fireworks, again!

Because of the holiday I haven't had to get up before like... 9 for the past month. It's been rough I tell ya. So today I got up at 7, classes are back to normal. But. When I woke up there was this strange sound.

Silence.

Well okay. Once I paid attention I could hear traffic on the street but there was a definite lack of the cound of fireworks, which has been more or less constant for the last 3 weeks straight (not exaggerating, the week leading up to and the two full weeks of Spring Festival). Well, today is Lantern Festival, the last day of celebrations (and 'legally' setting off fireworks). It was nice this moment when I woke up and the relative quiet, but I really am going to miss the sights and sounds of the holiday season (which between American and Chinese holidays has been going on essentially since I arrived). Not so pleasant was when I was walking to my school and 6 feet away firecrackers were set off that I hadn't seen. So other than the headache, hurray for fireworks!

While laying in bed and watching Sex & the City, outside the sun was setting on a cloudy day in Dalian with big fat snowflakes falling from the sky. As if a timer went off, just after 5 o'clock the booms began. All over the city people started their last night of fun. It's now almost 8, and between making dinner and typing, I keep running back and forth to my window to watch the displays people are putting on. Pictures only minimally capture how awesome and closely surrounded by this stuff I am... but here I try with a few:


Taken laying down from my bed, looking out the window



Someone lighting a Roman candle leaning out of their window


Another one just peeking over the buildings, but some were really high up!!


Down in the 'courtyard'esque area between apartment buildings. Note the red ground and small child.