Even if it feels like ages ago I´ll post some pictures of New Year´s Eve, as it was very impressive. An hour before midnight the fireworks reached a level that would have been the main display in many other parts of the world. In Kreuzberg it´s really not all about firework display, but rather, see (or hear) who got the loudest pyrotech. The motto seems to be: beautiful flower display in the night sky is sissy´s stuff, the cool illegal bangers from Poland are where the hammer´s at. Finally at midnight all hell broke loose. A little to see, a lot to hear.

Even though there was more noise than display, here is a neat

photo of a rocket taking off, leaving the bottle-ramp in sparks.

Amid the noise, figures appear from a darker corner of party town.

A couple holding a stock of rockets watches a take-off.

Just for the record: handheld fireworks is sissy stuff according to Kreuzberg rule.

This is the real thing: Not a lot of show, but a lot to bear for eardrums.

Maybe not quite legal, but loud as hell and creating

daylight scenes with heavy smoke.

          The smoke became thicker by the

          minute until it was time to back out...

          ...or rather, to back indoors.    

             The fog like smoke can nicely

             be seen in the streetlight.

All in all a nice night with a Kreuzberg-typical transition into the new year.

Now our first full year back in Berlin begins, and we really feel settled -

but most important of all: we really feel welcomed back.