2015 Went Out with a Bang

Welcome 2016

 

 

The past few days have been hectic around here so, not a lot of photos get developed.

The 2016 files have been opened and 2015's will soon become history.

 Tonight, I post just a few photos depicting the transition into the New Year.

The celebrations around this part of the world, continue into next week.  And, I gotta go.

Shortly after 10PM on New Year's Eve this photo was taken, at the Temple in Kin Town.

A mother and daughter, stand silhouetted before, approaching the altar.

To me and, lots of other folks, it is a picture worth a thousand words.

Only, I don't like writing so, somebody else, can do it !

 In a parking lot, across the street from the temple, food tents were set up.

My travels, to climb an observation tower, took me past here at 10:20PM.

The best time, to shoot this image, would be now, before the crowds showed up.

Every kind of festival food imaginable, was being prepared.

Chicken and barbecued pork  were sizzling on charcoal grills and, I was tempted to stop.

But, I growled back at my stomach because, me and the camera, had work to do.

 Eleven minutes after midnight, I passed by the temple, again.

There were so many people, in line, you couldn't see the temple or, altar.

This image was taken, with me standing in front of the food tent, across the street.

The line of people, waiting to enter the shrine, extended outside the entrance gate.

It went all the way down the street and wrapped around the next corner.

Cold and hungry, I decided religious stuff could wait; I wasn't standing in that line.

Other spirits were waiting for me, to put the camera away.

So, after sobering up, I went back to the temple, New Year's Day.

Before noon, I did all my holy stuff and, got my fortune for the year then, went back to work.

There's a crazy little ritual, we do around here, which makes me have to close the office early.

It only happens, once a year, a bunch of us start celebrating in the bars.

When the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, everybody wishes me a:

Happy Birthday !