New Year's Eve

Eli and I spent the past two New Year's Eves on the beach in Copacabana, where we drank beer and watched the fireworks along with friends, family, and around a million other people. It was cool the first time, not quite as fun the second time, and this year we both decided to stay away from the beach.

So this year we had a very low-key, old peoplesque but totally relaxing New Year's at home, where we watched the frightfully corny Globo "Show da Virada," made up of pre-taped and Eliseu claims, dubbed musical acts. Then we watched not one but three sets of fireworks from our window: the main set in Copa, one in Flamengo, and another in Niteroi. We didn't know if we would be able to see them or not, so the moment they appeared on the horizon in all directions, I couldn't have been happier.

We watched the fireworks, snapped pictures, and broke out a bottle of champagne. We watched perplexed as all the buses on the highway pulled over when the clock struck twelve, some right in the middle of the road, which then proceeded to impede traffic for nearly an hour.

Just as the fireworks ended in Copa, a short but lovely little set of fireworks went off right in front of us over the water, so we sipped champagne and watched them, as the clouds of smoke from the Copa fireworks slowly blew in.

After that, we stayed up late watching the New York ball drop countdown on CNN, and then slow danced to "New York, New York" in our living room.

 

Comments

[Melissa]

Wow, awesome photo of you and the fireworks :-)

It's one of my dad's annual traditions to watch CNN's coverage of New Year's Eve celebrations around the world, so this year we saw the fireworks in Moscow and London and saw the ball drop in New York too. It's so weird and funny to watch people wrapped up in big jackets or warm coats and gloves celebrating at midnight in sub-zero (Celcius) temperatures, while we sit at home watching TV in the middle of a sunny summer afternoon! It's a pretty good way to enjoy the first day of the year.

[Peter Rabanus]

Hi Rachel,

I love your blog. Very well done.

I am German. I live in California. But my heart is in Brazil, so I will speak Portuguese.

Eu ja viajo ha muitos anos ao Brasil. Quando eu chegar no aeroporto brasileiro, o meu coraçao fica feliz. Estou aproveitando a gente carinhosa e o jeito da conversa, querendo abraçar tudo mundo. Eu ja namorei varias vezes no Brasil e conheço o Rio, Sao Paulo, Rio Preto, Curitiba, Florianopolis, .....

Eu acabei de voltar do Rio ontem. Ficava um mes. Estou triste porque sinto falta do Brasil, e ja quero voltar. Estou com muitos saudades do "meu povo." Mas, tenho que trabalhar agora.

Moro em San Francisco. E uma cidade linda, mas nao tem a alegria da gente brasileira. O meu coraçao esta sentindo falta dos meus amigos.

Ta bom. Gosto muito do seu site, e se voce quizer ouvir mais das minhas experiencias como gringo alemao no Brasil, por favor, responda.

Um grande abraco e parabems para o seu site.

Peter

[marcelo]

Yes, like I used to say: People in the North have a better Christmas, but we have a better Reveillon! Cheers!