Another year went by quickly. And everyone is searching for creative ideas to spice up New Year’s Eve. Around the world there are more ways of celebration than just countdown to a new year. What would a family-oriented American couple do in the last few hours of the year? What is a romantic and classic French countdown? The economic downturn is taking a heavy toll on jobs. Everyone is trying to survive this recession by cutting back on spending. It seems like everyone is ready to kiss this troublesome year of 2008 goodbye. For New Year 2009I will take you to the best places to scream on top of your lung with tens and thousands while looking forward to a brand new year.
In Taiwan what kind of New Year party is in style? Where do youngsters in Taiwan celebrate New Year’s Eve? As far as I’m concerned, the most precious moment on New Year’s Eve is to kiss the one you love when the countdown is over. Do you know the hottest spots for kissing on New Year’s Eve? Stay tuned and do not miss my special report on the best places to kiss in Taipei!
New Year’s Eve Party Sponsored by Taipei City Government: Countdown to 2009
Since 1996 ringing in the New Year in front of Taipei City Hall has become a tradition for many Taipei residents. In fact more and more island-wide visitors flocked to Taipei City Hall for the festivity every year. Last year more than 600,000 people were crowded into Civic Plaza and counted down to 2008. This year the party goes on. Taipei City Government has announced that Countdown to 2009 will be hosted by veteran TV hosts: Hugua and Pauline Lan. The lineup includes performances by Taiwan diva A-Mei and Taiwan No.1 rock band Mayday. It is a free outdoor concert where you can enjoy live performances by topnotch singers. This kind of New Year’s Eve party is only made possible through the sponsorship of government.
The number of people attending the New Year countdown organized by Taipei City Government is increasing dramatically. It is a fashionable thing to do on New Year’s Eve. However, it is also a large-scale civilian event that is prone to have accidents. When the party comes to an end, people tend to push and shove as they try to leave the premises. A group of friends round up to celebrate the countdown party. And when it’s time to count down to the last 10 seconds of the year, they soon realize that the group has been disbanded in the massive crowd. In the end everyone goes home alone.
For those who will attend Countdown to 2009 at Taipei City Hall you should wear warm, casual and comfortable clothes that are easy to move around. It’s best to put on a hat and gloves. For safety reason, you should wear a raincoat instead of umbrella if it rains. It is advised to take public transportation on New Year’s Eve due to strict traffic restrictions within Taipei City Hall and Xin-Yi shopping district. Do not attempt to drive into town. You’ll very likely to be stuck in traffic and end up counting down to a new year in the comfort of your own vehicle. Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation will extend its operation hours accordingly to ensure the safety of the attendees of Countdown 2009 in Taipei!
20-Something Way of Celebrating the New Year: Home Party
Rachel An is 28 year old and know all about networking and socializing. Thanks to her father’s work in foreign affairs she’s been living abroad since she was 8. She is the social event organizer for Oriented, a network company with 30,000 members worldwide. As for countdown 2009 she has a unique idea for celebration.
Through her work Rachel meets people from all around the globe and she lives with an Eastern European roommate who is from Ukraine. To her New Year’s Eve is not about spending big bucks on restaurants. A home party is just as fun and provides good food as well. She plans to invites friends over for a potluck. Each guest will bring an authentic dish that represents their culture, preferably something homemade rather than a restaurant takeout. That way everyone will be treated to international cuisines such as Russian, Korean, Japanese, Macanese, Cantonese, Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Pilipino, American, and Australian all in one place. Even the greatest restaurant in the world won’t be able to provide such varieties at once.
As for the final countdown Rachel feels that it’s simply not enough to do so once a year. With the help of online live broadcast and webcam she and her foreign friends will make a toast every hour starting at 9 pm on New Year’s Eve. Due to the time difference they will count down simultaneous with friends and family in faraway places, from Sydney, Guam, Tokyo, Taipei, Bangkok, New Delhi, Islamabad, Dubai, and Moscow to Mumbai. They will scream and shout to a new beginning and Rachel says, “I want to do a group hug with all my friends!” A marathon style countdown party is reserved for those pretty young things in their 20’s and only they will have the stamina to count down for nine hours ‘till the next day!
30-Something Party Style: Bar Hopping ‘till the break of dawn
A true confession: “My name is DIVA, I’m 35 years old and I’m a party animal.” Before reaching the legal drinking age I was already a frequent visitor at various night spots in San Francisco. When I was still a college student I once said, “I spent more time partying than actual hours in class!” I have to admit that I not only enjoy going out at night but I’m also good at throwing themed parties.
