For World Listening Day we’re inviting people to slow down and listen to the sound of food.
The sizzle of frying pan, the rattle of the saucepan, the splash of wine poured into a glass, the muted tones of serious discussion over a menu, the animated conversation and laughter of al fresco diners, the bustle of the market stall, and the yell of order or sale. Food is much more than taste, smell and sight. Sound is an integral part of the experience, whether it be a family gathered around the kitchen table, an elderly person shopping at the market, or a well-dressed young couple eating in a high class restaurant. As hearing deteriorates, the gastronomic experience loses some of its fizz.
The sizzle of frying pan, the rattle of the saucepan, the splash of wine poured into a glass, the muted tones of serious discussion over a menu, the animated conversation and laughter of al fresco diners, the bustle of the market stall, and the yell of order or sale. Food is much more than taste, smell and sight. Sound is an integral part of the experience, whether it be a family gathered around the kitchen table, an elderly person shopping at the market, or a well-dressed young couple eating in a high class restaurant. As hearing deteriorates, the gastronomic experience loses some of its fizz.
Celebrate what you hear, share the sounds with family. And if you’re not hearing your frying pan, then do something about it. Over two million Australians are hard of hearing and could recapture the sounds of life with a small, inconspicuous, modern hearing aid. For those on a health card it’s usually free. For the rest of us there are a wide range of options from Australia Hears and your audiologist.
On World Listening Day, Monday 18 July, 2011, undertake one of the following Soundwalk experiences—and email, tweet, Facebook or blog us with your reactions and thoughts.
Eating out
Travel to a local district known for its restaurants and cafés—the laneways of the Melbourne CBD, Darling Harbour in Sydney, the eastern end of Rundle Street in Adelaide, the main shopping centre of any country town. Wander slowly past and through places where people are eating. Stop occasionally, close your eyes, and just listen. Take the time to sit down and order something—a cup of coffee will do. Hear the noise that your request generates. Listen to the people around you—not what they are saying, but how they are saying it, how they communicate over food and drink. Then, tell us about your experiences. What are the sounds integral to food; what is overt; what is in the background; how do people react to food and drink?
Dining in
Invite friends or family to have dinner with you. Prepare a simple meal, something you eat regularly. But this time, listen to yourself doing it—as you bustle around opening cupboards and drawers, using cooking utensils, sharpening knives, boiling water. The experience doesn’t stop there. Serving the meal and eating it are accompanied by their own sets of sounds. Tell us about it—the sounds you associate with eating, and the ones you forget or take for granted.
Shopping for food
Travel to a local market or cluster of food shops. Wander around slowly, and listen to the stall and shop owners or attendants as they sell their wares. Eavesdrop on the tenor of the conversations—the questions about quality, the bargaining, the passing of cooking hints, the invitations to try and buy, the arguments, the banter. Take in the sound environment—the squeak of the shopping trolley, the irritating noise as a service trucks back up, the rustle of goods being wrapped. Tell us about what you noticed, and whether you learned anything—just by listening.
Australia Hears, through its development of hearing aids, is working to bring the sound of food back to people for whom it has faded. We would love to read of your listening experiences.
Email us with the results of your do-it-yourself Soundwalk on info@blameysaunders.com.au, tweet with the word #aushears, comment on our blog, comment on our Facebook page or email me, elaine.saunders@blameysaunders.com.au