The Different Humans Of NYE
NYE 2022 was so different and special this year for me and the fam because this was our first year ever being in a big city like Bangkok.
It was a bit odd too as this was the first time in our lives that we did not have a church service to attend and serve at. First time in all of our lives😱.
Of course, we had church on the 1st, so we haven't back slidden or anything, in case you're worried 😁.
So we did what every Bangkokian worth their salt did on NYE: braved their way to one of the beautiful venues hosting the countdown and fireworks celebrations.
When I say braved: I mean it! It was just a sea of people everywhere you turned. Some places more than at others.
But I think everyone wanted and needed this after the recent years we've had, and though there are still measures in place, I know we all wanted to shake it off, carry on and party with care. Or as much as possible at least.
The Husband, kids and I went to this famous riverfront market called Asiatique The Riverfront night market. https://www.asiatiquethailand.com/en/home
From all our convos with friends and googling we knew we had to get there well before time if we wanted to find a spot of our choice.
And several thousand other people also had the same idea 😅.
So we were just all hanging around sipping our beverages and watching YouTube videos and people watching etc for abt 3 hours.
11:59:00pm saw a frenzy of music, dancing (mostly us, to the embarrassment of hubby) and anticipation and at 12 AM we rang in the New Year with bursts of beautiful fireworks with about 20,000 other people from different nationalities and the locals. There was so much happiness, light, beauty, joy and an energy in the air! It was awesome.
A side note on fireworks: it's amazing how advanced pyrotechnics have gotten. They're not just crackers anymore, they're artwork and fleeting jewels in the sky🤩.
Bear with me and apologies if my account so far is more a retelling of events and not so much of a post yet. But I just needed to set the background for the night. This is not just my story in a way, but of everyone who was at the venue that night.
We all had similar expectations, experienced similar crowds and the hustle and bustle that goes with it. We all ate similar party foods and drinks, heard the same music and enjoyed the same breeze from the magnificent Chao Praya River. We watched the same fireworks and braved the same traffic concerns at the end of the night.
By this time, Mr.19 years old has ditched us to hike it and go meet with his gang of friends. And fair enough. He rang in the year with his family and hugged and kissed us like the good boy he is, and for this we're grateful.
By this time, all of us at the venue are now starting to make our way out to cars/ scooters/ Grab ( Thai version of Uber). I decided that the traffic was too much for me to handle riding through and with my 15 year old dressed all cute, I felt it was safer to ask father and daughter to make their way home on scooter and keep his phone handy in case I need him to come back and pick me up given that it's NYE and we had a fair notion that it's going to be very tough to get cabs.
What we hadn't imagined was that it wasn't just tough to get cabs, it was impossible.
And I found myself getting physically steered by the vast tide of people making their way towards the train station.
And what a walk that was🤩.
25 mins of pavement, people, party hats and observations.
I saw them all that night: the brave, the tired, the partiers, the criers, the drunks, the gays, the young in-love couples, the parents of young children...
A couple walking hand in hand. The boy was barefoot and carrying a pair of heels in his hand. The girlfriend was wearing his sneakers.
3 people standing outside what was obviously a mom and pop kind of old store. They had karaoke music playing from an old system, while they sang along, quite off key but with loud hearty voices into an old microphone.
A very very drunk man bumping into a slightly less drunk man and them both taking offence and almost coming to fisticuffs if not for vigilant security everywhere.
A fancy woman in Prada head to toe fashion sashaying along with a dotting husband and young toddlers in luxury prams.
A tall old couple with a no nonsense gait but warm smiles and a twinkle in their eyes as they chatted and watched other people walk alongside them.
Tuk Tuk drivers taking the chance and waiting for the 2 customers they could fleece rather than ferrying 8 others at regular fare.
A very smug faced young Indian man on a video call with someone obviously back in the country. A quick look around and I saw the reason for the Cheshire Cat grin: 2 cutely dressed European women who were hanging on to his every word🤭
A petite Vietnamese girl with a dead phone, just enough change for the train and very good luck of bumping into me cos I know English and had google maps😁.
These descriptions don't include all the glitter, the sequins, the fur and the lights. And that's just people's outfits.
And then there was me. Over the course of the night dancing, kissing my family, sipping juice, taking pictures, delighting in the spectacle, loving, gratefully taking it all in and then later quietly walking along and allowing myself to get swept away in the excitement and literal crowds.
NYE in Bangkok was an experience and a learning.
And knowing that for one night, of all the nights in the year, one can't help but feel the shared quickening of glamour and fun topped with a profound sense of hope.
Happy New Year 2023 and God Bless💝
P.S I managed to get home by 2:30 am by sky train and hubby pickup service from the station. It was all very safe though. Too many people in fact 😉.