Happy New Year

Is it just me, or does everyone have the experience of time slowing down as it approaches midnight on New Year's Eve? Every New Year, before midnight the time seems to go really slowly. I keep looking at my watch and wondering why midnight can't hurry up so that I can go to bed. But then midnight arrives and instead of going to bed, I get a second wind and the party really begins.

This year, as usual, just before midnight we popped the telly on and the children gathered around it with their party poppers at the ready. The children led the chorus, counting down the last ten seconds. "...3...2...1...Happy New Year". We all toasted the New Year with champagne and party poppers, then watched the pyrotechnic display that was being televised from The London Eye while The Scissor Sisters played in the background.

The great thing about putting the telly on just before midnight is not just the accuracy of the countdown, but the solidarity that is experienced with the rest of the country and Europe. One gets a glimpse of other concurrent celebrations which makes one feel a part of something bigger.

We switched the TV off and sent the children to bed. The adults continued to party, but with the volume on the stereo marginally turned down. I, despite having been saying all evening that I was far too tired to stay up much past midnight, finally went to bed at about 4:30am or so.

On New Year's Day we had lunch with my sister, then set off to stay in a TravelLodge near London. The next morning we set off back to the US and arrived home that evening.