Bonne Année 2009

Another year is here, and with each one that comes, I get a little less enthused about celebrating New Year's Eve. It's not that I don't like it, but I'm starting to dislike the hype and the commercialization that comes with every holiday. Perhaps that's because New Year's Eve is at the end of a long string of holidays that started with Halloween. It's exhausting.

I spent NYE '07 and '08 standing in the freezing cold streets of Budapest and Madrid respectively. It was definitely something I'm glad I experienced, but in Budapest I had mono, so I couldn't have celebratory champagne or anything else for that matter. Regardless it was thrilling to be in the heart of Budapest, hurled fireworks nearly missing my head. In Madrid, I learned that the Spanish stuff grapes into their mouth during the countdown for good luck, a grape for each second. It was amusing to see their squirrely pouched cheeks. Not amusing to know that after an all-nighter in a crowded coffee shop, the next train home was at five in the afternoon.

This year, I spent the holidays in England. My friend and I spent New Year's Eve afternoon turned evening in a cozily dark Dickensian pub playing pool and quiz games for hours. After that followed one of the best dinners that I've ever had at an Indian restaurant. We fell asleep until ten till midnight and watched the fireworks along the Thames and London Eye on TV. It wasn't the most exciting New Year's Eve, but I must say it was genuinely pleasant and enjoyable.

I'm back in France now and tis the eve of my first day back teaching from the holidays. I think I've forgotten how to teach (then again, I feel this way every Sunday night) and I may have become a little rusty with my French.

It was worth it. I loved England and will post more about my time there soon....

In the meantime, here are my photos...