I hear music in the mornings, every morning , for quite a long time. It sounded like an ice cream truck, playing the same 8 measures over & over, but I told myself that there wouldn't be any ice cream trucks making the rounds when it is -30 degrees outside. I asked my students what the music was and received answers that I couldn't really believe, like "wake up" music. Finally I heard the music during a lesson, asked the class and was told it is the garbage truck. Turns out that the garbage truck comes every day to collect the trash from the neighborhood dump site. There are no trash cans and no garbage bags. Everyone just puts out their garbage on a common corner. The dogs come by and make the first pass at scavenging; then the birds arrive and make their choices. Then, the next day the garbage workers (all women) come back, pick up what's left and sweep the area.
The music plays the entire time they are in the neighborhood, over & over & over & over & over &... They are at my corner for at least 30 minutes, but I can hear them for at least 2 hours while they make stops all around the area. You'd think they would turn the music off while they are collecting & sweeping, but no. I can only feel sorry for these women who hear the music all day long, all week long, all their lives long. I'm going crazy just thinking about the monotony of it all.
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With no garbage bags or cans, does the garbage spill into the street after the scavengers are finished? Perhaps the garbage collectors mentally tune out the music; I could tune out conversations when I worked at the office. I got to where I didn't really hear anything while I worked. Perhaps it is the same for them. I hope so. How many of these common trash corners are there? I would think they'd be fairly numerous or else you'd have to carry your garbage for quite a while. What a mental picture I have!
ReplyDeletebetween the loud ice cream trucks and people dumping trash on the sidewalks, it reminds me of Queens!
ReplyDeleteThe garbage doesn't spill into the street because the curb is very high, almost like a short 6" wall between the street and the dirt on the other side. I guess the garbage collectors tune out the music (?) They'd have to!
ReplyDeletedid you rush out to get a toasted almond bar??
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