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5 Of The Best Remote Control Toys for Kids for Christmas
1. Bratz Tokyo A Go Go - Remote controlled Car 27MHz This car is a wonderful littte r/c from Bratz that is a huge hit with the girls. They love having their own remote controlled car to play with! You can use the remote to move the car forward and...

Bird Watching Presents - Christmas Gift Ideas
Bird watchers are rabid about bird watching, and rightfully so. If you are looking for Christmas gift ideas for bird watching presents, here are a few keepers. Bird Watching Presents As with practically anything in our modern society,...

Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.9 of 12 - Duck with Cardamom Sauce
Christmas recipe serves: 6 calories per serving: 400 preparation time: 15 minutes cooking time: 2hours 30 minutes suitable for freezing after step 3. Christmas recipe ingredients: * duck legs, 6, about 2 kg (4.5 lb) * onions, 350 g...

Christmas Trivia
REQUIREMENTS FOR REPRINT: You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author information...

Rock Climbing – Christmas Gift Ideas
We all know someone who’s idea of a good time is hanging off cliffs. If you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas for a rock climbing enthusiast, here’s some unique rock climbing gift ideas. Rock Climbing Gift Ideas You can always tell a rock...

 
Sounds Like a War Zone - Christmas in the Philippines

I have survived my first Christmas in the Philippines, so much food, so many relatives, so much good cheer, and so much noise at night.

Ok, I was in Makati which isn't the quietest place at the best of times, but this was amazing. I never imagined there could be so many different bangs from fireworks. Ranging from the small arms rattle of the Multiple Banger to the deep throated roar of the PVC canons.

It started about a week before Christmas and built up to an all out assault on the city on NYE and even last night, 6 nights after the event, there were still small skirmishes happening.

If you ever intended to sleep through the New Year, forget it, this is the sound effects for any number of war films and there is no volume control. Steven Spielberg could have sent a sound recordist here for New Years Eve and had enough sound effects for six openings of Saving Private Ryan.

The Multiple Banger is a long, thick sparkler-like firework that when ignited produces a fast series of forty sharp bangs and a very impressive shower of sparks that lasts for about 45 seconds. My brother-in-law let


one off in the house, we had to shout for the next 15 minutes to hear each other and his wife's concern for the soft furnishings was not unfounded.

The PVC canon has replaced its bamboo predecessor, but is operated in the much the same manner. A length of PCV pipe has raw alcohol spayed into it which is then ignited and boom. The diameter of the pipe determines the timber of the bang with a one inch pipe resembling small arms fire and a 4 inch pipe sounding like heavy assault artillery.

These canons are available commercially for around 300 pesos (AU$7.90) at Divisoria, a market that has such good prices that the locals will travel for a couple of hours to shop there. The alcohol is readily available from any number of hardware stores.

Will I get into the swing of things and purchase my own canon for the end of 2006? Unlikely, I prefer a slight buzz and a silly grin from my alcohol rather than a few days hearing loss.

About the author:

Henry Bateman is an Aussie expat living in the Philippines and he writes the blog The Expat which can be seen at http://auspat.blogspot.com