The sonic memory I want to present occurred during my trip back to Shanghai and the time of quarantine this spring. Living alone in a foreign country, It was extremely lucky for me to travel to Vancouver before the outbreak In New York during spring break. Then, I flew back to Shanghai reluctantly at first, not knowing the severity of covid 19. At the airport, I recalled the sound of chitchat and mockery to all the Chinese students wearing masks and goggles. I remembered that a couple mockingly taking photos of the young Asians wearing medical isolation gowns. On the plane, it was extremely quiet, all I could hear was the engine roaring.
During my fourteen days of quarantine, I was locked up in a room by myself. Woke up in the morning, I opened up the curtain and a shaft of sunlight falls on my face. The world outside was extraordinarily peaceful and quiet with not a bit of sound other than birds chirping. There was no more sound of traffic, car whirling, bicycle bells ringing, and kids fooling around, but absolute silence other than the sound of birds singing. It seems like the only one left laughing is Mother Nature. Although I felt uneasy deep inside, it was comfortable and relieving to see the blue sky.
In chronological order, I would like to use sound to present a sense of isolation and loneliness, together with sounds of gossips, the sound of the plane engine, and finally the sound of nature.