..it's quite similar to the draft I did way back at the end of September but revised, edited etc. ;)
Here's some 411 on the assignment. Basically, I have to create a blog on what I saw during my 20 minute stroll (it actually turned out to be 45 minutes) along with my thoughts/reflection upon it.
*UPDATE: Now at the end of the footnotes I am relating to several key readings from my class
=) ENJOY.
WELCOME to my eyes and what I experienced.
INTRO:
My stroll starts with my usual exercising route in my neighbourhood. I live in the Border of North York and Thornhill (AKA Toronto and Vaughan) although I am considered to live in Thornhill. Because I do not usually explore around my neigbourhood I am not too familiar wtih the routes and perhaps that is the reason I chose this route (If a friend was present to walk along with me, it is more likely I would have explored a new route as I previously did in the past).
I wonder if I feel this way because I am a female...
I also wonder if males have to go through this experience..?
However, to feel safe and to know where I am walking I decided to trek my usual trek.
And so I begin my usual route scheduled towards the local park and back...
LINKING GOOGLE maps: https://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
IN THE BEGINNING:
As I walked down the steps of my house I was intrigued to find a large what looked like a beetle??? So I took a picture...I don't see many giant bugs like that I thought to myself...Usually it's mounds of ants and flies etc...
TADDAH!
So I took a picture...and there was an open peanut shell which made me wonder who ate the peanuts and left it here...hrmm...
Why did this intrigue me?
It was in my path...and I don't normally see beetles around...
I wonder why there are certain animals and creatures more visible than others...
Why did this intrigue me?
It was in my path...and I don't normally see beetles around...
I wonder why there are certain animals and creatures more visible than others...
My journey goes on..a few steps out of the door I see this black/brown bird by itself, pecking and looking for food...hrmm I wonder...I slowly take 2 cautious steps ...afraid I am going to make the bird fly away..it made me a little sad my technology couldn't zoom up to take the picture of the bird.
*Later I learned I CAN zoom ...I just didn't know all the crazy embedding of Technological functions my Ipod held..
-___- (*face palm)
*Later I learned I CAN zoom ...I just didn't know all the crazy embedding of Technological functions my Ipod held..
-___- (*face palm)
My first two encounters made me realize that humans share life with nature.
SHARE?...(*reconsiders word.)
well..to a certain degree...
...if we choose to share.
Because we are at the top of the food chain I realize that we will create spaces for ourselves when we choose to, at the expense of others creatures and animals. The birds here were here long before we paved our way into society. The proximity for the birds now is to always be on watch when they are near us humans...and I knew that if I got too close with the bird, the bird would have flown away to make way for me (no share in this space!) and hence my cautiousness.
It's hard to see the bird (so small) but it made me wonder where the rest of the pack went...
INTO THE PAST.
It brought back my memory of the summers where sometimes were 10-20 birds all in my front/side/backyard pecking away looking for food. One summer I found a nest of birds on the side of my house just above my eye-level. A robin had nested at a small tree and I could hear the chicks. I quickly looked at them, took a picture and ran away before mommy robin could get there (I've heard that if the mommy robin could come and if she sees you near the birds, she'll abandon the baby birds)...but I couldn't resist the temptation of the rare occasions of seeing birds up so closely... and something about being babies is just draws me. This once again reminded me of the power relations between human and nature. We're always complaining about the birds who have nestled in our roofs but we never stop to think about how they were here first and we've destroyed their habitat and almost forced them to adapt to a new environment with a loss of nature.
It all boils down to Nature vs. Human.
Humans needed the space and thus we created it and catered it to our needs. SELF-REFLECTION.1.
CHANGE OF SCENERY:
Normally I see my next door neighbour who is an Italian Grandpa but he has been renovating (aka demolishing) his house completely so he has moved out temporarily. The house next door and the house across my house...and many houses on my street have been revamping (from tiny bungalows, side-splits and back-splits) to GIANT modernized two-story houses.
The houses in my neighbourhood are ideal for building because it is TTC and YRT accessible and close to the main traffic, yet on a quiet street away from main streets.
Also, it is an old neighbourhood which is great for developers because these older houses are smaller in size but have large backyards fit for new large-scale homes.
It is a mix of old and new houses...
