Surviving New Year's Eve

[Luisa]

In the Philippines, ushering in the New Year is always done at the risk of life, limb and property. I am happy to let everyone know that I survived my 32nd year of New Years' Eve celebrations in Manila. What a relief for me to have survived without a scratch on my life and limb. My house is still standing as well. Even if people were throwing fire crackers into our driveway all night. My car simply refused to be blown up.

My Life Force would like to thank the Chinese volunteer fire men (since Manila barely has a fire department) for their extra efforts in putting out the almost 60 fires that have razed through the city for the month of December. As of 2:30 AM January 1, 2006, they are still putting out the additional 15 fires across the city that are still raging on as I type this.

My nervous gastritis would like to thank my street neighbors for toning down on their illegal fire cracker use this year (Or maybe it was just that my house is soundproof these days and I had the cd player blaring?) So far so good. We still have electricity and no electrical lines have fallen yet even though people were using the poor lines and posts for fire cracker target practice all night.

The paranoid side of me would also like to thank my drunken neighbors and drunk policemen of the City of Manila for not putting a bullet through the roof of my house this year as they have previously tried and not often suceeded (okay they suceeded in planting one once) in doing these past years.

Allelujiah! I have ushered in the birth of a new year successfully yet again! Thank god ! There was no need to hide under the dining table this year ! (That's another very long story)