Lamana lights up the skies

By JUNIOR UKAHA
AT least one part of the country welcomed and celebrated the New Year in style.
Residents, partygoers, security guards and families within Port Moresby converged at The Lamana Gold Club to witness the party of the year and the never-to-be-missed fireworks.
The countdown started 10 seconds before midnight on Saturday. “Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one … and … a Happy New Year” was the chorus that came from the crowd as if they had been practising it for some time before reciting it together moments before the fireworks lit up the night sky.
First came the “boom”, then flashes of coloured lights with a big-bang lighting the area for about three seconds before a canon of bangs and lights amazed the crowd.
People cheered as car owners hit their horns non-stop to noisily but happily welcome in 2012.
The fireworks continued lighting the sky for about 15 minutes before it temporarily stopped, only to resume to the delight of the spectators.
Joe Nawa, from Ialibu, Southern Highlands, who was at the club, said: “This is the best thing that ever happened. This is it.”
The Potane and Ipatas family, who had gathered at the hotel to see the fireworks, said it was “fascinating” and they would be there next year to capture it all again.
They said they had to travel from Enga just to get a glimpse of the fireworks.
Prominent among the group were children who accompanied their parents and guardians to see the fireworks.
Asked whether they felt sleepy, one said: “Nogat, bai mi lukim pastaim na go silip (I will see the fireworks before going to sleep).”
And, true to their word, they stayed until it was all over. From where The National was, the children’s voices were louder than the adults or the DJ’s music.
Most other clubs in the city had a good turnout as people young and old gathered for that “dance of the year”.