Monday, January 01, 2007

Hello, double-oh-seven!

I've finally got my iBook back yesterday after a whole week at the Apple Maintenance Centre for some minor repairs (but that's another story). And just in time to find out that the internet connection is and will be compromised for the foreseeable future because of damage done to the undersea telecommunication cables due to the Taiwan earthquake on Boxing Day. Hmmm.... did anybody realise that it happened exactly two years after the Indian Ocean tsunami?

Anyway, last night (New Year's eve), I went for a NYE dinner at Miss Read's in Bangsar with the usual suspects (and then some). For the past five years, it has become a tradition for us to get together on the final day of year for a time of celebration, reminiscence and resolutions for the coming year. Usually it would be at one of our places and we would have a major dinner bash but this year, we decided to just let someone else do the cooking.

Dinner was an enjoyably mellow affair as befitting the occasion as we traded stories about our most memorable events of 2006 amid laughter, Vietnamese chicken salad and lemonade. The only brief low-point was when Mook received news of the bomb blasts that rocked Bangkok. We all enjoyed our holiday in BKK this year and it was sad to hear of the unrest, wondering about the potential damaging effect it will have on Thailand.

Afterwards, we all adjourned to TK's place high up at Bukit Pantai to await the fireworks. The view from his balcony and bedroom was, to borrow Mastercard's slogan, priceless. The entire city was beautifully lit up in anticipation of the new year. The TM tower never looked more impressive.

While waiting for the grand fireworks spectacle, we were treated to the most exquisite homemade tiramisu (thanks Edwin!). Words could not describe how delicious it was and all of us were glad we did not have that last marble cheesecake at the restaurant.

Before we knew it, midnight was upon us and all of us scrambled to the balcony to enjoy the million-ringgit fireworks display.

The 20 minute spectacle was quite impressive and rather loud too, as we could hear the loud bangs and felt the tremors from where we were which was miles away from the 'epicentre'.

Cameras were merrily snapping away amid exclamations of 'ooh's and 'aahh's and I'm glad that we all have not gotten too blasé about it even though it was an annual affair.

This year's celebrations was a bit muted as the usual New Year fireworks around KLCC (foreground left) was noticeably absent because the organisers decided to cancel it out of respect for the Aidil Adha and also in deference to the flood victims in Johor and Melaka.

However the celebrations in Bukit Bintang as well as in 1U and The Curve went on as scheduled.

I can't think of any other place to spend the final moments of the year than with some of my best and most cherished buddies. Here's to a wonderful and prosperous double-oh-seven!

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