Brechtselsbauer gets such a kick out of the Notenhobler Band he says he'll go to the Hong Kong Oktoberfest two or three times each year. Provided to china daily

A German-born hairdresser tells Rebecca Lo how to party hearty at Oktoberfest in Hong Kong.

Sliding into The Hairdressers, an upscale salon in Hong Kong's Central district, Munich native Oliver Brechtselsbauer is nonplussed when I tell him that I needed to snap a few photos.

"Let's go for an ice cream next door," he says. When I head upstairs to find him in Holly Brown, a cafe and ice cream parlor, Brechtselsbauer is nowhere to be seen - although his knapsack sits comfortably on a sofa beside his melting chocolate gelato. Eventually, he emerges from the bathroom, the telltale signs of hair color staining his shirt and fingers alluding to his profession - and cleanly shaven. He pops his electric razor back into bag and is now ready for his close-up.

Brechtselsbauer isn't joking when he calls himself the hairdresser that can cut hair anywhere it grows - including, clearly, his own. With a career spanning over 30 years, he borrows space and freelances at The Hairdressers for customers who prefer pampering salon treatments. But he is just as comfortable cutting, coloring, perming, crimping and fussing in factories, offices, hotels and venues for everything from fashion shows to red carpet ceremonies. He has worked all over the world for the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and his celebrity client list includes US figure-skating star Michelle Kwan.

All this globetrotting means that Brechtselsbauer has partied at countless Oktoberfests outside of Germany - a festival he never misses. To him, Oktoberfest must contain two key ingredients: It has to be outdoors and it has to include large tents set up for the occasion. He thumbs his nose at such celebrations inside fancy hotel ballrooms, as they miss the point.

"In Munich, Oktoberfest starts in September, not October the way it does in Hong Kong," he adds, noting that it was moved up in the calendar to accommodate the finer weather earlier in the year in northern climes.

Oktoberfest was first held on October 1810. The citizens of Munich and its surrounding countryside were invited to celebrate the royal wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

The festivities concluded that first year with horse racing in the presence of the royal family, which were repeated in subsequent years until finally being abandoned in 1960.

"Kids grow up going with their parents," recalls Brechtselsbauer. "It's a carnival atmosphere in Munich - there are games and music and things to eat and drink. And people still dress in traditional costumes like leather trousers - or lederhosen. You can see the wealth of the city through these costumes. All the ladies look very glamorous; it's like the Oscars in Hollywood. It's a meeting point for different parts of society."

Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest fair in the world today with an annual attendance of five million thirsty people and it primarily involves serious rounds of determined drinking. Beer, specifically Lowenbrau, is served in ceramic or glass steins each weighing 1 kilogram. Each stein contains a ma, a unit of volume in Germany that is equivalent to about one liter.

"That's why all the girls serving are so well endowed!" he insists. "They have to carry five steins in each hand that weigh 2 kg each - that's 20 kg at a time all night long. Their breasts have to be huge so that the girls have somewhere to rest the steins."

Oktoberfest in Munich dishes up classic dishes such as pork knuckle with a crispy outer skin, creamy potato salad, radishes cut in spirals, salt encrusted pretzels and pan-fried sausages. However, the emphasis is on drinking, with every song encouraging revelers to "Bottoms up!".

"The corporate Oktoberfest events in Munich are the best ones to attend," he says. "Otherwise, the outdoor party can get messy. Visitors may find the places kind of rough and tough, but it's all in good fun."

In contrast, he feels that the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel's annual Bierfest is one of the best versions of Oktoberfest he has experienced, and he goes two or three times each year. It is like an authentic but mini version of the festival in Munich, even down to the tables and benches all set up in a row, built sturdy enough for party goers to table dance to traditional German drinking songs-"that's solid German engineering, right there!" he states.

He says the Hong Kong event is one of the few where you see local Chinese and expats mixing completely and having great fun together.

"It's a beautiful thing to see. And there are more games than in Germany."

Brechtselsbauer notes that the Bavarian band Notenhobler hired by Marco Polo is very authentic and plays during Oktoberfest in Munich before coming to Hong Kong. One of the most entertaining parts of the night is the alphorn-blowing contest, with members of the audience attempting to blow into this long Swiss mountain horn with varying degrees of success.

"There is a lot more dancing in Hong Kong, while in Munich, it's a fancy event with people dressing up to see and be seen," he notes. "I think Hong Kong's approach is nicer and more fun."

Brechtselsbauer also finds Oktoberfest in Jamaica very memorable: "They play reggae music in between the Bavarian songs. There aren't too many Germans, so Oktoberfest there is mostly for tourists. I find the combination of Rasta hair and leather trousers very amusing!"

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sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 10/30/2011 page5)