Friday, January 13, 2006

Sounds Of The Road...



India has it's own symphony of sounds from car's beeping to cows mooing and just the hummm of millions of people in the street.

I suffer from sound sensitivity and at times sounds become very loud and isolated leaving me drained,disoriented and distressed.

When I go to India I have learnt to take ear plugs for sleeping in and at times just a time out from the sounds of India....

But sometimes there is no getting away from the sound of India

The car honking:

In the western world we honk for someone to move, In India they honk to let you know where they are on the road.. obivously if everyone was driving in lines we wouldn't have that problem but that is a whole other article.

Honk.. Honk.. Honk... and Toot ..Toot...Toot are common road sounds but let's not forget the Jingle Jingle of the bicycle horn.

All are put into place to warn you... and having had tried to cross a road in India you would understand the need for this "warning system" if you are to make it to the other side without being clunked by a passing rickshaw which is so loaded up with people and bags that he has no way of stopping even if he did see you.

but The problem I have is working out when the toots are for me.. or if they are for a car on the other side of the road or if I am even hearing toots or Jingles afterall I would rather be hit by a Jingle than a Honk or Even a TooT.

Without being taught the skill of Crossing roads in India,
I Basically put my head down gather my Chunni (so it doesn't fall) and allow a more suitable "Indian Adult" to lead me across the road to safety.

Stop !
was one of the first words my mother in law taught me. Funny enough Stop in Hindi translates to sound of the word BUS which works well when crossing the road

--Watch out BUS!!--

and If I am wearing a sari, I just don't cross any roads.

and thus this is my system of crossing the road.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

GoriGirl, You described my own experience so well.... I haven't yet taken time to write about it on my travel blog for my friends here at home to read.... would you mind if I put a link to your entry on my travel blog?

Debra

Shell said...

I don't know how to reply to you directly... but yes please feel free to post a blog.
Your trip sounds wonderful..

voixd'ange said...

Great Post! Really enjoyed it.