I noticed that all the smaller houses are slowly disappearing and our neighbourhood is changing. As the houses change, the make-up of these homes are changing as well. The original homes that have been occupied for decades by older generations are being sold to younger families changing the demographics of the neighbourhood.
A CHANGE...a change of space ...
My take on it? Personally for me...I hate it...why?
What used to be sounds of birds waking me up each morning (as I said my backyard and gramps backyard are birds or used to be birds heavens) has suddenly become sounds of machines...grinding away...cutting...screeching...banging...loud radios etc. Is this how the birds felt when we invaded their space? 2.
CURIOUSITY:
I actually took a picture of the telephone pole because I never noticed the numbers before, but you can tell that within this picture the house itself is also under construction.
You can also tell how old these streets are by looking at the telephone poles because it is constructed with old wooden logs. Imagine the history this piece of wood has.. where is it from? What process has it gone through in order to get here...?
CURIOUSITY:
I actually took a picture of the telephone pole because I never noticed the numbers before, but you can tell that within this picture the house itself is also under construction.
You can also tell how old these streets are by looking at the telephone poles because it is constructed with old wooden logs. Imagine the history this piece of wood has.. where is it from? What process has it gone through in order to get here...?
I stopped to take a picture because I realized the number did not correlated with the address number of the house O.o hrmm..
...and what is this? danger sign? voltage?? What does that even mean? and why is the number 1 sideways...is that a number?
O.o super confused..but I did notice that as I kept walking down, the street the number decreased...definitely did not follow the house numbers...and I never realized that all the streetlights had numbers on them..I wonder if every single one has them..or if its just in my neighbourhood.
Hrmm...I never noticed...Is it because it was placed too high?
Who is the number intended for then?
This is an important question because to me, it speaks of power...
It reminds me of many items and things that are intended to speak to only a specific number and specific group of persons.
Here are two examples I can think of...
For example, the tiny little stickers on your fruits..? did you know they have meanings
(4 digit # starting with 3/4 = conventionally grown hence in farms etc. vs. 5 digit # starting with 8 = Genetically modified/altered vs. 5 digit # starting with 9 = Organic)
or...
For example, those random code #s you see on tires? did you know they decode to show the exact date of the manufactured date?! ID with dots followed by 10-12#s. If the last part of the ID shows 3#s= manufactured BEFORE the year 2000 (which means you need to change ur tires NOW)
If you have 4digit #s it provides the week and year the tire was manufactured. For example, if the digits are 4308, the tire was manufactured in the 43rd week of 2008
OK off on a tangent but...point is...
MAKE IT PEOPLE FRIENDLY!!!
...and what is this? danger sign? voltage?? What does that even mean? and why is the number 1 sideways...is that a number?
O.o super confused..but I did notice that as I kept walking down, the street the number decreased...definitely did not follow the house numbers...and I never realized that all the streetlights had numbers on them..I wonder if every single one has them..or if its just in my neighbourhood.
Hrmm...I never noticed...Is it because it was placed too high?
Who is the number intended for then?
This is an important question because to me, it speaks of power...
It reminds me of many items and things that are intended to speak to only a specific number and specific group of persons.
Here are two examples I can think of...
For example, the tiny little stickers on your fruits..? did you know they have meanings
(4 digit # starting with 3/4 = conventionally grown hence in farms etc. vs. 5 digit # starting with 8 = Genetically modified/altered vs. 5 digit # starting with 9 = Organic)
or...
For example, those random code #s you see on tires? did you know they decode to show the exact date of the manufactured date?! ID with dots followed by 10-12#s. If the last part of the ID shows 3#s= manufactured BEFORE the year 2000 (which means you need to change ur tires NOW)
If you have 4digit #s it provides the week and year the tire was manufactured. For example, if the digits are 4308, the tire was manufactured in the 43rd week of 2008
OK off on a tangent but...point is...
MAKE IT PEOPLE FRIENDLY!!!
I wonder if this is ok...
There's a man mowing his lawn...
O.oa Is it bad because I didn't ask him?
err..it felt really awkward, the thought of going up to him in the middle of his lawn cutting and explain my entire situation..
.
I took a picture of his back to eliminate any ethical difficulties.
