Thursday, January 1, 2009

New Years 2009

We have now said goodbye to 2008 and Hello 2009!!!! For us, we had a very quiet ring in of the new year. Had some neighbors over for prime rib dinner watched a little of the Twilight Zone Marathon...that was good by the way and worked in the studio for a short while. Pretty dull stuff on the scale of things. However, one thing that I've missed and reflect on EVERY year is the New Years celebration that is shared in Hawaii.





You see, I was born and raised there and most of my family is still there. Hawaii is ....for lack of my own term "a melting pot" of ethnicity's. This tradition of fireworks is one of the Asian influence that continues on despite the fact that fireworks are illegal in the state of Hawaii. When my mom was still alive I would call her a few minutes before the clock struck midnight in Hawaii. I would then have her bring the phone outside and I would just listen. It was marvelous!!! The sound of the waves and waves of fireworks going off is just amazing. Imagine this......people stringing up the hundreds if not thousands of firework on these makeshift self-supporting rails and lighting them all at once. Maybe you can't imagine this not really have experianced this first hand but I assure you it is a sight to see and hear. The video I have here is just a small slice of what it is like to be there. Usually visibility is 50 feet once everyone starts to light the fireworks. And the island is just one huge plume of smoke from one end to the other. I know, it's not so eco-friendly especially in these times of global warming. And people with respiratory problems have a hard time with all the smoke but but but..........This is just, you know something of my childhood and young adult life growing up in the islands. I love this and I will always miss this.

So, I wish for all a good 2009 filled with the much needed PEACE......a renewed and responsible PROSPERITY ...... and last but not least....PATIENCE for one another.

3 comments:

Jolene said...

I think fireworks for New Years is a grand thing! If it weren't so very cold where we are I think we should do that. I've actually had some neighbors blow off some fireworks in years past on New Year's, but not this y year. jmc

Todd said...

Happy New Year, Ceci!!

Graciela Testa Lynt said...

I was raised in Uruguay in the 1950s and we also had make fireworks for Christmas and for New Years... My Dad would set up these great shows for all the neighborhood kids... Happy New Year Ceci... And thanks for sharing your memories, which sparked mine!