GAS LEAK

Seeee-eeee-eee-ee. Was that a gas leak I heard? I sprung out of bed this morning and aligned my ears like that of a dog. Where could that incessant spew of sound be coming from? While the hotel in Shanghai is pleasant, it does have some of its flaws. Drywall damage and the such underneath the windows. Perhaps that could be the culprit, after all the sound is coming from that direction. As I groggily approached the window, the sound stopped. That’s strange. I began to hear loud semi-truck engines rev in the distance. Maybe the window is poorly insulated? Perplexed by the situation, I looked for any cracks and felt for drafts around each window corner. Tightly sealed. Perhaps it was my half-baked brain playing tricks on me this morning, however, I was certain I heard a constant spew of, “Seeee-eeee-eee-ee.” With my assessment over, I figured it would be best to catch some more sleep. I returned to bed and closed my eyes. Seeee... It’s that sound again! I jumped towards the window and immediately noticed swallows soaring through the air like miniature stealth bombers. They were dive-bombing in between the trees and with my knowledge of swallows I realized they were enjoying a smorgasbord of bugs this morning. That’s when it dawned on me – bugs! I was hearing cicadas. The sound of cicadas in Shanghai is impressively deafening. It drowns out the sounds of semi-truck engines! My concern of a gas leak quickly transitioned to joy this morning as I was able to witness the beauty of nature within the confines of one of the world’s largest cities.