WITH BEETHOVEN UNDER PALMS (XXIII): Right in the Middle of Full Life

Chapter XXIII:  Right in the Middle of Full Life

A big hello sounded. GMA-TV director Bam Salavani recognized Rossana immediately. Then schoolmate and host Onnie Alfaro. "What are you doing here in Davao? Are you on vacation?" Questions about questions from all sides stormed us. "After the short commercial break, you are part of the show", called Bam Salvani. And so we were German guests on this TV show for the first time. During the following years we became an integral part of the show.

 "Testigo" and "Singgit Davao" were re-launched and were taken under the wing of GMA News & Public Affairs and GMA Entertainment TV Group respectively. In August of the same year, "Singgit Davao" was relaunched as "Kuyaw!" in time for the Kadayawan Festival.  Just to mention some: other hosts were Eureka, Emily Urgino and Al Ryan Alejandre - later City Councilor of Davao City.

I felt very much at home with the radio, newspapers and television. Mindanao Times Lifestyle writer Josie San Pedro had mentioned my mother, Rossana and me in her column "passages" during the great event "Singgit Davao at two"  - the stepping stone for our future. I must confess, not all expats in the Philippines went the same or similar path as me.

For the first years I liked to take a jeepney. I found it interesting to get to know a lot of people while driving. And, step by step, I learned Bisaya. Nevertheless, one day a VW-beetle from the Archdiocese parked in our garden. A little old but he drove. We called him affectionalle "Knatterton". But it really never cracked.

I started writing lifestyle columns. The International Harvardian University (IHU) Grand Alumni Homecoming was a special event. It was at the same time the rebirth of the IHU - Manisan Dancegroup. The dream of the old and new lead dancer Rossana had come true. It was at the event that I met Rodrigo Duterte for the first time - then Vice Mayor of Davao City.

The month of October approached. It was the time when Rossana and I stayed regularly in Manila: October 3 - the German National Day - or the Day of Unity, and -of course- Oktoberfest. This time everything was different. The then General Manager of the Apo View Hotel, my friend Wolfgang and I did it: the Bavarian Sound Express from Germany was on stage in Davao City too. Unfortunately only once and never again. 

Oktoberfest, an annual festival in Munich, Germany, held over a two-week period and ending on the first Sunday in October. The festival originated on October 12, 1810, in celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festival concluded five days later with a horse race held in an open area that came to be called Theresienwiese (“Therese’s green”). The following year the race was combined with a state agricultural fair, and in 1818 booths serving food and drink were introduced. By the late 20th century the booths had developed into large beer halls made of plywood, with interior balconies and bandstands. Each of the Munich brewers erects one of the temporary structures, with seating capacities of some 6,000. The mayor of Munich taps the first keg to open the festival. Total beer consumption during Oktoberfest is upwards of 75,800 hectolitres (about 2 million gallons). The breweries are also represented in parades that feature beer wagons and floats along with people in folk costumes. Other entertainment includes games, amusement rides, music, and dancing. Oktoberfest draws more than six million people each year, many of them tourists.

Rossana  was meanwhile working as supervisor at  Merco-Mercantile Corporation Of Davao, with different branches all over Davao City. Merco has become a household name, Since 1946, it has continued to serve the growing city of Davao. At the helm of running things is Johnny Ferrazzini, president of the Mercantile Corp.of Davao or Merco. During that time he ran the family-owned business with his son Anton, who was the general manager, and heir apparent. One day, Johnny asked me, "Klaus, do you want to do your radio show at a bigger radio station? I can introduce you to Mr. Willie Torres, the president and top gun of UMBN - University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network!"

Well, I jumped into the deep end, after all, I had brought my large CD collection from Germany with me. My first time slot was Sundays from 10 pm - midnight. "Let's find out the feedback of our listeners", Willie Torres told me. "Classics at Night with Klaus Döring"  has started.

And then came the big surprise that really nobody had expected, least of all me.

(To be continued!)