Zigeunerfest/Gypsy Party (6/23/1983)

Thursday, June 23, 1983

This was the day and I still didn’t have a gypsy skirt! I asked Rita I who didn’t have an extra skirt. I asked Helen S, and she had an extra, and I would go home with her after work. But after lunch, Susanne E brought in two skirts for Marsha C. Marsha let me use the skirt she wasn’t wearing, so I told Helen. Later in the day Elisabeth J got sick, and she gave me her bag with her outfit in it. After work I mixed and matched, and decided to wear Susanne’s skirt with my own white top and sandals. I used one of Elisabeth’s scarves as a shawl, and another for my head. Marsha also used two of Elisabeth’s scarves, one around her waist and one over her shoulders. Thank you, Elisabeth! Marsha also put a red rose in her hair. We were ready for the Zigeunerfest/gypsy party.

At about 19:20, we went down to the hospital to meet Sylvia W and Kathy from Roentgen/X-ray. Frau L got a good laugh when she saw us. Marsha and I went with Sylvia and Kathy drove with another girl. We were to follow Wilma the nurse, and Schwester Susanne was driving the old man. Sylvia backed out of her spot and up the driveway to the Personalhaus/staff residence, and didn’t realize Schwester Susanne was in the driveway. Crash! Sylvia’s left rear fender scraped along Schwester Susanne’s right front fender.. A sidelight broke and both fenders were scraped. They both decided to go ahead to the party. We followed the route of bus #52/54. At the Jura bus stop in Brügg, we turned and drove towards the woods. We found the parking lot, because there were a lot of gypsies roaming around! We walked up a road through the woods to a large wooden building. Set up in the clearing were lots of picnic tables. Already a lot of people were sitting, all facing the area where new gypsies arrived. A couple gypsies were starting a fire in a large grill. This grill had a thing to hand crank to blow air onto the fire! We sat and waited with everyone else. Raphael was helping the organist set up a little stage overlooking a large concrete dance floor. Then with a jangle of tambourines, the hostess arrived. Fr Dr T is leaving and this is her going away party! She was, of course, in costume. Most people were in costume, in hopes of getting a kotelett/cutlet instead of a cervelat/sausage. They passed out placemats, paper plates, knives and forks. A sangria-type drink was served. Then we began lining up to get the food: cut-up tomatoes, carrots, pickles, bread, mustard, and potato salad. We had to wait for the meats to cook, before sitting down to eat. Wine and orange juice were available to drink. One doctor arrived on a bicycle with a knife sharpening gadget (run by a stuffed mouse?), which he later rode on the dance floor among the dancers. One intern dyed his blond hair and beard black! Then Dr E arrived, looking very suave in his gypsy outfit, carrying a pole with wine bottles hanging from it. Rosemarie Z made an entrance with her husband Erik, in matching outfits! Fr Dr Jo D brought a young escort, a former student named André. After feasting, Fr Dr T took the microphone to welcome everyone and invited them to dance in Swiss-German, French, and Czech. It was slow going in getting people to dance, but once they started…

Gypsy conga line

Dancing gypsies

Gypsy Marsha

Rafael dancing with Sonia

Sylvia with red scarf, and Rafael to the right

Fr Dr Jo with red skirt

I was taking photos, then got up to dance with Rita. They were playing the worst songs for dancing! The CP Station was well-represented with Susanne E, Marsha and me, Sonia and Jeanette. Sonia danced a lot with Raphael, who also took a turn on the organ. During one dance break, people took the burning fackeln/torches to the playground to try out the equipment. There was a long slide, swings, etc.

Susanne E on the slide

Friday, June 24, 1983

Susanne drove me and Marsha home at 0:30.

I went home on the school bus with Mathieu S. Helped the kids catch bugs from their swimming pool. A neighbor joined us for dinner: French toast with rhubarb and cream. Afterwards we had our French and English lesson. While I was getting ready to leave, Hans Rüdi and Brigitte started arguing, which left me dumbfounded! Not that it was such a terrible fight, but I had never heard either of them speak so strongly. It was a bit uncomfortable on the ride home, as I did not want my opinion asked! Got home at 23:30 and I was tired.