Happy 2011! (whenever that was...)

Although I have never been a huge fan of New Year's Eve, as I've gotten older, I've developed a new respect for the idea that it marks the beginning of a new year, with new prospects and renewed hope for something better.  I still don't like the way it appears that most Americans pass the holiday - en masse, with overpriced food and drinks, but drunk nonetheless - nor do I believe that I will ever feel comfortable with the idea of creating a resolution just because it's New Year's (after all, if you see a change that needs to be made in your life, why wait until New Year's?).  However, living overseas is slowly changing my feelings towards the holiday.

For Argentines, New Year's Eve is very similar to Christmas Eve, in that everyone gathers at a relative's home, eats a late meal, and then enjoys the fireworks that start around midnight.  Then all the clubs and bars open around 2AM and the younger crowd joins up with friends.

Unlike Christmas Eve, I did not adopt an Argentine family for New Year's.  Instead, my friend Jason had reserved me at least a month prior, telling me that I was his for New Year's Eve.  He hosted such a wonderful New Year's Eve party that it rivals all other New Year's Eves I have ever had.  (Although I am pretty sure that I will never ever forget the New Year's at the Shore, Ty-Ty and Saleah!  And I know that in my heart of hearts, my favorite is still watching the Kathy Griffin marathon on t.v., then watching the ball drop in Times Square with Dick Clark, and then turning out all the lights in Anthony's twenty square foot apartment so we could see all the illegal firework displays over the Hudson River in New Jersey.)

In most respects, Jason's party was your average party - there was good music, excellent food (some prepared by yours truly!), wonderful people, plenty of flowing alcohol, and the like, but the real kicker was the view.  At 11:30PM, we all traipsed up to the 35th floor of Jason's apartment building to exit to the roof so we could have a 360-degree view of the Buenos Aires city skyline.  We screamed out a countdown and then it started: THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DEGREES OF FIREWORKS.  I can't begin to describe how incredible it was.  Fireworks are legal in Buenos Aires and any fool with some disposible income and an inclination towards blowing things up can buy as much as they want.  So Argentines flock to their nearest firework supply store, invite all their family over, eat well, drink a lot of champagne, and then set fireworks off from their nearest street corner, balcony, rooftop, or window (hey, for all I know, this could be true).  And I benefit from this madness.

I have never seen anything like it before and, even if I am in Buenos Aires for New Year's Eve again this year, it probably won't be the same.  The pure magic of that first time might be a little diminished, or Jason won't be here and I won't have access to his roof. 

Irregardless, New Year's Eve 2010 was one for the record books.

Me, my unused camera, and the host.

Self-portrait!

The gang's all here! 
L-R: Pablito, Neal, moi, Jason, Petra, John, Arin, and Sandra, front and center.