Only in Asia...

This afternoon as I headed out of my apartment, I smelled the unmistakable, sharp, acrid smell of smoke.  Upon further inspection, it became quite clear that there was a LOT of smoke wafting about in one of the stairwells.  When we reported to the security guard/doorwoman, she said without any concern, "Oh, it's probably the incense from the 9th floor".

Seemingly without a qualm in the world, she walked us to the source, where we witnessed the following outrageous scene.  The pictures from the stairwell are so gray due to the smoke, which was mostly coming out of a metal bin full of papers (paper money) on fire:

The smoking bin.  Smoke was just wafting up.

Close-up of the metal bin for burning paper money

 The offender's shrine

More shrines

Does anyone appreciate the irony of this sign?  No smoking, but fires are ok?

And it was only at that point that we realized we didn't have smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors in the apartment, or in the building.  It was something I never thought to check.  Gee, you would think that in a city as compact as Hong Kong, with their citizens as keen to burn incense and paper money in their ancestor-worship rituals as they are, the city would have learned to be more cautious and installed a few more fire safety ordinances.

Michael stormed downstairs and gave them a piece of his mind about how dangerous it is to have open fires in high-rise buildings.  The security guard, who doesn't really speak any English, shrugged.  Another tenant, who translated for Michael, replied, "She knows about it and told them, but what can you do?"

Well, at least we have two stairwells.  But in the dire case neither provide an escape, Michael has stewed and brainstormed this afternoon and settled on a sound escape route: out the bedroom door window, onto the ledge, onto the pipe, from where we could launch ourselves onto a neighboring rooftop.  Yes... This is neither the time nor the place to point out the flaws in his plan...