I’ve come to realise over the last year or so that I really love certain sounds. Some sounds/frequencies are really enjoyable to hear. Equally, some are annoying to the point of actual discomfort. And I’m not talking about the obvious loud noises, it’s much more about the tone or repetition of the sound in question. For example:
Crunching on gravel = good
Chewing on pasta = bad
Crinkling paper = good
Nails on chalkboard = bad (but then I think that’s the same for most people, right?)
High speed industrial drilling = good
People sniffing = bad
People sneezing = good
As far as the good sounds are concerned I could listen to them over and over. Odd.
One of the minor issues around working in a multi-cultural environment is the different and diverse sounds I am exposed to every day. As I don’t speak much of most of the languages I hear around me, it is hard to actually reference what I hear as a language because I can’t differentiate the words – as such, what they say simply becomes sound to me. (In fairness, being exposed to Welsh at a young age (4) I more or less assumed that everyone spoke the same language the whole world over but that it just sounded different in each country). And as a general rule, most of it is really nice. I don’t speak Italian but it sounds fab. I don’t speak Spanish but I enjoy hearing the Spanish team talking. There’s always going to be an exception though, and sadly, she sits right nearby. She speaks Danish (I think) and in fairness it might be down to her personal accent/voice, but all I can hear most of the time is her saying
“yah”
“yah, yah, yah, yah”
“yah”
Which then becomes:
“Yieh”
“yiehyiehyiehyieh”
“Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeh”
By this point, I am looking for something to throw at her. It’s crazy perhaps, but it actually hurts my ears. It’s offensive to my sensibilities. I don’t know quite why, I try so hard for it to not be a problem, but there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really like the girl, she’s friendly and chatty. It’s just that particular sound which sets my teeth right on edge. I wonder if it’s a recognised condition?
Posts
1 comments:
I've a friend with a Danish uncle (by marriage); after coming back from Denmark he told me that they seem to have given up on their language to the point that mostly they just speak English.
Your description of the sound made me think of the Swedish-Americans in the film Fargo.
Post a Comment