play it, sam

i hate noises of chatter around me when i am on my own. i was on the lift on my way down after work today and the lift was unusually noisy. there was a couple speaking in some African language while the other chatter in Chinese, the newscaster on TV was reading some stock market predictions rapidly, the robotic voice announced each time the lift door opened. it was so disconcerting. the volume grew louder, the flurry of sentences assaulted my ears and i could feel the pounding in my head. i closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on other things. it didn't work.
i rushed out of the lift the moment the door opened on the first floor.

my colleague told me before that my ipod's volume's too loud. now i realize that's a form of adaptation, a survival skill. urban noises drive me nuts: rumble of the train, blazing horns, strangers, building constructions. birds don't sing the morning glory here, roosters don't crow (well... there's no rooster to start with). urban noise is the anthem of the morning, the humdrum that sucks the soul out, leaving an empty shell behind; a humpty dumpty parked in front of a smart machine, biding its time.

music is my remedy. i honestly don't think i can survive my days without it.