Happy New Year and a Merry Christmas too!

Enjoy the lovely vision of our New Year's tree that the city puts up every year in the central square. This is the view from the back. Slightly less scary than the view from the front. And you don't want to see it lit up at night! It's the stuff nightmares are made of. Generally, what they do is put a framework together and then attach "branches" to make a huge tree. They then string lights of any and every color, blue and purple and yellow being very popular (which just offends my purist Christmas red, green and white soul). But that's why it is called a New Year's tree and not a Christmas tree. Communism changed that emphasis. To be fair, it does have its pluses. Christmas isn't commercialized, New Year's is. On the down side, most people are so busy with New Year's that Christmas gets the go-by. In religious households it is celebrated, but it is not quite the same festive, joyful occasion that I grew up with. It is much more serious. Which isn't always a bad thing. I just like the balance.

Don't miss the lovely blue bus in the foreground. I can't remember which politician was holding a rally that day, but they bus in "supporters" (you know, like high school students who are paid a small amount to play hooky) to beef up the audience. Elections are in January. Provided we don't have another swine flu incident or other illness that puts the country into quarantine.

Sadly, these pictures are from before the snow came. Hopefully I'll get some snow pictures in the next few days, so that you can see both the prettier and just other realistic side of life in this little city that I call home.