Happy New Year To All!

Happy New Year to everyone! Advance Happy New to others living in different timelines! May the next year 2007 be better and brighter for everybody.

As I write this post, it's approximately 40 minutes before 12 midnight or 40 minutes left for year 2006 before 2007 creeps in and takes center stage.

This is also very significant to me since it's my first time to celebrate New Year away from my family, outside of the Philippines. It's awfully quite around here, well within the vicinity of neighborhood flats. I had a talk with a local taxi driver; he told me that traffic is not that bad even if some major thoroughfares towards Marina Bay and Vivo City were closed since a lot of people stayed at home. It will be a holiday tomorrow and on January the second. So a longer holiday period for everyone here.

But as I've mentioned, it's awfully quite here (a far cry from the noisy yet happy tradition of celebrating the coming New Year, back in the Philippines). I'm used to hearing every December 31st (and even before that day) lots and lots of firecracker explosions that could literally make all pet dogs wince and cower in fear. But now, I am writing this post with only the background sound of the whirling ceiling fan above and outside engine noises of buses at the nearby intersection.

I mark this night as something special. And now it's approximately 30 minutes left before 2007. I want to spend the few minutes left contemplating the year that was. What I have done, what happened, what should I have done, and what could have happened if I did them. Just like I saw in the news about other Muslim nations celebrating Hari Raya Puasa today when they kneel down in prayer and silently contemplate (instead of boisterous celebrations).

I'll stop for a while. I'll post back tomorrow.

Meantime, have a great Happy New Year to all!