Last year a friend and I co-organized a New Year countdown party and the location was very convenient – the rooftop of his office building. A catering service was hired to prepare the food and we purchased all kinds of alcoholic beverages from wholesale stores. And we also booked a professional DJ to spin party music for dancing. A month prior to New Year’s Eve we began to accept reservations through word of mouth. Due to the size of our venue we could only have no more than 200 guests.
On New Year’s Eve party people appeared and some brought their entire family along with pets. Our venue is right across the street from Taipei World Trade Center which makes it perfect for watching Taipei 101 Tower fireworks. And we wouldn’t have to worry about being stuck in the massive crowds. And best yet we had our very own special program! As soon as Taipei 101 Tower fireworks were over, it was time to set off our miniature firework show! It was magnificent to celebrate the New Year with 188-second long fireworks display and it was super exciting to light up our own colorful fireworks!
For countdown 2009 my idea is to invite friends to my rooftop since I’m only walking distance away from Taipei 101. We’ll sip champagne and enjoy Taipei 101 Tower fireworks. When year 2009 starts we’ll head down to Taipei’s Lan-Kwai-Fong. Along An-Ho Road from south to north, it’s going to be a bar hopping night by foot. Every time we pass by a bar or pub or club we’ll go in for a round of drinks before moving on to the next. This bar hopping will last ‘till dawn and our final stop will be breakfast at N.Y. Bagels Café. I am firm believer in staying up all night long on New Year’s Eve. It will bring good luck for the New Year. I recall staying up ‘till dawn on Chinese New Year’s Eve when I was little and my grandmother said it’s for longevity. So no matter where you’re from, staying up ‘till dawn on New Year’s Eve is a must if you want to get a good start!
40-Something Married with Children: A Family-Oriented New Year’s Eve
From the United States of America Keith and Julie currently call Taiwan home and they live in Tien-Mou with their two young children. They are Christians and enjoy spending the holidays as a family. Christmas is the most important celebration of the year for them. They have lived in different countries and cheered to the New Year in Washington D.C., Vienna and Guangzhou. Keith adds, “However, the most exciting New Years Celebration anywhere in the world would have to be the one around Taipei's infamous 101, the almost highest building in the world. Since our kids are relatively young, we haven't had the opportunity to join the crowds at 101 for the New Year celebration; we instead stay home in Tien-mu where it's warm and safe and watch the count down on television with a nice cup of hot cocoa.”
Just like Keith I consider watching fireworks with tens of thousands of people in crowded Xin-Yi shopping district is quite challenging. Good news! There is a safe and less crowded place to enjoy fireworks. In fact it’s so close to fireworks that you’ll see sparks within inches away! There have been rumors that Taipei 101 Tower fireworks will be cancelled for countdown 2009. And it’s been confirmed that not only the fireworks display is back on again but also the indoor observation area on the 89th floor will be open for visitors to watch fireworks through the glass. That will be an extraordinary and unforgettable New Year’s Eve experience!
The Best Places to Kiss on New Year’s Eve
You’ve seen it in Hollywood flicks. The most romantic thing to do on New Year’s Eve is to kiss and hug the one you love as the New Year begins. Currently vacationing in Taipei, Parisian Gad explains, “It is the sweetest thing to kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower on New Year’s Eve.”
If you’re looking for high-rise buildings as kissing spots, the indoor observation area on the 89th floor in Taipei 101 Tower and the restaurants on the 85th floor are always popular. You can also consider the Ferris wheel in Da-Zhi, the back road of Cultural University and Chingtienkang on Yangmingshan.
Film critic, author and blogger Mr. Poor Boy ﹙pseudo-name﹚recommends a very convenient place that all taxpayers have the right to use and that is the skywalk. Hand in hand with your sweetheart, watching Taipei 101 Tower fireworks on Xin-Yi district skywalk is quite romantic but not very discreet. There’s a skywalk crossing Huan-He North Road that was recently renovated by award-winning architects. It has an observation deck with 270 degree view and you can see as far as Dan-Shui River. It’s the ideal make-out spot for couples who are madly in love and worry about peeing Tom. There is also the airport runway by Sung-Shan domestic airport. Love birds can watch aircrafts landing and taking off and kiss under the loud engines of airplanes. It’s noisy but still romantic!
Gear Up to Say Goodbye to the Bumpy Year of 2008
Taiwan and many countries around the globe have been through many ups and downs in the last 12 months. I believe that everyone is ready for a better brighter future. You don’t have to be a big spender in order to have fun on New Year’s Eve and no one says you must fight through the crowd just to make a presence at those outdoor countdown parties. As long as you’re with your loved ones, it is one fabulous way to ring in the New Year. When you’re ready to count down to the last 10 seconds of 2008, just close your eyes and say a prayer, “Everything will be great, next year!” Let us look forward to a hopeful year ahead. Happy New Year!
