It began in Japan with a nasty flu spawned in an overflowing crowd at the countdown party. Right off the bat, 2003 had all the makings of a year that would never get off the ground.
The horizon was already darkened by war clouds, threats of terrorism, killer respiratory diseases, an unending recession. Each new exposure of the flu thinned the indoor party crowds a bit more and evoked mild concerns about SARS.
Spring brought rain showers instead of hope for a fresh start.