So I just have to admit that I love the sound of cicadas. During these hot summer months they are a constant noise-maker here and I just think it's hilarious. Not in a laugh-out-loud sort of way, but in a "What is the deal with these freakishly noisy bugs" sort of way.
I'd never even heard one (or was even quite sure how to pronounce the word) until my mission in Japan. They blew me away that one summer I was there! There was one time when one was buzzing away so loudly right outside the church window that we had to close the window in order to teach our discussion! Now that is some impressive breath support or something...! I even tried to tape record one once to prove to my parents how crazy these bugs were. And then, all of a sudden, they were gone. It happened so subtly that it was hard to notice at all, but with the cool fall weather, no more buzzing trees everywhere. It was a bit sad and eerie, like the silence meant the coming of winter (keep in mind that I served up north where we were referred to as the "frozen chosen" and also keep in mind that I HATE being cold, so winter coming was most decidedly not something to look forward to).
Someone told me-- and I have no idea if this is true-- that they live underground maturing for seven years and then crawl out of the ground and sing for two weeks before they die. What a life! Whoever told me this commented that for all that practicing, you'd think they be able to sing Phantom of the Opera or sound at least remotely good. Alas, this is not the case. They just sound loud and sort of like they're buzzing, but in a sort of rhythmic way. Still, it really is a sound that I love-- doesn't it just feel like you should be floating down the Amazon River or something, with a noise like that? The only other thing that might add to that feeling would probably be howler monkeys or something, I guess, but monkeys are scary, so I'll stick with the cicadas for now. They're probably scary-looking, too, but at least they keep hidden in the trees so you never really know!
1 comment:
I remember listening to the tape you sent of the cicadas, that was fun. My roommate said that there were cicadas outside the FLSR, but she might've been smoking something (figuratively, of course).
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