I was in Taipei, Taiwan last week for a very large book conference. I wrote a blog post about this a few days ago, but wanted to revisit this with a different context. I use Audiboo quite a bit to record ambient noise of the places I go and Taipei was no exception. I made my way to a higher floor overlooking the conference exposition area and recorded this audio with my iPhone at quite a distance. The din is still very present as is a restless, kinetic energy. I think that if you were to see a picture of me recording this, it would have presented a nice contrast, the kinetic energy of the crowd and my general weariness and fatigue. I was tired and a bit homesick (home=wife) and this recurring din on the expo floor seemed to reinforce this. I was just a bit out of step with my environment. So, this audio is about contrast, the zip and restlessness of the aural bustle and my stillness and travel fatigue.
The images I took with the same iPhone look inviting, all that activity sequestered in neat little grids below. And it was. And Taipei was lovely, an unexpected little treasure. But at this moment while I was recording, I was unmoored, adrift amidst the din.
