New Year's Yay

"Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever."

Mark Twain

My New Year's Resolutions

1. Will actually make some next year.
2. ......... ...... .... ........... .....
   
3. ......... ...... .... ........... .....
4. ......... ...... .... ........... .....

Here's how I welcomed Year Two-Thousand-And-Eight; sitting alone in my room with a small hip-flask of old matured rum standing rather sheepishly beside my laptop, on which I am tap-tapping this post out with all the lively exuberance of an acid hangover. There's me alternatively taking a tiny swig every 7 minutes and flinching reflexively as the spirit of New Year goes a-flaming down my esophagus. Yahoo.

I can think of better things to do, and the know just the person I'd love to do them with. But nooooo. I gotta have class in a few short hours' time, the Block Examination in a few short days' time, and the massive up-my-ass yearly University Examination in a few short weeks' time. Welcome, boys and girls, to medical fucking school.

A picture I took at the beginning of year 2007.

In my every attempt to recollect my Old New Years, I am treated to a grainy montage of festivities involving solitude, the television, and a six-pack of who-gives-a-dick. My welcome for Y2K was a little better though, which is to say that I actually stood in my house's front yard to look at distant fireworks instead of trying to send out roots from my butt into my couch. I have never seen the point of celebrating Earth's umpteenth revolution around the sun (Oh look! It's the little blue planet that could!). And I am thoroughly apathetic about this foreign enthusiasm that everybody seem to have about new beginnings, start-all-overs and the opportunity for a year better than the last. I just don't get the sentiment at all.

But, there is a few odd New Year's Eves that do stick out a little in my memory bank.

One of it was 2004's. I was sitting in Andre's mega-posh garden beside his ridiculously big mansion watching fireworks exploding a little more than fifty feet above my head. There was some sort of pyrotechnic duke-out going on between Château d'Andre and the Manor-of-the-Joneses-Next-Doors to see who can blow-up more tens-of-thousands-of-dollars worth of fireworks in an hour.

Another was 2001's. I spent it at a really small barbecue party with 3 other blokes and a chick at Aaron's place in really-out-of-town Malim. Then, we managed to score a ride to Jonker Walk right before the countdown bit and afterwards, we foot the 10 plus kilometres through the dark freeways leading back to Malim - where Malaccan Mat Rempits go to die - for a stay-awake-over. One of the blokes and that only girl who attended are an item now. Or at least they still were the last time I checked.

My most memorable New Year's Day Eve however, was one which I don't even remember the year. I was already asleep but I was wakened up by a blend of booming firework noises, and the scared yelpings of a little puppy punctuated by pathetic half-barks. It was my Cocker Spaniel pup, Peegs, who for the first time in his life encountered the monstrous New Year multi-coloured nuclearage of the night sky we have every year - I can only wonder at what his little puppy mind made of it. He must have been so afraid. So being the good Mommy that I am, I got out of bed, sneaked out onto the porch and hugged Peegs till the fireworks stop. I remember him licking my cheeks and ears all through that, and I remember the almost hot sensation of his little tongue on my skin and the chill of the cold night air on it after. Very distinct. Very unforgettable. I can almost feel it right now.

I just realised that I don't have a single picture of my dog at all.

Taken when 2007 was old and decrepit.


Now take a few steps back. Put things into perspective eh?

Happy New Year to whoever reading this. Happy New Year to everyone who knows my name and have ever laughed with me about it. Happy New Year to my Boxing Day Girl and my Dead Best Friend, and the Lizard Which Live Behind My Wardrobe (may your tail grow ever so long).

And cheers and beer and New Year to one and all; my dear readers, my dear friends.

Now get the fuck out, 2007.



Prefers Bastille Day anyway,
k0k s3n w4i