I felt like I was impinging on his privacy by snapping a picture of him.
Definitely some power relations here.
I felt really awkward and weird walking by myself without any means of goal...except to take pictures which felt really awkward too...taking pictures of things that belong to other people made me feel like I shouldn't be doing that...I even looked around for people before I took the picture..
Am I suppose to feel like this during the assignment? O.oa?
The original intention of this picture was the attraction of the smell of the freshly cut grass.
It reminded me so much of summer. for a split second the weather and the smell brought me back to summer...last week has been FREEZING and I've been wearing sweaters and jackets...I don't know just today when I decided to go and walk it was so beautiful....
but LOOK at that giant rock. where in the world is that rock..boulder.. from!!! Don't you wonder how it got there? It definititely didn't come with the ground around them...someone bought it?...but for what reason? hrm...on the way back from my walk the grass was all cut so nicely and a layer of fresh cut grass looked super nice...
It reminded me so much of summer. for a split second the weather and the smell brought me back to summer...last week has been FREEZING and I've been wearing sweaters and jackets...I don't know just today when I decided to go and walk it was so beautiful....
but LOOK at that giant rock. where in the world is that rock..boulder.. from!!! Don't you wonder how it got there? It definititely didn't come with the ground around them...someone bought it?...but for what reason? hrm...on the way back from my walk the grass was all cut so nicely and a layer of fresh cut grass looked super nice...
Also, one last thing to note: You can clearly see the picture of the old and new houses set side by side.
The community is definitely changing from the older generation to the younger.
Space is changing.
Space is changing.
So I keep on walking down the street.
LOOK at this! So pretty! They had loads of this in their front yard as I was walking by one of the larger houses..
I'm sure it's for people to look at
(By saying this convinces myself that it is ok to take pictures of other people's things..even if it is nature)
..still I felt weary of taking pictures of someones flower! LOL..I'm sure they put it there for 'Hey look at my pretty flowers!' but I felt like trespassing their property (although technically I was still on the sidewalk)
*Every time I took a picture, I looked around my surroundings before taking this.
I also noticed there were quite a few people on their 'stroll': a couple walking their dog into a bushy area, another couple taking a walk, bikers and children...and then me, by myself.
hahah. It kind of reminds me of an apple. Is that weird? the colour...like the red part is like the outside peel and the inside is the apple...since the peel is so thin on apples...totally weird O.o I love plants..I should become a botanist (jks!...slightly)
Everything I recorded has to do with nature (so far)...LOL
THOSE CLOVER DAYS:
This next photo I took was a single dandelion amongst the clovers. Man..are they annoying to get rid of!..but here is just one out of many many clovers. Any time I see dandelions I get super annoyed as it reminds me of pulling the weeds out of my backyard every summer. Terrible memories...they must have really adapted to staying rooted on earth. I wonder if they are native to Canada..
I stopped by looking for four leaf clovers.
It reminded me of my Gr.9 geography class where Sarah and I met.
Our classroom was located on the second floor overlooking this great and giant oak tree.
She and I would ask on days we were bored if we could go and explore outside where our teacher can still see us.
He surprisingly gave us permission.
I don't even know how we ended up there but since that day we went down often during geography and pick four leaf clovers.
Once I SWEAR we even found a five leaf clover! That's how much time we spent down there in gr.9!
Oh memories...every time I look at clovers it brings me back to that memory =).
A very different but way more memorable learning opportunity of exploring the outdoors.
I wonder why our teacher allowed us to go outside..It was a privilege, although I never thought of it then..I have great memories thanks to our teacher...perhaps I was learning about the local geography ...trip down memory lane =)
btw I failed at looking for four leaf clovers..I realized how much less of a patient person I've become since then...I enjoyed it then..now I basically want it to shoot out at me
LOL...a little sad on how fast life is speeding by with me..
Have I been sucked into too much of an urban lifestyle?
Everything suddenly become always speed vs. time. At times I always forget that once in a while I need to take time and relax.
I guess this is part of the assignment.
The fact that we go on a stroll, take time to look around the everyday surroundings that we pass..
A STRUGGLE FOR LIVING IN THE MOMENT.
THE HALF SIGNIFIER:
Hello!
This is a beautiful tree.
