Going to Shanghai (FFC) and seeing a bus driver flashing headlights instead of honking at a green light laggard was eye opening. All the electric cars and mopeds too of course.

Coming back to NYC afterwards was wild. The fucking food stand generators. AC vents. The cars. The buses.

I live out in the country now where it is nice and quiet but when I was in grad school I worked for a summer in NYC and had an apartment in midtown. One of the many delights was having an apartment whose sole window opened into an interior courtyard that was maybe 10’ wide x 10’ long. Despite the fact that it did not directly open to the street, the noise from the window was so intense that I basically never opened it.

I eventually came to appreciate that the noise level (and god, trash odors) were tolerable as long as you either never went outside, or you limited your exposure to the few modestly quiet places or times in the city. Weekend noise level could be pleasant at times but holy Christ… do the sirens ever stop?!!!