As you can see from the title, I’ve decided to give the 365 Days photo project another try.  Two years ago I attempted the 365 days of self portraits project, which was a miserable failure.  I hated taking photos of myself so I’m not sure what possessed me to start a project that required 365 of them!

I figured that the date 1/1/11 was a great time for my 1st photo of my new 365 photos of any old thing project.  I hoped and prayed that there would be great fireworks to take photos of but alas, it was shite.

I started getting worried when I saw fog in the forecast.  Then the news reports of the government cracking down on illegal fireworks didn’t bode well either.  I noticed that there were a lot less bangs happening during the month of December, which made me very happy but also concerned about what would take place at midnight.

As you can see from the photo above, it was nothing like in previous years. It did turn out to be really foggy and the financial dip together with the crackdown on illegal fireworks has really taken its toll.  Bummer.

Here is an example from last year for comparison:

I wonder if I will ever see fireworks like that here again…

It was such a clear night last year and there were a lot of fireworks all going of at the same time.  This year, the fireworks in the first photo are the most I saw at once.  There were times where I sat for a few minutes just waiting for one, which lead to a lot of half assed single firework photos.

I’ve decided that it’s worth dealing with an entire month of racket if the end result makes up for it, because this year may have been more peaceful, but midnight was a total dud.

You can see more of my firework photos from this year and other years on my Fireworks Flickr set.

Anyway, I’ve been meaning to do this 365 Days project again for the past two years and I’m hoping that this will be the year I actually complete it!  Now that it doesn’t rely on photos of ME and all…

Oh, and yes I am aware that I’m a am the mayor of all the hypocrites in Hypocriteville.  I haven’t forgotten my little rant about fireworks a few years ago, but I missed them this year, I really did!  I’m sorry Firework gods!  I’m sorry! UNCLE… UNCLE!!  I have seen the error of my ways!  Maybe we can compromise, like… no fireworks before the 31st but then ALL HELL CAN BREAK LOOSE! Deal?

Related posts:

1. Project 365 (Day 3) Ten Years of Christmases
2. Project 365 (Day 2) Painting With Light
3. Project 365 (Day 17) My New Favorite Thing – Singapore Sling

Every year on New Years Eve I am on my balcony in hopes of getting some good firework photos.  Back in 2007 I was bummed because it was raining on NYE so not as many people were out.  Also it made for very foggy weather.  The fact that I was trying to get photos with my point and shoot didn’t help either.  Without a tripod I didn’t have a chance of getting anything decent.

Then in 2008 it was really foggy so I thought I’d be clever and take video instead, knowing from my 2007 experience that I didn’t have a hope in hell of getting any good photos.  What was not so clever though?  Deleting the files off my camera before realizing that for some reason, the videos weren’t uploaded along with the few photos I did take.   I was thankful for the noise of the fireworks, it drowned out my long string of screamed profanities.

Another photo of the same view. I didn’t catch the big one on the left fully, but I still like it.

This year I had two things going in my favor.  Firstly, my new camera, a Sony A300 that I bought back in March.  It’s my first digital SLR camera and it’s a very steep learning curve.  I still consider myself a total beginner, but a beginner who is having bucket loads of fun with it.

Another thing that made all the difference was the Hama Star 63 Tripod my husband bought me for Christmas!  When you start doing anything in regards to photography, everyone will tell you to get a tripod, and now I know why.  I am generally a pretty unsteady and shaky person, so trying to get photos in any kind of low light situation is a nightmare. With the tripod it’s so much easier.  I’ll definitely be dragging it with me most places in the future.

There weren’t as many fireworks this year at midnight as there have been other years.  Maybe it’s the financial crisis, maybe it has something to do with them cracking down on the sale of illegal fireworks, I’m not sure.  I do wish people would put more money into the beautiful, photo worthy fireworks to be set off at night than they do in the annoying, loud and unnecessary bangers and firecrackers they set off all day.

