...And Other Unfamiliar Sounds

Welcome to my blog! I cannot count the number of times over the last few months I have said "I need to write this down!" ...And then I don't. So I thought, maybe if I had a little external motivation (like the possibility of other people reading it), I would be more consistent. So here we go!

Having grown up in southern Manitoba, there are certain sounds that are comfortable to me: Flocks of Canada Geese flying overhead in spring, the dull roar of farm equipment working day and night on the fields, wind whistling around the house as a blizzard rages outside, and the list goes on.

Settling into our new home in Brazil,  has involved not only getting used to the climate and language, but also to the sounds. The first few nights we were here, I lay in bed and listened to... Falling Coconuts. I really shouldn't be surprised by this, seeing the name of our place is Palm Tree Nook (or corner). And this really is an appropriate name. By my count, we have 17 Coconut and 17 Imperial Palm trees. That doesn't include the other varieties of palms scattered here and there.

But back to lying in bed. I would be nearly asleep, and the muted 'thump' of a coconut hitting the ground would jar me to wakefulness. This would happen multiple times a night.

And then there are the sounds of dogs barking, roosters crowing, geese squawking, and cicadas chirping. Oh, and the occasional super-sub-woofer pounding out the latest samba beat.

Needless to say, the first number of nights were less than restful.

It is amazing, though, how fast the unfamiliar becomes comfortable. We have been here a month and a half now, and while I still take note when I hear one fall, I now remember how beautiful our place is, and smile. And maybe - just maybe - the next time I am in Manitoba, I will lie in bed at night, listening to the blizzard howl, and think of Falling Coconuts.