So January has passed before my eyes. It's now Chinese New Year. I have fully experienced the wild shenanigans that occur once a year. Gratefully, I remain unharmed. The chaos is almost unexplainable. Basically what happens is there is a specific area along the waterfront for people to come shoot off fireworks. Men, women, and children participate in this long tradition of filling their pyromanic tendencies. I have to point out that there are fires lit daily in Buddhist worship, yet this is much more extreme.
While walking toward the festivities, I felt like I was in a war zone. It seemed like we were under fire from all sides. I never thought I would see what lies ahead. You have to pass the stalls of vendors selling the fireworks first. Once you have made your purchase, the good times begin. The fireworks are set off in a gated barrier in the sand. Still there is no reassurance that anyone is safe. At any time fireworks shoot in unexpected directions, which makes for a constant alertness at all times. It really seemed to wrong and so right. My method of firing was to set on off and quickly flee the scene.
Technically people do this all week. They spend tons of money lighting things on fire. This is just another great thing about this country. There are loose rules and surprisingly few consequences. More photos to come...
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