Happy New Year!!

From here I would like to wish every one who's reading this all the best for 2007, and I hope all your wishes will come true this year.
I hope your New Year's Eve have been a good one with lots of fun and laughter, and with the ones you love most, or just the ones you feel most comfortable with. For me, we went to Alkmaar where we celebrated it in 2 different styles: Taiwanese and Dutch style. The Taiwanese aspect of the evening was provided by my wife and her 2 friends (also from Taiwan). And of course the Dutch aspect has been provided by the men: me, the 2 other husbands, and a friend of the couple we were at. And here I'd like to tell you how the Dutch celebrate New Year's Eve.
This event already starts somewhere in October, and I guess I have to explain this.
The Dutch government has strict laws about fireworks, so, it's usually not very spectacular, AND it's only for sale 3 days a year. However, there are a lot of things that makes this whole thing a unique phenomenon. First, the earlier mentioned strict laws. Secondly, the Dutch just LOVE their fireworks, and let NO ONE come between them, not even the government. And thirdly, in Belgium the laws about fireworks are much easier, making the fireworks heavier and more spectacular.
Therefore whole convoys of Dutch men (since it's mainly men who love fireworks) drive to Belgium in October already, to buy the Belgium fireworks, which is illegal here.
So, this means that every year there is a cat-and-mouse game going on, in the border region between the smugglers (who most of the year are respected fathers with a respected job, etc), and the Marechaussee (the Dutch military police who has jurisdiction over this region).
This year the government has decided that the fireworks may be a little bit heavier this year, to prevent the anual exodus to Belgium. And I have the idea that it works, since I heard less about confiscated fireworks this year. And I am quite happy about that, since this saves me from embarressing situations. Previous years it always has been like, me lighting legal fireworks going "pang! pauw! pang!" while the neighbours go like "BOEM! BANG! BANG!" with their illegal stuff. Also the amount of money spent on fireworks is sometimes amazing. The Dutch are known throughout the world as cheap. Well, when it comes to fireworks there are no limits. While I have spend a modest 23 euro, and my friend 35 euro, I have seen people who were paying 100 to 150 euro, without blinking their eyes. And on the news I saw 2 kids of about 12 years, spending 180 and 220 euro, their whole years savings! 12 years old !! The minimum age to buy it is 16, so they must have been standing in the shop with one of their parents. And there also was this guy on the news, who had spend 1000 euro! No, that is NOT a type error. 1000 euro!!
If I had 1000 euro, I definately wouldn't spend it on fireworks, no matter how much I love it.
I must admit, when I was a kid, I spent hours comparing prices of the different shops, and checking which shop had what the other didn't have. And still, the second week of December I am already waiting for the first flyer.
Anyway, the last three days of the year, you can see every man walk around with a plastic bag filled with fireworks, and at the bicycle repair shops they are waiting outside for their turn.
The actual lighting is permitted only on 31 December from 10 pm till 03 am next day. But already from the moment it is officially sold, everyone starts to light some fireworks already. "What does this one do?", "How loud is the bang on that one?". Even the most law obeying citizen will light at least 1 piece of fireworks before it is officially allowed, almost like it's a tradition.
Another Dutch tradition is the oliebol, which is actually nothing more than a sticky ball of dough deep fried in sunflower oil, which causes thousands of women to have to go on a diet, what they wouldn't have to do in the first place if they just stayed away from them.
Also the famous kissing YuMei likes so much is a tradition. Whenever you go back to the office on the 2nd of january, or you visit friends, you will always get 3 kisses. Well....man-woman and woman-woman, that is. NOT man-man, that is sooooo not done!. So, this means that when you are working in a company where there are 50 people working, like YuMei, you will receive 150 kisses, being a woman. As a man, this may be variable depending on the number of women working there. So, honey, looking forward to go to work again tomorrow?
It CAN have an advantage sometimes, since now you have a reason, motive, and opportunity to finally kiss that very cute colleague you secretly are in love with. Too bad, it is only kissing on the cheeks, and no French kissing.