Living in Asia is both incredibly chaotic and beautifully loving. These sounds either annoyed me, drove me mad, or gave a catch to my heart. They remain part of my daily life.
My father's roosters and chickens wake me up every day. He has had a lot of roosters before, during his 40s and 50s. They have clean houses, and we even went to a beach to get sand for the roosters' homes.
These roosters and hens annoyed me when I had classes. If my student says something and a rooster makes a sound at the same time, I couldn't hear clearly or understand what the student says. I always ask the student, 'I beg your pardon?'
We had turkeys before, too, that would attack and chase us when we were young. Their sound is, kolokkolokkolok. lol
Another animal that makes sounds is my love pet, Thor Thori. He actually rarely barks, but when he does, oh, it's so loud. He barks at other dogs and strangers. But if that person keeps passing by him again and again, even if it’s the first time he’s seen them, he won’t bark at them anymore. Look at that pretty boy.
I so hate the barks of the neighbor's dogs. Each household has dogs. Every time Verga walks Thor, the whole neighborhood of dogs barks like crazy. Why? Because he is big? Maybe. The askals are afraid of him, but he didn't hurt any askal dogs. He had an askal friend, Brown. They played together, and even Brown slept near his cage. They're best friends.
Well, the meow of my cats doesn't bother me at all. They're soft and tender. But sometimes they are loud at the wee hours of the night.
My father is already 69 years old, wakes up early every day or sometimes sleeps late and watches the news, watches AI stories or documentaries from YouTube on TV. Because he is old and has a hearing problem, he may turn the Television's volume to the maximum. It's too loud.
These radios accompanied me from childhood into the early 2000s. It’s very nostalgic to look at them. We used to listen to radio dramas and horror stories. Sometimes, we’d call the radio station to greet friends and family or even shout out our crushes’ names anonymously. That’s how mysterious and playful things were back in the 1990s and early 2000s. My father always turned on his silver radio to listen to the news, cranking the volume to the max. The station was Bombo Radyo, known for its signature double thud of deep noise at the end—right after the commentator declared, 'Bombo Radyo!' Thud thud. Haha!
The sound of my brother's motorcycle is so annoying. It has a distinct sound. I am not sure if it's modified or not, but I'm sure it's loud and annoying. When the engine accelerates, it creates a roaring sound. I get so embarrassed. What will the neighbors think?
Last but not least, there's the sound of my daughters calling me 'Mama.' Their voices come with plenty of 'Can you do this?' and 'Can you give me money?'—along with rumors, complaints, and everything in between. As a mother, you learn to be a shock absorber for it all.
These little sounds are just part of my daily routine, and I've grown used to them. Honestly, without these occasionally annoying noises, life might feel a bit dull and empty. I can't picture coming home to a silent house. Those familiar sounds bring a cozy vibe to my everyday life.
And that is all. I hope you are all healthy.
