New Year countdown to be a tame affair

PETALING JAYA: It is a party few are willing to miss, yet the countdown to the New Year tomorrow night is likely to be a muted affair.

Pubs, traditionally the place for the year-end revelry, are still closed, so for those who want a night out with the boys (or girls, whichever applies), it is a choice between restaurants and resto-pubs.

But many will likely mark the occasion at home with family members and close friends.

For Eashwar Dhanesh, going out to the bar or pub to usher in a new year has been a tradition and he is determined not to miss the last party of the year tomorrow.

“This is the only reason why my friends and I head out to gather,” he told theSun.

“To a certain extent, you can call it a tradition. But we all know that it is just an excuse to get together to enjoy a drink or two,” he said. “Unlike the regular Friday night out, this is special.”

As Eashwar noted, resto-pubs and restaurants that remain open will subject their customers to strict standard operating procedures (SOP) to avoid a run-in with the law.

For this reason, he expects many people to stay home.

“You can have your friends visit you or meet over Zoom so you can still be ‘together’,” he pointed out.

Another regular pub-goer, Taufik Sri, expects most drinkers to still be plagued with fear of being infected with Covid-19 and would rather celebrate at home.

“The daily increase in the number of new cases is not getting any lower, and those who go out will have to strictly observe the SOP,” he pointed out.

This, he said, would discourage people from meeting anyone, “and that is a good way to reduce the possibility of an upsurge in the number of new cases”.

For this reason, Sri has decided to break with tradition and spend the night at home with his loved ones.

“Celebrating New Year’s Eve or any other festival will not be the same again unless we really bring the pandemic under control,” he said.

Another person who has opted to break with tradition and not party at the pub is Kendrick James.

“We’ve always got together for the Mother of All Parties. It was something we all look forward to,” he told theSun.

“Everyone – from all races and religions – would get together at this time of the year to send off the old year and welcome a brand new one, but with the virus still at large, I would rather sit this one out,” he said.

James agreed that a long tradition has been put on hold, no thanks to the virus.

“But I wouldn’t say that it has been ‘erased’ altogether,” he said.

“We still have the alternative of a gathering at home but I would say things have not been the same since the start of the pandemic,” he added.

James said he is likely to have a few close friends join him to usher in 2021.

At the same time, he will have a video call with his girlfriend as she will be away.

“I do not plan to head out to my regular pub for a drink. Much as I would like to have the feel of sitting at my usual spot with a drink in one hand, I also have to ensure that those who live with me remain safe. I do not want to pick up the virus and pass it on to them, and contribute to the already rising number of cases,” he added.

Source: TheSunDaily