It was Chinese New Year last weekend and every night since then fireworks have been going off. I didn't get in on any of the action because I didn't see any fireworks for sale ever, but some friends and I had been talking about getting some and then this Saturday night it finally all came together because Tyler knew where the firework stands were and I found out that he and Sarah hadn't set any off before! As an enthusiastic pyromaniac, I couldn't just find out that information and not take any action, so Emily and I set off to purchase some fireworks.
So we got to the fireworks stand and began to inquire to the saleslady after the prices. She also recommended a few as we were picking up pretty much everything there and inspecting it. We had only been looking about a minute or two when a jolly, portly, slightly intoxicated, middle-aged man came up from somewhere within the store and began miming what each of the fireworks did as we picked them up. We would kind of nod and smile and at one point the clerk told him that we already knew what they were. I assumed that he was her husband or at least had some affiliation with the store and he eventually stopped miming and took out a cigarette and lit it (right over the table of fireworks) and then casually started flicking his lighter on and off. Although he was holding it a foot or two above the fireworks, I couldn't help but think it wasn't a great idea. He also would randomly burst into song, joining in with the music that was coming from somewhere in the back of the store.
For some reason I asked them what their favorite fireworks were and the store clerk said something like "they're all good" but this man picked up this massive snowman one and tried to make me buy it. He also wanted us to buy matches but we didn't need any, but then with a benign smile, he gave me his own lighter that he had been fiddling around with. Eventually Emily and I were satisfied with our selection and decided to make our purchase so we paid her and the clerk bagged them up for us and this man started grabbing handfuls of those butterfly fireworks and tried to put them in our bag telling us that they were a gift. The clerk however, kept taking them out of the bag and pulling it away from him saying that she had already given us a discount. At this point I still thought the man worked there and I thought to myself "ah, we can see who is the business minded one here." When the clerk turned around to get us our change, the man sidled up to me and discreetly handed me a giant stick of punk, which I took and discreetly put it into my bag. Please remember that I thought he worked at the store and wouldn't rest until he had given us something. The last part of that is probably true too: he was very persistent! Well, we turned to leave and he started offering me a ride home on his scooter which I declined and Emily and I had only walked a little ways before who should pull up on his motorcycle but that man! Again, asking if we'd like a ride, but this time throwing in in English "only one! Only one!" (since he apparently couldn't fit more than one of us on his scooter. I am fairly confident that in his state he should not have been driving at all, let alone with a passenger! Anyway, we declined again and he drove off somewhere and right about then it hit me that he probably did not work at that stand...so I guess I just kind of stole the punk...oops.
Anyway, the fireworks were super fun and the clerk's recommendations proved to be solid so we went back later that evening to get more to light off (that man was no where to be found, but I think the clerk's actual husband was). And for those of you who are wondering Roman candles get you the most bang for your buck.
