Tonight the roads leading to the beaches along the coastline of Kota Kinabalu and beyond will be clogged with traffic.
Lots of people,with many families coming out in full force, will be wending their way to the beach for the annual ritual of dipping into the sea before the stroke of midnight.
There is only one road leading to Tg Aru, the beautiful beach in Kota Kinabalu and there will be many vehicles parked on both sides of the road. Most of the people will leave their cars and walk to the beach because there is nowhere to park. The road used to lead directly to the main beach but this has changed because there is now a cluster of small restaurants built at the end of the road,facing the beach and you have to pay to enter the carpark that now serves these eateries. Carpark space is also limited.
Another alternative is to go to the STAR Tg Aru Beach Hotel and party there. They don't have a beach but next to it is a smaller beach and this will also be crowded.
Further along the coast towards the airport is what we call the Second Beach also accessed by the road leading to Tg Aru but one turns left before reaching the main beach. This is a lovely spot, quiet and usually isolated but tonight it will have its fair share of night revellers.
Why do these people make a beeline for the beach every year on New Year's Eve?
I am told by the locals that they go into the sea to wash away the past year's bad luck and on the stroke of midnight, they will welcome in the New Year and hopefully a year of good luck and better things to come.Many will opt to sleep at the beach and return home only the following morning. If I remember correctly, this late night dip is known as "mandi safar" in local lingo.
Such a quaint belief and I wonder if there is any similar belief and practice elsewhere. I don't go to the beach myself on New Year's Eve mainly because of the throngs of people and there will be a lot of jostling. No thank you. I'd rather stay at home and watch t.v. and later watch the fireworks from my bedroom window.
Nothing like the creature comforts of one's home. Leave the partying and the hangovers to the young!
Here's wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2010! Cheers!
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