New Year’s A Total Humbug

Manigong Bagong Taon

Sixty nine of these damnable New Years Eve’s I’ve suffered through over the years, (The first few I wasn’t really that involved.) it should be revoked and Christmas should be the last holiday of the year. We should be able to just go to sleep on 31 December and wake up refreshed in 1 January 2017, without the drunken party goers trying to burn down my purok by launching Roman Candles in every direction on the compass.

Before I must hear about all the places here in our section of the Philippines that no longer sell fireworks. My town is one of them, they are not allowed, yet the store on the National Highway has never been bothered by anyone, the cloaking device they have is as perfect as it can be.

But it is not my culture, and it is the way it is here and if my neighbors want to celebrate that way it is their God given right. Once more the family will go down to their mother house for the annual Adobo family’s New Year’s Party. (Which with a full heart I gladly have funded for the last three decades) Because they are my family and that is reason enough!

I’ve said it for years, in every New Years article that I do not drink on this the ultimate amateur night, where people who seldom drink all of a sudden are party animals. If you want to impress me? Meet me on a Monday morning for a cocktail. (LOL)

But New Year’s Eve, I’ll be on my roof patio with my water pump on, and two hoses charged to prevent my house from burning down, and mustering the dog army beside me because the noise scares them.

My favorite New Years Story: Years ago I’m on the roof with my dogs and I playing fire brigade on a drizzly night under a small party tent where because of the inclement weather the fireworks were not in their full glory. When I noticed my very over served purok mate skulking down the road carrying a roman candle under his umbrella to the empty lot beside me. The fuse had shortened twice in the rain (He informed me the next day) and had fizzled out. Since his hard earned money had paid for it, he would be double damned if it was not going to sore and impress the neighbors. The perfect spot was found, he hunched over his roman candle using the umbrella as protection from the rain, when like a first stage of a Saturn rocket it broke the bounds of earth and began its journey to its spectacular end. Then the Roman candle launched in to his umbrella, setting it alight and my friend (I’ll assume there was strong drink involved) commenced to run at never before speeds, while keeping his flaming umbrella clutched in his hand, never letting go. Now for the sad part, was my friend hurt? Absolutely not, but because of the sight of his running with the flaming umbrella we all missed the launch of the Roman candle! I knew that night that nothing could ever get me to move from the Philippines.

So Happy New Year, to all of you and your families. Welcome 2017 for oh so many wonderful reasons. I wanted noted that for months I have not mentioned American politics, but for the US Media I guess it’s not over. I believe they are still deciding the Kennedy Nixon Elections; it will be awhile before they catch up to this century. (I was in high school and I think Kennedy won!)