Happy Halloween!

October 31st, 2008. Halloween night. 

Not since early high school did I had this much fun on Halloween night. It was amazing. The atmosphere, the jollyness, the smoke, the candy, the lights. It all came back to me, on this very night when I went trick-or-treating (yes, I did) and walked around a lively neighborhood with three of my good friends acting as if we were twelve again. 

And it was extra special because it was the first time I actually dressed up in what can be called a complete costume. In fact, I had not intend to dress up until about 5 minutes before leaving the house to meet with friends tonight. It took some convincing on their part, but I'm glad I listened. 

When I was a child, Halloween was a very liberating experience. It was the only night when surely everywhere, kids ruled the night streets. There is no other night when we were freed to roam around the night among just kids and not adults, and free to go wherever we wished, and stayed out almost as late as we reasonably could. Yes there were rules, but the night was also for inching as closed to breaking them as possible. Fireworks and firecrackers lit up the sky with smoke everywhere. We screamed, we ran. Yes we woke up the neighbours. That was the point. They shouldn't have been sleeping so early anyway. 

High on candy, we would explore our neighbourhood with friends to as many dark places as we could venture to. Everybody was part of a posse, and we swaggled down the middle of the streets like a bunch of gangsters not afraid of anything. And wherever we went, people would give us candies. Try thinking of another night that is as wild as this for a bunch of kids. 

And then somehow, over time, Halloween died. 

Over the last ten years, our streets have became much more quiet. Kids don't go out trick-or-treating that much anymore, and definitely not as late for those who do. If they go, parents have to supervise them for safety concerns. For simplicity's sake, most houses would choose to "opt out" of the Halloween party by turning off their lights and never even giving out a single candy. The nights no longer belonged to all the kids, but it seemed only to those who would truly walk around looking for trouble, damaging properties and causing crime, and giving Halloween a bad rep that took the fun away from the rest of us. 

Drive around Vancouver tonight and you won't find too many neighborhoods that are as lively as they were ten years ago. Richmond, especially, has almost no atmosphere left. You could hardly tell that it was October 31st here. Nono, it's just another night in this city. Just another night when kids drive around, NOT in costumes, and go about their marry ways to tea shops or KTV places. 

Show me the candy. 

But tonight we seemed to have discovered a hidden jewel, and I dare speculate one of the last remaining lively neighbourhoods in Vancouver on Halloween night. We went to an area around Dunbar and 49th Ave, away from the busier parts of the city, and buoyed by one very spectacularly decroated "Ghost House" that succesfully attracted kids (and young adults) from everywhere in the city. Pulling into the sub-division, it was like entering the Richmond Night Market. Roads were congested, and cars were everywhere. But with these cars came flocks of creatively dressed kids and young people, all excited about the night to come and most once again high on sugar (and whatever else). Kids roam the streets again, and although most of them accompanied by parents, well it was a much lighter atmosphere there tonight. People were jolly again, people were lose, people were having fun. Fireworks in the distance created the perfect smoky background for a mysterious night, and laughter and night lights filled the air with energy. I felt a kid again. I joked, I stomped, I waggled my way down the middle of the streets. 

And it helped that I think I had one of the more popular costumes of the night. I was Waldo, from the popular "Where's Waldo" children's picture book. 

It all started with a joke. I had recently brought a nice Abecrombe and Fitch golf-tee with red and white stripes and when I first wore it in front of my friends, it elicited the consistent response "wow you look like Waldo!". I didn't mind, for I loved that T-shirt, and Waldo isn't so bad. Gradually, it became an idea that I should be Waldo for Halloween. However, I have never truly dressed up, and the thought of looking silly didn't quite appealed to me. I was going to just put it to rest and forget about it. 

Then Wen Wen and Lawrence persisted in convincing me to do it. So I thought, while i'm still young, might as well see what it's like to dress up. 

Luckily, when I looked up Waldo on the internet to check on his detailed appearance, I realized I had a lot of the stuff to pull it off. The critical factor was the red and white tuque. Luckily, digging through my closet I found the perfect piece, and old Canada tuque that I once had long ago. I got my diving goggles, my binoculars, my camera, my backpack with a sleeping mat, and even a walking stick. I was set. 

It was awesome. As I walked down the street with my 5-minute costume, I earned remarks from everyone I saw. "Hey I found Waldo!". "Hey Waldo!". People were taking pictures of me. Japanese tourists were pointing at me. Girls waved, and guys laughed. I have never felt more popular in my life, and all I had to do was get into a ridiculous costume with various contrasting gadgets hanging around my neck. 

Tonight, I'm sure pictures of me will surface all over the internet and facebook. It was really quite fun, all the attention. 

I told them that next year I might dress up again. This could become addicting. 

I hope Halloween will always be this fun. This is the way it should be. This tradition should never die, no matter how old we are, or how old our world is.