Welcoming 2007

This is late again. Did I mention in my last post about how I'm always late off the starters block? I did huh? So you get the drift. But here's a question for you:

Ever spent New Years' Eve busy with celebrations in a small town?

I have. I'm a small town chappie myself, but I've never enjoyed New Years' Eve in my hometown. But this time I did in an equally quaint small town that was a buzz with festivity. I spent the New Year at Dharmapuri, where most of my friends here in Chennai hail from. And boy! Did I have a blast from the word go!

That picture up there is the welcome we got just as we entered our den. As each of us came in there was this little girl writing out our names in welcome, in a most mature cursive hand. And this little girl is only in the third standard.

Then there was a rangoli or kolam that was painstakingly drawn out with chock pieces.

And later on, at the stroke of the midnight hour, the whole street was treated to firecrackers that went bursting for a good fifteen minutes, lighting up every house in turn. I couldn't get all of that on my camera though. Guess I was too caught up with all the cordite, smoke and merrymaking. It was rather cold here too. Just the right weather for the celebrations. The picture right on top is of the day after…

Happy New Year everyone.