I captured what it feels like for fellow classmate, Kalina, to be an avid runner. The following is a link to our interview.
https://soundcloud.com/user159434433/final-audio-portrait-interview
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Soundwalk
It's 7:30am. As I leave my house to prepare for yet another day at Hunter, I remind myself that I will not put my headphones on today for my walk to the bus. Instead, I will take in all the sounds I hear.
I can hear the creek of a storm door that really needs to be fixed as I push it open to start my walk. I can hear the swishing sound of my bag rubbing against my jacket, and I can hear children running through my court on their way to school as well. As I continue down my route, I can hear a few birds chirping and think to myself that I really hate the sound of them.
Here come the garbage trucks, with their muffling sounds and loud brakes. They pull up on the corner to a Dunkin Donuts I am about to walk by and as they get out one man yells, "Steve, whadya want, small black two sugars?" Steve replies "yea, make it iced today though."
For the next block or so, it is just me. There are not too many sounds other than cars pulling up to red lights, and taking off at the green. I do hear a familiar sound approaching now- the Q46. I can hear that screech from a block away. I run towards the bus, paying attention to the scratching thump sound my shoes are making against the pavement. I finally get on the bus, "beep" goes my Metrocard into the slot. The loud sound of the back of bus is unmistakable- it almost sounds like a crumbling building, or like whatever is brewing in there is about to explode. As it jerks back and forth for the next 20 mins, I can't wait to get off.
I've arrived to Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike. There's something about the noise of a crowd getting off a bus. I hear so many voices, but can't really decipher what any of them are saying. I do pick up on a few "thank you's" to the bus driver. As I walk down to catch the subway its all footsteps and an almost clicking-like sound of Metrocard swiping. I hear goes the sound of the subway doors opening and closing. "Please stand clear of the doors.... ladies and gentleman, due to an earlier incident, we are experiencing some train traffic...we apologize for any inconvenience." Of course you do, MTA.
I can hear the train riding its course along the tracks, the screeching sound of metal against metal consumes me for about 20 minutes. "This is Lexington Avenue- 63rd street." I think to myself "yay I'm finally here... oh jeez its 9:05, I have 5 minutes to do this thing." I run past the sound of more footsteps climbing up the escalators, scrambled voices, and construction men laughing hysterically. As I make it up Lexington I hear taxi horns, UPS trucks and the most annoying of them all "AM New York, AM news, grab your AM, AM, AM."
Finally, now at Hunter, I listen to the slow swoosh of the revolving doors. And as I swipe my card another "beep". Come to think of it, it seems as if all I do is swipe cards all day. Weird. Anyway, another day of broken escalators at Hunter. I run up the still escalators with about 7 or 8 people around me, listening to their footsteps and the squeaky sound of rubber boots. 9:12 and I make it to my class. As I walk in to officially start my day at Hunter, I hear "Esta bien, vamos a la pagina noventa y seis...." before I take out my books and begin class.
I can hear the creek of a storm door that really needs to be fixed as I push it open to start my walk. I can hear the swishing sound of my bag rubbing against my jacket, and I can hear children running through my court on their way to school as well. As I continue down my route, I can hear a few birds chirping and think to myself that I really hate the sound of them.
Here come the garbage trucks, with their muffling sounds and loud brakes. They pull up on the corner to a Dunkin Donuts I am about to walk by and as they get out one man yells, "Steve, whadya want, small black two sugars?" Steve replies "yea, make it iced today though."
For the next block or so, it is just me. There are not too many sounds other than cars pulling up to red lights, and taking off at the green. I do hear a familiar sound approaching now- the Q46. I can hear that screech from a block away. I run towards the bus, paying attention to the scratching thump sound my shoes are making against the pavement. I finally get on the bus, "beep" goes my Metrocard into the slot. The loud sound of the back of bus is unmistakable- it almost sounds like a crumbling building, or like whatever is brewing in there is about to explode. As it jerks back and forth for the next 20 mins, I can't wait to get off.
I've arrived to Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike. There's something about the noise of a crowd getting off a bus. I hear so many voices, but can't really decipher what any of them are saying. I do pick up on a few "thank you's" to the bus driver. As I walk down to catch the subway its all footsteps and an almost clicking-like sound of Metrocard swiping. I hear goes the sound of the subway doors opening and closing. "Please stand clear of the doors.... ladies and gentleman, due to an earlier incident, we are experiencing some train traffic...we apologize for any inconvenience." Of course you do, MTA.
I can hear the train riding its course along the tracks, the screeching sound of metal against metal consumes me for about 20 minutes. "This is Lexington Avenue- 63rd street." I think to myself "yay I'm finally here... oh jeez its 9:05, I have 5 minutes to do this thing." I run past the sound of more footsteps climbing up the escalators, scrambled voices, and construction men laughing hysterically. As I make it up Lexington I hear taxi horns, UPS trucks and the most annoying of them all "AM New York, AM news, grab your AM, AM, AM."
Finally, now at Hunter, I listen to the slow swoosh of the revolving doors. And as I swipe my card another "beep". Come to think of it, it seems as if all I do is swipe cards all day. Weird. Anyway, another day of broken escalators at Hunter. I run up the still escalators with about 7 or 8 people around me, listening to their footsteps and the squeaky sound of rubber boots. 9:12 and I make it to my class. As I walk in to officially start my day at Hunter, I hear "Esta bien, vamos a la pagina noventa y seis...." before I take out my books and begin class.
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