Royal Ipoh Club organised the Munich-originated fun fair, the Oktoberfest on October 10. However, it was not on the scale of the one in Munich also known as Wisen, named after the place where it is held. The Ipoh club’s version was modified to suit local needs but was equally spectacular.
It attracted over a hundred members of the club and their guests, some from abroad, who took the opportunity to sample German beer, sausages, pretzel, pancakes and knodels or bread dumplings. Four German students under the AFS Intercultural programme were invited to perform and to join in the fun.
The event, held at the club’s anteroom known as the Palm Court, spread out to the lawn overlooking Ipoh Padang. The occasion was made meaningful with the presence of the club’s resident band whose members were attired in Bavarian garbs complete with caps. One played the accordion to provide the mood and the atmosphere.
Club President, Roland Rama Rao, said that he decided to organise the event to usher in the festivity and to allow members an opportunity to let their “hair down” once in a while. “Royal Ipoh Club was once a club exclusively for the British colonials and the royals. I wish to bring back its glory days when it was the premier social club in Perak. By organising this event, I feel I am on the right track,” he declared.
Student, Emelie, 19, a member of the German quartet, told Ipoh Echo that the event reminded her of home. “I’ve been celebrating Oktoberfest since I was young. Even though the club’s version may not be anywhere close to the one in Germany, it was a good effort nonetheless. I loved the beers, sausages and the knodels served and felt very much at home,” she said.
The merriment lasted till late at night when the beers and food ran out. The lucky ones left with Oktoberfest-fashioned mugs and caps courtesy of the club.
Yvette
