Health Hazard

Near the barbecue shop, every morning, a man lays out a couple of long tables with fireworks in all shapes and sizes. The first couple of days that I walked past, he hawked his wares with a cigarette hanging out the corner of his mouth.

Now, I'm no pyrotechnical expert, but I would hazard a guess that if he was unlucky enough to drop that cigarette, it might sting a bit. I thought the scene was hilarious - a damning snapshot of China's concern for Health & Safety - even as I crossed the street, warily searching for the first signs of ignition. However, the last couple of days, and before I got a chance to take a picture, he stopped smoking.

They always say smoking will kill you, but in this case smoking might have also taken out a few thousand RMB worth of explosive merchandise, the block of flats behind, and probably a couple of dozen innocent bystanders. Still, I regret not taking a picture while I had the chance.