Writing For Designers - Sensory Writing

Task 2 - Sensory Writing

Definition

Sensory details include sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Writers employ the five senses to engage a reader's interest. If you want your writing to jump off the page, then bring your reader into the world you are creating. When describing a past event, try and remember what you saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted, then incorporate that into your writing.

Taught by
Amy Anderson of Education Portal

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/sensory-details-in-writing-definition-examples.html#lesson

The Task: 

Student to sit in a cafe, restaurant, or crowded area. Listen to the people around on how they talk and what words they use. Once you have done this, you can practice finishing their conversation as a group. This enables you to express and be creative in writing.

Topic: Africans got the best spicy food.

All true lovers of food will acknowledge this statement as a universally true; that, “Good food is loved. Bad food is hated.” We think the statement to be true because all human memories are in and of itself linked with food. We can all recall from memory of a horrible meal or an amazing meal or favorite places we love to go to eat. That special occasion restaurant. Cuisine meals. Local food spot etc. Generally, worst of it, we never forget the most horrible eating experience we ever had. And the fun part, is to write about the experience of enjoying good food.

If we ask ourselves about good food, what does it taste like? Is it Sweet? Yummy? Bitter? Spicy? Does it make our mouth water? Nose crinkle? When we breathe its smell, is it strong or light? Do we desire to want more of it or less of it? Does it bring up memories? Well, yes it does. Let me share with you my experience.

It is the evening of a sunny shiny Friday; I recall to date, it was July 22, 2014. I arose from a very rejuvenating nap which lasted for about 2 hours and some minutes. I can't be precise about the time duration of the nap, but I can assure you, it really revitalized my body. I guess only my guardian angel can give the exact time I spent on the nap. But have you ever experienced an angel? I think that's another sensory topic to write about.

I was still laying back with a pillow placed at the back of my head on the Victorian style furniture couch in my living-room, when I felt an airflow of warm breeze flow in from the living-room window which made the setting sun glare in my eyes through the half-open velvet drapes. I heard the clanking sound of pots and spoon, I knew for sure it was my house mate trying to preparing his dinner. I pulled the fluffy pillow over my head to cover my nose, but the smell of the harsh flavor spicy toast persuaded me to get out of the couch to check out what was going on in the kitchen. I pussyfooted to the kitchen; and saw my house mate pouring a steaming oily liquid substance on his right palm to taste.

What are you preparing? I curiously asked my house mate in a lowly voice tone.

It is vegetable pepper soup my friend, he replied with a heightened voice and gave a big smile.

Wow! Vegetable pepper soup? I exclaimed. I have never heard of vegetable pepper soup. Is it your local food in Nigeria? I asked him.

No! It's just a soup I learnt how to cook from my mother back home in Nigeria.

O yeah! That's good, I responded. I took some time to stare at the pot as the liquid substance was boiling on the gas stove. I tried to observe and predict what the vegetable pepper soup was made of. Although, it emitted a steamy sweet smell of spicy flavor which made my mouth water. I was curious to know what it was made of. I could perceive some pieces of black fish looking very healthy and tantalizing sprinkled on it was green vegetable leaves with a lot of oily water boiling all together in the pot.

What type of fish is this and how is this vegetable pepper soup made? I asked my house mate.

It is easy my friend. Very easy. he replied. I got all the ingredients for the soup at shops close to campus. There is one local mini-mart that sells African food stuffs. And to prepare it is quite easy to do. You will either need to use meat or fish depends on your choice. The key ingredient is the spice called (Black Pepper Soup Spice). It is a special spice made from Nigeria. I am using cat fish to prepare mine added fresh vegetable to mix the soup.

Yeah, I know pepper soup spice, just that I did not know it was sold around the school shops. I responded.

And what are you going to use to eat the soup with? I asked my house-mate.

It is yam. He opened a cooler and showed me the already cooked pieces of yam.

Wow YAM! I exclaimed with a surprised face. You really prepared to eat African today my friend (I flattered him with a smiling face) Where the hell did you get yam from? I asked with a surprised look to his face.

Hahaha! He laughed. It is that same shop I got the Pepper soup spice that I bought the yam (he replied).

You really be African man. How did you know they sold such items? I asked.

Well, from word-of-mouth; a friend of mine told me I could get Nigerian food stuffs there (He replied).

I heard my mobile phone ringing; excuse me let me quickly get my phone (I said to my house-mate).

Okay. (He replied).

Quick-quick-tip-toe. I went back to the living-room, got my my phone from the table. Who could this be calling, I was thinking.

Oh it's Nor Fahara calling. I pressed the answer button, smiled and said:

Hello Salaamu `Alaykum Nor Fahara.

Wa ‘alaykum al-salaam (she responded)

How are you? I asked.

Fine thank you. And how are you? (she responded).

Very fine thank you (I replied).

Where are you, are you free? (She asked).

I am at home and free (I responded).

I am at the food court 1, can you bring your Iqra book so I teach you a little today? (She asked).

Okay thank you. Give me sometime I will join you. I will call you when I am there. (I responded).

Okay lah. Expecting you. Bye (She said in her small lovely voice and ended the call).

