New Year’s 2006 – Vegas – 11:15 pm. I finished buttoning my cutest pink satin top, wound a long string of pearls around my throat, pulled on jeans, zipped up my heeled boots and covered my “Sex in the City” cuteness with a coat. My friends did the same. Then we gathered around our hotel room table, each selected two bottles and tipped liquors, vodka, Baileys, etc. down our throats. Then, giggling, we walked out of the hotel, found a place on “The Strip” – cleared of cars – and upon the New Year, fireworks rocketed from the tops of casinos. Our celebrations didn’t stop there – but we were in Vegas, so my description of them will.

New Year’s 2007 – Busan – 11:15 pm. I was in a cab, wrapped in layers, we were speeding towards an unfamiliar corner of the city. My friends and I eventually arrived at one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples that I’ve ever seen and dazedly, we walked into a brightly lit sanctuary, paid our respects to Buddha, and then joined the crowd wending up to the roof for a ceremonial bell ringing upon the New Year. Our celebrations didn’t stop there - a description of my Korean New Years celebrations is in the works.

Two truly memorable but diametrically opposing New Year’s celebrations! And the sound of this year’s bell is still reverberating in my breastbone....