You can tell because the cicadas, having spent four months gently chirping to one another when no-one was looking, have launched their bid for full aural domination (FAD). You can't open a window, currently, without being deafened by the continuous roar of insects desperately signalling about... oh, the flag, the All-Blacks' new lineup, or Proust, whatever it is that cicadas care about.
Seriously, they're loud. By mid-morning, walking anywhere outdoors is like being flanked by invisible cheerleaders.
Maybe they're just wishing Happy New Year to everyone. The Chinese New Year festivities start on Sunday, and go on for four weeks. We're sending out cards this year, mostly to apologise for our disorganisation in not having sent Christmas cards.
Which reminds me: a very happy Year of the Tiger to