It is literally half red and half green (Green is on the losing side though)
...Sigh* the end of summer and just the beginning of fall..
When I walked outside I don't recall seeing any indications of fall...but I guess it's definitely coming
I loved how this tree looked. beauty of nature. How wonderous and majestic His works are.
It's funny because I must drive past this tree tons of times but had failed to notice it...It also signifies that time is passing and that my bestfriend will come back home =)!
I'm sure this picture stands to represent many different things to many different people.
WOW.
Am I glad I took this picture!!
I did not notice until today how many planes flew across the sky!
I lost count after 13!
...and that was from...5:15pm-6:00pm I got home exactly 5:59pm so..
that was 45 minutes walk and I saw that many..!
No wonder sometimes planes collide with each other mann! It's probably rarely but my opinion may be skewed.
This observation may be heightened because lately I have been on a marathon with the show 'MAYDAY'. Basically every possibly way that planes can go wrong...and a few of those episodes feature planes running into each other..(terrible casualties)
...and also I questioned where so many people on those planes are going...what is in store for them on their next destination?..Don't they have work? Or is this part of work? So many people moving in and out. They take part in a big part of the globalization process and also to show how nations are so closely influenced by one another than ever!
(e.g- How quickly SARS came about through one plane and spread to become pandemic crisis!)
And so my journey continues until I hit the park. I got distracted by people playing tennis at the entrance of the park before I actually hit the park. Was intrigued by how young the players were (teenagers). I guess this perspective is influenced by my childhood when my grandpa used to make us play tennis with him. Such a tiring sport..none of my friends played tennis so I guess I assumed only old people played tennis...and NOTE* I felt like I would have invaded their privacy so I didn't take any pictures.
However, when I saw this I HAD to take a picture...
Qu'est-ce que c'est?
Je ne sais pas. O.oa???
That is the question I wanted to ask my group members when I was taking this picture.
I pass by this all the time when I go to the park and I've never been able to figure it out.
This was scheduled to be my final destination...the park is where I intended to go and then head back...Can anyone guess what this is? It definitely must've been constructed for something..and seeing that there are repairs to it they still must be of some value (when I looked closely there were new nails vs. older nails to hold the wooden planks together)...yet it looks deserted in the park.
I thought it must be some kind of skating rink...but then it looks super small to be a skating rink..and I thought it was a skateboarding park...but can't be..and why are there gates???? Is there suppose to be grass growing there?! I honestly don't know....I took this picture so
hopefully someone could answer it :s 3.
THE STARE-DOWN:
Continuing along the path of the park towards the playground and there were two young teenagers.
I was initially going to take a picture of the playground...(it has been recently revamped with new and and interesting equipment which is probably due to the changing demographics) ...but all my thoughts of this stroll project went out of my head when suddenly 'they' took notice of me.
Suddenly I felt their gaze as I passed the playground (where they were) and it was quite uncomfortable.
I noticed that they stopped talking or possibly was talking quietly enough for only themselves to hear each other...
Suddenly the power that I held was no longer in possession. I felt like they were almost investigating me on why I was where I was and what I was doing.
The roles it felt like...suddenly switched. My gaze of what I was taking on was noticed by them...
Without meaning to, suddenly the speed of my walking had changed...a much faster pace.
And I calmed down after they were out of sight which takes me to this location: 4.
[Note*I originally took this picture because I thought it was ironic to have a sign as there is a no vehicle sign and yet one can clearly see the tire track marks...Whether the cars came first or the sign..hrmm...I wonder why vehicles go there because by the time I finished my walk it leads to a dead-end...One the left side is the backyard of homes and on the right side is the train tracks]
My original path was to keep going along the path curving to the left. (I had never noticed this in my previous usual walks)
However, my turn to the right actually brought me to this unknown territory that had an opening area (which I took a picture of) surrounded by a high gate.
As you can see the bushes/nature has taken the responsibility to cover the fence (on to the right). My original thought was to take a step back and return to my original route.
My second thought: curiosity especially since I am observing my surroundings why not. If anything happens I will record it with my Ipod ;) [weird feeling of power with technology]
Should I re-route?
The determinant rested on the couple walking the dog into a bushy area (recalled earlier in my stroll). We took a different route but I saw them walking out of this area and I figured it was from here so it couldn't be too dangerous.