You can see all my firework photos, past and present, in my Fireworks Set on Flickr.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Related posts:

1. Project 365 (Day 1) A Pitiful Year for Fireworks
2. Rainy New Year
3. A New Year and a New Blog!

Why?  – Because of the firecrackers, bangers, fireworks and everything else that went off causing my dogs to spin circles.  It’s not just that they wake me up and make me nearly jump out of my skin every five minutes, but they have my dogs totally behind themselves the entire time.   That gets to me because I can’t figure out how to sooth their nervousness without giving into it and feeding it.  It’s frustrating and unnecessary!

I wouldn’t mind if it was just like everywhere else, fireworks going off at midnight.  That is fun and exciting!   A week (or more!) of constant banging is an entirely different kettle of fish.

I was just reading an interesting article on Expatica in regards to this very topic.  Here are a few snippits.

Incidents and accidents
From 10am New Year’s Eve until 2am on New Year’s Day, the Dutch streets could be mistaken for a military zone. This is the only time of the year that Dutch law allows the public to use fireworks.
According to figures from the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK), reported in Elsevier Nieuws on 2 January 2009, there were 7,641 reported firework related ‘incidents’ across the Netherlands over New Year.

The celebrations to see 2009 in resulted in:
•    2,753 reported crimes relating to violence, mishandling, arson and vandalism
•    1,370 cases of arson,
•    800 arrests,
•    more than 325 people admitted to hospitals with firework injuries,
•    216 vehicles set alight,
•    97 incidences of violent behaviour against emergency services personnel,
•    four schools burning,
•    two people losing an eye,
•    one fatality.

Dutch tradition
Fireworks at New Year are a long-standing Dutch tradition, and signify chasing the spirits of the old year away.
Similarly, the custom of the vreugdevuur, (usually fuelled by burning Christmas trees) is a symbol of purging the old for the new.
However, many Dutch are considering the evolution of New Year’s Eve activities and questioning whether the fires and fireworks now have any real ties to the traditions of old.

According to an investigation undertaken by the Police Academy in 2007, it has become ingrained into Dutch culture that at New Year, anything goes. The report concluded that the Netherlands has a fundamental problem with violence and vandalism at this time of year.

Ok – Seriously?!!  When do you decide to put tradition aside for the sake of the safety of everyone involved?

We didn’t go out on New Years this year because we couldn’t stand the thought of leaving the dogs alone.  We did go for a walk around the neighbourhood though and after about 10 minutes we legged it back to the house because we just didn’t feel safe.   At one point this dude with a mohawk was setting fireworks off in front of our building, and he seemed to get great enjoyment out of the fact that they went every direction other than UP!

We even stood slackjawed as he and his friends laughed their heads off as a fireworks smashed into the window and balcony of the senior’s complex across from us.

If people could be responsible I would be ok with it.   If they stuck to the LEGAL period of time when the fireworks can be set off, found safer places to do it and took better care of where the fireworks were going – fine.  Fill yer boots, I say.   They don’t though.  They stand right in front of apartment buildings, in the middle of full parking lots and in playgrounds and shoot them every which way.

When I first moved here, and until just a few years ago, I loved the fireworks… but I don’t think I’m imagining it when I think it’s getting way out of hand in the last 2-3 years.   Apparently last year they took preventative measures which did lead to a decrease in vandalism this year, but going from a shitload to a whole lot doesn’t make for a nice evening really.  It’s still bad.

Here is a quote from the same article about what has been done and the difference this year.

Prevention
Government departments, councils, emergency services and local groups co-operated during 2008 to implement measures to minimise the damage following the widespread rioting and destruction at the end of 2007.
Local councils, as a matter of course, take action to protect or remove public property; rubbish bins disappear from the streets around Christmas and post box openings are narrowed to stop vandals throwing fireworks in.
In addition, this time around, the police set up an anonymous tip line for citizens to report troublemakers for anything from handling illegal fireworks to arson and vandalism.

The BZK launched a national campaign to combat violence against emergency services personnel after 14 percent of those arrested the previous year committed violent acts against ambulance, police and fire service staff.
The four big cities of the Randstad introduced supersnelrecht to ensure swift prosecutions for those arrested over the New Year with courts already open on 2 January to hear cases.

