The Sounds That Make Up This Life

Went around and tried to capture the sounds. Fill in the audio bits for the video.

Tried first to think, what are the sounds that make up this life?

The scrape of the toilet door against the cement; the way its metal shakes. The sound of a papyrus mat rattling when you move it. The metallic chink of the water filter lid on, off. The clug clug clug of jerrycans emptying. The dull thump of them bumping each other, how the sound is short when they are full and long when they are not. The gurgle of water from the tap into a bucket farther away than a ceramic sink would be.

The shift of charcoal at the base of a thin metal grill. The flash and quick sizzle of a match struck. The sputter of cheap candles as their flame hits water, gas, paraffin: material unknown. The shifting creak of the camping beds. The crack and smooth rip of opening an aluminum can for the first time. The loose plastic lid slip of the Nutella jar.

Cardboard boxes. Hard frozen ice packs – pop, pop, clank as they are thrown.

The chirp of bats from the rafters, the scuttle of the mice that live behind the toilet paper bin in the latrine: the scamper of their critter feet along the metal edge of the doorframe as you walk in, scare them, scare you.