monday string beans, sunday cicadas

Another day, another walk. I take a lot of walks, and the camera helps me to see things in a positive light. Instead of being aware that someone is staring at me, I'm busy looking for a good picture. Something I can take home with me that goes beyond the day to day, from the particular to the whole.


I've always liked how the vendors take the time to arrange the fruit in these perfect pyramids.




A lot of women here use parasols to protect themselves from the sun. They are very apt at holding their parasol while biking, one hand holding it and the other on the handlebars. It has been so hot lately, even when the sun is not out. My days of caring about pit stains are long gone, and I've become somewhat accustomed to being sweaty most of the time. Even my eye lids were sweating today.




These guys were having a heated discussion as they walked by. Maybe about all the homework they have, maybe about North Korea...probably about video games.




For the last few weeks I've noticed really loud sounds coming from the trees on my way to work in the morning. One day I realized it was so loud I could barely hear my iPod. It sounded like a million little bird-crickets (brickets?). I asked the Korean teachers and they told me the sound is made by cicadas. So since then I've been determined to see one. I've been pausing under the trees, attracting even more attention and curious stares than usual, to try and get a glimpse.
Today I tried again.
Staring up at leaves that were no more than two feet away from my face, I suddenly saw what had been in front of me the whole time--and jumped about 6 inches off the ground. Although I knew they were big, their size still surprised me. What unnerved me even more was the way in which they cling to the underside of leaves, upside down, like they're going to fall off (and into your hair) at any moment. Once I saw one, I saw others everywhere I looked. As the wind blew their leaves around threateningly, I slowly stepped out from underneath them.
There are several species of cicadas, and since seeing these ones I've seen different-looking ones (deceased) on the ground, so I get the impression a single area can harbor several species.
The batteries in my camera died just as I found these guys, and so I couldn't zoom in at all. I'll get a better shot soon.