9.30.25: City Soundtracks

Every city has a sound that defines it. New York is car horns. Tokyo is the ding of train doors. Bangkok is tuk-tuks coughing exhaust. Chiang Mai? It’s the hum of scooters mixed with temple bells and random karaoke echoing from a side street. Sometimes I stop walking just to listen, and it feels like the city’s introducing itself again. It’s easy to think places are defined by landmarks or food, but sound sticks deeper in memory. Years later, you’ll forget what you ate, but you’ll remember the exact pitch of a horn that made you laugh.