Yesterday was National Day, a celebration of China and all things Communist, including the takeover of HK. It is celebrated with an influx of mainland tourists looking to spend their hard earned yuan. After working for the afternoon I got on the bus back to Disneyland and was amazed as we swept along without any traffic to impede us. No hair raising cutting across lanes crowded with trucks. No last minute swerves to get into the right lane. It was almost pleasant.

Once JC and PB were bathed and in bed we headed over to a fellow inmates' flat with a great view of the fireworks. Yes they are French and yes they are lovely people. That might stun some, but I certainly couldn't see the pitchfork, horns and cloven hoofs. The fireworks were OK but not a patch on the New Year's Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour.

While on fireworks, it turns out China is getting ready to send men into space in the next couple of weeks, only thirty years after everyone else stopped. Their inspiration comes from way back. From the unlinkable (and mostly unreadable) South China Morning Post:

Ming dynasty inventor Wan Hu was not afraid of being a pioneer. The scholar-carpenter turned engineer dreamed of flying into space at a time when most of mankind were still learning how to build horse-drawn carriages.

Wan strapped 47 large gun-powder rockets to his chair and, holding a large kite in each hand, launched himself skyward in the middle of the 14th Century. He disappeared from sight, and was never seen again.

Sometimes being first doesn't pay off. He probably blasted himself into the middle of another century.

Finally I walked past Pret a Manger today, and while spitting towards their general direction I noticed the window still displays the word "Sushi" as part of their offerings. It took all my self-restraint to not throw my squash racquet through the window.