Also I could hear people (not see as the field stretched far into the distance) which made me feel more comfortable as well...right?
Considering all of these pros and cons...tick tock tick tock..
Sketchy area for a flaneurie..but feeling safe for today.
I figured I knew where the end point was (generally) so it couldn't be too bad.
--> bushy area I found on Google maps:
( Once I entered the realm of the forest, I was too busy looking around 360' that I forgot I was doing the assignment...sorry no recordings available on my route back)
My neighbourhood in broad daylight..but I have difficulty accessing this bushy area...how unfriendly.
Whose space is this created for then?? Definitely not for the single woman. 5.
This is taken at a crossroads (3way) and if you look closely there is a ramp/fence guarding the entrance of an open grass area. it has always looked sketchy so I've personally never been there cus I don't know where the route ends...but from the other side (where the park is) i figured this is where'd I end up.
True to my words, I ended up coming out of these bushes and off I went home =)
My journey ends here today...
.
.
.
.
.
..
...
....
1. Environment (Rasmussen & Akulukjuk)
In today's 'western' culture, one's residence/lives have been separated from the 'environment'. Rasmussen & Akulukjuk (2005) discuss their definition of the environment where "Quallunnat (European Canadians) have a strange concept of their environment. For instance, (the western Canadians), the term 'wildlife' is used to separate ourselves from their home. Essentially our community is separated from the natural environment...However as Akulukjk explains, "we are part of nature and cannot be excluded from it". From the perspectives of the natives, they demonstrate that they and the environment are one. One in which they cannot remove theirselves from what encompasses them. What is interesting is that because they see themselves as 'one' with the environment, they too are level with nature. They do not create any sort of hierarchy and rather this is communal as the Inuit term demonstrates, "The word 'Inuit', itself means 'living beings', it does not connote any sense of superiority" (Rasmussen & Akulukjuk 2005).
This is often true of how I feel. Taking time to see the nature all around my neighbourhood awes me how integrated we are with nature. For example, currently the birds that live outside my house accommodate their lives to try to live in harmony with our 'urban' selves (e.g- by nesting in various buildings). No matter how much we try to, we cannot 'escape' nature. We try to do our best to disconnect ourselves from nature by limiting the number of trees growing in specific areas of our 'urban centers'. It is saddenig how hard we try to clamp out nature and provide a 'reserve' for nature in small, designated areas. Rather than living as 'one' the community does all it can so that it does not have to share its space with the environment.
In my exerpt you can clearly see who is in power. Having been exposed to very little nature growing up (e.g- hatchling) I took the risk to look at the birds. Rather than respecting the nature, I realize now that I have taken advantage of my power in order to satisfy my curiosity. It can be clearly seen that my superiority was more important than perhaps the lives of these hatchlings (if I had been caught by the mother bird).
Reference: Rasmussen & Akulukjuk (2005). My Father Was Told to Talk to the Environment First Before Anything Else. New Jersey: Hampton Press.
2. Urbanization core for the mixed community (Boudreau):
Urbanization is an interesting term as it relates to many things. In Boudreau's article, Canada is "redefined most visibly as the face of an urban nation" (Boudreau, 2009). In helping to define the term urban, Boudreau states that these "urbanized regions account for much of the country's economic activity, cultural shifts and demographic change." (Boudreau, 2009). These regions are the core and affect the country the most. She states that, "In another powerful thrust of urbanization, people have moved away from cities into the suburban and exurban fringes of major urban regions, which are spreading across fertile farmlands, arid deserts, and drained wetlands at a scale unimaginable even to the keenest prognoses of megaurbanization only one generation ago" (Boudreau, 2009). Here, the urbanization is seen to be expanding to incorporate regions that were once not a part of the 'urban'. The process of urbanization is expanding its original region of the 'urban place' that "large number of Canadians now live in 'in-between cities' between the glamour zones of the gentrified downtowns and the traditional suburbs" (Boudreau, 2009).
