Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 2009. The way that phrase might sound sung to Prince’s 1982 hit of a similar name (- 10 years) just might appropriately resound the same lackluster New Year’s celebration we have in store for us tonight in the wilds of Gnesta. Well, perhaps it’s more fair to say the partying of 2009 will pale in comparison to the partying on the same eve a decade ago.
On the eve of the new millennium the husband and I managed to finagle an invite to an extremely well-located bash overlooking NY’s Times Square. 
Departing our Swedish friends on their way to Ulrika’s on E.60th (a svenska stuga version of Aquavit albeit now closed) carrying a wad of cash ready for the imminent crash of every ATM, computer and humanity as we knew it and feeling snug as a bug in the City (thanks Rudy,) we headed over to 7th Avenue.
We hadn’t counted on a barricaded radius around Times Square manned by NYC’s finest. The message: If you weren’t already in the Time’s Square area you weren’t getting in. Well. Kind of. Sort of. Not really.
At least not for innocent Swedes. OK, one real, not-so-innocent-Swede, one fake Swede and one genuine, bona fide New Yorker. But the tag-team, stereotype-laden, vaudeville routine starring Inga and Sven got us through. Our modus operandi was to approach the gate-keeper yammering inane things in Swedish like “So we just keep speaking Swedish as we approach the cop” and “I hope this works.”
I don’t know if it was my pathetic Swedish bikini team-sounding accent or because I look so genuinely Swedish (Eh, before anyone starts ranting about this…please see the picture above. That’s my genuine hair color. In louder words–I AM BEING FACETIOUS) but Inga got us through.
Faking a Swedish accent in English to dupe the boys in blue worked this time, but my general advice would be, “Do not try this at home.” On the other hand it got an American friend out of a speeding ticket in Arizona when he handed over his Stockholm library card telling the officer, “Dat’s a Sveedish driwing license.”
On a serious note, I am looking forward to our [quieter] evening in Gnesta. The host is a hunter and there are always choice cuts of Bambi or Bullwinkle served for dinner accompanied by a medley of Swedish drinking songs (snapsvisor) whet (sic) by a selection of taxed and untaxed snaps/aquavit.
A friendly remember to not drink and drive. Oh, and don’t forget tip your waitress.
Happy New Year, Gott Nytt År and see you in 2010.
Tags: 2010, aquavit, blatte, boston blatte, new year's eve, sweden, times square
What the …..??!!!!
Can anyone explain what the substance of this blog entry is?
1) That Gnesta isn’t NYC? Did anyone think/want/expect that? NYC isn’t exactly Gnesta either.
2) That BB celebrated millennium shift at Times Square? And? Is that really something to blog publically about? Who cares? So did another million people. Well, I guess it could be if you hade something interesting to say about it. But, no there is nothing at all really. Oh, in case you wonder, I celebrated it at Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Really impressive, right?! I need to start a blog!
3) Are there any remotely interesting/entertaining observations/views/thoughts about NYE, NYC, Gnesta, “innocent Swedes” (presumably uncool then), “genuine, bona fide New Yorker” (presumably supercool then) that could be of interest to anyone outside the (very) immediate family/friends group of BB? Perhaps not even them?!
4) If meaningless in substance, thought and expression any blog/writing could always be justified/redeemed/worthwhile by quality writing, wit and innovative treatment of the language. Not even close on that note here. Nothing really. Absolutely nothing!
I mean, please help me if I am missing something, but isn’t this type of blog really meaningless? Isn’t the whole idea of public blogging to share something, anything, worthwhile to the public domain?
If it isn’t, what is then the point? Therapeutic for the blogger herself? How about some meditation instead? At least it would spare the public domain from this type of pollution.
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Pfft, since when does blogging have to contain serious, thoughtful posts every time?
I rather enjoyed reading about the anecdote of their 1999/2000 new year and that they look forward to this (well, yesterday’s by now) new year celebration.
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@ Suntiger. Gotta agree. I can’t imagine blogging is ever supposed to consist of more than the whim of its author. Thanks and we did indeed have a lovely evening. The meat was fillet of moose and as always served in Gnesta it was like butter. So yummy. Disappointingly all the booze was taxed
@My dear Dr. Watson. As you took the time to numerate your questions, I’ll indulge a reply.
1.Not. Don’t think so. Indeed.
2.Reflection/taking stock/musing of a decade shift.Nothing.Yes.Dunno.Thought it was funny that faking our way through was kinda funny.Hope you had a great time. Dunno.Please do.
3. Maybe/hopefully/wrote about them/ditto/ (applied to kind of the general thought not specifically your list). Unclear why you presume “innocent Swedes” is supposed to be uncool and “bona fide New Yorker” is supposed to be very cool –insecurities/presumptions/imagination? Dunno, Suntiger liked it and I don’t know Suntiger.
4. OK
Since the rest isn’t numbered I’ll summarize with. Sorry you’re not a fan. Thanks for your comments.
BB
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“Reflection/taking stock/musing of a decade shift”?????????!!!!!!!!!!
Is is just me that is missing your insightful observations, analysis and/or commentary “of a decade of shift”???
Talk about disillusioned.
Read again and report back.
Oh, wait now, is it perhaps this passage that your contribution to the public mind’s enhanced understanding “of a decade of shift”?:
“Well, perhaps it’s more fair to say the partying of 2009 will pale in comparison to the partying on the same eve a decade ago.”
Profound!!!
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Finding out that faking Swedish accents in the US actually works is enough to keep me reading.
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@ Insights. The Swedish husband has also successfully faked an American accent here in Sweden and that worked too. Always worth a try.
BB
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