So I’m back in Rome after two months away. What’s the first thing I noticed? THE NOISE! My god, I can barely hear myself think (not always a bad thing). I’ve totally got out of the habit of apartment living, being surrounded by hundreds of people. The main culprits are:
The Man Upstairs: while I’ve been away he seems to have installed a basketball court and is practicing for 8 hours a day.
The Cicadas – aka The Tree Cricket: wow, can those bad boys make some racket. I could hardly hear what Monica was saying to Chandler last night (guess who got the entire box set of Friends for Christmas??)
Car Alarms: ahh, the sound of Rome.
People: I’d forgotten how LOUD Italians are. I’ve just overhead a fascinating conversation in the street, four floors below, about varicose vein surgery. Or possibly about a holiday to Sicily. Or what to have for lunch. Who knows?
Scooters: can’t beat the delightful sound of ‘motorini’ screaming up and down the road all day and night.
© Animation Library
Friday Night Disco: somewhere in the vicinity is a nightclub that gets going at midnight and finishes just in time for breakfast. Not sure exactly what ‘banging tunes’ are being played but they sure do have a mean bass line.
Saxophone Man: actually, this one is quite pleasant. Every afternoon I’m serenaded with some delightful songs by someone who is a pretty good musician. I feel like I’m in some old black and white movie, where the cool cats gather on their New York fire escape to play some hip sounds, man.
Fingers crossed, in a couple of weeks, all this racket will just become white noise and I’ll be able to actually concentrate on what I’m supposed to be concentrating on. (The book, folks, the book!!) Either that or noise-cancelling headphones will become a permanent fashion accessory.
Any particular noises that drive you to distraction??
BARBED WORDS 