Here the term urbanization is applicable in my ethnographic study because according to Boudreau's article, I am now considered to be living in the location where 'urbanization' is occurring. The urban location encompasses bigger areas than ever before and what was once my home considered to be a 'traditional suburb' has now become 'urbanized'. Here you can see the changing of the space as my neighbourhood is continuing to transition into the urbanize region. Many older houses are being torn down for newer and much larger ones. As larger houses are being constructed, they take up more space resulting in a loss of nature. With this process, the demographics are changing as well from older generations to younger generations. These retired folks are selling homes to working couples who are at the heart of the economic industry (as they contribute and drive the economy) and can afford the more luxurious homes. Finally, there is a cultural shift that come along with this change. For example, I am used to seeing many homes where people just sit outside of their front porch. I am seeing less of the sitting and more of the 'on-the-go' folks. As a young woman myself who is always 'on-the-go' I fit right in with the new demographics. However, I do miss the older folks who always reminds me to take it slow when I used to see them on their porch. The entire dynamic of the community is slowly shifting to what Boudreau would define as 'urbanization'. My neighbourhood is still in a transitioning stage but eventually the urbanization will continue to spread as it has been for a while until it completely swallows my community.
Reference: Boudreau, J. (2009). Changing Toronto: Governing Urban NeoLiberalism. Toronto: Univeresity of Toronto Press.
3. Historical Space and the Psychogeography (Murmur Project):
I begin by defining history in terms of the Murmur Project. The murmur project "helps record stories and memories told about specific geographic locations" (Murmur 2003). It demonstrates that these specific geographic locations have stories and recollections of memories attached with history. That being said, historically the space was designated for specific reasons to that specific area. All buildings have a reason and hence a history whether told or untold. The Murmur project is dedicated to bring 'voice' to what otherwise would be seen as just another location or building. It takes the person back into the history to explain the space as it states, "Secret histories are unearthed, private truths unveiled and tales as diverse as the city itself are discovered and shared (Murmur 2003)".
This Murmur project help me to see that every location I visit is embedded with many historical stories but lacks the voice to explain. Why are certain architectural buildings/structures built at certain locations vs. another location? This is the untold story of which I discovered during the sharing of my STROLL. It shows that even within a playgrounds an untold story stands. I found out that the gated area with two carved lanes have a untold history of my neighbourhood. The park which was originally served for Italians and the unknown lanes were actually Bocci Fields (which I've played before but did not know they had specific fields dedicated for the game). It confused me because whenever I state the location of my area to friends or family they respond, 'Oh, the Jewish area'. Why then was there a Bocci field which is an Italian game? It made me dig a little deeper on my neighbouthood. I then realized that before the majority of my neighbourhood were comprised of Jewish people, many Italians used to reside in the area. When the space was originally created, it was catered to the ethnic group of the time 'Italians' and hence created Bocci fields. At the time of the architectural development, there was a specific target group in mind. Space changes with time, but it made me realize that there were small remnants of their history. Italian-style homes throughout my neighbourhood for one*refer to pic below. I just assumed that there were Italian architectures, but I never thought to reason that it was because many Italians lived in the area and it was probably a popular demand. It made me realize that space has history. Space has meaning of these untold stories. We just have to take the time and look around. The layout of this neighbourhood has been created in such a way for a reason. Unfortunately, the voice of the once residing Italian group seems to be missing as very few people would think that it as 'once an Italian community'.
Reference: http:// murmurtoronto.ca (2003). Toronto: CFC Media Lab.
4. The Gaze at my Stroll (Jenks & Neves):
In Jenks and Neves flaneur's gaze, they discuss the gaze in relation to power. One where having the ability to gaze is power or as Nietzsche states 'the Will of power' (Jenks & Neves 2000). Having the ability to gaze allows the gazer to hold power over the person being gazed at. It is where one 'masters that of seeing without being caught looking' (Jenks & Neves 2000). It is one of the questions or 'supernatural powers' we all answer when asked "What super power would you want?" with the answer "Invisibility". Having the power of Invisibility or what Harry Potter would call it 'The Invisibility cloak" (Rowling J.K, 1997) (random relation to my obsession). We have all wanted to see how people would act naturally without our presence.
