By Alexander, Grade 10

Once a year, a special night happens: “Die Lesenacht”.

This night in the HUB is one of the most important traditions within our German-speaking community. It’s filled to the brim with exciting activities and a variety of new experiences, both for the adults and kids participating in it. A staple within this yearly experience is the “Kasperltheater”, which has its roots in German tradition stemming as far back as the 17th century! Everybody participating can take part and play as one of the characters chosen for this puppet theatre piece. This, however, isn’t the highlight of the night.

That would have to go to the hearty “Abendbrot”, one of the most German things any given person can do and something which has been brought all the way to our district of Xianlin. This includes having a lip-smacking platter of meat, fruits, and drinks all at the tip of your fingers. It can be considered the highlight for some; it surely was for me.

Thank you to the PTA for the flavourful bread and to all the parents for sharing the delicacies brought from home.

Another wonderful highlight of the evening was that Louisa Menzel, a student from Grade 3, did a read-aloud of “Rotkäppchen” for everyone, which truly delighted the audience.

Some more activities that were featured on this memorable night were the variety of traditionally German board games and a round of “Die Werwölfe von Düsterwald”, which all lasted a considerable amount of time and were surely an experience for everyone to remember. A big thank-you also goes to the Grade 6 students for organizing the activities and preparing an entertaining presentation that enriched the evening even more.

The wait for the next “Lesenacht” in November of next year is going to be long—and a tough one at that.

Dankeschön und auf Wiedersehen!