My 2018: Welcoming the new year - My long green mile
So here we are into the first week of the year 2019 already, 2018 just a memory - some regrets, with fabulous and exciting stuff most of the time but also edged with a tinge of sadness. Well that's how my year went in any case, how was yours?
No New Year's resolutions for me as it's just another case of I will start going to the gym on Monday or whatever constructive thing I'm supposed to be doing; weird how we boycott ourselves time and time again!
Before I tell you about how we said our goodbyes to 2018 and greeted 2019, I will share with you how most South Africans would celebrate the coming of the new year.
As it's the height of summer here, we would usually arrange a Braai (Barbeque) and the favourite spot would be around the swimming pool so everyone can jump in and cool off, as the celebrations would start early afternoon already with friends, family and neighbours joining in.
The usual fare would be meat, meat and more meat, plus loads of salads, garlic bread, a potato bake and lots of liquid refreshments with many feeling the after-effects of over-indulgence the day after.
We also enjoy braaing (barbequeing) fish and seafood, vegetarians would braai corn and vegetarian dishes.
Another favourite is Braaibroodjie (BBQ toasties filled with cheese, tomato, onion & chutney)
Or Roosterkoek (BBQ Bread best eaten with loads of butter)
Braai stand ready for action for a smaller celebration for our bnb guests. We run a small self-catering and bnb establishment called Lily's Cottage and this is the busiest time of our year!
Many would party through the night, and a Champagne breakfast would be enjoyed by the die-hards.
New Year's day ALWAYS is a hot hot day here, without fail I promise you, so it would be back into the pool again.
So how did my 2018/2019 celebrations go this year?
Our sons did not come down this year, and friends visited in the afternoon so we enjoyed my Flying into 2019 with a Sandwich on a stick with beer and cider, but our friends went home early as they were baby-sitting their little grand daughter and the roads get quite scary with the odd drunken reveler on New year's Eve despite the traffic police doing their best with road blocks!
Having had a guest changeover, I quickly sorted out a gigantic pile of clean linen.
We then sat down and watched the 1999 movie The Green Mile, based on a Stephen King book, a fantasy/crime/drama. This movie is about the wrongful sentencing to death of the gentle giant John Coffey, a black man with supernatural powers. How did I ever miss this movie, absolutely unforgettable, we both sat in silence at the end just pondering what we had seen!
Image credit
And then it was almost time to say goodbye to 2018, but guess what, we both fell into a TV induced stupor only to be woken up by fireworks in the neighbourhood, and so I did not even see the last gasp of 2018!
Thank you to @anomadsoul for bringing this @blocktrades Welcoming the new year challenge to us!
Hope to read about your celebrations here, happy 2019 everyone!
Thank you for stopping by
Comments, upvotes & resteems all much appreciated :)
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I need to come to SA. that's all there is to it. Braai looks so wonderful, I could spend some serious time just eating. Not that I don't really like our BBQ but I'd love to celebrate the difference.
I read the Green Mile as it was written. As a serial. King published the book originally as a serial in a German Magazine. My at the time ex wife was a huge reader and belonged to a Steven King book club. They published the Green Mile in monthly installments before it was bound into a book. It's a terrific read, I suggest it even having seen the movie!
Speaking of books-I've decided my favorite (it took some serious thinking) and will probably get the post written this weekend.
Let me know if you ever come here!
I must get hold of the book for sure, the movie really made such an impact on me, brilliant acting from everyone :)
Thank you for your great feedback always @bigtom13!
PS look forward to seeing which book you write about ;)
Wow, what a fun celebration, and with bbq! I would love to taste your delicious foods...yum! I bet you were exhausted after all of the holiday guests. I don't know how you are able to do it! I know you love meeting all of the travelers and I know they love your food! :) Happy New Years my friend :)
And they're still around my friend;) The schools go back on Wednesday, so we have two young families here at the moment, been hectic for sure! Thankfully most of the vacation guests opt for self catering and they've all been great guests otherwise I would not cope, but it's still crazy!
Hope the new year is treating you well so far:)
I gave up New years resolutions many Years ago infact that was my l;last new years resolution I made and one of the few I have stuck to consistently for about 18 years LOL
Our NEw years was very quiet this year since it was just me and the wife so just a quiet evening at home and not even staying up to see in the New year
Sounds a lot like ours with no kids around ;)
Also your last new year's resolution!
Thank you for stopping by @tattoodjay, always nice seeing you here :)
its always a pleasure to visit :)
That grill looks really good with those big shrimp on there, those are shrimp aren't they? What ever they are , they look damn good. Make our "jumbo shrimp" look like a joke.
Thank you Mr Papper, that's our little baby Weber braai, it's delicious Mozambique Prawns, they are huge!
Not familiar with prawns, but I would think I would like to be ;) They look like big shrimp.
That looks so delicious - what a great way to bring in New Year! I'm not a meat-eater, but those langoustines - yum! We're experiencing day after day of foggy darkness just now. It must be lovely knowing that the weather will be great at New Year!
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ES, I saw your comment about the author on Discord, so sad, I did not know that about him :(
Haha! howdy lizelle! Party animals! lol..slept right through it..sounds like me. This is a wonderful post though with such interesting tid bits about South Africa. I've never heard of BBQ bread for instance, I'd love to try some of that. I like the way you guys celebrate down there!
@lizelle I am so much hungry !! Looking so delicious.
Thank you @kazi799!
Those prawns/shrimp look delicious!
Thanks @jfolkmann, they are Mozambique Prawns, absolutely delicious!
Nice way to ring in a new year, the movie was a good choice watched it a couple of times over the years, never read the book.
Prawns look good on the braai, scrumptious start to a new year.
I had a quiet time looking after the new dog that adopted me, very aware of how scared he is of loud noises...
Have a wonderful 2019 Lizelle #teamsouthafrica