughts, your reasoning, 'Why this, why that.'" But your heart. I believe it is true... that all emotions stem from the heart."

We said farewell as she reached her stop before München and packed her things together. And that was our pleasant morning train ride.

From Oktoberfest, München

Good luck and happiness on your travels. Maybe we'll see each other again some day.
Auf Wiedersehen, Frau "Herzenmacher".