"Happy birthday 2005, welcome 2006" - Sherry

5,4,3...2...1...0!!!! Here comes the "turning" moment, for which we all have waited for exactly... one year! New Year, but lets tell some old tale.
About this time of last year, I enjoyed the company from my best friends Dat, Huy and Hin in Hanoi. We started the night around 9pm, when I picked Hin up from her place. All four of us then rode on two motorcycles from Thai Thinh street, to Giang Vo avenue, to Nguyen Thai Hoc street, then turned toward the West Lake before we went along Phan Dinh Phung Street, passed by the North Entrance of the Old Quarter, and headed for the Hoan Kiem Lake. There weren’t a lot of activities on the streets but people. And when I say "people", I mean thousand and thousands of them. Yeah, it is true that Hanoi is a two-million-citizen city, however I always get surprised seeing so many of them on the streets, and can't help but wonder where they are all from.
On this special occasion, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Thai To streets, which embrace the Hoan Kiem Lake within, were closed. Hence, we stopped and left our vehicles to a parking service on a narrow street close to Hoan Kiem Lake around 10 or 11pm. We then joined the crowd walking toward the "Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc" square, where an outdoor stage was set up. Live music was on with many traditional New Year songs such as "Happy New Year" and "Xuan da ve" (Spring has arrived). We slowly squeezed ourselves through layers of people to approach the stage, hoping to get a clearer view. The crowd was singing along, many were even dancing. One of the guys raised his lady friend above his head, just so she could see the performance. As excited as she was, she danced right on top of his shoulders. For a minute or two, they actually attracted even more attention than the singers.
Exact 12, the music stopped with a huge applause from the audience. Everybody then happily greeted each other with "chuc mung nam moi" (happy new year) before making their way home. My groups stayed for a few more minutes to enjoy the new-year air. Meanwhile, I called my sister on her cell to wish her all the best and to tell her how much I wanted to spend that moment with her. Surprisingly, only few minutes later she found a way to catch up with us on our way back to the parking place. I was truly happy to see her as she came toward me and gave me the sweetest hug ever.

The night closed out, I went home with a fresh air in my lung, fresh hope in my head, and especially fresh love in my heart. Now, as a year has gone by and a new year is coming, the feeling comes back to me, keeps me staying strong on the path I have chosen.
Thanks guys, Dat, Huy and Hin, for spending the moment with me, and thank you, my dear sister, for the hug that will always keep me warm!
-nxh