Sounds of unsilence

We are an onomatopoeic people, my friends and I. Living in what sometimes seems like different worlds, with the Australians in the day, and my Malaysian friends in the night, only makes this more apparent.

My colleagues’ stories:

“I woke up last night, because I heard this really loud banging sound..”

“Her dress was pretty, wasn’t it? Slinky..”

“I swear, the dripping kept me up all night..”

And their night-weekend-counterparts:

“Last night, right, wah, there was this bhang bhang bhang on the door..”

“I really like that material mans..so shhhshhrhhrrhh when you walk..”

“WHOLE NIGHT LONG TUPTUPTUPTUPTUP I TELL YOU!!!!!”

It’s funny, and economical – who needs words when you can show people exactly what you mean?