2009跨年夜要到那裡吶喊慶祝？
一年又迅速的過去了，每逢除夕夜，大家絞盡腦汁想出不同的點子歡度跨年夜。世界大不同，率真的美國人和浪漫的法國人是如何度過每年的最後幾個小時呢？今年台灣的景氣普遍不佳，很多人只求溫飽，根本不敢奢求有年終獎金。少了年終獎金，跨年夜也沒有大餐享用，而大家勢必迫不及待的想要跟狀況百出的2008年說再見，今年該去那裡和成千上萬的群眾一起吶喊、迎接嶄新的一年？
在台灣，目前最流行的跨年活動是什麼？台灣的年輕人最喜歡去那裡跨年？而跨年夜最重要的一刻，就是當3、2、1倒數結束時，一定要和心愛的人接吻。那你知道跨年夜最熱門的接吻地點在那裡嗎？千萬不可錯過特別報導：台北最佳接吻地點！
台北市府前廣場跨年夜活動：2009台北最HIGH新年城
自1996年開始，參加台北市政府舉辦的跨年活動已經變成台北市民的傳統，其實有很多的外縣市民眾千里迢迢趕到府前廣場一同看熱門歌手表演，歡樂慶祝跨年夜，因此去年就有超過六十萬人一同倒數迎接2008。而今年台北市政府也不會讓大家失望，已經確定的跨年晚會「2009台北最HIGH新年城」將由綜藝大哥胡瓜和綜藝大姐藍心湄攜手主持，而讓民眾更期待的是今年壓軸演出的台灣天后張惠妹和台灣首席天團五月天。這種不花錢的大型戶外演唱會，又可以欣賞到數一數二的大牌藝人現場表演，大概只有公家機關主辦的跨年晚會才做得到。
根據觀察，參加台北市政府的跨年晚會的民眾人數每年持續增加，似乎跨年倒數已經蔚為風氣。相對的，群眾聚集的地方也不免有意外發生，尤其是跨年活動結束後，大量人群同時疏散容易造成推擠。一群朋友相邀參加跨年晚會，等到準備倒數的那一刻，才發現大家在人群之中失散了，最後只能各自回家。
建議今年準備參加「2009台北最HIGH新年城」的朋友，儘量穿著輕便但可禦寒的衣物，帽子和手套不可少，如遇下雨，為安全著想，以雨衣代替雨傘。在交通方面，以大眾運輸為主，因為府前廣場的周邊街道實施交通管制，想開車進台北城的朋友，很可能最後倒數是在自家車內進行，因為塞車而動彈不得。台北捷運公司的營業時間會跟隨跨年晚會活動有所調整，一定讓大家開心的跨年，平安的回家！
台灣的新新人類跨年夜在家熱鬧獨樂樂
自小隨著父親的外交工作旅居海外的安大叡，今年二十八歲，回到台灣之後在中西交流有限公司負責活動策劃和行銷，對於今年的跨年夜的慶祝方式，她的點子非常有趣。
因為工作的關係，安大叡認識很多來自世界各地的朋友，與她同居的東歐室友來自烏克蘭。她認為跨年夜不一定要上餐館花大錢，在家一樣可以享用美食。她預計邀約好友到家裡舉辦自助式派對，請大家各自帶一道屬於自己家鄉口味的菜餚，最好是親自下廚，而不是買現成的。因此每位賓客都可以品嚐到俄羅斯、韓國、日本、澳門、香港、新加坡、泰國、越南、印度、菲律賓、美國、澳洲等各地美食，再好的餐廳也無法一次提供這麼多的異國佳餚。
對於跨年倒數的活動，安大叡覺得只有一年只有一次實在不過癮，所以她決定從晚上九點開始，藉由網路轉播和視訊連線，每隔一個小時倒數一次，讓旅居台灣的外國人也能在同一時間與家鄉的親人跨年。從雪梨開始，接著關島、東京、台北、曼谷、新德里、伊斯蘭堡、杜拜、莫斯科、孟買，除了一起大聲倒數、互相道賀之外，安大叡說：「還要記得和朋友們熱情的集體擁抱！」這種長達九小時的馬拉松式跨年，也只有體力好的台灣新新人類才有辦法熬夜到天亮！
派對狂熱的X世代掃街跨年到天明
在朋友們的眼中，我是個已經35歲的派對動物﹙party animal﹚。在還沒達到法定年齡之前，我就已經是舊金山知名夜店的常客。在大學時期，我有句經典名言：「我投入參加派對的時間遠遠超過我在學校上課的時數！」我不但喜歡參加各大活動，更熱衷自行舉辦不同的主題式派對。
