How do you convey sound through a blog post?
No, stop. That was a rhetorical question. I'm sure there is some audio link fancy thing I could put here. But why? Why go through all that if you could have me, an expert hearer-of-things-here, explain it to you?
This whole thing was Lydia's idea. While in the States, we had a few opportunities to share "What it's like" here with school-age kids. Lydia, being an expert school-age-kid, suggested we use our five senses. It was a big hit! If you get kids making crazy noises (cow, pressure cooker!) and tasting spicy chickpeas you are sure to have a (semi) captive audience for at least 7 minutes.
You, dear reader, are not a school-age-kid (I think) and thus I will not keep you for 7 minutes. Here's, to the best of my typing ability, what it sounds like here. You could probably get this read in a minute. Three if you try out all the sounds as you go.
Think in layers.
People. Talking in different languages. One sounds like "blblblBLAHblblb" and another I'm learning so I pick up a few words "blah blah blah A HOUSE blah blah hai". And English...so much English and so different (still) to my ears.
Cars. BEEP! (The horn is a non-negotiable here). beep. beep. beeeeeeeep. A car alarm, "weeooweeoo". Trucks rumbling over potholes. The grinding go-cart motors of auto-rickshaws. A musical backing-up sound (some cars have this feature when you put them in reverse)....my washing machine has the same tune when the cycle is over. A constant hum of traffic.
Pressure Cookers. PSSSSSSHHHHHHT. (repeat) Always at 5:45 am followed by an incessant search for the right pot: clang, bang, clang. Scraping of metal plates.
Worship. Chanting...a low repetitive hum. The call to prayer...a lyrical loud-speaker song. Drums. Bollywood music...always a nasal-voiced woman singer.
"The wake-up bird".....oooooo-oooooo-eeee-e-e-e. He's actually an Asian Koel who lives in the mango tree 3 inches from our bedroom windows. Please google his mating call. You'll get why we gave him this nick-name. Parrots make a squeaky toy noise. Pigeons. CoooCooo.
So, that's the usual. It's a noisy city and our windows are always open. But it's really not that bad. You get used to it and pretty soon I am off to sleep with the sounds of here...for at least 7 minutes.
No, stop. That was a rhetorical question. I'm sure there is some audio link fancy thing I could put here. But why? Why go through all that if you could have me, an expert hearer-of-things-here, explain it to you?
This whole thing was Lydia's idea. While in the States, we had a few opportunities to share "What it's like" here with school-age kids. Lydia, being an expert school-age-kid, suggested we use our five senses. It was a big hit! If you get kids making crazy noises (cow, pressure cooker!) and tasting spicy chickpeas you are sure to have a (semi) captive audience for at least 7 minutes.
You, dear reader, are not a school-age-kid (I think) and thus I will not keep you for 7 minutes. Here's, to the best of my typing ability, what it sounds like here. You could probably get this read in a minute. Three if you try out all the sounds as you go.
Think in layers.
People. Talking in different languages. One sounds like "blblblBLAHblblb" and another I'm learning so I pick up a few words "blah blah blah A HOUSE blah blah hai". And English...so much English and so different (still) to my ears.
Cars. BEEP! (The horn is a non-negotiable here). beep. beep. beeeeeeeep. A car alarm, "weeooweeoo". Trucks rumbling over potholes. The grinding go-cart motors of auto-rickshaws. A musical backing-up sound (some cars have this feature when you put them in reverse)....my washing machine has the same tune when the cycle is over. A constant hum of traffic.Pressure Cookers. PSSSSSSHHHHHHT. (repeat) Always at 5:45 am followed by an incessant search for the right pot: clang, bang, clang. Scraping of metal plates.
Worship. Chanting...a low repetitive hum. The call to prayer...a lyrical loud-speaker song. Drums. Bollywood music...always a nasal-voiced woman singer.
"The wake-up bird".....oooooo-oooooo-eeee-e-e-e. He's actually an Asian Koel who lives in the mango tree 3 inches from our bedroom windows. Please google his mating call. You'll get why we gave him this nick-name. Parrots make a squeaky toy noise. Pigeons. CoooCooo.
So, that's the usual. It's a noisy city and our windows are always open. But it's really not that bad. You get used to it and pretty soon I am off to sleep with the sounds of here...for at least 7 minutes.
Love this description! Thank you for forcing our mind's ear to hear!
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