One of the things we have noticed here lately that is definitely different than in the US is the amount of noise there is around us. Here are a few examples:
- Last Friday night, there were parties at three of our neighbors’ houses. Nathan woke up at 2:30 am, and the music was still blasting. This wouldn’t be such a big deal except that our houses are connected (think, apartments with concrete walls).
- Our neighbor regularly comes home and honks the horn for his wife to open the garage door. While not a big deal, it adds to the noise.
- A guy just walked down my street selling something, all the while chanting what it was he was selling (some sort of pastry).
- The gas or water guys come down multiple times a day shouting gaaaaaaaas or agguuuuuaaaa.
- Dogs…barking…loudly…constantly. (Nathan definitely knows what a doggie says…woof, woof).
- Our neighbor really enjoys the sound system in his car, despite the fact that maybe we don’t.
- Music is regularly played above our normal listening level (at church, at stores, wherever.)
- A small airplane flies around with a loudspeaker attached, shouting something about some promotion that is going on or some political message. Cars drive around doing the same.
- As I’m typing this, I can hear someone banging on a house down the street that they are fixing up.
These are a few examples of the cultural differences and the noise level here.
