Maybe i’ve just been lucky, but i feel like i’ve seen a lot of pyrotechnics here. The pictures above are from last night, taken from our balcony. In the foreground is the Pensionate Mère du Dieu. The tall building behind it is the Four Seasons Hotel. There was a full-on fireworks display a few weeks ago, as well. I heard a rumor that it had something to do with football. Today, i heard that last night’s display had something to do with the Opera. The location would be appropriate for the latter.

In August, just as all the AUC students were coming back from vacation, there was a huge concert on the Greek Campus, complete with a rather dramatic pyrotechnic show during one of the sets.

During Ramadan and the following Eid Al-Fitr, fireworks (or firearms, for all i know) were let off at various points through the night, every night, especially at the beginning of Ramadan and during the Eid. I’m given to understand that the official announcement of the precise moment of sunset is given by cannon-fire during Ramadan, though i only heard the announcement through the loudspeakers of numerous mosques.

Anyway, if anyone has any insight into this apparent pyromania, do chime in. It makes me wonder if it’s not because the Egyptian military churns out a surplus of explosives experts who find that their skills are rewarded more handsomely in the entertainment industry than in the military.

 Update:  Rumor #2:  It was a wedding party.  Which leads me to ponder what sort of massacres would ensue if the US ever decided it wanted to occupy the River Nile.  Not that there would be any reason to doubt the murdering of innocents in such a scenario anyway, but, given the US miltary’s track record of misidentifying wedding parties as enemy fire, i can already imagine the excuses.