If you’re one of those brave or crazy folks planning on ringing in 2009 in New York City’s Times Square, this post’s for you.

One million people are expected to crowd into the world’s brightest crossroads to await the dropping of the Waterford crystal ball, a tradition that’s more than a century old.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re one of them:

-Revelers begin gathering by early afternoon. The ball is raised to the top of the flagpole at 6 PM. You should definitely be in place by then if you expect to get even a long view of the ball. You may want to stop by the Times Square Information Center before staking out your space so you can fill out a wish for the new year. Your wish will be added to the one ton of confetti that will rain down upon the crowd at the midnight hour.

-There are no port-a-potties or public restroom facilities available within the cordoned viewing area, so go light on liquids before arriving and while waiting.

-Leave the alcohol at home or in your hotel room. It’s not allowed.

-Leave bags and backpacks at home, too. They’re not allowed either, and police manning the entry checkpoints will turn you back if you arrive with a bag or pack.

-If you’re planning on arriving by car, check out this list of street closures.

-Eat up! There are no food vendors inside the cordoned area, so unless you plan to charm your way into a seat at one of these restaurants with a view, you better make sure you eat early.

-Be patient! With a million people circulating in a relatively small space, the vast majority of them surging towards the subway once the ball drops, patience will be necessary if you plan on ringing in 2009 on a positive not.

Online Resources:

City of New York’s website.

Times Square Alliance’s website.

Other Resources:

If you have any questions at all about New York City or the New Year’s event, call the city’s all-purpose information line, 311.

Photo: HGruber (Flickr creative commons)

David Miller – Senior Editor

David Miller with daughter Layla. Morning after her first camping trip. Elwha River, Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

1) What was your favorite article on Matador in 2008?

There were so many good blogs and articles written this year, but one in particular, Teresa Ponikvar’s What’s up with Pachuca just hit all the right notes. “How can a town without a living river be a living town?” she asks. This piece speaks for the growing number of us who seem to be perpetually searching for and in love with place.

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Literary agent Nathan Bransford recently held a contest on his blog, seeking the best first paragraph he could find.

He’s just announced the winner — and, along with the announcement, he’s offered some feedback on what makes a good first paragraph, and what makes a bad one.

The advice is aimed at fiction writers, but (as is so often the case with writing advice!) it’s equally applicable to narrative nonfiction, including travel writing.

Here are Bransford’s three first-paragraph patterns to avoid:

1) Surprising sentence.

Well, not the surprising sentence per se, but rather the surprising sentence is made more complicated by the fact that it is followed, in fits and starts, by conversational prose that, in its casualness, contrasts with the shocking statement and sets a breezy tone despite the shocking statement. That is, until the reversal.

2) Small, finely rendered observation.

This is followed by the particular shape of the moon or the wisps of grass and the particular temperature that still night or perfect sunset that lulls us into a sense of place and setting. And then we linger in that scene still longer to see one more even more finely rendered detail, and still another, leading us to the very thing the author seeks. That is, until the shocking statement.

3) The tough protagonist shudders against whatever bad weather they are enduring.

They check their timepiece, or weapon, and go back to the task at hand. Pithy comment. It’s not easy being the tough protagonist.

Sound familiar? Yeah, we’ve all been there.

Thanks to Nathan Bransford for the friendly reminder!

[Via The Book Bench]

Photo by mezone (Creative Commons)

Well, tough economic times may be upon us, but at least one large-scale employer is looking for fresh blood — and travel experience is a plus. Yup, the US Foreign Service is hiring!

According to this New York Times story, the State Department is seeking funding to fill 800 positions this year, almost 200 of which are brand new (rather than jobs opened by internal turn-over).

There are a lot of factors at play in the hiring of new diplomats-to-be, but travel experience is certainly in the mix.

From the story:

Felix Salazar, hired as a junior officer by the State Department in September, said that during the interview process he felt “a sense of urgency, that they were actively hiring and really valued my experience.” Mr. Salazar, who spent three years in the Peace Corps, leaves in February for his first posting, in South Africa.

For more on the foreign service, check out my post over at The Traveler’s Notebook, The Life of a Diplomat.

The NYT story also has some solid, practical information and useful State Department links, so be sure to give it a thorough read.

Good luck, and let us know if you wind up throwing your hat into the ring!

