So here it is... the countdown to 2010. It's December 30, 2009 and I'm a little over one day away from a new year, in a new country. This time last year, we were huddled around the television with our friends
Tammy, Danny, Josh, Frankie... eating and drinking and watching the ball drop in Times Square and then all of the New Year's rockin' eve shows that followed. I never in my life, at that moment, thought I'd be living in a new country before the next new year.
And I am. I'm here. This is the first time I've ever spent new year's eve outside of America. Ever. Have you ever spent December 31-January 1 in a country other than your own? What was the experience like? I am looking forward to how this "feels". And the fact that we have it 6 hours before my friends and family on the east coast, 9 hours before my west coast friends, is also a unique thing that I've not experienced before. Being in the new year before everyone else back home, huh, I feel a bit like a time traveler. I can report to everyone else that 2010 is just fine in case anyone is concerned. :)
Here they call New Year's Eve a funny word that always reminds me of a cartoon I loved as a kid -- Germans call this
Sylvester. But it's after a saint, not a cartoon cat. :) There is even something called
Dinner For One, a cult classic movie in English that runs on TV here between December 31-January 1. Have you ever seen it?
And by the way, I went to see a 3D film yesterday,
Avatar (loved it) in original English (yay!) and well... the theater had a little 10 minute intermission. Isn't that the cutest thing ever? You could go pee, get snacks, stretch. I loved it. I've never in my life experienced this during a long film. I remember seeing
Titantic years ago in Boston and we sat straight through it and I was kind of annoyed by this because the theater was packed and I had to pee during the whole last hour. So I'm in love with this German way of doing things, breaking up the film for a break. Lovely! Have you ever experienced this?
(image: holly becker)
Comments
thanks for your "German blog".
Paula.
I seem to recall theater intermissions when I was very young...I too wish they'd bring them here.
Now I'm off to finish anxiously prepping to host my NYE party.
btw, we call new year's eve "silvestrovo" here in croatia, too.
in my country young people, who can afford it, often travel to another country for new ear's eve - i for example went to vienna and to paris - even if it is just the country next door. we love to go to sarajevo or belgrade or istanbul.
I've spent two New Year's out of the country. One was in India and we spent it at my sister-in-law's cousin's swanky condo community party. It was quite a production. The thing we always tell people about is they had Russian ballet dancers who performed to The Final Countdown! Too funny. And last NYE we were in Zurich. It hadn't snowed in weeks but it suddenly snowed a wet slushy mess all over the city at about 9pm. I believe your husband when he said everywhere is like Time Square. We didn't recognize our cute little over-serious city. Bottle rockets and hand held sparklers and fireworks everywhere! It was like a war zone! Of course by the next morning it was all cleaned up and there was no sign of the "battle" just hours earlier. Very Zurich.
I hate to rain on your cuteness but someone told me the intermission at the movies is a smoke break. I wish I could remember who told me that... but it's funny how I was therefore annoyed by the break instead of taking advantage of it. It's all in how you look at things.
Cheers and prost!
Have a nice "roetsj" into the new year.
Take care,
Marianne.
It was a bit strange, especially Christmas, typical items like Santa Claus in summer temperatures or a picnic in a park.
I wish you all the best in 2010 and a lot of fun tomorrow.
Best regards,
Bianca
I love the way you write about your life in Germany. It sounds so affectionate (is this the right word?).
Actually "Dinner For One" is a childhood memory for me. Even as I was a little child I knew this movie although I couldn´t understand what they were talking about.
I wish you a wonderful New Years Eve in Germany and all the best for 2010.
Nadine
herz-allerliebst.de
I've had three NYE's here so far, but they don't much differ from my old Canadian ones. Fireworks, countdowns on TV, good food- the usual. I do like being ahead of my friends and family, though- by the time they're counting down, I'm already asleep ;)
it's funny what you write about us in Germany. I am German, lived in Germany almost my hole life and has never thougt about the word "Silvester". But now when you wrote it, I was immediately thinking about the cat sylvester! ;-)
In the 90s I lived in Paris for 1 1/2 year and I wasn't at home at new years eve. It was totaly strange and honestly - I didn't like it all. :-(
Guten Rutsch, Sally
Love reading about your enthusiasm for your new country.
I remember intermissons at certain theaters here in Denver. Some also had these circular areas near the back, where smokers could also smoke, if there was no intermisson for that particular movie. Otherwise, intermissions were for smoke and bathroom breaks. And I remember ushers too! They would come thru and ask you to remove shoes/feet from the chair in front of you, etc. Funny, I'm 45, and I forgot all about that small luxury! That;s waht made going to the movies so fun as a child. It was a real experience all around!
xoxo
Melis
Some 5-6 times, having winter holidays in Italy, FRance etc.
All this time we were outside with lots of local people, chatting, dancing :-)having fun, I would repeat that any time again.
"I feel a bit like a time traveler. I can report to everyone else that 2010 is just fine in case anyone is concerned. :)!
:-))))
"So I'm in love with this German way of doing things, breaking up the film for a break. "
Leider nicht.
Frohes neues Jahr!
Ana
We usually go somewhere up a hill where we have a great view over the city and fireworks. And come midnight everybody waltzes to the "Donauwalzer"
I also love to experience other countries new years eve festivities.
Intermissions are still the usual in small and old cinemas here, where they still have wooden chairs ... it has such a charm!
Just want to say that it's funny, after 10 years here in Germany, I still have to think of that cartoon cat when I hear the word "Sylvester"!
By the way, what did you think of all the fireworks here? I have to say they do add a certain element of enthusiasm and joy to welcome the new year but I find them quite excessive and over the top, not to mention pricey and very environmentally unfriendly. The streets are so dirty the following day ..... :-(
As a German I, too watched Dinner for One - "The same procedure as every year" - I think I never missed it while in Germany.
I did spent
New Year's Eve 2001 in the U.S. and I remember feeling a little sad when I got phone calls from my friends and family hours before the New Year started for me.
I really enjoy your blog decor8 and I think it's great that you started a blog a little more around Germany.
Natascha
I love reading about your life here in germany and the way you explain and describe lots of things is lovely! And its always so interesting when a not-german person writes about "our lifestyle" and how they experience it. Makes me think about those things, too. I love it.
My New Years in Ohio was kinda like here in germany. I went to a party with friends. Only the fireworks were missing.. and I love them :)
Happy New Year!