Only in China

Just as we finally drifted off to sleep, after listening to the grand finale of fireworks to celebrate Chinese New Year, Erik and I were startled by the sound of glass exploding. Not breaking. Exploding, in what was the scariest noise I've ever heard (Erik says the scarier sound was the one I made while freaking out). Assuming what it is natural to assume only on this night of the year, we jumped out of bed to see where an errant firework had broken through a window and begun to set fire to our apartment.

I ran into the living room, but the curtains there were drawn and undisturbed. I ran upstairs - nothing. Dining room - nothing. I ran back into our bedroom to check the office, but I knew that the sound had come from the other direction, so I turned around and looked in the bathroom.

And that's when I saw this:
I have to wonder if China is the only country in the world where your shower door spontaneously shatters at the stroke of midnight. I said, "Erik, it's the shower!" three times before he stopped responding with, "What?!"

So now, an hour and a half later, my body still feels like I was jolted to life by those metal paddles, and the periodic crackling of glass continues to sound from our bathroom. I shake my head in wonder.