There are flower arrangements everywhere in Munich, and women often get flowers on dates. And because men go away empty-handed on this occasion, our author simply bought his first bouquet himself.
The balcony of many Munich residents captivates with lavish decorations, with flowers in vases, boxes or large pots, to fancy lights that attract everyone’s attention at night. One could almost think that this is the entrance to a gallery or a nightclub. And when you come into the house of many Bavarians, you can hardly see a room that is not decorated with flowers.
Some of the flowers that I see wear a supernaturally blooming dress, green and glittering like vegetables growing by the brook. Whether in summer or winter, their leaves never wither. One day I was holding the leaves of such a flower in my hand, and lo and behold, it was made of synthetic material. What a disappointment.
I was never a flower collector myself. All my previous life I only let flowers grow as I walked by, and often I didn’t even notice them. But since I’ve lived in Bavaria, I can no longer overlook them. Where flowers in beds and vases, in nature or in plastic, are not available, they are simply painted and hung in frames. Mourners flock to the nursery and then to the cemetery. They carry bouquets of flowers to honor the deceased.
Roses often come into play on romantic occasions. They go to female recipients as an expression of love. Such flower deliveries are by no means alien to the loved one. She knows that her popularity is confirmed when smells arrive.
Munich’s men, on the other hand, do not collect bouquets, but some have to show a number of receipts from flower shops. At weddings, the groom is the one who picked the bouquet thrown by the bride. But why are flower gifts actually only reserved for women?
Basically, the heart should be a fertile garden where the best flowers can grow and be harvested. Because flowers are not just about physical aesthetics. Actually, the point is that they grow at all. Which is why I didn’t wait any longer for a flowery gift – and just gave myself my first flowers as a present.
Translation from English: Korbinian Eisenberger