Understanding My Context: The Sounds

You know that time in the morning when you’ve woken up and you’re deciding how much longer you can doze before having to actually get up? Well, I’ve learned in the last few weeks that here in Uganda I don’t even have to open my eyes and check a clock to get a rough estimate of the time. If I wake up and all I hear are cicadas buzzing outside, then I can go back to sleep—that’s a night sound. However, if I hear birds singing outside, then I will likely have to get up soon—birds are a morning sound. I can almost set my clock to the birds as they seem to start singing about an hour before the sun rises at 7:00.


The sounds here emphasize the contrasts in this country. I hear cell phones ringing and goats bleating; radios blaring and roosters crowing; vehicle horns sounding and cows bawling. There’s even a local ice-cream man whose motorcycle plays a tinny electronic version of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” that I hear from time to time. I hear the Call to Prayer from the local mosque as well as the sound of raucous singing and preaching from an outdoor Christian tent revival. There are the natural sounds like birds, insects, heavy rain or wind in the banana leaves, but there is also manmade noise like traffic, generator motors or vehicle horns. Most sounds I’ve heard here are pleasant, but hearing gunshots, teargas being fired, or rioters shouting was unnerving.


People and relationships are highly valued in this culture and it is not surprising that the sounds reflect this. Passengers on motorcycle taxis or open trucks shout greetings to the people they pass on the side of the road. Little children sing together as they play. Market stall owners call out to passersby to try to drum up business. Mothers give instructions to their children. Taxi drivers negotiate prices with customers. Political activists drive around with megaphones mounted on the back of pick-up trucks raising awareness of all kinds of issues. It’s almost like human voices are the soundtrack playing in the background all the time.


There is an important distinction between hearing sounds and listening to them, so I hope that I am not just “hearing” sounds but I’m also listening to them in an attempt to understand my context better.
PS: Waking up to a variety of songbirds every morning is pretty great!