*ARCHIVE* _ Happy New Year - 2013 is almost here

[deja vu]

The clock is ticking and the New Year parties will begin around the world in a few hours. Enjoy the festivities and stay
safe. Please don't drink and drive.


From our family to yours:

We wish you a safe and Happy New Year.

[southernfry]

For some 2013 has arrived -



Newcastle England




Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Japan




Sydney, Australia

[deja vu]

Need a break from the norm for New Year's Eve?

How about these -

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-bu ... 31155.html

In a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, residents throw furniture and appliances out of their windows, according to a list compiled by the Scotsman. Police patrol the area with dogs, riot squads and helicopters at the ready. The report says residents argue the practice creates work for people who collect scrap. It also makes the work more exciting as scrap collectors dodge flying sofas.

A village in Peru celebrates by beating each other up. Takanakuy, which means "when the blood is boiling," in the Peruvian dialect Quechua, is a festival on Christmas day. Villagers settle scores and try to put differences behind them before the New Year by fist fighting in the streets.

Across the continent in Eastport, Maine, tonight marks the Great Sardine and Maple Leaf Drop. Eastport lowers a giant maple leaf at midnight Atlantic time, to celebrate the New Year in nearby New Brunswick. At midnight Eastern time, the city drops an eight-foot sardine from the third story of an art museum.

[CielOnTap]

OK, a couple of the places in the world need to be marked "heads up" if travelling through them around New Year's Eve. I'm sure that the tourism organizations don't say anything about the customs.

Eastern part of North America is just under 4h30min away from the New Year. In Southern Ontario, revellers head to Niagara Falls, ON or Toronto,ON to watch the live musical shows that are also broadcast. Transit is free on most municipal bus routes in the Greater Toronto Area but only coffee shops and street vendors will be open (unless restaurants are open for reserved private gatherings) to feed and to refresh the fans.

In New York City, there are different programs hosted by the major networks to welcome in the New Year.

[CielOnTap]

Video recaps of the midnight hour being celebrated in various cities are showing on morning television programs today.

Fireworks look nice but maybe it's time to give nature's birds and beasts (and humans keeping indoors in their apartments) some respite from the noise and debris of fireworks. Time to put those digital screens into effects mode. Times Square in New York City has digital signs in daily use. NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen's annual New Year's Eve show has a stage set with many digital screens and lights used to create different effects for each performance.

The manufacture of fireworks can be risky to humans and to buildings.

I'm not sure how a communal bonfire to toast marshmallows or make hot tea would work in urban areas--the scaled down "fire" and community concept make celebrating more dependent on individuals all contributing in some way to make the fire work and get hot enough to make something over it.

[CielOnTap]

This year is UN's International Year of the Quinoa: http://www.rlc.fao.org/en/about-fao/iyq-2012/
Many of you are already familiar with the protein grain in salads, entrees and side dishes. The people of the Andes have been the traditional quinoa growers and their knowledge and practices are also being recognized.

Chinese Lunar New Year begins on Feb. 10 and it will be Year of the Snake:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year