Happy New Year 2006!!!!!!

As I’m wishing you all a happy New Year, it’s been 2006 for 13 hours here in South Korea. In Enzed, you’ve been in 2006 for…about 16 hours now (I think…although I think you’ve got a couple different time zones). For those of you residing in the US in the central time zone, you’ve got 2 hours to go…Joleen, you’ve got 4 hours. I’m currently watching live video feed on msn.com of the New York festivities. So I will be able to watch the ball drop. Wow, New Year’s is so much more exciting in the US than Korea. At least than in Pyeongtaek. I think maybe Seoul has a big celebration during which people get wasted, shoot off fireworks, and ring a big bell…but me and the Pyeongtaek gang didn’t feel like traveling to Seoul. I can only imagine how packed the subway system would have been. UPDATE: Since writing this but before posting it, I have witnessed the ball drop in Times Square. And Mom, you may be happy to note that I “jumped” into the New Year here in my apartment (well, jumped into the Eastern time zone’s New Year). It's also now an 1+ hours closer to New Year's for y'all, etc. And I see Discover Card was sponsoring the big giant ball this year...

2006 came to Korea at the same time as Japan. The only countries to turn to 2006 earlier were the Christmas Islands (first to go), New Zealand and various Pacific islands, and Australia. How exciting.

I “celebrated” with Jaclyn, Will, and Charlie. Charlie is a girl who also lives in Pyeongtaek, but not within walking distance of me and Jaclyn. She did not go to the UW. She is from New Zealand (Wellington, I believe). She is of Chinese descent. We went out to eat and ate some high class galbi (beef grilled over hot coals and wrapped in lettuce leaves along with garlic and various other items). Our food and the bottle of soju (rice alcohol that tastes like rubbing alcohol) cost each of us 33,000 won ($33). But it was really good galbi…compared to the $8 a head galbi we usually get. We then went back to Jaclyn’s apartment and sat around and talked. And ate ice cream with strawberries and brownies. We lost track of time and missed our turning to 2006 by 5 minutes. Oops! Whatever. I don’t know if Korea has any sort of countdown on tv because we didn’t have the tv on. But when I walked home at 2am it was relatively quiet outside with only a few drunken hoards meandering the streets. Maybe they go more nuts for the Lunar New Year (January 29th). I’ll be flying to Thailand on that day, however. Thailand also celebrates the Lunar New Year as evidenced by the raised prices of hotels on that night in Phuket.

I was thinking about making some New Year’s resolutions this year. Then I thought, “Ok, I have to make ones that I seriously think I can accomplish.” At which point I decided not to make any because I’m a hopeless case with things like that. Besides, if I really wanted to resolve to do something, why does it have to be connected with the New Year? If I really wanted to resolve something I could make that resolution whenever I wanted.

Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone!!!! Have a great 2006 and I hope your 2005 didn’t suck too badly!