Wo Shi Laowai – Wo Pa Shui

The Chinese love their fireworks. Actually, they love anything that makes noise, and that includes fireworks. They’ve been in love with the damned things ever since the Arabs showed them how to make ’em.

There’s been a lot of fireworks around here lately, and I’ve only just figured out why that is. It seems that the Chinese have begun moving out of the Stone Age and have recently begun to understand what a festival really is, and in this case they’ve accidentally stumbled upon one of the more civilised festivals. And folks, let us be honest: this is by far the most important festival ever celebrated in China, certainly more important than any of those other, primitive, how-many-times-does-the-moon-fly-around-Peking ‘festivals’ that they usually blather on about.

Today, February 20th, is International Pipe Smoking Day. So pack your pipe with your favourite weed, and light one for civilised folk everywhere.

Oh, and next time you can forget about the fireworks.