Aren't Random Fireworks Fun...

[imron]

...especially when they set fire to a box of vegetables outside on the balcony!

Luckily the friends I'm staying with are the kind that keep big buckets lying around the bathroom to catch and store grey water.

[roddy]

Luckily the friends I'm staying with are the kind that keep big buckets lying around the bathroom to catch and store grey water.

What kind of friend is that exactly? Survivalists who've been tipped off about a nuclear attack?

[adrianlondon]

This is common in Germany on New Year's Eve (Sylvester). You either have to take everything from your balcony inside, or be ready to put out fires.

[imron]

What kind of friend is that exactly

It's not uncommon for many Chinese households to save water like this.

[roddy]

Honestly don't think I've ever seen that - although I might just not have noticed. Makes sense, water costs.

[adrianlondon]

Beijing's fireworks. They look fun!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/jan/26/chinese-new-year-fireworks

[Xiwang]

Beautiful but more than a bit scary. I'm sure that any evil spirits hanging around last night won't be back for quite a while.

I was watching the fireworks launched from the front of my 25-story apartment building explode in the sky and fall--still burning--into the courtyard in the back of the building. I'm sure a lot of the burning stuff landed on the roof.

The Panda Fireworks stand down the street was selling a roll of 5,000 firecrackers for 160.88 Yuan (US$23.50). It was about the size of a small motorcycle tire. . . . Tempting.

[randall_flagg]

I don't think its just about saving money. I don't know about Beijing, but in other cities water supply tends to break down a lot. So a lot of Chinese folks I know conserve water in many different ways.

[AxelManbow]

And cause many sleep deprivation due to a building's thousand dripping taps filling pots with free water.

Me: "I can't sleep due to your tap dripping."

Old Lady "What's that got to do with me? Do you pay my water bill?"

[imron]

Makes sense, water costs.

It's not really about water costs, but more environmental cost. There are many people who see it as their obligation to help 节约用水. This is doubly so with the current drought. As a letter today to the Beijing News mentioned:

现在北京常住人口大约有1633万人，如果每人每天能够少用一斤水，那么一天就能节约1633万斤水。数字是相当可观的。

[roddy]

Better luck than these people - they had their apartment burnt out by a stray firecracker.

Sounds like Beijing is getting rid of its stock before the ban comes back into force at midnight . . .

[imron]

I stocked up especially for the occasion and will be letting my fireworks off shortly

[gougou]

I stocked up especially for the occasion and will be letting my fireworks off shortly

So it was you!

[imron]

(sh)