Fireworks at the lake

The boats congregated into a roughly square formation in the middle of the lake. The gathering started very early in the morning and quickened after noon. At about 4pm, there are about 400 boats; I can imagine people hopping from one boat to another. Only smaller ones and water police could move around. From a distance, they behaved like an audience at an outdoor theater. The stage, probably several hundred feet in front of the square, is the barge that has waited for a couple of days by now. I can feel the excitement building in the air. Something spectacular is going on in this Lake Union.

Across the lake is the Gas Works Park. Everyday, it sits pretty displaying lush green grass. Today, around 10am, people started to blanket the grass. At about 2pm, with a powerful binocular, I saw a page from the Where is Waldo book, people everywhere. Scanning the shores of the lake found the same theme repeats. What’s with Seattle people willing to wait more than 12 hours for a firework show that starts at 10pm?

And I just perched at this high-rise balcony with a smirk. Man! I am going to sell tickets next year for this vantage point for July 4th fireworks at Lake Union.

My most unforgettable fireworks will have to be the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The opening of Giant’s foot steps redefined fireworks for the rest of the world. That show was meant to be watched on the TV screen through an air-borne camera. Beijing Olympic fireworks were also very directional: there are patterns that were not symmetrical, like simple pictures. Then again, I cannot really expect the City of Seattle to compete with the Country of China that intended to impress the world.

A couple of years early, I was in ShangHai during the Chinese New Year. At midnight, we stepped into the 10th-floor balcony and were assaulted by a city seemingly at war. Everywhere we looked, there were countless fireworks lighting up the sky. Conversations would be futile. I discovered that fireworks were generally designed to explode at about the height of 10th floor. Yes, they were literally in my face. The brightness was blinding and the sound was loud. We were mesmerized for a good half an hour and escaped back into the house to calm ourselves down.

Several minutes after 10pm, the sky above Lake Union lit up for about 20 minutes. First time, I watched fireworks over water and the play between reflection and sky was truly nice. Those on the boats would have a closer-up view. But I also cannot imagine the long wait even for this great show.

This entry was posted in Seattle, Witness to my life. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.