I was excited because I am interested in learning Iqra. Now, Iqra is book which offers the quick method of learning to read Al-Quran. Nor Fahara is a Malaysian girl from Iphor. She is a diploma student and we became friends by virtue of group membership during the orientation program organized by We Care Department of Lagenda Education Group. I told her I was interested in learning about Islam and would love to know more about the religion of Islam. She told me I must learn to read the Al-Quran so I can understand by myself the religious teaching of Islam. She gave me a copy of the Iqra that it will help me learn how to read the Al-Quran. We regularly meet by weekend and she teaches me on Iqra.

I headed straight to my room., quickly got dressed in warm blue jeans and long sleeve. Wore my sweet scenting perfume and took my copy of the Iqra book then locked my room door and was heading to the entrance door when my house-mate asked if I was not eating before I go out? I quick responded, I would eat outside I have a meeting at the food court. Okay have a nice outing (he replied).

Although I was hungry, I decided since I was going to the food court I would have opportunity to eat there since they sell varieties of food at the food court. I walked down to the food court within 5 minutes. I called her to ask where she was sitting, she said she was at Cafe 12. The last shop at the right. She waived her hand and I could spot her from afar. I headed straight to the table she was sitting. We greeted each other with warmly smile.

When you first enter the food court, you can see many shops selling different foods with many people eating and socializing with their companions and family. You head to one of the shops and sit at one of the tables at the front of the shop and order your food. As you are waiting for your food you can hear the people sitting, talking around you. Your hunger increases as you smell all the good aroma of spice as the food is been prepared. You get excited in anticipation for your food to arrive. It gets your mouth to start to water with butterflies flying in your stomach.

I looked at the time on my phone it was half past 6 pm in the evening. So I asked her:

Have you had dinner? She said, No. Why did you ask? (She responded). Because I am hungry (I replied). Hehe she smiled and said, you can order food and eat here. Do they sell African food here, (I asked). I don't think so; but we can ask the shop attendant (she replied). She called one of the shop attendant and spoke in her local dialect (Bahasa Malay). After her conversation with the shop attendant ended, she turned to me and smiled and said, sorry Mark they don't sell your African food here. They have only Asian food (Thai, Indian, Chinese and Malaysian Foods).

Well, okay could you just order any good food you know I can eat (I quickly responded).

Do you want spicy food or not? (She asked).

Spicy will do. (I responded).

Chicken or Beef? (She asked).

Chicken will be fine (I replied).

Do you want any drink? (She asked).

Yes. Ice lemon tea (I replied).

Okay hold on Mark, let me make an order for you. She called the attendant and spoke in her local dialect. And the attendant went away. She turned to me and said, you just need to wait for about 5 minutes and the food will be ready.

Okay that will be fine (I responded).

The attendant came back with two can or ice lemon tea with straws, dropped it on the table and went away. We opened the drink and started sipping while waiting for our food. While we waited, there were two African students one male one female sitting over the table opposite our table. They had just finished eaten and started to comment about the food they ate.

The male said to the female, I told you, we would have prepared food at home, you suggested we come here to eat. Now you see you could not even finish your food, because you don't like it.

The female them responded you know the Asian food here is cheap and African food is expensive to prepare what you love and enjoy eating.

Well, next time I rather spend my money on what I love and enjoy eating, than buy a food I can't eat because it is cheap (the male responded).

They called the attendant and paid for their order and they both left with an unhappy face. I was dismayed by their comment and gesture. It made me start to think about the kind of food I was expecting. Within 4 minutes the food we ordered arrived at our table, four plates where served, two with white rice and the other two plates had a kind of sauce that looked ugly in sight with four pieces of chicken stocked in it.

What kind of food is this? I quickly asked her.

Try it out, this is Sambal belacan and Kurma Ayam with rice (She said). It is a special sauce that can be eating with rice (She gave a painstaking grin).

I watched her as she served the sauce on her rice plate and started eating. I did the same and started eating and the first taste of the food had a a subtle flavour it was slightly sweet. After three spoons I became dissatisfied and full, I stopped eaten and dropped my spoon.

Are you are not enjoying the food? (She asked).

No! Not at all (I replied) with a sad look on my face.

Why? (she asked).

I don't like the taste of the sauce it is not palatable (I replied).

Well, sorry there is no Africa shop selling African cuisine here (She said with a subtle smile on her face.)

I think I am ready to go home (I said to her in a quick voice).

Why do you want to leave, don't you want to study Iqra? (She asked).

Please I have to go, because my stomach is acting funny, I think I am about to purge. (I replied).

What! (She exclaimed), okay you need to rush home before you start to purge.

Okay thanks for your time, I will call you when I am home (I said). And quickly I rush out of the food court, and headed straight home.

I got home in 3 minutes because I walked fast. On reaching home, I quickly opened the door and rushed into my room. Within some minutes, the my stomach gave a cry like what have you eating? My bowels boiled up and I rushed into the toilet. For the rest of the night, I purged and was frequently visiting the toilet. Until the morning of the next day. My body had flushed all traces of the unpalatable food out of my stomach.

Here is why this little experience is helpful: I never judge a food by its look, but now, I learnt to judge a food by its look. (If a food is good looking, then it may probably be good in taste). I can’t remember to forget such ugly experience. How about you, do you remember any?

THE END