Well Susie and I have just returned from our first experience of Divali. We spent the evening in Southall, otherwise known as Little India. It was quite incredible. As soon as we stepped out of the A Rocha centre the noise was amazing. Firework explosions coming from all around. We walked through the (crazy and ridiculous) traffic, which was almost at gridlock due to people filling a yellow box, down to the railway bridge, which is one of the highest points in Southall. From there we looked out and saw fireworks all over the horizon, literally. Tens of mini firework-displays all over the place, peppering the horizon with colours. The noise was something else. After we'd stood there for a good half hour we decided we needed a pint, so we went to the pub opposite the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara (the largest outside India). Outside the Gurdwara there were countless little candles - and some of them had properly caught fire. There was melted wax everywhere, and a small bonfire. And then some crazy man brought out a bucket to douse the flames. For those of you who don't know, water and oil fires do not mix. There was a minor explosion as he threw water on the flames. And then he did it TWICE MORE!! I couldn't believe it. Anyway, we left... ..only to find some lads lighting fireworks in a car park, and holding lit roman candles, spurting flames everywhere. People were putting fireworks down on the street and lighting them. We saw one fall over just before it went off, and the firework almost went under a nearby car before exploding. It was crazy. Apparently it used to be worse, but the police are cracking down. It was certainly quite an experience, to say the least. I've never seen (or heard) so many fireworks all at once, all in the same place. Quite spectacular. And terrifying. Some fireworks exploded about ten metres in front of us at one point - they had gone off in someone's garden, at an angle, and exploded in the middle of the street. At head height. We survived I'm glad to say, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even if some of it was almost unbelievable. (Especially the guy throwing water on an oil fire.) -bcg-