I was speaking with a friend living in Oregon about how Bangladesh is right now, and she asked about whether it was quieter here – heavens no! So here’s a list of common sounds that I have been hearing in our home in Dhaka:
1. Prayer call at five times during the day (someone recites a Quranic passage over a loudspeaker at 3 different mosques in our local area alone)
2. Crows, crows, crows (cawing mainly in the morning – there are two that we’ve been particularly fascinated with who seem to be buddies)
3. Constant fans whirring (keeping us semi-cool)
4. Food-sellers yelling their wares from the street
5. Occasional street noise of rickshaw bicycle bells and car horns
6. Other apartment dwellers (since the apartments are so close together – we get screeching babies and the smell of whatever anyone is cooking)
7. A dog howling to the same tune as the morning prayer call; cats fighting in the night
8. Tik-tikis (house geckos) occasionally making their hallmark ticking sound
9. Cooking