at one peace corps training event, we had a cross-cultural session where ghanaians could ask us about some of our cultural quirks, and vice versa. one of our questions was why the music is always so loud. their answer was that each individual tries to share his music with all his neighbors, because he recognizes he is fortunate to have the technology and means to play it, so he tries to let all around him enjoy it.
that's a nice thought, i guess.
but a new drinking spot just opened about a hundred feet from my house, just on the other side of the wall surrounding my school. they have the technology and means to play music. loud loud music. anything ranging from local dagaare chants to gospel songs by a choir to a song whose only words i catch are SEX MACHINE to of course, bob marley and celine dion.
and they are so generous that they play the music from 6am to at least midnight or 1am every day.
i am eagerly awaiting the day they pay their first power bill and realize they cannot or should not continue.
wow. you just made our neighbors sound like the [insert quaint old-fashioned tv family here].
ReplyDeleteIt's the same way here in Cambodia--people blast their music as loud as they can, as often as they can. It's crazy to see people living in huts and shacks that are literally falling apart, but they spend hundreds of dollars on their sound systems....
ReplyDeleteIt's the same in Idaho, where cars traveling down the road are playing so loudly that all you hear is the ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, of the base. Yes, very expensive sound systems in very inexpensive cars. ... ... ;-)
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