The 72nd Annual General Meeting of Sport Union Beckenried (SUB) is being held today at Restaurant Seerausch. 100+women fill in all the available seats and slowly the Hall gets really warm, despite it being a really cold day. We start off with dinner (we sure have our priorities right!) before looking back on a successful year and looking to the future. I'm happy to find that a veggie option had already been ordered for me. It's Pumpkin ravioli.. mmmmm...
We're all given a piece of paper and asked to write our name; date of birth; address and phone number, if we wish to participate in a game. We fold the paper and put it in a bowl. Each member randomly picks a slip & is supposed to wish the person on the Slip on their Birthday. I pick up the slip of a girl who is soon going to be 24 years. Gosh.. so Young!! I try to remember where i was when i was 24.. in Hyderabad. I tell Vreni (the lady next to me) that i will invite her home for Indian dinner. "Dang! Had i known, I'd have just given my slip to you", she exclaims!
Numerous members are honored for their various efforts, for their long-term membership or for special sports services. Some of the honored, unaware of their long-term loyalty, are pleasantly surprised.
The announcements continue and since i don't understand it all, I'm happy to look around the room.. observing the range of expressions on the faces.. serious, happy, excited, attentive and a couple lost in their own world. Suddenly the women at my table are cheering for me & urging me to get up. I realise that my name has been called. Vreni mentions that the new members are being welcomed: 14 in all, but today there's only 10 of us. We're each given the golden book of rules and off we trot to the end of the room to get our pictures taken. When i return to my seat, Vreni shows me the year book. The President had already introduced me in her annual report. I sneak out my cell for a quick picture..
Soon they're talking about the new sport activities starting this year. The new teachers are called to come up. I'm introduced as the new Yoga teacher and handed a Sunflower 
The evening rolls on amidst gossip, laughs and drinks.. I walk around to move my leg a bit and talk to the women i know before calling it a evening and heading back home. Being the only Indian & brown skinned person in the room, I guess almost everyone knows me by now. However, it'll take me quite some time to know them all. Not in a hurry, am I??
