Lessons in Cultural Competency: Silence is Golden

New York isn't a quiet town - from the early morning trucks to the honking cabs, the busy office with ringing phones to the DJ neighbours (couldn't figure out why I kept hearing the same 24 bars of music over and over and over again), and the NYU student neighbours who host parties and play music until 3.* But taking the subway is like visiting an abbey where the monks and nuns have taken a vow of silence, especially compared to the bus in the Emerald City. In part it's because cell service is less than reliable underground, but those annoying conversations held by fellow-commuters in outside voices have been virtually eliminated. And everyone is reading - books and text-heavy magazines. I've barely used my Nano at all, and I like it.

*(I'm not complaining, I'm just noting it. And loving it, frankly. So far ...)