I was sitting in my livingroom yesterday reading a book when I heard this sharp buzzing coming from my computer. I was almost finished with the book, so I didn't want to get up and investigate. As I read though, the combination of buzzing plus worry for my machine made it difficult to concentrate. I hurried through the last few pages of George W. Bush's second term in office (I was reading a U.S. history book) and got up to check out my computer. When I got close though I found that the noise wasn't coming from it. I turned to the kitchen and radared my ears about, settling on the stove. This was also a serious realization because if it was a gas leak it had now been going for some time and maybe I should get out of the house. I turned the pipe off. The sound continued. Now my ear went to the vent leading outside. I opened my sliding door and it hit me: cicadas. "Oh no, it's only March," I thought. I was waking up to these guys in September. My only hope is that we'll get a real cold spate and all the cicadas will die. And their children.

If not though, I suppose I'll get used to their chorus like I have with the prefectural highway that runs 40 meters from my head. I'll just hope for harmony when their undulating sounds mix in the summer heat.