From: mar@physics.su.OZ.AU (David Mar)
Subject: Hello from 1993
Organization: School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 17:06:05 GMT

Danger Mouse looks at the calendar in a squid-like manner...

"Hmmm, 1st of January, 1993... Well, in Australia it is. It may still
be 1992 for some of you. I feel kind of privileged to be among the
first Callahanians to see the New Year. (Okay, Stumpy beats us Eastern
Aussies by two hours, even if he is ABEND right now.)

"So, how did I spend the evening? I left home about noon to travel into
the city by train. I spent most of the afternoon shopping around. Okay,
browsing around shops. The only things I bought were a selection of
cheeses and some water crackers (reason to come, be patient).

"At 18:00 I met a small group of friends (six of them) at the Town Hall
and we wandered down to the Harbour for a vantage point for the evening's
fireworks. We settled in amongst a moderately dense scattering of picnic
rugs on the grass towards Mrs Macquarie's Chair (at the end of Mrs
Macquarie's Point, between Farm Cove and Woolloomooloo Bay - ie. one
point over from the Opera House).

"By now the time was about 19:00 and we settled down to some feasting
on cheese and bickies (crackers, whatever..) while playing some cards
as we waited for the fireworks. We played Bartok (the card game, not
the music) as the sun set rather splendidly behind the towering
buildings of the city centre. Some of the people picnicking around us
appeared to have been there for most of the day - I saw one family with
a small table and some collapsible seats, and somebody was barbecuing
something delicious smelling.

"Farm Cove itself was packed full of boats: small cabin cruisers and
yachts. The people on board probably get the best view of the fireworks
(lucky devils!). With the fairly high person density on land, though,
you get a pleasant picnic/party atmosphere.

"By 20:50 it had become too dark to continue playing cards, which was
just as well, as the fireworks began at 21:00. They are done at this
time instead of midnight so that families can take their young children
along without keeping them up too late.

"The fireworks are synchronised to music, played over an FM radio
station, and several people around us had portable stereos to provide
the sounds. Tonight's display used some forty tonnes of fireworks, and
lasted a full thirty minutes. I think this is probably the largest
regular fireworks display in the world - certainly the first time they
did this (four years ago) it was the largest fireworks display ever
seen anywhere.

"Most of the show was over the centre of the Harbour, maybe 500 metres
or so from where we were sitting (yes, I counted the time delay between
some of the explosions and the bangs..). For a period in the middle,
attention switched to the Harbour Bridge, where brilliant red flares
alternated with sparkly white bits along the top of the arch. And, well,
it's rather hard to describe fireworks adequately. Just let me say that
they equalled last year's effort, which was definitely the best I've
ever seen.

"Following the finale, we headed through the milling throngs of people
to St James station, where we caught a train the three stops to Redfern,
Sydney University territory, and headed to the home of one of my friends.
There we generally mellowed out, drinking mineral water and Fanta (an
orange fizzy drink) and playing Bartok. We cheered in the New Year at
the appropriate moment - marked by the television in the corner - and
continued being sociable until about 02:00. Then the non-residents
bade farewell and headed back to Redfern for trains home.

"I arrived home just after 03:00 and, right now, it is almost 04:00.
1993 is six hours old in New Zealand, and still fifteen hours away for
the Hawaiian patrons. So, do some of you folks in the western hemisphere
want to know what 1993 is like? Well, it's kind of dark so far..."

DM smiles and collects an ice water from Mike. "Ta Mike. The old Neptune
costume is looking good.

"To all of you, regulars, newcomers, lurkers, may this year bring both
success and joy. Take care."

- Danger Mouse.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans