When I was living in Madrid, I decided not to do much for New Year's Eve. I made that decision partly because all of my friends had left for the holidays, but largely because all the clubs in the city were charging entrance fees upwards of 100 Euros when the standard 15 to 20 Euros was already a huge rip-off. Instead ringing in the new year at a crowded club, I grabbed my … [Read more...]
New Year’s Lao Style – Water Fights, Karaoke and Drinking in a River
The next morning, our smooth, paved road soon turned into a rough, dusty gravel road and would stay that way for the next two days of the motorbike 'loop'. It was slow going as we had to weave all over the road, picking our way between large holes, puddles, jagged rocks, patches of sand and of course oncoming traffic. Aside from the road, most of the day was uneventful. That … [Read more...]
Surreal New Year’s Eve in Kuala Lumpur
A few years ago, I found myself in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at the end of December and got to enjoy my first New Year's Eve in a Muslim country. My night began like so many, on the rooftop of my hostel, where a bunch of people, including eight or nine Finns, were having a few overpriced beers. The Finns had arrived in four separate groups and had found each other purely by … [Read more...]