These Hips Don't Lie - Nor Translate

There are three important things everyone should know before going to Germany: Right is left, left is right, and you are wrong.

OK, maybe that's not entirely true. But it certainly is when it comes to ballroom dancing. When Germans line up to get on the dance floor, girls are on the left and guys on the right. Huh!? Also, when starting a waltz, guys step forward on their right foot and start going in a box counter-clockwise. WTF!?! This country has a knack for taking things that are familiar to me and turning them inside-out and upside-down. (Don't even get me started on recycling.)

So how did I get into this situation?

After 13 long years of school, Germans receive their Abitur (diploma) and are finally able to accomplish what they have strived to do for so long: Party it up! After taking their exit exams, they parade/go wild around the school, called Abistreich. Then there is the Abifahrt, a week-long class trip. And natürlich there are Abipartys galore. But the climax is the Abiball, the German version of Prom, complete with ballroom dancing!

Thankfully, the Germans are sensible enough to practice these dances as a grade beforehand. You can imagine my excitement as I entered the Tanzkurs with my friend Lena - after all, dancing and German girls are pretty much my two favorite hobbies. The music started, and the shock shortly thereafter. It was a strange hybrid of being in my element while experiencing something new.

When it was all said and done, dance practice was a great success. I danced with four German girls (cha-ching!) and learned a fun new dance called the Disco-fox (video to come?). During the cha-cha, I also managed to attract somewhat of a crowd with my hip-movements (Wa-wa-wee-wa). Alas, I was focusing on the rhythm and couldn't quite catch if they were gawking or laughing at me, but it's all good. After all I learned from them, it was the least I could to show them how we shake it in the States.