This morning I wake up at 11:25 to check the time, and as I was getting back to sleep, I noticed a faint smell of… BURNING! I try to ignore it but after a while the smell gets so heavy that I decide to throw on my clothes and run for my life.

PANIC! First, I check the peephole on my door. Indeed, the entire corridor is orange from flames. I open the door, the hallway is thick with light gray smoke. I turn to my right. WHAT, no fire?!? I turn to my left. WHAT is an old lady doing kneeling on the floor burning a big bunch of paper. She looks at me, I look at her. I close my door.

After 30 seconds I open the door to look at her, she looks at me. I close the door.

After another minute of confusion I understood that she was performing some kind of ritual, either because it was some kind of ghost holiday or that they’ve just moved into their new apartment.

As I put on my shoes and go down to tell the security guard, I’m thinking “Damn peasants, take your tacky traditions elsewhere!” After I told the security guard what was going on, he said “Damn Cantonese! They’re getting on my nerves.”

We went up, and by the time we’ve gotten there they had already cleaned up the fire. The security guard apologized to them, I looked like an idiot and went back inside my apartment.

And then I realized there was a lot of ash on the floor of my room. :(