New year, New ....?

.. Well not exactly new me.  I ended the year as a gobby cow (as usual) and began it in the same way. Obviously not my fault...

We were in a bar (not a pub) who had decided it would be a good idea to have karaoke for New Year's Eve. Not brilliant on a normal day, in my opinion, but it takes all sorts.  

So there we are, a couple of minutes to midnight when up steps probably the worst "singer" in the place. (Singer being used in the loosest meaning of the word here).  And he wailed and he whined his way through some awful rendition of something.  

All the while the televisions have been on in the background and the pre-recorded ball drop from New York begins - and he just kept on going.  

5... 4.... "Stop Singing" I shouted, 3....  "Shut Up" ....2.... "STOP" .... 1!  Too late.  

And then it was midnight and he just kept right on going.  Talk about ruin the moment.  Party poppers were being pulled, noise makers were being blown, there was cheering, clapping and kissing and there he was in the background screaming to be heard!  

By this time I wanted to take his microphone and stick it where the sun don't shine.  Of course, I didn't because I'm much too nice to do that.  I just stood and moaned to everyone around me.

But what do I know, it might have been on his bucket list to bring in the new year crooning to a bar full of people, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.  I just wish I didn't have to be a witness to it. [*smile*]

Oh, and of course there was a fight. I don't think it was as a result of the karaoke, possibly just too much alcohol,  but then it wouldn't be a proper New Year's Eve without a fight  would it?

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

Picture courtesy Metro.co.uk

Happy New Year!

Tomorrow is the ‘big day’ all around the world (at different times, obviously), but woo hoo it’s New Years Eve - the night of massive parties, celebration, lots of drinking and dancing drinking into the early morning.

Unless you are in America, that is…

One thing I have noticed is that American’s don’t really know how to party.  Now, I’ve never been to New York on New Years Eve, so it might be different on the east coast, but here in California it’s a bit of a dud.  In the last 20 years, I’ve been to a few New Years’ parties, but what really surprises me is that as soon as midnight strikes people generally say “Happy New Year” and then GO HOME!! Yes, really, midnight is not the start of the party like it is in England.  It’s most definitely the end. And that is if most people haven’t gone home well before midnight “to avoid the traffic and all the crazy drunk drivers.”  Party poopers!

But there are fireworks if you can get them (although illegal in most parts of California, people still manage to find them).  Then there are the guns.... people with guns who like to shoot into the air! You don't really want to be outside at the stroke of midnight for fear of being hit by a bullet falling from the sky.  

As we know, in England the whole of the country listens to Big Ben chime midnight to bring in the new year, but at least the whole country is in the same time zone.  What amazes me about living on the west coast is that Los Angeles does not have it’s own countdown clock.  Just before midnight the telly is turned on so everyone can watch the countdown and the ‘ball drop' in New York - which was recorded Three Hours earlier! I assume this is repeated a few times across the country in all the different time zones!  Just weird… and nobody cares!

It's a ball on a stick!

These are only my observations - perhaps the party in Vegas is a night long event, but the average Californian party in someone's house is not.

But I must admit, the best bit of living in California is that I get two New Years celebrations.  If I can manage to get to an English pub or bar as everyone gets to celebrate (and drink, of course) at 4:00 p.m. Because obviously, we have to celebrate with home ... Absolutely brilliant!  

So to everyone who reads the blog I would like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR wherever you are and however you celebrate.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!