Noise and a Hobbit

I still can't get used to the noise in Jordan. I protect my quiet time, but the ordinary way for people to interact with their surroundings is through loud noise. Our beloved chef, and I do mean that, bangs his pots and pans as if he is scaring off raccoon or bears. It is just his normal way of carrying himself. Our deaf housekeeper wears the loudest shoes that clang on the marble floors. Poor thing can't hear them, but we can. She is not stealthy as she moves to and fro while we are celebrating Mass.

 I grew up in the middle of a State Forest that was seven miles away from the small town's center. With a population of 2,800 during my high school years, few people meant lots of silence. I spent much time down by the lake or in the forest just so I could read, run through the trees, or just get some time away from a cramped house with 8 children, two adults, and lots of pets. 

We are building two computer rooms for Jesuit Refugee Services. When the workers arrive at 7:30 a.m. it sounds like they are fighting. In fact, they are. They argue over everything. They are just so loud in their normal interactions. I am often reminding people that they can whisper. I teach our choirs to whisper so that they sing at normal voice levels. They actually like it. However, I can't change them. I don't want to change them. Well, maybe I do. I just want a little silence. Don't all introverts?

 I don't blame Arabic speakers. Their words rise up from their bellies and they need some force to make the guttural sounds. It is part of their speech. French is so nasal, Italian is sing-song, but Arabic is deeply embodied. I find it interesting.

I went to the movies last night. For the previews, I thought I would need ear plugs because the volume of the previews was excessively high. I realized why? You could not hear anyone else speaking in the theater. Maybe there is a valued point to it. Fortunately, when the feature film came on, the volume was lowered thank God. But then, I couldn't see. I had to wear 3-D glasses for The Hobbit. The film was very dark and I don't think the glasses were a comfortable fit. I kept cleaning them to see if the visibility was better.

I was glad to see The Hobbit because I love the scenes of New Zealand. I so enjoyed my time there and in Australia. I like green, moist, mountainous areas. The film was as I expected. I like character development films and I was able to see the development of Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins, and Gollum.

Fantasy films capture my imagination. Though the film was very long, the seats were extremely comfortable. Maybe I can find a Hobbit hole to escape from the noise every once in a while.