Siemens Christmas Party

Our family was invited to the Siemens Christmas party on Monday night.  Siemens is one of our partners with this big contract with the Army here in Germany.  The guys at the job site said that this was a big deal and it was going to be quite a swanky party.  Luckily the Germans are not known for their fashion prowess let alone their need to dress up for an event, so I was alright with my travel clothing.  We traveled into Mannheim to the restaurant, Rhein Terrassen or Das Gasthaus am Fluss, that was going to host for the event.  It was the most beautiful and rustic little restaurant right on the banks of the Rhein river.  I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!

Haley was the photographer for the evening.  It was a good way to keep her occupied while I kept the other two in check.  The pictures aren't very good because I wouldn't let her use the flash or take pictures of people.  Weird I know, but if you were at the party you would understand.  I really don't know why they invited us.  It was a party for just the employees.  No spouses or families at all.  And then they invite our whole family.  I don't get it.  Although I am grateful, because the evening was beautiful.  The restaurant was decorated in a wonderful rustic, yet understated European way.  I wish I could take you all, so you could see how wonderful it was.  And the food was scrumptious.  It was a delicious traditional German fancy buffet dinner with all kinds

of cabbage hot and cold, potato dumplings, fish and goose, to name just of few items.  I didn't tell the girls that the meat was goose until after they had eaten it.  The looks on their faces when we told them was hilarious!  Dessert consisted of yummy moose like dishes along with, of course, strudel. 

The evening started with another really long winded German speech that didn't include any vocal inflection.  Really, I don't know how these guys stay awake.  Even if I knew what they were saying, it would still be boring.   After dinner we played a fun little gift exchange game, that is quite similar to the kinds we play in the U.S.  They put all of the presents in a group and then randomly call off different months of the year.  When your birth month is called, you could go a select a gift.  After everyone had their gift it was back to the tables.  On each table was a set of dice.  Each person took turns rolling the dice and when a person rolled a 6 they got to open their present.  After all the presents were open we continued rolling the dice, and when a person rolled a 6 again, they could take any present from a member of the the group.  That's when the party really started to get going.  All of our German friends by now had consumed a few glasses of wine or beer and were finally loosening up.  Our table mates were a lot of fun and the girls had a blast playing the game.  All in all, it was a wonderful evening.  Here are some more of Haley's shots.  Keep in mind that some of them aren't very good because of the restrictions I placed on her.