This was essentially the gaze that I had power over others until the roles reversed. I felt self-conscious and suddenly in the spot-light. The power that I held (to see without being seen) was suddenly 'caught' by these teenagers and now it was they who gazed at me. I felt powerless and could not hold their gaze. Perhaps I felt the way I felt because I was caught doing the 'gaze' (whether or not they know what I was up to). Or perhaps it was because I was by myself and I felt the power of two-to-one ratio outnumbered. I knew then that my mastery of 'seeing without being caught' had been broken and all I wanted was to get out of their gaze. I walked faster and faster, looking anywhere but at them until I was out of their sight. But, what makes all of us want to avoid being in the midst of all this attention unless we initiate it? Is it because we are not expecting it and haven't prepared to 'perform' a certain way? Is it because we are not giving the impression we want to or ought to give?The gaze is powerful, so powerful that at times it can make one being gazed want to squirm away (if they are conscious of being gazed at). *I also note that even if the person being gazed at is not aware that they are being gazed, there is still a power that the one gazing holds. It is the attention given to those who do not want attention or are expecting it. Almost all of us have felt the negative feeling of being gazed at. At the same time we all have had times where we do the gazing. Which spaces allow us to freely gaze without being penalized and which spaces prohibit the gazing? Are there appropriate spaces for gazing? This 'power of the gaze' makes me reflect times where I have done the gaze and have also been gazed at. In my experience, I feel there is a more powerful emotion attached than if I were to be doing the gazing..
Reference: Jenks & Neves (2000) A Walk on the Wild Side: Urban Ethnography Meets the Flaneur. Journal for Cultural Research. Vol. 4, 1:1-17.
Rowling, J.K (1997) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloombury Publishing.
5. The Stroll of the Flaneuse (Nes & Nguyen)
This is the female version of the flaneur. The concept of the flaneuse begins in the city where the city was not to be experience by them but a place to consume (Nes & Nguyen 2009). Unlike the counterpart of the flaneur whereby he takes a stroll for the sake of strolling (enjoying the scenery and its surroundings), the flanerie does so for it's reasons such as for consumption (e.g- to shop). The flaneur is and can be a wanderer of the city 24/7 without a problem. In order for the flaneuse to do the same, Nes & Nguyen states for more crowds with a better sense of security (Nes & Nguyen, 2009). In order for the flaneuse to do the flanerie "to see and be seen" it is suggested that the space of the environment (spatially) must accommodate them. It seeks change in the architectural layout so that it can be friendly for both the flaneuse and flaneur (Nes & Nguyen, 2009). This is especially upheld for the later times of the day when the sun sets and when an issue of feeling secure within the area/space arises.
The flaneuse helped me realize how and why I navigated my stroll the way I did, and the decisions I made. For example, when I saw the unknown territory I had to stand at the spot for a minute or two contemplating whether the pros outweighed the cons. The field has a lot less traffic and situated away from main roads which are both reasons to not enter (supported by Nes & Nyugen's sense of security). It did not provide a navigation or a map at the entrance which would have helped me get familiar with the area and know what to expect. Spatially, the environment was not created to be 'female friendly'. Perhaps it is more popular for the male counterpart or for plural bodies to 'stroll'. My sense of security came from: 1. my phone which I held on to dearly, 2. the few people I did see in the distance and 3. the speed at which I walked and my 360' peripheral vision. However, this would have been a different situation if it were night. It would be highly unlikely for any flaneuse to see and be seen in that environment. Space changes with times and situations. As I walked through the grassy area, I realized that there were no lamp posts anywhere. At night the area would be surrounded by darkness. This is concerning especially nearing winter time as the sun sets much earlier around 4:30pm (which is still considered the day time). The planners of this neighbourhood made me re-think to whom this was catered for. Who was the target group (gender, age, race etc.) of this neighbourhood? To conclude, I realized that the neighbourhood with its dimly lights and sparse crowds, it is difficult for the flanese to do its flanerie even during the day. Because the stroll is mine, and part of my identity is being young and a woman allowed the opportunity to draw these conclusions. If I had been someone else, perhaps these thoughts would not even have crossed ym mind. However, because this is my stroll, I conclude with this thought: perhaps it is time for the developers to wake up, and realize that it is the 21st century, and the voices of all people are strengthening.
Reference: Nes & Nguyen (2009). Gender Differences in the Urban Environment. Stockholm: KTH.
No comments:
Post a Comment