water puppetry and sky lanterns

on a small pond in a village outside of hanoi, we got to witness a water puppetry performance...an art form unique to northern vietnam.the ensemble of music and voicesthe show was full of special effects! fire and smoke came from the dragon serpent's mouth....it was very dramatic!some kids who had come to see the showi was seriously diggin' this long-haired tree!we made our way to another small village where we were shown "an unusual mobile statue" of some guy that stands up from his throne and then sits back down again (with the pulling of a lever that is kept under padlock and key in a cupboard on the wall). some men opened it up for us and showed us just how mobile the statue really is! i have to say, it was a little eerie!
after that we went to a local person's house for a picnic lunch out on a patio overlooking a quiet pond. he gave us a sparklers show that would normally be performed in the dark...but we got the idea anyway!then he lit two "sky lanterns" and released them for us to see. during the lunar new year celebrations many of these what seem to me like fire hazards are sent off into the night sky....the remains land wherever they may...not the most environmentally friendly ritual, however i'm sure it looks pretty spectacular in the darkness.