I got back to my apartment around 7 pm, and the noise was unbelievable.

People were lighting fireworks from every direction.  At 11:30 pm I had to venture outside to see what midnight would bring, because everyone told me that midnight to 1 am would be the loudest and brightest…

They were not kidding.  No matter what direction I faced the cloudy sky was flashing with color - red, of course, was quite dominant this evening!  And in front of every doorstep, including my own, which is down a narrow lane about 20-25 feet in width, were piles and piles of cardboard and ash - debris from used fireworks.  Midnight to about 12:20 was simply out of control.  On the larger streets, at nearly every intersection, both on the sidewalks and sometimes in the middle of the street, guys were setting off cannons and huge boxes filled with fireworks - not just firecrackers.  We are talking huge, high, multicolored fireworks that lay people were setting off all throughout

the city.   I have never seen cars (mostly taxis) drive within feet of

live firework cannons…   It was complete and utter sensory overload.

And all I could think about was how this had to be one of the most unsafe things I had every experienced in my life!