Spinning: Know How - Kings of Convenience feat. Feist
You know how the end of the year is so greatly celebrated? I never understood why and am still pretty clueless about why people get so excited about the end of the year. Why? Is it because they had a bad year and can't wait for it to finish off? Or because optimists all around can't wait to spread the good word about next year?
I had a good 2006. I loved it. Despite it being the year in which I took one of those soul-sucking state examinations. I met people who were fun to be around with, and who basically made the rigorous academic year a more bearable one. I stayed in contact with my old friends and they continue to amuse and amaze me till this very day. So, I decided to end this year with a bang. Both Christmas and New Year's Eve, my family, friends and I made graaaaand plans.
Baubles are Fun.
We had TWO Christmas celebrations, one on the eve and one on the actual day, complete with 2 turkeys, pork ribs, sushi and 2 bottles (more, actually. But shared amongst many. I'm not alcoholic!) of wine. We obviously over-ordered and had to live on Turkey the remaining week. Presents basically overflowed at the base of my puny Christmas Tree and everyone went home happy. Haha. That's the whole point, isn't it? The year's Christmas certainly beat the preceding one, which was, er - for lack of a better word - sucky. Just so you know, it was spent at Orchard Road. I'm never going back there. Even those pretty lights don't tempt me.
It was great. And I know I've always been complaining about how Chase, my younger dog, is such a bitch at times (not just literally). But I'll have to admit I am growing fonder of her everyday - especially when she's tired. :)
Chase had enough of Christmas.
And so the very last day of 2006 was spent in Marina Bay. Getting to it was tough. Tolerating the crowd was worse. You've got to have a lot of patience with people, so if you're the kind who needs people to keep out of that 10 metre radius around you, forget squeezing in with the crowd. You're practically kissing the neck of the poor guy in front of you.
So we did get to a good spot eventually; somewhere around the Merlion, facing the Esplanade. Except that a 100 other people were standing in front of us. Oh, and apparently, the aerosol foam sprays that caused a hullabaloo last year aren't banned yet. Or if they are, they're being sold illegally. Obviously, some people are really livid at the fact that Singapore lacks the 4 seasons, so they saw a need to shower us with fake, acrid snow. Bad idea, actually. If the foam was actually not harmful, it would've been fine; you know, create a little atmosphere, and pretend we're really prancing around in real snow. But I did mention it was AEROSOL spray. You know, the kinds which are causing the Ozone Layer to deplete? It doesn't just harm the Earth, by the way. I've found that it's really nasty for the throat and eyes as well. It irritates your throat, makes it burn a little, and there you go - coughfest all around. My only consolation was that they didn't spray it directly into the face like last year in Orchard. They sprayed it into the air.
So, I did take some photos... but I was so excited, I was trembling. Which explains the really bad quality of the photos. Sorry!
OK, so my photographs make the fireworks look like random flashes of light. To make up for it, I've posted the video on YouTube. A picture paints a thousand words but when it comes to fireworks, the video paints the entire story. There was some loss of colour and quality when I uploaded it, so if you want the original, approach me.
My personal favourites were those which looked like furballs, and those which exploded in a golden spray of fire. Amazing stuff (right around 51 seconds into the video). Guess the enthralling sight makes up for the insufferable crowd and the foam-touting morons.
Told you I made GRAAAAAAND plans. By my standards, anyway.
