NYE - Strasbourg Style

Crazy Times…

What is that Jars song, “these are the crazy times?” Ya, well, welcome to New Year’s in Strasbourg!!! I was looking forward to a fairly mellow kick-back get together with 5-7 fellow friends stuck in Strasbourg for various reasons… ya, right!

After Ollie and I went shopping for snacks and Champagne, etc to ring in the New Year, we realized that we indeed already had enough to feed an army, not even taking into consideration, what everyone else was bringing. Oh, well, at least we wouldn’t go hungry!

Getting off to a bit of a late start, I headed off to catch the tram to Port de L’Hopital. So here’s where I gotta say how much I love the French and their “reliable” tram system. The next tram wouldn’t arrive for at least 15 minutes, so I just walked. Frustrated, cold and entirely unimpressed with the local boys who were heckling me, I showed up to load into the car and head to Jess and Will’s.

Man, I don’t know how they managed it, but they actually have a very cool flat with an almost American kitchen and even a canal view! Sweet! Everybody was just chillin’ til about 20 to midnight when we decided to head out to Place Kleber to check out the festivities of the city which we had heard was crazy and borderline riotous during NYE, but not before Kelly (who kept insisting it was Halloween and singing Ode to Halloween) donned her black curly wig and I borrowed Jess’s purple flapper wig – both from their respective Halloween costumes. Properly prepped, we embarked upon our adventure.

Talk about crazy! Now, I know I’m a small town girl who’s used to mellow New Year’s playin’ games, hangin’ out and setting off a few fireworks and maybe doing a little, eh, late night home decorations for random people, but nevermind about that…Still, I have been to Paris too with racial riots descending upon the Champs-Elysees like nothing I’ve ever seen before and been trapped in a pub until 3am because of the fights going on right outside, so I think it’s fair to say I have seen a bit of crazy. But Strasbourg….

Picture this: we arrive on the scene and there are at least 1000 people there. People everywehere, most of them drunk on the only day that fireworks are even legal in the country and everyone has and is lighting at random fireworks. And we’re not just talkin’ sparklers either, big ones too! You had to watch your step and even then…well let’s just say that I was standing there minding my own business when I heard a sound and looked down right in between my feet just in time to see it go off!! Man!! It scared the stinkin’ oh my goodness out of me! Still it was super fun, if not a bit like a war zone that has almost surely impaired my hearing!

Kodak Moment Award goes to the look on Will’s face when he was smothered by four French guys who were so excited to hear he was from New York and responded with a crazy group hug and kisses. Oh, man, if ever there was a time I wish Ruey Chao was handy with the camera, it was then. It was this crazy mingled look of fear and shock that is forever etched in my memory bank under “hilarious, bewildered fear!!”
We decided to take our leave for fear of permanent hearing loss and had to cross the war zone of the Kebab guys who are the firework vendors and apparently have wargames of their own. It was our misfortunate error to attempt traversing through it. We seriously had to run, duck and nearly cover, but alas, we were victorious!

The rest of the night was pretty chill and we watched a random but funny movie called Royal Tannenbums. It’s weird.

So, overall I’d give Strasbourg a 2 thumbs up for New Year’s as long as you’re a local and have the luxury of just observing the madness for a brief time before retreating to the comforts (and quiet) of home. The fireworks are a marvel; I don’t know how people don’t get killed! It’s so chaotic. We were a bit disappointed to not get to see the legendary burning of cars (their local symbol for tourists) that supposedly happens to display their love for the droves of stupid people that descend upon their city without bothering to learn their language…but hey, guess you can’t have it all! And Ollie, who owns a car with foreign plates, didn’t seem as disappointed as the rest of us. Can’t imagine why!

BONNE ANNEE a Mes Amies et Tout le Monde!!!!!!