Six times as many reinforcements were available from the national police service, Korps landelijke politiediensten (KLPD), than last year to support regional forces, and police made home visits to talk to known troublemakers.
In the Haaglanden region, special ‘car fire’ teams were set up as a preventive measure as more than 100 cars were set alight a year ago in the Hague area.

Happy 2009
The consensus seems to be that the celebrations this time around were quieter than last.

Arsonists set fire to ‘only’ four schools this year, compared to 23 last year.  In Zuid-Holland, there were ten percent fewer calls to the emergency services this year than last, and in The Hague vandals set fire to 50 cars, half of the damage done in 2007/8.

However, whilst the damage is less, there is still justified consternation from different parts of Dutch society following incidents across the country.
It was necessary to deploy riot police (ME) in Haarlem to protect fire officers, 150 people threw bottles and stones at police in Rotterdam and in Nijmegen a group bombarded police and fire officers with Molotov cocktails.

In Wijchen, a police station was the target of a firebomb and in Uddel emergency service crews had bottles thrown at them. Police made 52 arrests in Friesland for obstructing the emergency services.

Oh, only four schools on fire – problem solved!   I’m completely gobsmacked at the fact that people are attacking firemen and other emergency service workers.   What kind of people do that?    You know, even as I said it I saw random faces of the lower class “Rotterdammers” and knew exactly what kind of people would do it.

Thankfully, the last part of the article discusses that there actually are people pushing for change here in the Netherlands.  People who want to ban the legal sale of fireworks completely and have large firework shows put on by each of the cities.  They do have one here in Rotterdam, but that doesn’t stop everyone from lighting their own too.   The problem is that I’m guessing most people in Rotterdam wouldn’t dare venture out in the city center to SEE this big fireworks show, because they are too afraid of what else is out there.

I know I am.

It will be interesting to see how this changes over the coming years.   At some point they will have to make a change.  New Years should be for everyone, not just the hooligans who own the currently own the streets at that time of year.

What are your thoughts?

Related posts:

1. Project 365 (Day 1) A Pitiful Year for Fireworks
2. New Year With A New Camera
3. New Years Wishes

It’s getting irritating, to be honest.   I love it on New Years but not at 8am on a Saturday morning when I’m desperately clinging to my last few minutes of sleep… nor at 9pm when I’m trying to watch a movie in peace but have the dog crawling up onto me like he’s trying to hide in my mouth.

He seems to be getting worse every year, it’s odd really.   I figured he’d be scared out of his wits when he was a puppy but get better as he got older, but it’s the other way around.   When he was a puppy he wasn’t at all bothered but now he is.  I’m dreading New Years Eve when the fireworks go on for hours and sound like you are stuck in a tin can with a string of a million firecrackers.

I’m sure my constant trotting between our front and back balconies doesn’t help with his excitement and anxiety.

Today I remembered I had a grill in our new oven and we had creme brulee for desert.  It was so good I ate it extra slow to make it last.  I won’t pretend like I made it, it came frozen… It’s safer that I don’t learn to make it or we’ll be eating it every night.

I had a Christmas Victory today.   For years I’ve been trying to get my husband to try hot sandwiches, but he’s refused outright.   A hot sandwich, for those of you who don’t eat them (shame!), is two pieces of bread with the meat of your choice (I prefer turkey or chicken) between them, then smothered in gravy.   They can be found in most any restaurant in Canada, but before meeting me my husband had never heard of them.  He’s made a habit of turning his nose up and calling them ‘Soggy Sandwiches’… until tonight!

The days between Christmas and New Years makes for prime hot sandwich season.   This afternoon I told Xander that I’d be making one for myself and he could have a cold sandwich if he wanted.  Then she shocked me to my toes and asked for a ‘soggy sandwich’ too.   I jokingly checked his temperature and he told me he wanted to see what all the hype was about.  It only took almost 9 years but I wasn’t about to split hairs.

After making one for him, his opinion was that it was ‘not half bad’.   I think that’s his way of saying it’s good, without having to actually say it’s good and by doing so, admit that he was wrong.   As men do…

Related posts:

1. Random Summer 2009 Tidbits
2. Movie Review – The Holiday
3. Tidbits