去年我和一位朋友共同主辦一個在屋頂的跨年活動，地點就在他的辦公室頂樓。我們找來外燴公司準備當晚的餐點，再到大賣場採購各式各樣的酒精飲料，請來一位專業DJ負責放音樂炒熱氣氛。在跨年前一個月就開始藉由口耳相傳的方式接受預約，受到場地的限制，賣出第兩百張門票便叫好就收。
當天晚上從七點開始，男男女女陸續出現，有的攜家帶眷，連家中寵物一同出席。我們的地點就位於國貿大樓正對面，不但是最適合欣賞台北101大樓煙火秀的地方，也不用擔心人擠人的場面，而且我們還有特別節目。台北101煙火秀一結束，輪到我們自行準備的小型煙火秀登場！如此近距離觀賞長達188秒的煙火真是刺激，但自己點燃五彩繽紛的煙火更是過癮！
這次的跨年夜，初步的想法是邀請親朋好友到我家頂樓，一起享用香檳酒並欣賞近在咫尺的台北101大樓煙火秀。倒數結束、正式跨入2009年後，再帶著大家到台北的蘭桂坊–安和路，以步行的方式，沿著安和路由南往北行進，每遇到酒吧、夜店，必要進去喝杯酒才能繼續向前，這樣大概可以喝到天亮，最後在仁愛路的N.Y.Bagels Café用過早餐之後再回家睡覺。我深信，跨年夜跑趴到天亮就像農曆除夕夜守歲到天明是一樣的道理，一元復始，這是個好兆頭！
美國全家福的溫馨跨年夜
來自美國的Keith和他的妻子Julie以及他們兩個可愛的兒女目前住在天母。他們全家都是虔誠的基督徒，對他們而言，每年最重要的節目其實是聖誕節。隨著工作的調派，他們一家人曾經在華盛頓特區、維也納和廣州歡度跨年夜。Keith說：「目前世界上最令人興奮的跨年活動應該就是台北101大樓煙火秀，不過我們的孩子年紀太小，還沒有機會去親身體驗盛況空前的慶祝活動。跨年夜我們還是喜歡待在安全溫暖的家中，一邊看著電視實況轉播，一邊喝著香濃的熱可可。」
我也像Keith一般，覺得和幾十萬人擠在信義商圈看煙火是一件具有挑戰性的事，不過今年有個很安全的方式從近距離看煙火。話說原本宣佈要停辦的台北101大樓煙火秀，在民眾的千呼萬喚之下，今年不但照常舉行，甚至首次在89樓的觀景台推出「煙火震撼」，隔著玻璃體驗數以千計的煙火齊放的壯觀場面，絕對不同凡響！
跨年夜熱門的接吻地點
跨年夜最浪漫的必定是與心愛的另一半在3、2、1倒數之後熱情接吻，有如好萊塢的電影情節一般。來自巴黎、正在台北度假的Gad說：「在跨年夜登上艾菲爾鐵塔與心愛的女人接吻，是多麼的甜蜜！」
在台北，想要登高接吻，台北101於89樓的觀景台和85樓的餐廳都是不錯的選擇。另外也可以考慮大直的摩天輪或是位在陽明山的文化大學後山、擎天崗。
知名影評人、作家貧窮男先生特別要推薦的地點是所有納稅人都有權利使用的地方–天橋。在信義商圈的天橋上與情人手牽手一起欣賞台北101大樓煙火秀很浪漫，但是隱密性欠佳。有座跨越環河北路的天橋，經由建築師改造之後，有個270度的觀景台，最遠可以看到淡水河，熱戀中的情侶最適合在這裡接吻，不用擔心外人偷窺。而松山機場的飛機跑道除了可以看到飛機起飛和降落，在飛機引擎聲隆隆隆之下接吻，好像也別有趣味！
準備與紛擾的2008年說再見
過去一年來，無論是台灣或是世界上其他國家，都經歷過很多風風雨雨，相信大家已經準備好要迎接新的一年。歡度跨年夜不一定要砸大錢，也沒有非得要擠破頭去參加戶外倒數晚會，只要是和自己親密的家人和朋友一起度過，就是絕佳的慶祝方式。當準備倒數3、2、1時，心中默念：「明年會更好。」讓我們一同迎向充滿新希望的2009年，新年快樂！