Photo by Sekimura (Creative Commons)

1. 50 Things to do Before You Die

# 27: Participate in Burning Man. Photo by John Curley.

From participating at Burning Man to seeing India by train, Matador’s bucket list of 2008 went both far and deep. In an editor’s forward to this piece I’d hinted at that common perspective where “sometimes it feels like we’re racing against time to experience something or somewhere before whatever it is that makes it special has been exhausted, used up, crowded out.”

Instead of choosing all obvious experiences (i.e. skydiving), author Josh Lew included long-term experiences, like learning a foreign language, or surfing.
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I hate to be a Debbie Downer on Christmas Day, but I woke up this morning thinking about people who can’t spend the holiday with their loved ones. I woke up thinking about wars.

War doesn’t take a holiday.

And both those fighting it and those directly affected by it are unable to enjoy the most important gift of all: peace.

If you’d like to let people affected by war know that you remember them today, here are three simple actions you can still take:

1. Send a soldier a song: Now through December 31, you can send a soldier a voucher for two free song downloads through a program sponsored by Billboard Magazine. Sending the voucher–along with holiday wishes–takes less than one minute of your time. Information about the program can be found here.

2. Put together a New Year’s care package: Make the holiday last longer with a New Year’s care package. You can see a list of commonly requested items and full instructions for sending military care packages here.

3. Remember victims and survivors of war: CIVIC (The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict) offers numerous ways for concerned citizens of any country to get involved in supporting their campaign for rights of victims of war. One thing you can do today is sign an electronic petition asking President-elect Obama to support important policies that will help victims of war if Afghanistan and Iraq.

Photo: Army.mil (Flickr creative commons)

You probably don’t need me to tell you that President Bush has less than a month left in office.

But it just feels so good to say it!

Before we all heave one big collective sigh of relief, let’s enjoy a few more laughs and groans as we review eight years’ worth of Bush’s finer–yet less remembered–moments as he exercised statesmanship at home and around the world.

1. Reflection on America’s enemies:

2. Trying to talk like the locals… and remember what meeting he’s attending:

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A US pre-trial hearing for a Canadian child soldier (sorry, make that child “enemy combatant”) who’s been held in Guantanamo for six years will go ahead after all — just one day before Barack Obama becomes President.

Omar Khadr is currently scheduled to appear in one of Guantanamo’s much-maligned military commissions on January 19 (Martin Luther King Day, for those keeping track), the day before Obama — who has pledged to close the prison camp at Gitmo — takes office.

Said Khadr’s Pentagon-assigned lawyer, Lt.-Cmdr. Bill Kuebler:

These people are so desperate to get the train moving in some form or fashion that they’re going to start this case on Martin Luther King Day and continue through the inauguration day…

It shows desperation and you can almost interpret it as a thumb in the eye of the incoming Obama camp.

Khadr was just 15 years old when he was captured after a firefight in Afghanistan, and has been imprisoned ever since, waiting to face charges of “war crimes” and “murder”, based on allegations that he threw a hand grenade (in said firefight) that killed a US soldier.

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Today marks exactly 30 days until the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

I’ll be in DC for the big event, as will other Matador members, including Audrey Scott, who will be carrying the flag as a representative of the Peace Corps contingent participating in the inauguration parade.

Will you be there?

If so, inauguration week is sure to challenge even the most seasoned D.C. travelers among us. With announced and unannounced street closures, insanely crowded Metro stations, and bars open 24 hours (?!), navigating the nation’s capital will be an event in and of itself.

Preparing for the transportation and safety procedures that have already been announced will help you enjoy the inauguration more.

National Geographic Traveler’s online edition has put together an excellent inauguration guide, blending practical information with photos, maps, and recommendations for food, activities, and even WiFi hotspots throughout the city. It’s an invaluable resource for any traveler headed to D.C. next month!

Photo: John and Keturah (Flickr creative commons)

The BBC reports the latest ravings from Zimbabwe’s resident lunatic megalomaniac:

I will never, never, never surrender. Zimbabwe is mine, I am a Zimbabwean. Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans… I won’t be intimidated. Even if I am threatened with beheading, I believe this and nothing will ever move me from it: Zimbabwe belongs to us, not the British.

Mugabe also said that the international condemnation of his handling (er, non-handling) of Zimbabwe’s ongoing cholera epidemic was “a pack of lies”, and that an African Union military intervention in his country would be “an unnecessary war started in a foolish manner because of foolish persuasion coming from foolish sources.”

It’s times like these that a dictator like Mugabe begins to look almost comical — except for the very serious consequences of his rule.

Who was that wise man who once said something about the banality of evil?

Photo by www.steveconover.info (Creative Commons)