新的開頭：2008年！

New Year's Eve celebration was quite spectacular - Viola and I went to watch a fireworks display in Warsaw's downtown. Or rather we endeavored to push through 20 thousands of Warsawians to only get a glimpse Polish performers, among which, T-love of course.

Wczesniej tego dnia, wysiadajac z samochodu z Pawlem na Marszalkowskiej, slyszelismy T-love spiewajace "Nie nie nie" jako probe przed wystepem. W powietrzu wisiala juz atmosfera sporego plenerowego koncertu. Z podekscytowaniem sluchalam znanej piosenki w chlodny dzien, na ulicy, w samym centrum Warszawy. Zdalam sobie sprawe, czemu tak dawno juz nie sluchalam polskiej muzyki, kiedy tak bardzo ja lubie?

The very same place 5 hours later was completely packed. I got there around 23:30, and clutching my sister's hand, I tried not to get killed by masses of people of various levels of intoxication. It was slightly scary, as some of them looked rather violence-inclined, and also because fireworks were exploding constantly everywhere all around you (I swear at some point I was paranoid somebody is going to blow one right next to me). In the end we gave up hope to see the stage, and stayed in a distance waiting for the firework show.

The show was brilliant, as always. My favourite type was the one leaving a serpentine-shaped trace. They looked like white dragons flying up and breaking through the dark sky. Then, in a blink of eye, instead of dragon tails, fountains of colours on the cloudy sky popped out. After a while, the air was filed with the smell of burnt powder, Palac Kultury was completely covered by smoke, and all one could see were the lights from its tall windows.

On the way home, the radio played another round of Abba's "Happy New Year", and my parents and I pondered the cultural history of champagne. Why does it have to be champagne for New Year's? It cannot be wine, martini, vodka or any other type of alcohol. It simply has to be champagne, otherwise it's not Sylwester. I said it is because of the way you open the bottle. The cork and streams of liquor blow up into the air, reminiscent of fireworks and serpentines. Gives out the feeling of festivity. And let's face the truth, who doesn't like champagne? Even I like the sour-sweet taste of this alcoholic drink.

可是世界上的別的大成市的一煙花一定比華沙的更激動，更漂亮. 華沙還不算大成市。我希望在將來會有机會，新年的時候可以在像香港，北京，紐約那樣大的城市，看這些 煙花. Sydney's New Year should be really nice - it's summer over there in January. You could actually wear a bikini and go watch the show. An experience definitely worth trying sometime in the future.
I am done with my break. Short it was, still greatly enjoyable. Regret shall I later, once back to Harvard. For being lazy, for eating too much and sleeping too much, going out too much, for getting distracted, generally for being an ordinary human being on a well-deserved break.

I am making another turn in my lifetime sandglass clock. Off I am tomorrow (4am! ) to fly over the Atlantic Ocean again. Ask why I hate flying?