Celebrations for the 4th of July

Dear Mausam,

4th of july is the day celebrated as the Independence day in USA. On this day in 1776, 13 American states declared independence from the British rule. (hey, USA was colonised by Britishers, then why is it not part of the commonwealth countries??? plz let me know if someone knows about it)
For me the significance of this day was that I had an off from work and I could watch the Italy-Germany game. Which Italy handsomly won and made it to the world cup final after 12 years.
Anyways,in the evening I wanted to tag along with my bro to watch the firecrackers which were the major highlight of the celebrations associated with this day, but then I thought I am better off sticking at home.(therez no point going to watch firecrackers, am i not tired of all the firecrackers we burn/burst on diwali since kids?)
But then my bro coaxed me to go with him and then reluctantly at 9:30 pm I decided to go along. All the roads and subways were filled with a sea of people and it seemed the whole city had decided to walk towards the Charles river . The city of Boston has a river Charles which runs, right through the city.With the background of the downtown Boston and Charles river in the foreground it was an ideal place for viewing the firecrackers. There were people all over and it seemed to be such a huge "mela"(only difference being that there were no beggars and not many roadside vendors, another difference was that people were dressed in casuals unlike in India where people choose a "mela" to showcase their best/bright outfits).
The firecracker show was to start at 10:30(itz funny, If I was in india, i would have written,"..the show was to start around 10:30" but here itz taken for granted that the show will start at the scheduled time). After figuring out the place to stand with the best view we started waiting for the show to begin and at exact 10:30 the magic began...
The sight which I saw was absolutely remarkable.I never knew or realised that the experience of fire-crackers could be so different. Even the music which was playing in the background was choreographed with the fire crackers. The colour combinations , the various shapes and the various forms were seen to be believed. There were firecrackers in the form of blossoming flowers ,showering of colours, a burst of combinations in various designs. I wish I had a master's in english language so that I could explain the spectacle in a better way. the magic continued for 25 minutes and each design was better than the previous, it seemed as if I was in an another world.Oh what a pleasant sight it was. The onlookers told us that this was the best show that they had ever seen in life and it sure was once in a lifetime experience. Diwali crackers seemed waste of money and time coz I saw the real thing. Check this link as it showcases what all happened on the memorable day. I wish I had taken the camera along but I wont miss this opportunity the next time.
I already know where I will be on 4th of July 2007, make sure you join me in celebrating the glorious day of american independence!
Regards,
Ajj Kaim