Fireworks

The other night I went to a baseball game with my lovely family. The game ended with a fireworks show over the field. (I'm guessing they were the leftover fireworks from the Fourth...) And while everyone watched the fireworks while ooh-ing and ahh-ing, I found myself reminded (again) of China.

In Durham

For those of you who don't know, China takes credit for inventing the firework (you know, to scare off demon dragons and whatnot) and therefore, China is full of fireworks. Probably the most memorable fireworks I experienced in China was during the 2011/12 Chinese New Year.

Me and Sherry gettin' crazy with sparklers

A Chinese family of four invited me to spend the week with them to help celebrate the coming year of the Dragon. On the eve of the new year, the four of us went out on their porch to watch Chocolate, the 18-year-old son of the family, set off his own fireworks show. To be honest, there wasn't much special about these fireworks - they were they same kind we set off on the Fourth of July in our cul-de-sacs and open fields. Except in China, they don't have cul-de-sacs or other large, open areas. No, they set off fireworks in 10-foot wide alleyways between people's houses and apartment buildings. And I'm not talking about those little firecrackers that never actually leave the ground - I'm talking about sky-high, gunshot-sounding, glitter-falling fireworks. In an alleyway. Between tall buildings. My first reaction was to panic - "Isn't something going to catch in fire?" "Did that ash just fall into that man's window?!?" "Shouldn't we be more concerned right now?!?" But once I realized that nobody else was worried and nothing was actually going wrong, I relaxed and enjoyed our personal firework extravaganza.

Chocolate - the only one brave enough to light off the fireworks

I'm not even entirely certain this is outside...

The other cool part of Chinese New Year fireworks was that EVERYONE was setting them off - every family, every temple, every community center - the fireworks were everywhere! You couldn't always see them (I mean, they were being set off between skyscrapers for goodness' sake), but you could certainly hear them. And they went on all night long. And all throughout the next day (I still can't understand why people set off fireworks in daylight - what's the point?). And also throughout the next night. It got to the point where I didn't even notice the pops, bangs and explosions anymore; they were just background noise. I've never experienced anything like it in America.

Temple fireworks

But Chinese New Year wasn't the only time I saw/heard fireworks in China. No, fireworks turned out to be a weekly - sometimes daily - occurrence for me. Why? Well, it turns out my apartment building is just across the road from a firework factory. Lucky me. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes this was really cool. Like, when I'd be cookin' up some dinner one evening, and I'd look out my kitchen window to a full-on firework show - and I didn't even have to leave my apartment. Or when I'd be lying in bed, reading a book, and I'd hear the first pops and cracks of a firework symphony - all I had to do was open my curtain and I could enjoy the entire concert.

You rock, free firework shows!

But more often than not, that dang firework factory was a serious nuisance. Sometimes after a long week, maybe one of those weeks where I'd had to go into campus a few extra days, I'd be looking forward to sleeping the morning (and sometimes afternoon) away on Saturday. Friday night would roll around and I'd make full preparations - set my a/c to the perfect temperature, turn of all alarms, close all curtains and shades - ideal settings for a good sleep-in session. And then 8 o'clock Saturday morning would arrive, and some jerk at that stupid firework factory would decide, "Hey, we've got some leftover fireworks to test - this is the perfect time to do it, right guys?!?" "Yeah, who doesn't love Saturday morning fireworks?"

Newsflash: Nobody. Nobody loves fireworks on SATURDAY FREAKING MORNING.

Who does that?!?

Those jerks at that darn firework factory did. And I will forever resent them for it. Because do you know what I thought of at the baseball game with my family as we were watching fireworks? Not my amazing Chinese New Year experience; not the fireworks I once saw over West Lake with Rachel; and not the fun, impromptu firework shows I saw from my apartment window. No, I thought of the fireworks that went off between 7 and 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and all the interrupted sleeps they caused.

A pretty accurate representation of how I looked on those Saturday mornings...

Darn you, firework factory on Yuhangtang road. And darn your early morning, weekend firework explosions. But I guess I should also thank you - thank you for giving me something I won't miss about my time in China.

Can I go back to Asia now?

For those of you who don't know, I've been back in the States for 5 days now.

Five days and I already miss the Middle Kingdom...

Don't get me wrong, I love being home. I love hanging out with my parents and sister; I love eating my mom's delicious home-cooked meals; I love snuggling with my adorable fat cat, Roxy; I love being able to finally see my two best friends in person. Being home is a great feeling.

But I miss China too.

Why wouldn't I miss all this?!?

So what brought this on? Well, today I stopped by a little nail salon for a simple manicure. The woman who did my nails was a middle-aged Vietnamese lady who, at first, had no time for talking. During the first 20 minutes of my manicure, we probably spoke about 10 words to each other total. I figured she wasn't feeling very social - no problem.

But then, somehow, it came up that I had just moved back to America from China, where I had spent the last two years. You would not believe how bright and animated my manicurist became - we talked nonstop for the rest of my manicure! She asked me all about my life in China; we compared Vietnamese and Chinese culture; she questioned why I didn't have a Chinese boyfriend after two years... the topics went on. I couldn't believe this was the same woman from 20 minutes prior. It was so much fun talking to her; her personality became so warm and inviting, which reminded me of some of my favorite Chinese people.

By the end of my manicure, I had received an invitation to travel to Vietnam with my manicurist in the winter (during the Chinese New Year, of course!) where I could "go to the beach every day, eat delicious and fresh food, and even meet a rich, Vietnamese husband!" I am not even joking people.

And even though there's a slim chance I'll be taking up her offer, the warmth and sincerity of her invitation really struck a chord in me. As I walked out of the nail salon, I found myself wondering "how soon 'til I can go back to Asia...?" And I can't believe I'm already thinking that.

However, I don't have any immediate plans to return to the Far East (as much as I think I might want to). Instead, I am currently enjoying my time with family and friends, and, starting next week, I'll be searching the East coast for jobs like a fat kid searches the cabinet for chocolate. And, although I'm back in the States, there is still so so so much I did not get the chance to write about on this blog that I have made it one of my personal summer projects to update this puppy with more and more of my crazy China stories. (Seriously, I have a huge list of topics/stories just waiting to be written. Get ready.)

Because I know you all want to know about this beauty...

Until then, I hope all of you are enjoying your summers and, more importantly, enjoying the people you're with; they're the best part of summertime anyway.

ZaiJian!