Happy New Year?

[almostwitty]

Happy New Year in Saigon

Originally uploaded by almost witty

I’m fairly sure that in the past, I've had a few interesting New Years.

1999: There was Millennium Eve in Edinburgh, where my party and I walked up and down Princess Street watching four Turkish guys try in vain to get kisses off girls, and saw a heavily pregnant woman beg her way past the crowds and guard barriers, only to reveal her ‘baby’ to be a six-pack once the police had moved on.

2000: A couple of friends and I decided to join a river boat party on the Thames. Which sounds like a great idea until you realise that you’re stuck on the boat for four hours. It was moored off Big Ben just in time for the chimes of midnight. This sounds great until at the stroke of midnight, all the revellers standing on Westminster Bridge throw their beer bottles into the river - and of course onto the boat which you are standing on. Cue the sounds of broken glass smashed onto the boat roof while everyone huddles inside for safety.

2004: Possibly the best New Year I ever spent, though, was in 2004 when I stayed in to avoid being confronted about an anti-Cardiff quote from this very blog. Fortunately, Channel 4 came to the rescue with a huge supply of final episodes from various TV series I’d yet to catch up with.

2005: There was also New Years’ Eve 2005 in Saigon, Vietnam, though that was more due to a relation’s wedding. The streets were thronged with party-goers who just assembled in the middle of the square, and then disappeared once the countdown had finished.

2006: Actually went to a proper gor-blimey New Year's Eve party in pinkgemma's Manchester flat, where the obligatory booby redhead Doctor-Who-loving lesbian that I fancied was "keen" for a woman, and as the party got drunker with the charades and other games, ended up miming all sorts of positions with her legs spread wide open. While a friend's eight-year-old son looked on, frankly astonished. He’ll be in therapy for years.

This year, there definitely seems to be a lack of New Year spirit - or maybe that’s just the circles I move in. During the rush of work-related Christmas parties (ie both of them), in a lull in conversation, I asked the group what they were doing for New Years. The answers were so depressing, maudlin and dismissive that our table promptly broke up and we made our way home. As far as I can tell, nobody I know is actually going out to have a good time. Some colleagues are spending it at their boyfriends’ house, and some people are spending it alone.

Despite there being the now-traditional New Year fireworks across the Thames, my parents and I will be watching it from the warmth of my flat, since it’ll be -2 Celsius out there, and just a bit too cold for my parents.

Although we ought to be grateful for that - my first year in London, we went to Trafalgar Square to join in the celebrations with everyone else, only to find a massive crowd of people in a square with nothing in it. The fountains had been closed off, there were no TV screens and only rudimentary lighting. At some point, someone yelled “Happy New Year!”, and then we all went home. And can someone tell me what’s so fab about watching a silver ball drop from Times Square?


Are you doing anything?

Originally published at almost witty. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[shove-this-job.livejournal.com]

Well, I was going to spend the evening miming positions in front of an 8 year old, so I guess now I will stay home and knit with a nice bottle of wine.

[almostwitty]

Egads, don't tell me you're a lesbian too. That would be most ... annoying...

[kiri-l.livejournal.com]

ROFL! Well you could go for broke and get a 6 yr old... *snerk*

A nice bottle of wine can be so useful.. be careful..

[shove-this-job.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the wine bottle - a Muse if you let it, a date if you *need* it. :P

[almostwitty]

and what am *I* supposed to do with a wine bottle?

[shove-this-job.livejournal.com]

Ah, you're a bright boy, you'll think of something. :P

[syrenstar.livejournal.com]

You're New Years definitely sound more fun than mine. It's usually clubbing and/or family do followed by a Hair Of The Dog pub crawl on New Year's Day.

This year I've got no money so it's the family party for me and home by 2.

[kiri-l.livejournal.com]

Starting out the evening by going to a local spot to have a drink, dessert, and listen to the live music with friends.

[skarlettfever.livejournal.com]

I decided last night that I'll have folks around tonight-not so much a party as several folks who didn't want to deal with Hollywood who have now all decided to dress in our gowns and tuxes, make eachother dinner in my kitchen, have cocktails and play board games.

What a change!

I'll try and remember to open Twitter to celebrate with you from way over here :)

[almostwitty]

See, that sounds like the *perfect* party. None of that clubbing nonsense - an evening with friends. And tuxes. What could be finer?

Aside from having it within reach of London ;)

[skarlettfever.livejournal.com]

if it were in reach of London I imagine I'd force you to abandon your parents-and what fun would that be?

[almostwitty]

I'd go willingly! Right now, my Dad is passed out on the couch and my Mum is lookingly blankly at the television or sleeping.

Ah, cross-generational, cross-cultural boundaries.

[skarlettfever.livejournal.com]

I'm with you in spirit! Logged on to wish you a Happy New Years in your time zone!

[almostwitty]

Thank you. Shame that by the time LA sees in 2009, it'll be, what 7am or 8am GMT?

Happy New 2009!

[madmosh-uk.livejournal.com]

Currently sat on the couch with Brothers Grimm on the telly, Leah asleep next to me and the bastards next door randomly shoving their stereo on full belt for 2-20 minutes at a time despite me going round and (politely) lying about having two children who couldn't sleep because of it.

Leah's ill, so doesn't feel up to the traditional parade at Stonehaven that would have been great. It *was* -2 a few hours ago. I think it's due to drop below -10. Not ideal for a lass who's had 'flu for 5 weeks.

[choirgrrl.livejournal.com]

I did notice how quiet everything seemed to be. I think it's just because this has been such an exhausting year for everyone- politically, socially and financially- that we all just said, "Fuck it!" and stayed home to enjoy the entire mess coming to a close.

I know I passed out at about 12:15am or so!