November 5

Remember remember the 5th of November. Today is Guy Fawkes Day. The name sounded familiar until I heard the story. Guy upset about the government decides it would be a good idea to blow up the Parliment Building. Celebrated as a symbol of power of the people over the government. If one needs a movie reference "V for Vendetta"

For New Zealand I guess it is celebrated as their "Independence Day" over British rule... *cough even if the Queen of England is still considered top dog cough*

BUT just like the USA's 4th of July fireworks and explosives are obviously the best way to celebrate. In New Zealand fireworks are only sold for a few days legally throughout the year, so people tend to go a little nutty buying hundreds of dollars of explosives just because. Of course fireworks in New Zealand are the same as the US; projectile explosive comes out one end and everyone goes oooo and ahhh. HOWEVER!!!! Apparently in New Zealand its okay for people to hold the fireworks as they blow up. Now I've never LIT a firework nonetheless hold one as it goes off. I have a hard enough time trying to use a lighter as my hands were built for playing video games rather then starting fires. But instead tonight they were holding onto "Auckland Blasts", "Solar Flares", and the "grunty" firework aptly named "Gollum's Revenge" We all would light them and take turns shooting at the man made of straw and twigs and someones old clothes with a name tag on "Guy Fawkes"

Also as an added bonus to something I would never do at home made "Maori Bottle Bombs" Basically you cannot buy anything like a M80 or anything louder or explosive then a fire cracker. But with some Kiwi ingenuity and creativity you can make 3 fire crackers and a coke bottle become something similar to a C4 armor piercing landmine. My ears are still ringing and I smell like I just got off the set of the movie Backdraft