Essay Listen up By Samantha Loong	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
よく聞いてください 通勤や通学のお供に携帯音楽プレーヤーは欠かせないという人も多いだろう。しかし、ヘッドフォンを外していたおかげで思わぬ楽しい体験をすることもある、と筆者は言う。たまにはヘッドフォンを外してみては？

Just before my family moved to New Zealand, my brother and I were given going-away presents. My brother received a stereo that was considered in the '80s to be portable, whereas I received a Sony Walkman. When I noticed that it had holes for two sets of headphones, I got very excited.

I began to picture a future friend and me, Walkman swinging between us, dancing down the street to Bananarama and having the time of our lives. The Walkman even had a button you could push to soften the sound so you could talk over the music — using a built-in microphone — with your friend.

Sharing and communicating with each other were the original intentions of the Walkman's inventor — a far cry from what has actually happened with portable music devices. These days, the last thing someone with headphones in their ears wants to do is to communicate. However, when I have to interact with someone, I make it a point to unplug and give them my full attention — even if I'm boarding the bus and just want to greet the driver. I find it quite rude when people leave their headphones on when they're talking to someone else. To me, it's the same as not looking at someone when you're talking to them.

It's understandable that people want to remain plugged in when they're commuting — the world can be unbearably noisy. But occasionally, I'll be lucky enough to be unplugged and hear something that makes my day.

Like the time there was a group of teenaged girls sitting at the back of the bus in London discussing the pronunciation of "February." As I snuck glances at fellow passengers, I could tell that they were as equally tickled as I was by this conversation. It was heartening to witness teenagers that didn't fit the stereotype.

Wellington is a great example of a city that deserves to be listened to. From the calls of the native birds to the talented one-man-band buskers, it's not all uncomfortable noise. Then there's the train company whose staff like to inject a bit of personality and humor into the dreary everyday commute of passengers. "It's Friday everyone! Yaaaaay!" announced one station attendant joyously over the loudspeakers one morning. Seeing everyone's faces erupt into uncontrollable smiles as they boarded their train was priceless.

Employees working for public transport companies often have to deal with nasty complaints from commuters whenever something goes wrong. One evening there were so many cancellations and delays that they made the news. The next day, when the train arrived at the city, our train conductor decided to have some fun on the passengers with this announcement: "Due to circumstances beyond our control ... we are running on time." People laughed and people cheered; it was another excellent start to the morning.

You may not be able to share Bananarama with the people around you anymore, but unplugging yourself every now and then means that you could find yourself sharing something so much more.

Shukan ST: DECEMBER 7, 2012

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