Sounds

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I sit here in a quiet room hearing only the sounds of the keys being mashed as I type the words to this blog. I am conjuring up a story to tell with the subtle, yet comforting, noise of a computer at the end of my fingertips. Jess and I both have hundreds of experiences to describe, re-explore, embellish, and share with you. However, I don’t know where I should start.

I could blame my tardiness towards blogging on my unforgiving schedule. That isn’t fair though; we all have busy schedules. I could hide behind my procrastination and laziness. But it boils down to something more simple than that, I couldn’t decide what to write about.

There are literally hundreds of experiences- good, bad, enlightening, frightening, many one of a kind. So it took me a while to come to a decision, but I ultimately decided I want to share my experiences with some sounds. Yes, sounds.

When you go through another country and you don’t speak the language and you aren’t trying to start up conversations, all of the words disappear. The everyday riff-raff that circulates around the water cooler is silent. It becomes part of the grander sound of things. The sounds seem amplified and your ears more acute to the world you’re hearing.

Laying in a guesthouse in Hanoi, Vietnam was one of the earliest and most profound examples of the difference in hearing. The shops had closed and the people were now out on the town. We were hoping for some sleep, but hope was all we were given. The roar and rumbling of the thousands of motorbikes vibrated the building that we used for shelter.

Lying with my eyes closed waiting for sleep, I would awake to the imaginary Harley Davidson that was in the next room, which never turned off.

The constant rumbling of a small engine just outside your window.

If you walked out into the streets, it was rumble and putter on your left, then on your right. As you dodged through traffic, the motorbikes off-putting banter and outpouring of exhaust engulfed you in the streets.

You are completely surrounded in the sea of brakes, accelerators, tailpipes, and bumper to bumper motorbikes each making a distinct and unique squeal or hum to lacerate your ears.

A quieter counterpart of our trip soon followed. In Cambodia, the somber winds of the Killing Fields outside the city and the other war crime sites throughout the city rustled only a little as you walked through; only the sound of your breath and footsteps to comfort you. The horrific things that occurred in many locations leaves your mind to wander and take in the reality of what has happened in these places.

The more romantic face of Cambodia emerged amidst the sunrise and the hundreds of tourists quietly moving about as if they were whispering in a library. Taking in the silence that comes with the sunrise at Angkor Wat was incredibly relaxing. Having your thoughts and the sound of the wind making the clouds rolling away being the main noise you are exposed to, brings your thoughts to a very calm and healthy place. Finishing up the day and walking away after hearing very little and experiencing so much leaves you in a stupor of words. How can I describe hundreds of years history in such a small blog? I can’t.

What I can say, the sights were beautiful and there is no appropriate place to begin. That is where my dilemma began when I started this blog. I hope that now I have this one out I can produce more stories and great experiences for you to read about. However, to sum up everything all I need to say is, I would do it again.

I would also like to encourage anyone who reads this blog to take a few moments out of their day to listen, really listen. Listen to the world that you live in. Hear all of the things that you take for granted and wouldn’t even consider culture in your mind. Step out of that mind-set and discover something new that you always overlooked. If you find anything that is interesting, please post a response and let us know.

-Brian

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Comments

[Christophe]

MR Potter and MS Jessica
I really don't know when MR potter has left..i am so sorry..i can't say anything before you left..I hope you all can have a wonderfule life...haha.. LOVE FOREVER