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The Documentary: Sounds of the City: Miami

Peter White in Miami

31/03/2020 GMT

Miami

Sounds of the City

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Sounds of the City, Miami

Peter White, blind since birth, explores Miami through the sounds he hears.

Peter White, who was born without sight, takes a tour of Miami, navigating primarily with his ears. You can sense the contrasts of a city as much by its sounds as by its sights, and like so many American cities, Miami is full of contrasts and contradictions. It is December and Peter joins a new blind friend, George, who takes him on a relaxed stroll around a well-heeled area on a sunny afternoon. He tells Peter how his Cuban parents had settled in the city 40 years before and quickly adapted to their new lives. People are friendly and, as if to illustrate that point, George hears a party going on in a garden – he and Peter end up gate-crashing it and no-one seems to mind.
Quite a contrast the following evening, Peter talks to Carlos, a homeless man trudging the streets each day looking for work; he was bringing back some food for his wife, still in the hostel; as they talk Peter hears the shouts of some of those excluded from the accommodation, trying to sell or score crack. Carlos thought he might have to go back to New York; prospects were better there, he said; more tolerant.

And talking about predators, on the outskirts of Miami, Peter meets his first alligator. The tour guide at the site gaily regales him with tales of how a fully grown alligator could devour him in a second and then he invites Peter to stroke one! His protestations that it was friendly seemed hard to believe! Sensing his reluctance, the guide presents Peter with a scorpion, which calmly walked up his arm. But if you're going to get stung in Miami, perhaps better by a scorpion than a drug-pusher.

(Photo: Peter White with his guide, George. Credit: Peter White)

The Documentary: Sounds of the City

Peter White, blind since birth, explores cities through the sounds he hears

Peter White, blind since birth, explores cities through the sounds he hears.

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