NEW YEAR'S IN SEATTLE, AND EVERYONE   APPEARS TO BE SLEEPLESS!

Skyline of Seattle at night, picture taken from ferry!

So it appears in the city which everyone likes to associate the term "sleepless", such a phrase could not have been more true for the city last night. When midnight hit a flash, literally a giant strobe like light lit up the sky, as the dramatic countdown from the number 5, though myself and two friends tried to rush 2-3 blocks in under 8 minutes we did not make it and settled for standing behind some buildings that none the less gave us a decent enough peak at the Space Needle, as it appeared to almost "collapse from the fireworks coming from the top of the Needle to the pillars that held it up as well as it's base. It was a typical Seattle night, smog was ever present and began to settle quickly as midnight approached so when it was show time you could barely make out the top of the Needle, or anything else for that matter, flashes of light is all that could be seen, a very colorful display of reds, green, purple, gold, silver and more. One of my friend's casually made a joke that if the building was falling right now no one would notice or care at this point In time. Sadly he probably would have been right. I could not take any photos of the display due to me not realizing how fast smartphones die, especially mine! So I did was even the most avid photographers occasionally do, I just soaked up the moment and made myself aware of what was going on around me.  noticed the silhouette of a woman standing on her apartment balcony on the edge of the building, looking on in what appeared to be awe, a beautiful moment to see as the lights gave a more dramatic effect to her dark figure. A confused dog barked loudly at the noise, very frightened, his owner explained that he was a rescue dog, so was startled easily, a man with the owner scooped this great big dog up like a baby, I was impressed by his strength! In the middle of the street a black man with dreads got down on one knee in the midst of the fireworks and proposed to a white woman with curly blonde hair, I was clued into this when I heard a man suddenly shout "SAY YES!", I realized oh someone must be doing one of those old New Year's proposals. I watched as the woman shook her head vigorously, arms clasped together tightly. Even from my distance I could see that she had tears in her eyes, but tears of being overjoyed none the less. The two held onto to each other for at least 10 minutes, and stayed in the spot where the man had proposed long after the show had ended.

Me on the ferry!

Before this part of the night had occurred my one mission was to see this display, my friends and I had picked out a perfect spot that was a miniature park with plenty of cozy benches and a "Gotham city" like feel to the neighborhood, gothic style arch entryways old clocks and old shops were located all around the area. I passed by a shop that looked like it specialized in pin up 50-60's ladies fashion, I wanted to go in very much, but I was accompanied by two man that I could not obligate to make wait while I browsed. So maybe next time. Seattle is filled with shops, an abundance of charming bars or pubs, and plenty of food. Of course in each restaurants window there appears to be Christmas decorations along with Seattle Seahawk memorabilia, being that the city is Seattle it makes sense. Seattle is a diverse city it was every more apparent on New Year's eve that it was so due to many foreigners being in the city as well as diverse locals. After the midnight celebration my friends and I stopped into a bar where they used green beer bottles as chandleliers. I ran into a large group of friends sitting at a large table next time mine, we all greeted each other happy new year, and I laughed as I watched some of them dance, wishing I could be inbetween a few of the pretty ladies present at the bar. One I spoke to and was given a phone number, though she didn't strike me as being gay, haha not one bit, but it is always nice to network and who knows maybe it may eventually lead somewhere, but you don't go looking for things like that apparently. After being kicked out of the bar due to closing time at 0230, me and my friends were out on the streets and had not made it too far down the street when my two very drunk friends had a need to satisfy a sudden craving for food. A hotdog stand is where we stood in a very long line, with a bunch of very drunk people, it was a very long wait but worth it for my friends due to one of the guys in line buying hotdogs for everyone remaining in line after 20 plus minutes. That night I had been called beautiful more times then I have in a very long time, probably since my last relationship, at one point during the night I heard a man shout "You are the most beautiful woman in the world!" I'd like to think he was talking to me, because he made eye contact but i'm not sure because he had a girl with him, my friends said she wasn't ugly but not pretty either, none the less it's ok to dream.  All sorts of awkward questions about my sexuality were asked as the inquisition that I usually get commenced. Some were legitimate questions, one I believe a man was asking because he did not know the answer for himself even in a hetero relationship. He asked me what do you feel when you see a woman? I had no idea how to answer that question, It was such a tough question so I gave a generic answer, but one that I think is accurate, and something everyone at one point in their life thought about and wanted and that is love....I am not sure what kind of answer this man was looking for but to most people it doesn't dawn upon them that love IS universal, no two cases are the same or alike, I believe love is truly blind whether you are an interracial couple, age contrasted couple, gay or hetero couple, it is all the same formula in the end, people's needs and wants may very but I think everyone needs to feel loved, whatever definition that may be. A very interesting question to ask a single lesbian on a night like that hahaha. I hope everyone reading this had a happy new year's! I will be visiting the city more often and go into depth about specific places. This city seems very couple catered, there is the giant Seattle Ferris wheel, which lights up a neon blue and purple onto the water at night, countless restaurants, mainly in the moderate price ranger (at least $20-$30 per person) just a bowl of mac and cheese for me was $14.95, and my lemonade $3.95! I wish I liked water better....but I don't....when you get off of the ferry, if arriving in Seattle that way, there s a fence as your walking towards the streets in the city, that is similar or trying to be similar to the lourve in Paris, where there are locks tied to the fence symbolizing what I assume to be done to show someone you love them. So cute! Lots of theatrical productions, such as off and on broadway shows,  indie plays, and much more! Something particularly notable to me walking through Seattle was this allyway that had random art plastered to it's walls, it appears as though people can just come up to the wall and stick whatever art they please, there was an art piece depicting a woman in several sexual positions to include the obvious F*** in it. My favorite was of a nun with blue eyes but a pearl colored circle that reminded me of a kumkum (the dot that appears an Indian woman's forehead). Walking a few paces forward the walls are covered in gum, in every color you can imagine! As I speak, additional pieces are being added, some spelling words, names and not so clean words of course. A simple start as being a bother to a local theater, but was deemed a tourist attracting in 1999, so workers stopped trying to scrape the gum. Also known as one of the germiest tourist attractions, ranking with the Blarney stone In Ireland. I had an interesting New Year's eve and day, this city is full of art and history, I cannot wait to

 

discover more!

View from Space Needle! That's the ferry we rode into Seattle from where I live!

 

Gum wall near Pike Place Market. Photo credited to Victor Grigas of Wikipedia.