Silvester: The Aftermath

Be sure to read the post before this one first.

So after our quick break inside after our private fireworks session, we left to go to the big party in town for the countdown and fireworks show. It was absolute madness.

Before the fireworks were cute, and were being set off in empty fields and parks around the city. Now they were being set off literally all around us by crazy drunk Austrians. It had quickly become terrifying. A couple of times a stray rocket would come our way and luckily explode before it got to us and the whole situation was reminiscent of the Weasleys trying to run Prof. Umbridge from Hogwarts. It nevertheless made for an extemely exciting walk. One instance we passed by a few Austrians on the bridge outside our dorm with about 20 large rockets, setting them off one by one, and all smoking of course.

We actually corked and started drinking our large bottle of Champane before midnight in order to calm our nerves and got through most of that last hour. We actualy had drinken most of it by the time midnight came around so much for our fireworks game. But we werent really paying any attention to the huge fireworks show anyways, we were already high off of gunpowder fumes and jumpy from the firecrackers people kept lighting at our feet, we had had more than enough rockets for the holiday. Plus, the show wasnt that terriffic in the end and was hardly noticible in the midst of all the other rockets going off around the city. We werent really sure when exactly the new year hit, since there wasnt really a countdown in the strange place we were standing. Afterward, we all agreed it was right around the awkward time the two dudes in front of us started making out.

I love this picture, it gives all of the sentiments we all experienced together in the evening from left to right: Monika is a little drunk, Julie, Betsy's friend is excited about the party, Kevin is, well, Kevin, Choy is looking forward to the new year, I am a little sketched out by the people around me and Betsy is afraid that a firework is about to explode in her face.

Well after we waltzed to the Blue Danube (in our heads) we headed to Marktplatz to listen to the band there. The main singer was kind of confused as to what language he was speaking in, a wierd mix of English, German and Italian but we had fun singing overplayed American Rock songs. We got kind of embarressed when all of the Austrians knew the words to "Born in the USA" better than us. We also made some friends, like this guy:

Who danced with us a lot but somehow ended up having no pants by the end of the evening. We stayed until the band stopped after 2 hours and planned on staying out a little longer until we realized that there were even drunker Austrians setting off fireworks around us and after one incident that may have permanently damaged all our eardrums, we felt that perhaps it would be safer to head back to the dorm. I am still thanking God that I still have all of my limbs attached after this evening.