About 17 hours ago, near the tip of Mrs. Macquarie’s
Point, I was one of an estimated million revelers who lined the many harbors
and beaches of this fine city.  I can’t speak for every nook and
cranny, but as to the 25,000 or so folks where I stood, we ushered in
the New Year together with full and delighted voice.

This was a remarkably peaceful evening.  With a million people packed
bum-to-back in mid-90s stickiness for many hours of alcohol-assisted
revelry, as of midnight, police reported exactly seven arrests, all for
relatively minor infractions.  At the 9 pm family fireworks at Darling
Harbour (the word "family" here not having been hijacked into implying
a specific religion), Muslim headscarves intermingled with kids in
clubwear and retirees in shirtsleeves, and I couldn’t detect the
slightest trace of the sort of conflict which made news in one
community a few weeks ago.

Except for temperatures which have now pushed up to 41 degrees Celsius (about 106 Fahrenheit), the last 24 hours could not have been more pleasant.   (The rest of this week will be cooler.  Thank gods.)

There are many things to love here.  A flock of wild cockatoos in the Domain, for example, one of which wandered right up and started playing with me:

Or perhaps the spectacular Eclectus Parrots which flock to spilled food in the Blue Mountains the way pigeons do in Cleveland:

But most of all, I love Australia for the welcome it extends to visitors and immigrants.  The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, ushered in 2006 here by saying
the following: "My New Year’s wish is for Sydneysiders and Australians
to be diverse, tolerant, and compassionate."

These values are generally held in great esteem here, not as lip
service, but in the actual building of the society, and it shows almost
everywhere you look.  I am lucky enough to feel at home in many places
in this world.  But Sydney may be my very favorite city.  I am glad to
be spending a few more weeks here while finishing up the book.

I hope you feel as fortunate, happy, and at home, wherever you are.

Thank you for visiting, and I wish you an optimistic, exciting, and peaceful 2006.

UPDATE: Several emailers have correctly pointed out that the colorful bird pictured is not an eclectus parrot; it is a crimson rosella.  My apologies to the Avian-American community.