How One Should Not Start the New Year

I've done some (actually a lot) things in my life wherein people would question my sanity. Such as walking from Ateneo to Greenhills. The new year has just started and looks like I'm already up to no good.

New Year in the Philippines is full of fireworks. While it is a feast to the eyes, it burns my lungs as fast as being trapped in a karaoke bar full of smokers. And just as loud too. Wanting to escape from it all (and believe me, my room is no help, because it's not airtight), I decided to leave some time past midnight in search of a "peaceful place".

Unfortunately no such place exists.

At least no place cheap (I could always follow the advice of Elbert and rent a hotel room somewhere but I'm broke and I didn't really receive a lot of money this Christmas and New Year.)

The roads I passed by were hazard areas (and it is New Year, so you shouldn't expect it to be different). Dodging fireworks exploding in front of you and holding my breath long enough to get pass through the clouds of smoke, I find that all the coffee shops are closed. Well, Mister Donut was actually open since it had its lights on, but the only people inside were the staff who appeared to be celebrating. While I might possibly enter it, a stalker blends with the crowd but there isn't a crowd to speak of. I'd stick out like a sore thumb, the weird guy with a book hanging out in a coffee shop all alone during New Year.

The other shop that was open was the gas station with its radio speakers set to high, but everywhere else were explosions and the people setting them afire (or cleaning up the mess). The fireworks display was amazing, unless you happen to be under the falling sparks or right beside the explosions (at least I'm not the one cleaning up after). So yes, it was quite tense walking back home at post-New Year's eve.

At least I spent New Year's differently from last year. And for the first time, I finally saw Richard Gomez and his wife, despite being neighbors with them for the past few years.