How many people around the world today can choose the view from their bedroom window? When Epoch Times reporters asked locals from Spain to The Netherlands, “What do you see when you look out your bedroom window?” they discovered beautiful landscapes, buildings in progress, people rushing by, as well as dust storms, and constant rain.
Terranuova Bracciolini, Italy
Antonio Italiano, 54, Metal Worker
From my windows, I have a panoramic view. In the far distance at the right, I can see part of the “Le Balze,” houses at the top of the hills, and below the hills a vast cultivated area. In the immediate foreground, I can see our garage for the car, the garden, and flowers.
Note: Le Balze is characterized by a natural phenomenon; small, craggy hills formed during the centuries by the erosion of the land along the slopes of Pratomagno. Locally, it is thought that Leonardo da Vinci made this landscape immortal in his portrait of Mona Lisa.
Bangalore, India
Sheetal Shenoy, 20, Student of Science—Nutrition
I see a busy world where people are extremely self-centered, and have no time for leisure too. It’s a fast-paced world, which is extremely competitive where people can’t nurture their talents and passions. It’s quite a struggle to be the best. Every relationship, be it even family, has taken a back seat.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mauro Cesar, 36, Messenger
When I look out my bedroom window I see houses, buildings, a village, the sky. I can also see people walking down the streets, going to work. I can see cars and buses carrying people ... When I look out my bedroom window I relax and keep myself just watching, and don’t think about anything. Well, that’s not the environment I’d really like to see. I hope I can see something better in the future.
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Froukje Willems, Student
They are building a mosque now. This used to be an empty field. Nearby my home there is already a mosque. They want to build a bigger one. This mosque will be about 40 meters high.
Vancouver, Canada
Deirdre O’Connell, 27, Teacher
I see a beautiful view of English Bay and the mountains. I love it! But it hasn’t been the prettiest picture lately because of the rain.
Islamabad, Pakistan
Sohail Akhtar, 34, Journalist
I don’t have a bedroom window in the room I stay now. Like a lot of other people in this city I see other houses, or the street from the windows of my house. But I really enjoy natural settings as it puts me in a good mood. When I get up I try to get out as soon as possible.
Gran Canaria, Spain
Baye Modu, 29, Construction Worker
I live in a district of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria named Schaman, and when I look out of my bedroom window I can see the impatience of the people. They are all in a hurry, and besides that I can see their sadness, and joy; that is what gets my attention.
Sofia, Bulgaria
Mariya Blagoeva, 28, Human Resources Specialist
One day during our ritual of coffee drinking, my friends and I decided that the view from my bedroom window is modern-urbanistic spiritualism. What we mean is that on the first plane you can see a very modern metro station, behind which is the vast field of the cemetery, and the background of this scenery is the skyline of our capital. Many people will decide that this should be a very scary view, but they are wrong. The only scary thing that I can see there is my cat walking on the parapet.
Metchosin, British Columbia, Canada
Delia Smith, 36, Artist
Literally! My really cute shelving unit with brightly colored baskets of clothes and an alter—the altar on top of my shelves is of my incredible Aunt Frances who lived to be 100 years old. And a plant on it, and it has a room divider; it has a screen beside it so it separates a bachelor apartment into a little cozy nook for me. When I’m lying on my bed, yeah, that’s the first thing when I open my eyes if I look at the end of the bed. [I see] pine trees and whatever the sky is. I love it except when the sky is grey for a month then I often feel down; it’s hard to wake up. I feel more inspired when I wake up and the sky is blue, or I see however the sky is when I look outside the window because I need sunshine.
Oxenford, Australia
Sophie Deklerk, 18, Sales Representative
They’re developing a Macas [McDonald’s] down the street, and there is another one that’s even probably five minutes away. It’s pretty insane at the moment. And you just think, well, they want us to stop being fat and they keep building these Macas everywhere. The dust storms as well, it’s been so dusty and if this is the heat in spring, I can’t imagine what summer is going to be like. There’s not really much of a view just urban streets, cars everywhere.
Warsaw, Poland
Magdalena Lapszow, 38, Movement Therapist
It depends on the time of the year, time of the day. The most important for me is the color of the sky, the big tree with wonderful leaves changing colors. In the morning, when the sun shines, it is nice for me to drink a coffee and have a little more time to wake up.
Matts Torebring, 60, Self-Employed
Many people in Sweden complain about the winter darkness, but do you know what I see when I look out my bedroom window? In the garden there are 36 lights that I have placed there to make it nice and bright when I wake up in the morning. Two minutes before the alarm goes on in the morning, the lights will shine there.
Look for the Global Q&A column every week, when Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “With global trade increasing, has this changed what food and other products are available where you live?”
