Once upon a time, in October 2005, two twenty-somethings met at an African drumming course at the Blaue Fabrik (Blue Factory) in Dresden Neustadt, Germany.

Blaues Fabrik is still there, sort of… I think the land was sold with the idea of keeping it as a cultural center, but there were complications.
He wanted to practice his English. She was just starting a master’s program in German and had no interest in giving free English lessons. But he had an funny-looking recumbent bike, so she gave him her number. He texted her later that week (in German) to invite her on a motorcycle ride to Königstein, a historic baroque fortress in a nearby national park. That was the beginning of a lovely friendship and Pride and Prejudice-like flirtation.
The summer of 2006 was magical. Germany hosted the World Cup soccer tournament, the weather was sunny, and the Buntes Republik Neustadt (BRN – Colorful Republic of Neustadt) neighborhood festival was amazing, as usual. Those two twenty-somethings finally overcame their stubbornness in the Kunsthofpassage (art courtyard) and started dating.
And here we are at the BRN, 9 years later.
But this time I have Muskelkater (literally a “muscle hangover”) from roller derby training with the very welcoming Dresden Pioneers. It’s nice when two very familiar worlds collide. And yes, that pun was intended.