How my neighbors celebrate birthdays

There are things I miss about home. Pedestrian crossing lights. Vegetarian food. Washing machines. Pandora. But now I know what I miss the most.

Noise ordinances.

I had not been asleep long last night when I was awoken by a stirring rendition of Happy Birthday played by an unknown number of trumpets, bass drums, and snare drums coming from just outside my window. In the haze of sleepiness I was convinced they were in my bedroom until I looked around and didn't see them. I looked at the clock - 12:00 exactly. It had just turned someone's birthday.

The next half hour or so felt pretty surreal. I couldn't imagine that in the real world people would actually start banging on drums and blowing on trumpets in the middle of the night, but I couldn't get myself to wake up from the dream that I thought I must be in the middle of. My roommates, and the bags under my eyes, confirmed this morning that it really happened.

I hope the neighbors don't have any more birthdays coming up soon.