Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year was officially on February 7, but the celebrations started about 4 days before and only just stopped, 10 days later. The night of Chinese New Year's Eve, people set off fireworks in the street. I do not mean little firecrackers - I mean the really big, professional fireworks. From my hotel window in Shanghai, I could see about five different sets of fireworks being set off all over the city. Cab drivers stopped in the middle of the street and got out to watch.

The next morning, people set off more fireworks. And then again that night, there were more. The morning after that, there were still more fireworks. Don't ask me why - you can't even see fireworks during the day!

Now, 2 weeks after Chinese New Year, I am awoken every morning to the sound of fireworks. I feel like I am living in a warzone. Everybody has been assuring me for the past week, "They will stop tomorrow."

The other night, Steve and I walked around downtown after dinner. The streets were crowded with people just stolling around and buying street food. We covered our noses as we walked past the Chou Doufu (Stinky Tofu stand) - seriously, the worst smell in the whole world. A lot of people wore lit-up devil horns on their heads. I don't think they were meant to symbolize the devil, but I have no idea what they were meant to symbolize. My roommate said that people like to buy them because they are festive. When we finally got back to the school, people were setting off fireworks right in front of the entrance to the school. As we stood, about to walk through the gates, the fireworks exploded just above us.