NYE 2005

Instead of going to the NYE site 8 hours ahead of schedule like what some people did, we decided to go to The Rocks after the 9pm fireworks display. We even managed to squeeze in a dinner party at a friend's house in Lane Cove. Most of the people there are old-timers, so the opted to watch the midnight fireworks on the television.

We got to The Rocks area about 9:30pm. By then, the whole area was already packed with revellers. Most of the non-tourists are drinking beer and wine and smoking. I observed that when people get drunk, they tend to sing a lot. A group was singing Spanish songs (think Macarena), complete with dance steps. Another group was warbling Christmas songs. Still another guy was singing whatever song he can think of. I've seen a few guys and girls trip and fall down on the floor. A guy was standing on top of a garbage bin to get a good view, and he fell down, too.

At the stroke of midnight, a wave of excitement surged through the crowd as the fireworks display came on. Some people at the back started throwing beer in the air. A guy in front of me popped open a champagne bottle and proceeded to spray everyone in sight.

The fireworks display was great as expected, but definitely shorter than last year's. The giant mirror ball was there all right, but nothing extraordinarily special about it. The bus ride home was pretty exciting. I guess the bus driver was in a hurry to finish his shift, so he was driving way too fast. He was making some hard turns and sudden brakes, causing the ladies at the back to squeal in delight. A woman went up to him to ask for directions, I think. The driver stopped the bus in the middle of the road, refusing to move until the woman went back to her seat.

Anything goes on New Year's Eve.